Matthew Perry's Chandler Bing Was The Ultimate Friend

Upon your first watch, the characters on Friends seem like familiar archetypes: Monica always takes charge as the Type-A friend, Rachel's the fashionista, Phoebe's quirky, Joey's lovable and goofy, Ross is the friend who's not afraid to geek out over what he loves, and Chandler is the sarcastic joker. But as the series progresses, it's clear that each character is way more complex than that, and in fact, Chandler represents the best part of each character, making him not only an important part of the series, but an example of what it means to be a friend.

Chandler Bing (and Matthew Perry) has a witty and sharp sense of humor that doesn't isolate the way that sarcasm can. All of his jokes are incredibly smart, but his delivery also provides enough silliness that he can match both Ross' nerdiness and Joey's slapstick comedy. Many sitcoms would stop there when it comes to character development, but that's perhaps Friends' greatest strength: Chandler isn't just funny — he provides an emotional foundation to the series that makes every single scene he's in better and more well-rounded.

As a friends-to-lovers fan, I've always been drawn to Chandler and Monica's love story the most, but even if you prefer other kinds of romantic relationships, their connection is so deep and genuine that you can't help but want them to be together. His ridiculous adventures with Joey really makes them feel like brothers, and his relationship with Rachel feels like the kind of brother-sister relationship that most series are never able to capture quite right.

But more personally, since watching his hesitancy to fall in love (but then loving with reckless abandon), the way he embraces his friends in their difficult moments, and the way he uses humor as a coping mechanism, I've watched those patterns in my own life. Even his infertility journey with Monica feel relevant and relatable, and honors viewers who go through the same situation. Even though the other characters have their own journeys, Matthew Perry brings such a warmth to Chandler that his time onscreen is what I remember most.

All in all, Chandler Bing — and Matthew Perry — is the most memorable character on Friends for me because he is the ultimate friend. He really embodies the "I'll be there for you" sentiment in the theme song, whether it's a shoulder to cry on or a joke to make us laugh.

But all in all, Chandler is the best character on Friends because he's a collection of every single friend. And he was a friend to all of us.