| 100% | PINKY | 5 | Puppet pig, companion of Perky, created by Jan and Vlasta Dalibor |
| 89% | PERKY | 5 | Puppet pig, companion of Pinky, created by Jan and Vlasta Dalibor |
| 33% | REN | 3 | Canine companion of Stimpy created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi |
| 30% | FANTASTICFOUR | 13 | Group of superheroes created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee (2 wds.) |
| 30% | THEXMEN | 7 | Group of superheroes created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee (2 wds.) |
| 30% | THEAVENGERS | 11 | Group of superheroes created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee (2 wds.) |
| 29% | SEINFELD | 8 | TV series created by and starring stand-up comedian Jerry as a fictional version of himself |
| 29% | PISTOL | 6 | Companion of Falstaff in Henry V and other plays by William Shakespeare |
| 28% | BOAC | 4 | State-owned airline created in 1939 by a merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways |
| 27% | NELSON | 6 | Lee ___, a fictional character created by comedian Simon Brodkin who has pranked the likes of Theresa May and Kanye West |
| 27% | LOUISAMAYALCOTT | 15 | Author who created the characters named by the starts of 17-, 24-, 49- and 61-Across |
| 27% | BOAC | 4 | State-owned airline created in 1939 by a merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways (inits) |
| 27% | VISHNU | 6 | Companion of Brahma and Shiva |
| 27% | TALL | 4 | Companion of dark and handsome |
| 27% | TOM | 3 | Companion of Dick and Harry |
| 27% | YON | 3 | Companion of hither and thither |
| 27% | SNAP | 4 | Companion of Crackle and Pop |
| 27% | ATHOS | 5 | Companion of Aramis and Porthos |
| 27% | REUSE | 5 | Companion of reduce and recycle |
| 27% | BUTCH | 5 | Companion of Rex and Rover |
| 27% | ATHOS | 5 | Companion of Porthos and Aramis |
| 27% | ETTA | 4 | Companion of Butch and Sundance |
| 27% | PAST | 4 | Companion of present and future |
| 27% | ETHOS | 5 | Companion of logos and pathos |
| 27% | HERCULEPOIROT | 13 | Fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie who is also one of the most famous and long-running characters: 2 wds. |
| 27% | CYAN | 4 | Companion of magenta, yellow and black |
| 26% | NINA | 4 | Companion of the Pinta and Santa Maria |
| 26% | PAST | 4 | Companion of the present and the future |
| 26% | ALEXANDER | 9 | I created one of the largest empires of the ancient world and my name is followed by "The Great" |
| 26% | SHIFTS | 6 | Work assignments ... and, preceded by 1-Across, the key to creating the word ladder (and part 8 of it) |