Pedant alert!! Ian, iconic is described as:

iconic
adjective UK ​ /aɪˈkɒn.ɪk/ US ​ /aɪˈkɑː.nɪk/ formal
​
very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time:
John Lennon gained iconic status following his death.

I don't think Ian could really be described as "very famous" or popular although as you pointed out people do associate particular traits with him albeit negative ones. IMHO, Ian Beale doesn't have any great inspirational qualities or endearing ones as say Pat, Frank Butcher, Peggy, Pauline, Dot or even Stacey or Phil. The character's a poor role model to his family, covered the murder of his daughter and is a creep. If Ian left tomorrow, would there be a clamour for his return and would he at an extreme level be mentioned in parliament? Phil's departure if it happened would be lamented, the same cannot be said about Ian and for these reasons, I don't think he's iconic but it does come down to individual perception.

Before I watched soaps, I knew of:

EE
- Dot
- Nick
- Phil
- Grant
- Peggy
- Sharon
- Ian
- Stacey

Corrie
- Just Ken and Deidre really (no one I knew ever watched Corrie)

ED
- Aaron Livesy/Dingle
- Cain
- Charity

Hollyoaks
- Mercedes

I guess from that perspective, they would be considered iconic to me, although there is a bias as my parents used to watch EE (haven't for over 25 years though). The others I've mainly picked up from TV guides, so that's sort of how I learnt the characters before I starting watching soaps, although I'm not watching them that much now.

Stacey is a bit of weird one as I originally got her confused with Sonia (I guess because their names started with an S), so its weird and a bit funny for me to see Martin and Stacey as a couple especially as I briefly saw some of EE one Christmas (I think the one where Pauline died) and saw Martin with Sonia but always remembered that as being Stacey until I watched the show properly.

You're right, everyone has different views on what an icon is (although as you point out, they tend to be amongst the most famous and well known figures). I don't genuinely think a character has to be well-liked to be considered iconic: Phil is arguably less popular than Ian but is still given the same label. I do think that, heaven forbid if Adam Woodyatt were to pass away soon, there would be a lot of people talking about ' Ian Beale's death'. He is a very well known character beyond the viewer base and whilst doesn't have a famous catchphrase (such as Peggy's or Bianca's) or style (such as Dot, Pat or Sharon), he has had a lot of widespread media attention. Pauline didn't have a catchphrase or a particular sense of style: she even had very few storylines that were just about her- but she is certainly seen as iconic. Ian's most famous traits are negative ones as you point out: his greed and love of money, but they are well known regardless. His Millenium eve wedding to Mel and his slyness then is regarded as one of EastEnders most famous weddings

Too late to edit but something else, Ian is far from just a slime ball even if it's a trait he is well known for. He is actually me of the shows most rounded characters and (a credit to Woodyatt's acting) you can hate him and still feel sorry for him. Woodyatt has excellent comic timing and that makes Ian a funny character. He isn't afraid to make the character appear vulnerable (such as during the breakdown) and because we have seen Ian grow up in screen, we know why he thinks and acts the way he does, we as the viewers understand the psychology behind his actions. Even recently he has shown to be a warmer character, treating Stacey as family despite hating her initially, caring for Jane since her accident when the old Ian would have cheated on her because she wasn't the trophy wife anymore. He is a very well rounded character and we see all sides of him: he is relatable (aside from the whole covering up Lucy's murder thing although I do sympathize with him there as Jane threw him into the deep end and by then was too late to do anything, a bit less sympathy for him though when sending Max to prison and wanting Bobby t go to boatding school not prison initially.

Totally agree because (BIBs) IMO are questionable choices but as you say it is subjective to a degree

Legg? Can't think of another 😜

EE:

Phil
Grant
Peggy
Dot
Pat
Frank
Sharon
Den
Angie

Currently the most iconic character is Sean Tully.

For HO, Mercedes by far the most iconic character despite not being an original. I suppose Tony might be, but the trouble is how disconnected the show is today from its original lineup. James Redmond's character Finn was the only old school HO name they could get for the 20th anniversary and I don't even think he was that memorable. His role pointless in that episode.

Maybe some of the Osbornes or the Deans? Max and OB were a great bromance. Clare and Silas were the show's best ever villains.

Coronation Street

Ken and Deirdre
Rita
Emily
Bet Lynch
Elsie Tanner
Betty
Curly
Derek and Mavis
Ena Sharples
The list could go on forever and ever really

EastEnders

Den and Angie
Pauline and Arthur
Pat and Frank
Phil and Grant
Dot
Sharon
Peggy
Kathy Beale
Ian Beale
Cindy Beale
Possibly a few more

Emmerdale

I've never watched it but I'm aware of Kim Tate and have seen clips of her killing her husband and going off in a helicopter

Hollyoaks

I'd be surprised if the general public could name anyone from Hollyoaks. Maybe Tony at at push since he's been in it since the start.

i think depending on how old u are, different ppl have different choices on what character they see as iconic. like someone my age would have different characters compared to someone like 50 yrs older (they'd probably say Ken, Rita, etc.)

ok anyway my iconic corrie characters are:
Kylie Platt
Gemma Winter
Tim Metcalfe
Peter Barlow
David Platt
the older ones too like Ken Barlow, etc. cos he's been in it since it started

i know ppl will disagree tho!

A soap discussion forum isn't really the best place to ask this question.

Soap characters become "icons" when they transcend the soap bubble and the general public are aware of them even when they don't watch any soaps.


All you're gonna get in a soaps forum is soap fans listing their "favourites"

Eldorado?

]]

When I watched EE Ian was one of my favourite characters.

Not necessarily I can't stand Phil or Peggy but I am aware that they are icons

Well fair enough - I should probably have said "most likely to name their favourites"

I think for Soaps, normally, "iconic characters" are the ones that are either widely recognised in popular culture, outside of the show and it's fans, for specific traits or relationships or the first names that come to mind if you say the name of the Soap - the characters you'd avoid if you were on Pointless and the category was "Characters from Soap Operas/ EE/ Corrie/ED etc".

For example, years ago Mike Read did an ad for Oasis (the fruit drink) - if Frank and Pat had not been iconic, the ad wouldn't work. You can watch it below, if you don't remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikEO4lz3hs4

Sean Williamson is famous as "Barry from EastEnders" but I don't actually think Barry Evans would be an iconic character; the recognition is mainly from Extras where his own manager didn't know his name.

If my mother's s at all representative... she no longer watches soaps but I know she's s aware of the following:
ED: Cain, Emma, Chas - she's s mentioned them; and
CS - Steve and Ken, who she remembers from her own days of watching

Queen Shazza of Walford

MyZosia off of Holby City is iconic as well.

If you read the posts, I think you'll see that most posters can just about work out what "icon" means.

Some of it might be subjective, but almost everyone's listed characters which were long lasting, had loads of public impact, and are truly memorable.

Can you not just take part instead of looking down your nose?

Can you not see it for the genuine post it was rather than taking offence and dismissing it out of hand.

I think the days of soaps producing truly iconic characters has long since passed.

Soaps are no longer the tv behemoths they once were – with ever diminishing audiences, the characters within them have less & less recognition across the gap between the soap demographic and the general public.

I would say that, even though Hollyoaks has been on tv as a soap for 21 years now, the general public would be hard pushed to name one “iconic” character from the soap. This is largely due to its limited appeal to a mainstream audience of tv, and, therefore, its lack of general character recognition within the public realm.
This is becoming the case with the main 3 soaps now as audiences decrease.

There’s no doubt there are current characters in soap with a high recognition factor within the soap audience – Lacey Turner & Danny Miller constantly winning soap awards is testament to that. But, even if the general public could put a name to these actors, I think, there’d be less of them who could actually name the characters they portray in the world of soap. The actors themselves carrying more recognition than the characters.

It’s interesting that some posters have named Barry Evans as an iconic character. The truth is, Shaun Williamson has become more iconic as an “ex soap actor” than the character he actually played on the soap having any level of iconic status. Barry Evans is only remembered because Shaun has made a career for himself on the back of the fact he played the character.

Part of the reason soaps don’t produce iconic characters these days is because, as a genre of tv, they’ve become incredibly homogenous. They’ve become factory-like in their production.
Characterisation and sense of location has been dismissed in favour of plots, sensationalism and shocking narratives.
You could never envisage Hilda Ogden or Seth Armstrong in Eastenders because their characterisation was defined by the setting of the soap they were written for. The soaps themselves have lost their sense of individual identity, and therefore, the characters within them have less identity, and when characters lose any sense of identity, their recognition factor (and therefore ability to be iconic) becomes greatly diminished.

What I read was a post telling us we shouldn't be discussing it here, because we're not impartial enough (or something like that).

Well, it's a soap forum, and no one made you forum police. And it's a bit of fun, so it hardly matters, does it.

Honestly, you do come across as patronising sometimes.

It's exactly for that reason why I included Barry, he has become very famous due to his actors success and being identified as 'Barry off Eastenders'