![Image 1 — [Loved Trope] A fan character becomes so popular they get referenced or become an actual character](https://preview.redd.it/pf1wpky59s0h1.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52d10f64ccaf95bb923d7096b59d72eca2fcc66b)
![Image 2 — [Loved Trope] A fan character becomes so popular they get referenced or become an actual character](https://preview.redd.it/l06lmddi9s0h1.jpg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f450fd8776f072a9124ca91ad037f8ded628d43b)
![Image 3 — [Loved Trope] A fan character becomes so popular they get referenced or become an actual character](https://preview.redd.it/jeoj90dt9s0h1.jpg?width=755&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45806014250ca83dfd82b971b5d3ae98a021bc67)
![Image 4 — [Loved Trope] A fan character becomes so popular they get referenced or become an actual character](https://preview.redd.it/dwr1sxrx9s0h1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=b95f84e01465a6c91a88c43f456231fa58a91d72)
[Loved Trope] A fan character becomes so popular they get referenced or become an actual character
- Sparky the Dog (Five Nights at Freddy's)
- Sparky originally started as a hoax and was the first ever FNAF Fan Character. He was first acknowledged in an anniversary video called "7 Years Of FNAFs Amazing Fanbase" back in 2021. He made his grand cinematic appearance as an easter egg in the first FNAF movie
- Steve (Transformers Prime)
- Originally, Steve was an inside joke with the DeviantArtist EnvySkort and their friends, he became a fan favorite character among the community. He made his first canonical appearance in "Robots in Disguise issue 5". Here's the comic he made his debut in
- Ian Jr. (Sonic)
- Originally a normal Sonic Forces avatar made by Ian Mutchler, Ian Jr. found his way into gameplay footage that was used in "Sonic Symphony", he also got into Sonic Forces footage for "Tails Tube" episode 1, IDW Comics as a background character, and has made multiple other cameos since
- Derpy (My Little Pony)
- Originally an editing mistake in the background of Episode 1, Derpy became a cult favorite, and made her first named appearance in "The Last Roundup", though some idiots made her controversial, causing the episode to be re-edited. Derpy-Gate happened, and Derpy has made frequent appearances ever since the incident