Favourite Downton Abbey Characters

Lady Mary Crawley is truly the most misunderstood character in the series, and I would choose her over Edith any day. She is a strong woman, and yes, a bit shallow, but who isn't? She truly cares about people in her life such as Matthew, Sybil, Anna, and Tom.

If people hate her because of Edith, then she was no less. I loved this character and felt she was quite like her grandmother. She and Violet are my absolute favorites.

I just feel like Mary is my soulmate. I can always understand her, even when she does things like destroying Edith's love with Anthony Strallan and Bertie. I think I would do the same, even when I know it is wrong.

Tom began as a somewhat hotheaded, opinionated character who scorned the class system which paid him. Over the course of the series, he evolved into a very human, sometimes confused but always lovable part of the family, indeed the conscience of those who grew to rely upon his strength, kindness, and, yes, tolerance.

My favorite character!

Anna is kind, generous, hard-working, clever, determined, and strong. She stayed with Mr. Bates despite everything he went through with his wife and is also a great friend to Lady Mary as well as some of the other servant girls. She always knows the right thing to do and is willing to help anyone out.

VOTE FOR ANNA!

A brilliant character. Her and Mary's friendship is one of my favorite parts of the show.

She's so pretty and sweet. She and Mr. Bates have the best relationship!

I couldn't imagine another actor playing Barrow. He is such a well-written, complex character, and Collier gave a great performance.

I simply love him, and I don't really know why. Although he was arrogant, especially at the beginning, I loved him right away.

Underneath that cold, sarcastic exterior is a bitter man who just wants to be loved for who he is.

Mrs. Hughes is the glue of the series. Sensible, dependable, and wise but still open to fun! She understands life and has seen the worst of it but can appreciate the best of it. Everyone has their favorite, but Mrs. Hughes is the most well-rounded of all the characters.

Mrs. Hughes is kind, generous, and always looks for the right thing to do. Not to mention the fact that she is pretty funny! She's very loving, and when she comes on screen it warms my heart and makes me smile.

VOTE MRS. HUGHES!

Played by Phyllis Logan.

Lily James oozes class. Lovely smile, petite body, and hair. She's also a great actress in "War & Peace" and a sexy minx in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Her smile can light up a room, and her character is fun.

She's rather underrated. I really like her. She gives us a break from all the drama in the series. She's just a young girl who loves to party, break the rules, and meet up with boys. She's awesome.

Beautiful, fashionable, and well-mannered. The love, care, and loyalty she shows for Robert are heartwarming.

Played by Elizabeth McGovern.

I find the character of John Bates intriguing and interesting. At first, it was like this poor guy is going through a lot. Then later, I wondered if he really did kill his vicious hag of a wife after all. Later on, I wondered how he might have had to take care of inmates giving him a rough time. Then Green, who many consider also had it coming, met his end.

Now I am wondering if Bates, being a war veteran who was in the active line of duty, may have been a true real bad-ass. Perhaps he was in the same category as Richard Harrow from Boardwalk Empire, though Bates isn't a gangster. Bates is mostly a calm dude who does his thing until somebody messes with him, his new wife, or someone he is loyal to. Then he can get nasty.

Perhaps Bates does some dirty work on the side, for local upper-class folks, when there is a special job that goes beyond being handled in a civilized or "normal" manner. Perhaps Bates is even darker than that. Maybe he is creepy to the point of being an assassin or serial killer, who uses his job as a cover and who makes both Dexter and Lecter look like a couple of boy scouts.

As for the cane, think of Yoda. When Yoda has to fight, he drops his cane and becomes quite the feisty little guy. Yoda jumps up walls and does somersaults faster than Neo in the Matrix. Imagine Bates fighting like a Jedi knight, shoving his cane down his tormentor's throat. Maybe the cane is an exaggeration to cover up John Bates' extracurricular activities.

I know I am probably in the minority here, but I would love to see a dark series about the creeping master lurker of the night, John Bates, played by that brilliant actor, Brendan Coyle.

He's such a snob and always so shocked about everything. My absolute favorite.

I loved watching him try to cook for Mrs. Hughes.

He has a good heart and does the best he can. He mostly gets it right.

Surrounded by women, his facial expressions are hilarious.

I know in the first season she wasn't nice, but in series two she became a better person. In series three, she was nicer than Mary, so I think she is awesome.

The war changes her. She is so much nicer than Mary in the later series. And she has such bad luck. I think she is actually quite pretty despite everything Mary says.

Independent and always reinventing herself. Her character growth is very well-written.

Nothing keeps her down for long, and nothing shakes this girl's spirit for long.

There is very little to dislike about Daisy.

Good-hearted, witty, smart, and progressive. A great mother and friend.

Played by Penelope Wilton.

Kind of a boring character, but I felt really sorry for her. She was such a lovely person. However, it was obvious Matthew and Mary would get together, and she was just an obstacle along the way.

Although she doesn't appear much on the show, I love her character. She seems harsh, but deep down, she is so nice and loving to everyone. I was upset that Isobel chose her over Ethel. I would have loved to see her more in the series.