Recurring secondary characters whose main function is to provide expository dialog.
Traditionally
cute members of the
appropriate sex for the
writers and/or
audience. Bridge bunnies tend to attract a
disproportionately intense fan following.
The term originally described the trio of female officers (Vanessa, Kim, and Sammie) who served on the bridge of the SDF-1 from Macross/Robotech alongside Capt. Gloval, (Lisa Hayes/Misa Hayase), and Claudia (Grant/LaSalle).
Other examples include Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov from Star Trek:TOS, Maya Ibuki, Makoto Hyuuga, and Shigeru Aoba from Evangelion, as well as Lt. Corwin and various other "Tech #1"s from Babylon 5.