Who are your favorite supporting or side characters in literature?

As my username suggests, I am interested in side characters. Henry Gatz, by the way, was Jay Gatsby’s father in The Great Gatsby. He shows up late in the novel but I sometimes wonder what kind of relationship he had with his son and what other stories he might want to share about Jay’s childhood. I mean I want to know what kind of person Jay really was as a child, because despite the facts that we learn about him, Jay still remains quite a mystery by the end of the novel.

Another example of people paying attention to side character are two from Hamlet who end up with a play named after them, called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

So, does anybody else find themselves drawn to secondary characters? Which is your favorite and why?

by henrygatz