Charlie Brown and Snoopy may be the stars of the Peanuts comic strip series, but Lucy van Pelt often steals the show with her sarcastic humor and blunt advice. First introduced on March 3, 1952, Lucy van Pelt has only gotten wittier over the years. As the Peanuts franchise has expanded into a multimedia empire, Lucy van Pelt has become one of the most recognizable faces in the series.
When Lucy isn't working as the local children's psychiatrist, she's often mocking and intimidating her peers in the Peanuts universe. Every moment when Lucy is featured is iconic, as her appearance often makes for some of the funniest and most memorable comic strips in the Peanuts series.
10 Lucy is An Aggressive Team Representative
Her Baseball Team is Lucky to Have Her

Baseball is a central theme in the entirety of the Peanuts comic strips. We see it return time and time again, and almost all the neighborhood kids participate in it. Despite her generally off-putting demeanor, even Lucy van Pelt is included in their regular baseball games. Fans can see in this comic strip that she eventually puts herself in a leadership position, which is nothing less than what readers would expect from dear Lucy.
This Lucy van Pelt Peanuts comic strip falls in the bottom spot because, while it is a great example of Lucy's mindset, many other comic strips play a much more fundamental role in developing her character. Furthermore, there are much funnier and more sentimental comic strips featuring Lucy than this one. That fact doesn't take away from Lucy's genuine leadership capabilities in this comic.
9 Lucy Celebrates the Fourth of July with Linus and Charlie Brown
The Fourth of July is Extremely Important to the Peanuts Comic Strips Series

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Charles M. Schulz often honors the Fourth of July and D-Day in his comic strips as his preferred way of paying homage to the men and women who serve the United States of America. These comics often feature Snoopy and Woodstock living in their imaginary world and experiencing the events of those time periods.
This rare comic features Lucy van Pelt, Linus, and Charlie Brown on the Fourth of July instead. Not only do fans get to see Lucy celebrating the Fourth of July with her brother, we also get to see Linus make a snide comment to Lucy, something he does not normally do. While the comic strip is a witty and simple one among the Fourth of July Peanuts comic strips, it shows readers how other characters in the Peanuts comic strips feel about Lucy. Anyone who loves the series knows that Lucy can be overbearing or bossy most of the time, and this strip emphasizes that fact.
8 Lucy Criticizes Beloved Pup, Snoopy
Everyone Gets Unsolicited Advice from Lucy van Pelt

Lucy van Pelt will often go out of her way to criticize, mock, or intimidate others. Everyone has met someone, particularly in their youth, who goes out of their way to share their unsolicited opinion. In this comic, Lucy goes far out of her way to make Snoopy feel bad about being a dog.
This example of Lucy's behavior is one of the best examples of explaining why Lucy is a character that fans love to hate. Even Charles M. Schulz himself has said that Lucy is certainly not one of his favorite characters, but that she's necessary to the series to create the true dynamics that exist between children growing up together. Schulz's ability to develop Lucy's character seamlessly is a testament to his talents as an author and illustrator.
7 Lucy is Hilarious Without Words
Her Sarcastic Demeanor is Enough to Make Fans Laugh

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There aren't many comic strips in the Peanuts series where Lucy doesn't even speak. She is known for being a loudmouth, constantly spouting her opinions, thoughts, and advice. She'll critique everyone she meets, from strangers to Snoopy the dog. So, seeing a comic strip where Lucy van Pelt is comedic without lifting a finger is rare and hilarious.
Charlie Brown often tries to get Lucy back, either for not letting him kick the football or for her rude comments. These attempts at revenge are almost always failures, as Lucy seems to be one step ahead of Charlie Brown. This creates a hysterical dynamic between the two that readers love to see. Lucy rarely makes a joke without saying a word, which made this comic strip stand out to fans.
6 This Comic Features the Debut of Lucy's Psychiatric Business
The Lemonade Stand Spin-off is a Hilarious Running Gag

Inspired by childhood lemonade stands, Lucy van Pelt started her own childhood business, Psychiatric Help, at the low cost of five cents. Fans often see Charlie Brown requesting Lucy's advice, despite it often being rude or demeaning. Her responses to his problems are witty and have a little hidden truth in them that Charlie Brown should really be taking away from the session.
This comic strip falls in the fifth spot because even people who don't know the Peanuts comic strips intimately know Lucy van Pelt because of her psychiatric stand. As the comic strip series has grown into a multimedia franchise, Lucy's stand has become what she's known for, featured in television shows and the iconic Charlie Brown Christmas specials. While some people feel that Lucy's psychiatric stand is a trope that has aged poorly, longtime fans of the series look back on the running gag with admiration.
5 Snoopy Kisses Lucy, Much to Her Displeasure
Her Reaction is Absolutely Priceless

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Fans of Peanuts know that Lucy van Pelt and Snoopy have a contentious relationship. Lucy van Pelt often claims that dogs are gross and usually goes out of her way to either avoid Snoopy or mock him to get him to leave her alone. In this comic strip, fans see Snoopy save Schroder from Lucy's unwelcome attention by surprising her with a kiss.
Snoopy often takes a "kill them with kindness" approach when dealing with Lucy. This is hilarious for readers, as Lucy van Pelt rarely shows kindness to anyone, not even her own siblings. Snoopy's method of dealing with Lucy, coupled with Lucy van Pelt's hilarious reactions, makes for perfectly crafted comic strips that leave readers laughing at their newspapers. In this comic, in particular, Lucy actually runs home to shower out of the sheer level of disgust she feels towards Snoopy.
4 Lucy Helps Linus Name Their Youngest Brother
The Origin of Rerun's Name is So Cute

"Rerun" van Pelt first appeared on March 26, 1973, twenty-one years after Lucy's first appearance in the Peanuts comic series. As she chats with Linus about the fact that she won't have a sister, she refers to her soon-to-be brother as a "rerun," spurring Linus to coin their younger brother's iconic name.
Despite how rude she can be to her siblings, it's sweet to see that her youngest brother's name ties back to Lucy, seeing that it doesn't start with an 'L' like Linus and Lucy's names do. As Rerun becomes a more pivotal character in the series, fans see Lucy's character begin to change. She is the one who teaches Rerun how to tie his shoes and supposedly takes him on one of his first trips outdoors. Because of Rerun's birth, Lucy goes from being a cold older sister to a warm and protective guardian as the series neared its end in the late '90s.
3 Lucy Can't Leave Schroeder Alone
He Gets So Irritated With Lucy Over Her Giant Crush

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Lucy simply couldn't leave Schroeder alone, which continues over most of the Peanuts comics. Her gigantic crush on him causes her to treat him differently than any other character in the Peanuts comic strip universe. Schroeder consistently ignores Lucy and occasionally loses his temper with her, as we can see in the comic strip featured above.
It isn't determined exactly why Lucy likes Schroeder so much. Fans assume that it may be because Schroeder often refuses to give her the attention that she gains so easily with others, interesting her more than other characters do. Some believe it's because of his clear intelligence and talent and that since Lucy is so self-absorbed, she must think that they are intellectually on the same level. Regardless of the reason why, the Peanuts comic strips are only made funnier by Lucy's pathetic attempts to get Schroeder to pay attention to her.
This Running Gag Defines Lucy van Pelt's Character

Released on Nov 16, 1952, this comic strip features the first instance of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. This classic, beloved running gag is one of the best in the Peanuts comic strip series, ultimately defining many moments throughout the franchise's comics, movies, and television shows.
A fun fact about the football running gag is that the first time we see it, it is Violet pulling the football away, not Lucy van Pelt. However, after being kicked off the football pitch for being a girl, we begin to see Lucy van Pelt carry the running gag on instead. Fans believe Lucy continues to do this because of the comment Charlie Brown made when she was just a young girl and it may have even kickstarted her rude and sarcastic demeanor.
1 Lucy van Pelt's First Appearance in the Peanuts Comic Strips
Fans First Met Lucy on March 3, 1952

Lucy van Pelt was the third major character introduced in the Peanuts comic strips. The above comic features her first appearance, where she is innocently playing jump rope. She is clearly younger when she first appears and is known to age faster than any of the other characters in the comic strip series until she appears to be the same age as Charlie Brown and his friends.
This comic strip makes the top spot for many reasons. The strip is iconic and marks fans' first impression of Lucy van Pelt. This comic also shows a completely different side to Lucy. In this strip, she is still innocent. She isn't rude yet, and she isn't making mocking comments towards others. We don't see much of her simple nature again after those first preliminary moments with her. In a way, the first impression Lucy van Pelt made was something that lasted with fans who were able to grow up with the series. People remember her moments as a young girl, making them still love her deep down no matter how rude she might grow up to be.
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Peanuts
Charlie Brown, an everyman plagued by self-doubt, navigates life's challenges with his loyal dog Snoopy and friends like the bossy Lucy, philosophical Linus, and talented pianist Schroeder. Through everyday adventures and heartfelt moments, the series explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the simple joys of childhood.
- Writer
- Charles M. Schulz
- Publisher
- United Feature Syndicate
- Artist
- Charles M. Schulz