Sesame Street Character Debuts

The following is a list of debut (and first known) appearances of Sesame Street characters.

Season 1 (1969-1970)

 * Big Bird — Episode 0001.
 * Oscar the Grouch — Episode 0001.
 * Ernie and Bert — Pilot episodes and Episode 0001.
 * Kermit the Frog — Test Show 4 and Episode 0001; first appeared on Sam and Friends in 1955.
 * Cookie Monster — Test Show 4 and Episode 0001.
 * Gordon, Susan, Bob and Mr. Hooper — Pilot episodes and Episode 0001.
 * Buddy and Jim — Pilot episodes and Episode 0001.
 * Jennie — Episode 0001.
 * Beautiful Day Monster — Episode 0004; previously appeared as a stock monster
 * Guy Smiley — Appears as an unnamed salesman in Episode 0010.
 * Professor Hastings — Episode 0012 ("Spinning Wheel")
 * Bip Bippadotta — Episode 0014
 * Little Bird — Episode 0028
 * Granny Bird — First appears in Episode 0030 as the Big Bird puppet with a flowered hat, shawl, glasses and purse. Converses with Big Bird off screen.
 * Roosevelt Franklin — Episode 0068 ("Roosevelt Franklin Counts")
 * Betty Lou — Episode 0072 ("The Mr. and Mrs. Game")
 * Lefty the Salesman — Episode 0079
 * Granny Fanny Nesselrode — Episode 0112 (originally made from the Southern Colonel puppet; switched to Large Lavender Live Hand Anything Muppet pattern the following season)
 * Grover — Episode 0125 in name (not fully-formed until season two); appeared earlier as a previously established monster (see: proto-Grover).

Season 2 (1970-1971)

 * Sherlock Hemlock — Episode 0131
 * Herry Monster — Episode 0131
 * Farley — Episode 0131
 * Larry and Phyllis — Episode 0131
 * Willy — Episode 0131
 * Herbert Birdsfoot — Episode 0132
 * Simon Soundman — Episode 0132
 * Miguel — Episode 0138
 * Twiddlebugs (Anything Muppets) — Episode 0178
 * Prairie Dawn — (EKA: Episode 0178)
 * Slimey — Episode 0202
 * Little Jerry and the Monotones — named in Episode 0216
 * Linda — Episode 0243
 * David — (EKA: Episode 0244)
 * Tom — (EKA: Episode 0246)

Season 3 (1971-1972)

 * Mr. Snuffleupagus — Episode 0276
 * Mr. Johnson — Episode 0276
 * Maria, Luis, Molly, Rafael, Antonio, and Mr. Macintosh — Episode 0276
 * Harvey Kneeslapper — Episode 0277
 * The Amazing Mumford — Episode 0280
 * The Martians — Episode 0398
 * The Busby Twins
 * Wally and Ralph

Season 4 (1972-1973)

 * Count von Count — Episode 0406
 * Sam the Robot — Episode 0406
 * Frazzle
 * Baby Breeze
 * Same Sound Brown
 * Smart Tina
 * Suzetta Something
 * Hardhead Henry Harris
 * Kate

Season 5 (1973-1974)Edit

 * Biff — Episode 0543
 * Sully — (EKA: Episode 0638)
 * Twiddlebugs (family)
 * Fred the Wonder Horse
 * Gladys the Cow
 * Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats

Season 6 (1974-1975)

 * Rodeo Rosie — Episode 0666
 * Don Music
 * Mr. Chatterly

Season 7 (1975-1976)

 * Buffy — Episode 0802

Season 8 (1976-1977)

 * Olivia — Episode 0950
 * The Countess — Episode 0953

Season 9 (1977-1978)

 * Brad — Episode 1068
 * Two-Headed Monster — Episode 1121
 * Barkley — appeared in Episode 1177 and Episode 1184 as Woof Woof before being renamed in-show during the 10th season premiere.

Season 10 (1978-1979)

 * Telly Monster — Episode 1257
 * Bruno the Trashman — Oscar meets Bruno in Episode 1259
 * Irvine — Episode 1216

Season 11 (1979-1980)

 * Elmo — Sesame Street Unpaved and Imagination Illustrated cite Elmo making his debut in 1979 as an Anything Muppet. The earliest-known instance of his name being used was in Episode 1439.
 * Osvaldo, el Gruñón — Episode 1316
 * Leslie Mostly — Episode 1436
 * Grundgetta — Episode 1400
 * Deena — Episode 1403

Season 12 (1980-1981)

 * Forgetful Jones and Clementine — Episode 1446; a season 12 press kit mentions them as new characters this season (Buster the Horse is also referred to as a new character, though the puppet had been around since at least 1974).
 * Warren Wolf — A season 12 press kit refers to him as debuting this year.
 * Honkers — A season 12 press kit refers to this as the debut season for the Honkers.
 * Ferlinghetti Donizetti — A season 12 press kit refers to him as a new character this season.
 * Poco Loco — A season 12 press kit refers to this as his debut season, although he was on the show since at least 1974.
 * Dr. Nobel Price — A season 12 press kit refers to this as his debut season, appearing as early as Episode 1455
 * Countess Dahling von Dahling and Masha — Episode 1447
 * Pearl — Episode 1454
 * Polly Darton — Episode 1475

Season 13 (1981-1982)

 * Aristotle — Episode 1577

Season 15 (1983-1984)

 * Uncle Wally — introduced in Episode 1929, starts appearing regularly the next season.

Season 16 (1984-1985)

 * Hoots the Owl — earliest found appearance is "Good Night, Wake Up Lullaby" in Episode 2020
 * Piri — Episode 1998
 * Shelley the Turtle — Episode 2007
 * Ernestine — Episode 2053

Season 17 (1985-1986)Edit

 * Placido Flamingo — Episode 2134
 * Leo the Party Monster — Episode 2162
 * The Oinker Sisters
 * Tito
 * J. P.
 * Miles — Episode 2123
 * Chip and Dip — Episode 2209
 * Baby Natasha — Episode 2215

Season 18 (1986-1987)

 * Gina — Episode 2253
 * Juliet — Episode 2260
 * Sonny Friendly — Episode 2274
 * Flo Bear — Episode 2277
 * Athena — Episode 2304
 * Meryl Sheep

Season 19 (1987-1988)

 * Alice Snuffleupagus — Episode 2410
 * Ruby — Episode 2432

Season 20 (1988-1989)Edit

 * Hiroshi — Episode 2459
 * Mike — Episode 2551
 * Gabi — Episode 2615

Season 21 (1989-1990)Edit

 * Wolfgang the Seal — Episode 2618
 * Preston Rabbit — Episode 2616
 * Mr. Handford — Episode 2616; properly introduced in Episode 2620
 * Vincent Twice
 * Lillian
 * Savion

Season 22 (1990-1991)

 * Benny Rabbit — Episode 2811; introduced in Episode 2815.
 * Humphrey — Episode 2851
 * Merry Monster — Episode 2854
 * Baby Bear and Goldilocks — Episode 2866
 * Chicago — Episode 2826 as a generic lion; earliest named appearance is Episode 2911
 * The Grand High Triangle Lover and Norman — Episode 2871

Season 23 (1991-1992)

 * Sonic The Hedgehog
 * Chuck E. Cheese
 * Helen Henny
 * Mr. Munch
 * Jasper T. Jowls
 * Pasqually
 * Rosita — Episode 2887; introduced in Episode 2888
 * Joey and Davey Monkey — Episode 2953 (40 Years of Life on the Street page 132 incorrectly cites Season 24 as their debut).
 * Roxie Marie — Episode 2910
 * Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk — Episode 2943
 * Monty — Episode 2939
 * Colambo
 * Horatio the Elephant
 * Cyranose de Bergerac

Season 24 (1992-1993)

 * Miles "Tails" Prower -- Episode 3021
 * Sir John Feelgood — Episode 3040
 * Kingston Livingston III — Episode 3103
 * Wanda Cousteau — Episode 3128
 * Stinky the Stinkweed — Episode 3133

Season 25 (1993-1994)

 * Zoe — Episode 3136
 * Sherry Netherland — Episode 3136
 * Ingrid — Episode 3136
 * Ruthie — Episode 3136
 * Carlo — Episode 3136
 * Tarah — Episode 3136
 * Celina — Episode 3136
 * Angela and Jamal — Episode 3136
 * Lexine — Episode 3139
 * Papa Bear and Mama Bear — Episode 3148
 * The Squirrelles — Episode 3156

Season 28 (1996-1997)

 * Dot Hugson
 * Neddie Hugson
 * Scarecrow Jr.
 * Tin Boy
 * Jack Pumpkinhead Jr.
 * Boris Lion Cub
 * Bela Lion Cub
 * Frank
 * Andrea
 * Otto The Nome Prince

Season 29 (1997-1998)

 * Elizabeth — Episode 3656

Season 30 (1998-1999)

 * Alan — Episode 3786
 * Mr. Noodle — Episode 3786

Season 31 (2000)

 * Lulu — Episode 3878
 * Little Murray Sparkles — Episode 3852

Season 32 (2001)

 * Googel
 * Phoebe
 * Narf
 * Mel

Season 34 (2003)

 * Curly Bear — Episode 4055

Season 36 (2005)

 * Murray Monster — debuts as a nameless monster interviewing kids. He would later get a name during Season 38.

Season 37 (2006)

 * Abby Cadabby — Episode 4109; appeared on The Today Show just a few hours earlier.
 * Marco — Episode 4131
 * Mrs. Crustworthy

Season 38 (2007)

 * Chris — Episode 4136

Season 39 (2008)

 * Ovejita
 * Leela — Episode 4161; properly introduced in Episode 4164

Season 41 (2010)

 * Segi

Season 44 (2013-2014)

 * Mando — Episode 4404

Season 46 (2016)

 * Nina — Episode 4601

Season 47 (2017)

 * Julia — Episode 4715; appeared illustrated beginning in 2015
 * Rudy — Episode 4731

Season 48 (2017-2018)

 * Gonger (previously appeared on The Furchester Hotel)