via Television Without Pity (which has been going steadily downhill since it was purchased by Bravo, but still is worth an occasional read, particularly once real TV starts up again and they can write about things other than fake TV, ie, crappy Bravo reality shows)
This is a list that inspires endless debate, and would probably end up leaving no one happy. I think it might fall into the category of politics and religion, under things that you shouldn't bring up in polite company. Most people would probably agree with some of the biggies (Marge Gunderson, El Dudarino), but one thing that the Coens do so so well is craft and give incredible life to so many of their secondary characters that it makes it difficult to choose between them.
For my money, I can never have too much John Goodman, especially in a Coen Bros. role, and he's certainly had a bunch of them. TWoP includes him twice (Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink, and of course Walter, in The Big Lebowski), but I would have been happy to see him substituted for George Clooney for his role as the Cyclops stand-in Big Dan Teague in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, as well as his work in Raising Arizona. He's got to be one of the more underrated comedic actors out there.
Come to think of it, with the incredible wealth of Coen Bros. characters, maybe it would have made a lot more sense to make one list of "main" characters, and another of secondary players. I could go on and on here about the supporting players who have left indelible marks (The Hell Biker from Raising Arizona, Daniel von Bargen's aviator-shaded Sheriff Cooley in O Brother, even despite the blatant rip-off/homage to Cool Hand Luke, anyone played by Steve Buscemi, etc...). It's too much to go into here.
If there's time later, I'll make up a list.
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