“Live from New York,” they’re the characters who have made “Saturday Night Live” a comedy institution for 50 years.

The ones you grew up with, the ones who made you laugh, the ones with the catchphrases and the cool factor who have kept us tuning in on Saturday nights since 1975.

As “SNL” has been celebrating its golden anniversary, we’re looking back at the show’s recurring characters and ranking the best.

A few caveats: They had to be recurring characters, no one-and-dones, so “Cowbell” player Gene Frenkle is out. Sorry!

Also, to avoid a pileup of political impersonations, we named our favorite as a stand-in for all the presidents, vice presidents and various other political figures lampooned by “SNL” over the years.

And we kept the list mostly to sketches and “Weekend Update” characters, leaving out animated segments and digital shorts, which is nothing against the Lonely Island guys, but they exist in their own universe, which is partly by design.

Otherwise, we ranked our faves and the show’s most influential characters according to an imperfect science called our preferences. Hopefully, your favorites made the list. If not, they just missed the cut, we swear!

best characters on SNL of all-time

Close Encounters: Playing the chain smoking Miss Rafferty, Kate McKinnon attacked this series of sketches — in which she described a series of seriously invasive alien abductions — like it was her mission to get her co-stars to break. She was usually successful.

Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer: Phil Hartman’s Keyrock the personal-injury lawyer understood complex concepts like punitive damages and capital gains taxes, but claimed be “just a caveman” when it suited him. Maybe as good as the actual bit were the fake sponsors of the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer show, including Big Fat Bean, Dog Assassin and the iconic Happy Fun Ball — still legal in 16 states!

Roseanne Roseannadanna: Gilda Radner was the creative force behind this “Weekend Update” character, brought on to discuss consumer affairs before she’d digress into graphic details of celebrity hygiene. It just goes to show you, Radner was one of the show’s early greats.

Linda Richman: In her exaggerated Brooklyn accent, this “Coffee Talk” host (played by Mike Myers) was like buttah, and the sketch where Barbra Streisand made a surprise cameo pulled off the near-impossible: It managed to shock Madonna.

Bill Swerski’s Superfans: They’re still “da Bears” to this day, which shows the influence and impact of this send-up of Mike Ditka-loving Chicago sports fanatics.

David S. Pumpkins: Airing just before Halloween 2016 and the political showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Tom Hanks in a suit coat printed with orange pumpkins was the distraction the country craved. None of it made sense, and that was the point. Any questions?

Mary Katherine Gallagher: The commitment to physical comedy from Molly Shannon is outstanding, and her weird-girl quirks and daydreaming make her relatable.

The Festrunk Brothers: Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin were two wild and crazy guys in this series of sketches about a pair of Czechs trolling parties for American foxes, which played like the blueprint the “Roxbury” guys would follow two decades later.

Sarah Palin: Our pick for the top recurring political character, Tina Fey’s Emmy Award-winning portrayal of then Alaskan governor and vice presidential nominee Palin was peppered with well-timed “you betchas” and “gotchas.” Fey nailed the voice and the mannerisms of the politician, and even repeated things nearly exactly the way Palin had said them in interviews.

Blues Brothers: Wearing Ray Bans and suits and backed by a band of talented musicians, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s act (later with Aykroyd, Jim Belushi and John Goodman) was a serious hit, and spawned albums, films, a book and even an appearance at a Super Bowl halftime show in 1997.

Matt Foley: Chris Farley at his peak was this unhoused motivational speaker character who lectured teens and destroyed coffee tables across suburbia, before returning home to his van down by the river!

Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood: It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood when Eddie Murphy parodied “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” giving viewers a look at life from a, well, different prospective than his PBS counterpart. Murphy reprised the character when he returned to host “SNL” in 2019; his neighborhood had become gentrified, but Robinson still had the same comedic spark.

Stefon: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. “Weekend Update” city correspondent Stefon is Bill Hader and writer John Mulaney at their finest. This character has everything: He’s stood the test of time while also seeming specific to his era, makes a great Halloween costume and is highly quotable.

The Church Lady: Dana Carvey’s pious “Church Chat” host is forever looking down her nose at her guests, spouting about Satan and flexing her own moral superiority. She’s a signature character for Carvey, who played her as recently as December 2024, proving the times may change, but Church Lady never does.

Wayne’s World: Party time, excellent! Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Carvey), two dudes broadcasting from their basement in Aurora, Illinois, gave the world a ton of catchphrases (“not!” “Schwing!”), an enduring way to express disbelief over being in another’s presence (the “we’re not worthy” arm motion is still common, and a reason to stay up late on Saturday nights. Party on Wayne, party on Garth.