Full House Meets Friends: Stephanie Vs. Monica, Who Is The Best Sitcom Sister?

Both Full House and Friends are some of the most nostalgia-inducing sitcoms from the ’90s. While fans got to see the Tanner family in the Fuller House reboot, viewers will be able to catch up with their favorite Friends with the HBO Max reunion special.

Besides being sitcoms from the same time period, Full House and Friends don’t have much in common except for featuring characters who are siblings. While Stephanie Tanner is a child for much of the show’s run and Monica Geller is a grown-up chef in NYC, the two siblings can compete for the title of best sitcom sister.

10 Stephanie: She Was A Role Model For Michelle

Stephanie and Michelle drove each other crazy, just like many siblings do, and as Michelle got older, they started sharing a room.

Stephanie might not have realized it, but she was a role model for Michelle, making her a better sister than Monica was to Ross. While Monica had a great work ethic and was a successful chef, Ross was also intelligent and did well in his career, so she didn’t need to teach him much. Stephanie, on the other hand, showed Michelle how to be strong and independent and show some maturity.

9 Monica: She And Ross Share The Same Friend Group

Just like parents wish that their kids will grow up and see them as friends and stay in touch, it’s admirable when siblings maintain a close relationship as adults.

Ross and Monica took things one step further as they shared the same social circle and seemed to get along really well. Ross was a fan of Monica’s famous Thanksgiving sandwich and the two hung out on a regular basis. It would have been easy for Monica to separate from Ross as they got older, but they enjoyed each other’s company enough to share Rachel, Joey, Chandler, and Phoebe as pals.

8 Stephanie: A Relatable Middle Child

While Monica has many great attributes, Stephanie can be viewed as the best sitcom sister because she’s a middle child.

Stephanie’s place in the family is super relatable. When she was a kid, she wasn’t old enough to hang out with DJ or do all the things that she did, but she was too old to play with Michelle’s toys. It was a tough spot to be in and she was very frustrated on a regular basis. Since Monica is already an adult by the time that fans met her in the pilot, she couldn’t teach viewers as many lessons and it was harder to relate to her.

7 Monica: She Has More Of A Personality

Friends fans watched Monica fall in love with Richard and excel as a chef. While Stephanie was an adorable and charming child on Full House, it’s true that Monica has been given more of a personality, and more obvious hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Stephanie sometimes blended into the “cute kid” trope of many sitcoms.

While Stephanie has her strengths, Monica is beloved for how much she enjoys cleaning (much like Stephanie’s dad Danny) and her tendency to be a bit too worried about everything.

6 Stephanie: A Hilarious Catchphrase

Who could forget Stephanie’s “how rude” catchphrase? This was one of the funniest parts of Full House and the most memorable thing about this beloved character.

While Monica had hilarious quotes and found herself in entertaining situations, she wasn’t quite as quotable as some other characters on the show, like Joey with his “how you doin’?” catchphrase. Stephanie had a great way of explaining when she was upset with someone else’s behavior.

5 Monica: She Supports Ross And Rachel’s Romance

Monica is a great sister because she’s always supportive of Ross and Rachel’s love story. She knows that they don’t have an easy road ahead of them but she wants them both to be happy.

Some people might be upset about their sibling dating a close friend, but since these two characters have known each other for a long time, Monica understands that Ross has loved Rachel since high school.

4 Stephanie: She And DJ Have A Healthier Dynamic Than Monica And Ross

While Monica and Ross are close, sometimes their sibling bond seems odd.

This is one reason why Stephanie is the better sitcom sister than Monica. Stephanie and DJ manage to stay close as they get older and in the revival Fuller House, they’re even back living in the Tanner home together, helping each other as they experience heartbreak, parenthood, and the good and bad parts of life. Stephanie and DJ definitely seem to have a healthier dynamic as they are friendly without too much competition or stress.

3 Monica: She Tries To Be Friends With Julie

Many Friends fans think that Ross and Rachel are the sitcom’s greatest romance but it definitely takes them a long time to end up together.

In the second season, Ross is with Julie, and Monica tries her best to be friends with her. She wants to do the right thing and support Ross, which makes her an amazing sister. This is a major conflict since Rachel is upset about the relationship, and Monica is essentially choosing between her good friend and her brother. It’s not an easy choice to make.

2 Stephanie: She Eventually Warms Up To Kimmy

On the original Full House, Kimmy Gibbler is treated like the annoying kid next door, but in Fuller House, she’s given a starring role and she is best friends with Stephanie as well as her old pal DJ.

It’s telling that Stephanie warms up to her sister’s BFF and realizes that she has a lot of positive qualities. Instead of constantly being irritated by Kimmy and wishing that she would go away, Stephanie gets to know her and sees her as an equal. This is really respectful of both Kimmy and DJ.

1 Monica: She Encourages Ross To Be Bolder

Monica and Chandler may not be perfect but it’s fun to watch their relationship bloom over the seasons.

When the friends find out that these two are dating, Ross tells Chandler that he would hurt him if things went south. This isn’t something that Ross would normally say or do since he’s very gentle and nervous. This is a positive thing, though, because it proves that Monica sometimes influences Ross to be a bit bolder and stronger, even if she doesn’t mean to.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1742 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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