Who is Marshall Eriksen in How I Met Your Mother?

The gentle giant taking the bar · The Apartment

Marshall Eriksen (The gentle giant taking the bar) is a character in How I Met Your Mother, part of The Apartment. Marshall Eriksen is a 6'4" Minnesotan law student who believes in ghosts, Bigfoot, and Lily Aldrin, not necessarily in that order. He proposes in the pilot's opening minutes and spends the series proving the premise: that one good, ridiculous man can make lifelong love look like the most fun in the room. Marshall's war is between the environmental lawyer he means to be and the corporate paychecks that keep finding him — fought entirely in charts, slap bets and songs about pancakes.

When does Marshall Eriksen first appear?

Marshall Eriksen first appears in Season 1, Episode 1 (“Pilot”) of How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014, CBS).

Who is Marshall Eriksen connected to?

Relationships already established when Marshall Eriksen first appears — nothing from later episodes.

• Lily Aldrin — Engaged in the opening minutes
• Ted Mosby — Roommates since Wesleyan

Which group does Marshall Eriksen belong to?

By the time Marshall Eriksen appears, The Apartment also includes Ted Mosby, Lily Aldrin.

Who else is introduced in this episode?

• Ted Mosby — The architect of the longest story ever told
• Lily Aldrin — The kindergarten teacher who runs the group
• Barney Stinson — Legen— wait for it —dary
• Robin Scherbatsky — The news anchor with a Canadian past

Watching right now? Open Marshall Eriksen in the interactive map, set the episode you've reached, and see every relationship and bio update you already know — spoiler-free.