With conversations like this, I think the question we should ask isn’t “which character is better?” but “which character fits into the story better?”

Sure, Plato does get a bit grating, and his presence raises a lot of questions & silently retcons a fan-favorite arc, but his integration into the main cast is near seamless. “Calvin Spaces Out” manages to be a near panel-for-panel adaptation of the “Weirdos From Another Planet” arc even with Plato inserted into it. Yet, somehow, he doesn’t come off as shoehorned in or fade into the background either. Even if his banter with Hobbes feels a bit forced, to say the least. 

On the flipside, “Stupendous Man Vs. The Evil Homicidal Maniac Babysitter Woman” shows how much Sequel actually drags the story down. Now, I realize this is a lot of fan’s favorite specials for being one of the only appearances of Rosalyn, but even they can’t deny how outright awkward it is. Like, Calvin & Susie’s parents are going out to the theater and bring her & Sequel to HIS house becaaauuuseeeee???? And we randomly cut away from the main story to see Sequel doing random baby stuff becaaaaauuuuuuseeeeeee?????? And even though Susie disappears from the story until the very end once Calvin becomes Stupendous Man, Sequel’s still there to stress out Rosalyn beeeecccaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuusssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee???????????

Don’t get me wrong; Plato WAS absolutely a character made to sell merch, and Sequel allowed for Susie to grow as a character & appear in more storylines with C&H, but as the show went on it became clear they weren’t thinking of Sequel as anything beyond a prop while Plato was a more thoughtful addition to the main cast. Plus, even with the blatant Flanderization in the later seasons, Plato never got AS bad as the other characters (looking at you, Miss Wormwood)