At the center of Full House’s narrative is the Tanner family, which extends beyond Danny Tanner, his wife, Pam, and his three daughters.
The Tanner family from Full House extends beyond Danny and his three daughters. Debuting in the late ’80s and running until 1994, the ABC sitcom was never a critical darling, but it quickly built a following thanks to its realistic depiction of the highs and lows of parenting. Full House didn’t feature a traditional family, however. Full House’s iconic Tanner family home was inhabited by an odd mix of parental figures and kids. It celebrated all kinds of family make-up that it’s easy to confuse which characters were actually related by blood.
Because Full House was kicked off by the death of Pam Tanner, the Tanner household didn’t really have any maternal figures. Instead, Danny had help from Jesse, and Joey to raise his three young daughters — DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. Over the years, however, Full House brought in more family members, further expanding the Tanner family tree. There were also some subsequent additions to the clan as there was also a wedding and then the arrival of a couple of babies. For context, however, Joey was not related to the Tanners; he was just Danny’s good friend. In any case, for clarification, here’s a breakdown of the Tanner family tree.
12 Danny Tanner
The buttoned-up, cleaning-obsessed father of the Tanner sisters, Danny, was left to raise his young daughters after the sudden death of his wife. Out of all the parental figures in Full House, Danny was the strictest, and understandably so, considering that he was the true patriarch of the family. This doesn’t mean, however, that Danny didn’t know how to have fun. He had his own quirks, such as his compulsive need to always clean the house. Danny also never shied away from showing emotions to his kids, allowing them to be more comfortable and expressing their own feelings in their home.
11 Pam Tanner
The events of Full House were kicked off after Danny was suddenly widowed when his wife, Pam, got killed by a drunk driver. Not much was revealed about the Tanner matriarch, as it had already been quite a while since her death when the show started. She was only seen via family tapes and was only ever really discussed sporadically throughout the show’s run. Aside from setting the show in motion, Pam’s death never really factored into Full House’s storytelling until much later when the older kids can finally drive.
10 DJ Tanner
The eldest of the Tanner daughters, DJ was the most responsible out of all of Danny’s kids in Full House. She was studious and dependable, but it doesn’t mean that she wasn’t immune to making mistakes. Much like any growing teenager, she also had her insecurities and hang-ups. However, as she grew older, she started to become more conscious about her actions, effectively setting an example for her younger sisters. Like her father, however, DJ was widowed at a young age, which was Fuller House’s premise.
9 Stephanie Tanner
Danny’s second-born, Stephanie, was the quintessential middle child. She was more spunky and adventurous than her older sister, which sometimes resulted in her getting in trouble in Full House. That included her accidentally backing up Joey’s car into the family home kitchen and going behind Danny’s back to get her ears pierced. Stephanie grew up to be a famous DJ/musician, but she had to put her career on hold as she helped DJ raise her kids in the Netflix spin-off of Full House, Fuller House.
8 Michelle Tanner
Michelle Tanner, the youngest of the three Tanner kids, was the real star of the earliest years of Full House. Played alternately by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the character was a stand-out from the get-go. She became a bigger fan-favorite thanks to her special relationship with Uncle Jesse, which arguably eclipsed his bond with her nuclear family. Michelle was the only original Full House character who didn’t return in Fuller House after the Olsen Twins decided to turn down the project. As explained in the spin-off, she’s now based in New York as a fashion label owner, explaining why she never hung out with her family.
7 Jesse Katsopolis
Suave Jesse Katsopolis was Pam’s brother, who moved in with Danny after she died to help raise the kids. Known for some fun quirks like his undying love for Elvis Presley and his obsession with his hair and aging, he also popularized the term “have mercy,” Jesse was arguably the most laid back among all the parental figures in Full House. As the show went on, however, he grew into a much more responsible character, especially after he got married and had kids of his own. He returned in Fuller House and maintained his overall cool demeanor from the original series.
6 Becky Donaldson-Katsopolis
Originally introduced as Danny’s co-worker, Becky Donaldson eventually became a series regular in Full House after she started dating Jesse. Their relationship was the show’s primary love story for the most part of its run, as ABC was able to fully develop their romance, from the moment they met until they got married and beyond. Like Jesse, Becky returned in Fuller House, but due to Lori Loughlin’s involvement in the National College Scandal, she was booted out of the series, resulting in her character missing the final season of the offshoot.
5 Nicky & Alex Katsopolis
Jesse and Becky’s twins – Nicky and Alex debuted in season 5 of Full House as the show’s youngest cast. With Michelle growing up, ABC had to find a way to continue featuring adorable infants in the show. Unfortunately, they didn’t get as much attention as their cousin did, partly because they’re not the center of the series. They were brought back in Fuller House but only for a limited time. Even as their parents continued to appear, the Full House spin-off never brought them back after season 2. They were among the missing characters in the Fuller House finale, as they didn’t attend DJ and Stephanie’s triple wedding with Kimmy.
4 Irene & Nick Katsopolis
Pam and Jesse’s parents, Irene and Nick, came to visit the Tanner family home in Full House several times. Since Pam was already dead when the events of the comedy started, it’s uncertain what her relationship was with her mom and dad. Jesse, however, had a combative dynamic with Nick because he didn’t want to simply join the family business. While the Katsopolis patriarch was strict and overbearing at times, Irene was more laid back and loving.
3 Claire Tanner
Danny’s mother, Claire, spent the first few months in the Tanner family home to help his son get used to raising three kids after Pam died. After she left, Jesse and Joey moved in to pick up the rest of the responsibilities in the household, including keeping an eye on the kids, which kicked off the events of Full House. She returned a couple of more times in the show, making it clear that she had a great relationship with her son.
2 Wendy Tanner
Pam wasn’t the only one who had a sibling in Full House. Danny also had a sister, Wendy, who only appeared in season 5. Apparently, she moved around a lot because of her job. Full House floated around the idea of a romance between her and Joey, but that didn’t go anywhere. Wendy never made an appearance again past the same season of the show.
1 Papouli
Aside from the core Tanner family in Full House, Papouli was arguably its next most prominent character, not just because of how beloved he was, but also the way his story progressed in his only appearance in the show. Pam and Jesse’s grandfather from Greece visited San Francisco and immediately endeared himself to everyone in the Tanner family. Just as he was getting settled in, however, Papouli unexpectedly died, leaving Jesse and the rest in shock.
