Seth MacFarlane’s hit animated comedy series Family Guy debuted in 1999 and has gone on to release 22 seasons, with season 23 anticipated at some point in 2024. The show follows the antics of the chaotic Griffin family: Peter and Lois, their children Chris, Meg, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic dog Brian.
Family Guy follows an episodic format, meaning every installment has a contained plot that may or may not continue on to other episodes. Within this format, cutaway scenes and running gags that support many of the recurring minor characters are utilized more as time goes on.
Still, there’s little structure or reasoning behind both the main and supporting cast. This causes a lot of inconsistencies in the show’s characters and long gaps between appearances. There are numerous recurring characters on Family Guy who haven’t been seen in years. Here are 15 characters from the show that viewers wonder if they will ever see again.
15 Ross Fishman
Voiced by Chris Cox, Ross Fishman is a minor recurring character on Family Guy who has appeared in only three episodes between season 3 and season 18. Viewers first meet Ross in season 3’s “Stuck Together, Torn Apart,” where it’s revealed that he is Lois’ ex-boyfriend.
The two meet for dinner to catch up, sending Peter into a jealousy-fueled rage. This ultimately lands the Griffins in couples therapy, and they separate for a short period of time. Ross makes another appearance in the season 11 episode titled “Into Fat Air,” where the Griffins compete with the Fishman family to climb Mount Everest.
Is Ross Fishman Dead or Alive?
After Ross Fishman’s appearance in season 11, his next and final time on the show occurs in season 18’s “Coma Guy.” This episode finds Peter in a coma after a car accident caused by a drag race against Ernie, the Giant Chicken.
During a coma hallucination, Peter envisions a cruise ship filled with past characters who have been killed off the show. Tucked into the crowd of characters is Ross Fishman, which raises the question of whether he is dead or alive.
14 Ricardo
Another character with several appearances on Family Guy who’s seemingly disappeared is Ricardo, who is married to Brian’s cousin Jasper.
Ricardo was first introduced during season 3’s “Brian Does Hollywood” and reappears the very next season for “You May Now Kiss the… Uh… Guy Who Receives,” where Brian has to overturn the gay marriage ban in Quahog for Jasper and Ricardo’s wedding. His next appearance was just a few episodes later in season 4, episode 14, “PTV,” with just a small cameo during the opening montage.
Ricardo’s Last Appearance Was at Brian’s Funeral
Ricardo was unseen after “PTV” for seven seasons, until “Life of Brian” in season 12. The controversial series-changing episode has the leading character, Brian, being hit by a car and follows the family as they deal with their grief in the days after. Ricardo appeared at Brian’s funeral, but has not appeared on the show since.
13 Jillian Russell-Wilcox
One well-known recurring character who appeared in over 15 episodes but has not been featured since season 21 is Jillian Russell-Wilcox, one of Brian’s former girlfriends.
Still, their short-lived relationship led to Jillian becoming a popular recurring character, even having an episode in season 7 focus on her new marriage. Jillian continued to make appearances or be referenced up until season 11, when the character started fizzling out and having fewer speaking lines.
Jillian Fell Off the Family Guy Map in Season 11
Jillian, who is voiced by Drew Barrymore, had a large gap between features, the largest being from season 12 to season 16. She attends Brian’s funeral in “The Life of Brian,” has one line in season 16’s “Follow the Money,” and is briefly mentioned in season 21’s “The Munchurian Candidate.”
It makes sense that she faded away from the Griffins after Brian’s death, but with the character having returned, there’s room to expand on Jillian’s life.
12 Beth
A character who appeared frequently during early episodes but disappeared during season 6 is Meg’s friend Beth. Beth and Meg were both a part of the same friend group and remained close through several seasons.
In fact, Beth attended Meg’s birthday party in “Peter’s Two Dads” and her bridal shower in “Peter’s Daughter.” Her last appearance was in 2007, though she may have been referenced in a 2012 episode.
What Happened To Meg’s Friend Beth?
Given how close Beth and Meg were, it’s odd the character was just forgotten about so early in the series. There have been no further references to the character in the following seasons, leaving many wondering if there will ever be an explanation for Beth’s absence.
11 Olivia Fuller
Olivia Fuller was first introduced to Family Guy viewers during season 3’s “From Method to Madness,” and last appeared during season 14’s “The Boys in the Band.” Olivia is a successful toddler actress whom Stewie meets at the Quahog School of Performing Arts.
The two go on to reach stardom as duet partners before their arguing leads to their breakup. Stewie and Olivia remain in an on-again-off-again relationship until her last appearance, where she starts a singing duet with Vinny the dog.
There’s Endless Opportunity to Bring Olivia Back
There are few instances where characters are truly written off Family Guy, even in death. It’s common for the show to use time travel or some otherworldly force to bring characters back, most notably with Brian after he was hit by a car.
Olivia’s character had no tragic end or reason to stop appearing, leaving the door open for her to return in future seasons.
10 Jake Tucker
News anchor Tom Tucker’s son Jake Tucker was in numerous early episodes of Family Guy and was easily identifiable due to his upside-down face and outrageous behavior.
Jake’s first appearance was during “Brian Griffin: Portrait of a Dog” from season one, before he became a recurring minor character. His scenes are usually dramatic and sometimes used for shock value, though several of his last appearances were non-speaking cameos.
Where is Jake Tucker Today?
Jake’s last notable appearance occurred during “The Peanut Butter Kid” in season 14, eight years ago. Yet, viewers watched the character go from middle school in seasons 1-4 to high school in season 5, making it easy to assume Jake would be an adult today. Some speculate Jake would be in jail, having already been charged with drug possession in high school, but the writers have made no attempt to update viewers on his status.
9 Death
Formerly known as The Grim Reaper, Death is a quietly comedic Family Guy character. Death was originally voiced by Norm MacDonald before Adam Corolla took over the role after the episode “Death is a Bitch.”
The character appeared when someone died or was close to death to accompany them to the afterlife, and is only seen without his ominous hood a few times. Death was included in over 12 episodes from 2000 to 2014, with the last being “3 Acts of God” in season 12.
Can Family Guy’s Death Actually Die?
One of the defining traits of Family Guy is having a non-linear narrative and allowing characters to break the constraints of our physical world. This allows characters to return from the dead, endure injuries, and travel between planes.
With Death having no conclusion to his storyline, it would be easy to bring the character back to the show, regardless of what’s happened to him during previous episodes.
8 The Campbell Family
The Campbell Family, consisting of Dave, Dotty, and their son Jeff, joined Family Guy in season 3’s “From Method to Madness.” The Campbells first meet the Griffins when Peter saves Dave from drowning in the ocean, prompting Dave to invite the family over for dinner.
On their arrival, they realize the Campbells are nudists, and their son Jeff is interested in Meg. The Campbell family went on to appear in three more episodes over the years before disappearing in 2010.
The Voice Actor for Dave Campbell Died in 2020
The Campbell family was last seen in season 8’s “Go, Stewie, Go!” after a long gap in appearances, but has not been featured since. There’s a possibility that, due to voice actor Fred Willard’s death in 2020, the show decided not to bring the family back, but none of the characters have been officially written off.
7 Johnson
One recurring character who appeared in the very first episode of Family Guy is Johnson, one of Peter’s co-workers at The Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory. Johnson seemed as though he would become a main recurring character after appearing regularly through the early seasons, but stopped being a part of the show after “Peter’s Got Woods” in season 4.
Did the Factory Demolition Lead to Johnson’s Departure?
During season 3, episode 9, “Mr. Saturday Knight,” The Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory is demolished, leaving Peter and Johnson unemployed. It’s a possibility that this caused Johnson to fade away from the Griffin family, though there is a quick shot of him sitting in a theater in season 4.
6 Shelly Boothbishop
Shelley Boothbishop is a recurring character on Family Guy who drives a Mini Cooper, complete with the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle.
Boothbishop appeared in three episodes over time after being introduced in “There’s Something About Paulie” during season 2. Few details were revealed about the British character before he engaged in a sword fight with Peter while the two were driving.
Shelley’s Status Is Left Up in the Air — Or Down in a Lake
Peter and Shelley’s battle that took place while behind the wheel ended with Boothbishop and his Mini Cooper being launched into a lake by a cannon. The character stayed in the vehicle as it sunk, though it’s never confirmed whether he died in the crash or managed to get to safety.
5 John Herbert
One of Family Guy’s more controversial characters is John Herbert, sometimes referred to as Herbert the Pervert. This unsettling character is a pedophile in the Griffin’s neighborhood and has a distinct voice with a whistle lisp.
Herbert was first introduced in “To Love and Die in Dixie” during season 3, where he becomes infatuated with Chris. He appeared in over 50 episodes, whether in actual scenes or just referenced.
Was Herbert Killed or Will He Return?
Season 17’s “Con Heiress” has Herbert determined to get Chris and Peter, who he does not realize is Chris’ father, into his home after seeing them mowing the lawn. However, when he realizes who Peter is, he explodes — literally.
Herbert’s dog takes a piece of his flesh and buries it, allowing Herbert to regenerate and regrow. This leaves open the possibility for Herbert to return to the show, though there have been few references to him in the last five years.
4 Patrick Pewterschmidt
Season 4, episode 17, is titled “The Fat Guy Strangler” and is the first time viewers learn about Lois’ long-lost brother, Patrick Pewterschmidt. Patrick spent much of his life as a patient of Brookfield Insane Asylum after having a nervous breakdown.
While at the institution, he became a serial killer and developed a deep hatred for overweight people, eventually earning the nickname Quahog Fat Guy Strangler. He almost kills Peter, but is eventually sent back to the institution, away from society.
Is Patrick Pewterschmidt Running Free?
Patrick is revived in season 10’s “Killer Queen” episode, where he is wrongly accused of more murders. He ends up helping Joe solve the crime, only to disappear at the end of the episode. Patrick hasn’t been seen in 12 years, leaving many wondering whether he is free or back in custody for committing more crimes.
3 Dylan Flannigan
Brian’s long-lost son, Dylan Flannigan, is a character with a lot of potential for growth that fizzled out after two episodes focused on him. Dylan and Brian had a rocky relationship after meeting in “The Former Life of Brian,” but eventually became close before parting ways at the end of the episode.
Dylan returned in “Brian’s a Bad Father” as the star of a Disney Channel show, which puts the two through another rocky patch as father and son. They make peace with one another, but there are no other episodes dedicated to their future.
Dylan is Only Referenced After Season 13
One of the last quick Dylan appearances is at Brian’s wedding in “Married… With Cancer” from season 17. He is only referenced in a few episodes from seasons 13-17 and on.
Characters often bring Dylan up to Brian and remind him of what a terrible parent he was, but Dylan has not appeared in years. It would be nice for the character to resurface and provide an update on where he is now in life.
2 Joyce Kinney
News anchor Joyce Kinney joined Family Guy in season 9 as a replacement for Diane Simmons after her murder. The character is voiced by Christine Lakin and starts strong after her introduction, where it’s revealed she has a complicated history with Lois.
The two attended high school together, and a flashback shows her being bullied by Lois, leading Joyce to plot her revenge against her. The whole episode “And I’m Joyce Kinney” revolved around the character, but this is where her character arc seemed to end.
Joyce is Overshadowed by Tom Tucker
The only time viewers see Joyce after that is during news segments with Tom Tucker. The co-anchor constantly overshadows Kinney and pushes her into the background. Her last appearance on the show was during season 19’s “The Marrying Kind,” but there have been no other updates or references to the character.
1 Consuela
Consuela is a well-loved Family Guy character who appeared in 14 seasons of the animated show. The character is a middle-aged Hispanic woman who works as a maid for several families in Quahog.
Consuela remains one of the longest-running recurring characters after being introduced in season 6’s “Believe it or Not, Joe’s Walking on Air,” until her last feature in season 19’s “The Marrying Kind.” The appearances started to wane after season 14, and became scenes with non-speaking lines or appearances in different forms, like being a robot or a bear.
Consuela Deserved a Better Send-Off
With the large number of episodes that Consuela appeared in for running gags and short bits, there were few that focused on the character for the main plot.
Consuela’s lack of depth as a character and use of hurtful stereotypes could be the reason she was filtered from the show, though crude humor is what much of the content is built around. Regardless, after becoming a beloved character for fans, she deserved a better send-off than simply disappearing, if writers intended to phase her out.
To see more of Family Guy, here is a YouTube video from channel Family Guy Compilations of the best Family Guy moments:
