Remember when I did this for 2022? Yeah, I'm doing it again this year. For those unfamiliar I'm basically just cataloguing the appearance statistics for most characters, comparing them to last year and making awards outta them.
I'm considering doing this for prior years of SML starting with like, 2008 or so, so feel free to let me know if you want it.
Main Character Statistics/Records
Anybody whose appearance frequency is ~30% or more, or 29.5 to 29.99% if they had a significant role in at least half their appearances. Why specifically 30%, because I know Rosalina had about a 30-35% appearance frequency rate in 2016-17 while still being commonly agreed to be a main character, so 30% seems like a statistically perfect cutoff.
So here's the most frequently appearing characters of 2023 in order:
Brooklyn T. Guy (80.79%)
Jeffy (65.56%)
Junior (62.91%)
Cody (60.26%)
Marvin (54.97%)
Rose (52.98%)
Joseph (51.66%)
Mr. Goodman (32.45%)
(Note that mentions/Nicktendo animation appearances/silent background cameos in the school videos were not counted. Just about everything else was.)
Anyways now for cross-comparison with 2022:
Negligible
Rose - 53.57% to 52.98% (-0.59%)
Jeffy - 67.86% to 65.56% (-2.3%)
Mr. Goodman - 34.82% - 32.45% (-2.37%)
Marvin - 58.04% to 54.97% (-3.07%)
Brooklyn Guy - 83.93% to 80.79% (-3.14%)
Notable Falls (-4.5% or more)
Cody - 69.64% to 60.26% (- 9.38%)
Junior - 75% to 62.91% (- 12.09%)
Joseph - 66.07% - 51.66% (- 14.41%)
Not much changed here. The Junior trio appeared quite a bit less but all of them had exceptional years in 2022 (which had the highest all time appearance frequency rate for Joseph and Cody and the second highest for Junior behind 2015). Notably no rises (which does not suprise me as I'm not sure its possible for the gap between them and the rest of the characters to rise further than it already has)
Recurring Character Statistics/Records
Anybody whose appearance frequency is 10%-29.5% is treated as recurring, or 9.5% to 9.99% if they had a significant role in at least half their appearances, cause I feel 1/10s is a nice spot to split the difference. Off this, the recurring characters of 2023 would be (new additions in bold, demotions in italic):
Chef Pee Pee - 29.8%
Penelope - 24.5%
Steve Staleburger - 22.52%
Simmons - 19.21%
Jackie Chu - 15.23%
Judge Pooby - 15.23%
Susan - 15.23%
Tyrone - 13.91%
Ken - 12.58%
Judy - 11.92%
Jonathan - 11.92%
Hank Huckerdoo - 11.92%
Karen - 11.26%
Timmy Huckerdoo - 11.26%
Suzanne Huckerdoo - 10.6%
Notable rises
Judge Pooby - 3.57% to 15.23% (+11.66%)
Steve Staleburger - 12.5% to 22.52% (+10.02%)
Susan - 9.82% to 15.23% (+ 5.41%)
Simmons - 14.29% to 19.21% (+4.92%)
Negligible
Karen - 12.5% to 11.26% (-1.24%)
Tyrone - 16.07% to 13.91% (- 2.16%)
Notable falls
Jonathan - 16.96% to 11.92% (-5.04%)
Judy - 17.86% to 11.92% (-5.94%)
Penelope - 31.25% to 24.5% (-6.75%)
Ken - 20.54% to 12.58% (-7.96%)
Chef Pee Pee - 40.18% to 29.8% (-10.38%)
Jackie Chu - 25.89% to 15.23% (-10.66%)
Seven new recurring characters (though two, Chef Pee Pee and Penelope, were demotions, largely victims of there being less Junior videos in general). Two of them, Susan and Judge Pooby, got boosted in appearances from last year while the other three, the Huckerdoos (sans Susie), were newcomers who got introduced and immediately started to surge up in the second half of the year. Notably a lot of the "old guard" recurring characters (Jonathan, Jackie Chu, Ken, etc) started to dwindle in appearances this year, especially in the second half.
Records
Judge Pooby appeared in 15.23% of the year's videos. This is his highest appearance frequency rate in the series, beating out his previous best of 3.57% in 2022.
Simmons appeared in 19.21% of the year's videos. This is his highest appearance frequency rate in the series, beating out his previous best of 9.82% in 2022.
Steve Staleburger appeared in 22.52% of the year's videos. This is his highest appearance frequency rate in the series, beating out his previous best of 12.5% in 2022.
Susan appeared in 15.23% of the year's videos. This is her highest appearance frequency rate in the series, beating out her previous best of 9.5% in 2022.
Notable Minor Character Statistics/Records
Anybody whose appearance frequency is 9.75% or less. I'm not even gonna bother making a full list because that's the vast majority of characters in any given SML year, but I will name a few notable minor characters (as in characters who either used to be more important in the recent past, appeared between 5 to 9% of the time, or are known for their consistent minor appearances, basically tried those people would realistically care about (I don't think anyone's looking for how much, say, Gumbo Gary appeared)). Honestly I still don't know how to handle the minor characters.
Chief: 9.27%
Crystal: 6.62%
Bowser: 6.62%
Loan Dolphin: 5.3%
Duggie: 5.3%
Susie Huckerdoo: 5.3%
God: 1.99%
Hansel: 4.64%
Patrick: 4.64%
Bully: 4.64%
PJ Crenshaw: 4.64%
Richard Goodman: 3.97%
Screwball: 2.65%
Bubbles: 1.99%
Craig: 1.99%
Doofy The Dragon: 1.32%
Charleyyy: 1.32%
Lil T: 1.32%
Scooter: 0.67%
Barbara: 0.67%
Shrek: 0.67%
New additions/downgrades
As Chief's appearance rate has dropped from 10.71% last year to 9.27%, he has reverted back to being a minor character.
As Bully's appearance rate has dropped from 17.86% last year to 4.64%, he has reverted back to being a minor character.
Notable falls
Barbara - 5.34% to 0.67% (-4.67%)
Bully - 17.86% to 4.64% (-13.22%)
Everyone else I won't cover 'cause I don't think too many people care about minor characters appearing 0.69% more or less often. Comment if you'd like to see them regardless and I might add them to the blog version.
Anyways, Cheif and Bully are both back to being minor characters. Chief is not surprising as he barely met the recurring requirements last year but Bully was a bit more of a surprise to me. That being said, it tracks well with the Junior videos being less overbearing this year (similar percent decrease to the trio, Pee Pee, and Penelope). Other than that, not very much changes here, no minor characters escaped the minor character hellhole other than Susan and Judge Pooby.
Records
Bowser appeared in 6.62% of this year's videos. This is his lowest appearance frequency rate in any year of SML since his debut, beating out his previous lowest of 7.14% in 2022.
God appeared in 1.99% of this year's videos. This is his lowest appearance frequency rate in any year of SML since his debut, beating out his previous lowest of 2.68% in 2022.
Scooter appeared in 0.67% of this year's videos. This is his lowest frequency rate in any year of SML since his debut, beating out his previous lowest of 0.9% in 2022 (albeit by a negligible amount mostly attributive to there being more episodes this year than last)
Barbara appeared in 0.67% of this year's videos. This is her lowest frequency rate in any year of SML since her debut.
Overall awards:
Biggest rise of the year: Judge Pooby
Biggest loser of the year: Joseph
Most static: Duggie (-0.06% frequency change)
Most impactful newcomer: Hank Huckerdoo
Bonus award: 100+, awarded to Brooklyn Guy for being the first (and so far only) character to appear in over 100 videos in a SML year. Award requested by Junebug25.
