It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia debuted on FX in 2005 as a show that the general viewing audience didn't quite know what to make of. Its characters had a similar selfishness to them, in line with shows like Seinfeld, but with topics skewing into darker and racier subject matters. All along looking like it was shot on an everyday camera, which any average Joe would have at home. Spoiler alert, it was. The show really took off with the addition of Danny Devito in season two and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Becoming one of the best modern sitcoms. Set to run at least through an eighteenth season, Sunny has continued to amass a cult following while simultaneously receiving critical acclaim. You can even explore the real life settings and attractions featured on the show. This success is in part due to brilliant writing, but more so for the outrageously hilarious characters that inhabit the world. Let's explore the Sunnyverse and see which character remains the most hilarious!

9 Bonnie Kelly & Mrs. Mac

We begin with a duo that is featured frequently together on later seasons of Sunny but did have individual roles early on in the show. Bonnie Kelly and Mrs. Mac (or Mac's Mom) played by Lynne Marie Stewart and Sandy Martin, are the mothers of two of the main characters Charlie and Mac. They help produce awkward comedy in early seasons as Bonnie Kelly plays the overbearing protective mother of Charlie. While Mrs. Mac is seduced by Dennis to get revenge on his friend, much to the gruff chagrin of Mrs. Mac. It is later on in the series, once Mrs. Mac burns her house down and is forced to live with Bonnie, that this comedic duo really begins to gel. Playing off of one another in a fashion reminiscent of a 1990s husband and wife couple as they learn to live with one another under the same roof.

8 Artemis

Artemis Pebdani plays Dee's best friend in the series and is the eventual love interest of her Dad, Frank Reynolds, played by Danny DeVito. Using her real life name in the series, Artemis features in many episodes as the oft-aroused and somewhat off kilter side character. Whether she is helping to solve the mystery of who pooped the bed, stealing Dee's war veteran crush, or getting physical inside a Wendy's dumpster with Frank, anytime Artemis is on-screen, outrageous comedic gold is sure to follow.

7 Matthew 'Rickety Cricket' Mara

No character in sitcom history has undergone quite the downward spiral of character devolution as Matthew Mara played by David Hornsby. Mara, who was high school friends with the main characters, earned the name Rickety Cricket due to leg braces he wore in school. The character started off as a priest early on in the series until he was corrupted, denigrated, and so mistreated by the gang of main characters that it wasn't long before he was homeless, burned, and violated by street dogs. Certainly a list of experiences that would tend to cause more sympathy than laughter, it is the brilliant writing of the show coupled with Hornsby's hilarious portrayal of Cricket that makes him one of the funniest characters on the series.

Related: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Creator Wants to Keep It Going Forever

6 Mac

Mac, or, as we later find out, Ronald McDonald, is played by Sunny co-creator Rob McElhenney. Long before his soccer partnership with Ryan Reynolds, McElhenney began his journey as Mac. The "enforcer" of the gang, Mac portrays himself as the tough guy man's man throughout most of the series and is kept in check, quite hilariously, by his friends. The character of Mac is one of a closeted homosexual struggling with finding his identity, and thus he puts on this macho persona. Mac is a truly multilayered character in a world of outrageousness. He is also one of the funniest, from making Project Badass videos, trying to meet his idol, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, or gaining a massive amount of weight in order to shed it off into muscles, Mac delivers on the comedy consistently throughout the series.

5 Dennis Reynolds

Another Sunny co-creator, Glenn Howerton plays the role of Dennis Reynolds in the series. As the arrogant, Range Rover-driving, possible sociopath, golden god of the gang, Dennis tends to be the most rationale of the gang... until he's not. No one plays the meltdown quite like Howerton and Dennis, at his most frustrated and angry, help to provide some of the funniest moments of the series from one of the funniest characters.

4 Dee Reynolds

Originally intended to be the "straight" character in a world of outrageousness, Dee, played by Kaitlin Olson, quickly morphed into just as an over-the-top character as the rest of the gang. Playing the awkwardness of Dee to perfection, Olson stands out as a highlight in the show, often times exceeding the comedic prowess of the rest of her costars and being a part of the most hilariously awful moments of the show.

Related: Should It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Get a Movie?

3 The McPoyles

Some of the most shamelessly hilarious characters featured on Sunny are the McPoyle family. Primarily Ryan and Liam McPoyle played by Nate Mooney and the acclaimed and versatile Jimmi Simpson. The McPoyles are one of the main antagonists of the series, often being put into situations that oppose that of the main five characters. The performances of Simpson and Mooney as these two brothers of this possibly incestuous family are hilarious in nature as they seem forever at odds with the gang.

2 Frank Reynolds

As previously mentioned, having joined the series in season two at the behest of an FX Network executive who thought the show needed more star power, DeVito's performance of Frank Reynolds hit the ground running. Introduced as the father of Dennis and Dee, it is later revealed that his wife had cheated on him and the two children were in reality not his. Much in the same vein as Rickety Cricket, Frank himself started as a fairly down-to-Earth and straight-forward character. As his time with the gang continued, Frank himself slipped further down a hole of debauchery and became one of the most outrageous and hilarious characters in the series. One of the funniest characters on the series and one of Danny DeVito's best performances, Frank Reynolds has etched his name into pop culture comedy forever.

1 Charlie Kelly

The eccentric tendencies of Charlie Kelly, played by Charlie Day, are cornerstones of this iconic comedy series. Often played as the lovable loser of the gang, Charlie Day puts forth one of the best performances of his career. Whether Charlie, the character, is expressing his love of ghouls and milk steak, trying to extract honey from hornets, or brining spaghetti to his spa day, Day's performance as Kelly is hilariously memorable and a continued highlight of the series.