Top 10 Greatest TV Series Characters

We all love TV series, so who is our greatest character?
The Top Ten
1 Walter White (Breaking Bad) Walter "Walt" Hartwell White Sr. is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Breaking Bad, portrayed by Bryan Cranston.

Man, I couldn't even begin to explain the roller coaster of emotions that Walter White put me through. You want to hate the guy for all the awful things he's done, such as (spoilers) - literally poisoning a child, letting Jane overdose, manipulating Jesse for years and practically ruining his life, killing Mike (my favorite character), and being indirectly responsible for killing 100+ people in the plane crash, etc.

But somehow, we all feel sympathetic for Walt because of the suffering and karma he gets for all the bad things he's done. And in the end, his empire comes crashing down as he realizes that he's completely ruined everything he was working for.

Speaking of Walt, his acting is spectacular. Bryan Cranston is such a versatile actor. You would think that the dad from "Malcolm in the Middle" wouldn't play the most psychotic, memorable, and aggressive fictional drug lord of all time, but you'd be wrong. His delivery - "I am the danger. I am the one who knocks" - sent shivers down my spine. No other character is comparable to Walter White, no one.

2 Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) Homer Jay Simpson is the main protagonist of the American animated television series The Simpsons as the patriarch of the eponymous family.

My favorite yellow guy! Homer is the best. There is no scene that Homer plays that isn't funny.

He is really funny, a bit dramatic, and a bit weird at times, but who isn't?

No character on this planet makes me laugh as much as Homer Simpson.

3 Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother) Barnabus "Barney" Stinson is a fictional character portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris and created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother.

He's hilarious for one thing, but he also has a very intricate and elaborate personality. This is uncovered more and more as you go through the seasons. I would either say Barney or Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.

He is the best TV character when it comes to sitcoms. No one can match his uniqueness.

Without a doubt, the funniest character in the show.

4 Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) Sheldon Lee Cooper, Ph.D., Sc.D., is a fictional character in the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Jim Parsons.

He is one of the funniest characters in television history and definitely the funniest and most interesting on the show. I also really enjoy watching him as a child in Young Sheldon.

He's so awesome and funny. I just wish that he would show some emotion at times. He's like an extremely funny robot with a great voice.

"One cries when one is sad. For example, I cry because others are stupid and that makes me sad." - Sheldon Cooper
How can you not love this man?

5 Eric Cartman (South Park) Eric Theodore Cartman, often referred to just by his surname, is a main character, as well as a major antagonist and occasional antihero in the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and voiced by Parker. He is one of four central characters in South Park, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick. Cartman first appeared, originally in prototypical... read more

He created the funniest song of all time (Kyle's Mom), is the only kid that Supernanny couldn't help, and he even created a national holiday (Kick a Ginger Day).

My favorite TV character of all time. He makes me laugh a lot. I also feel bad for him quite often.

Wow, seeing Eric Cartman and Stewie Griffin side by side, he looks like a grown-up Stewie!

6 Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)

Don't get me wrong, I adore Cas, Dean, Sam, and the whole Supernatural gang, but it's a pity Sherlock is number six. He is such a complex, beautifully written character! On the outside, most people hate him for being a selfish, emotionless jerk, but we periodically get to see his gentle side. Even though he loves showing off from his little throne above everyone else, he genuinely wants to do what is right. He's Spock with Kirk's heart. Plus, he's very funny, even when he doesn't realize it.

Ah! It was really hard to choose, but Sherlock has to be my favorite. At first, he seems cold and heartless, but after he got his first real friend following Redbeard's death, he became softer. You get to see his warmer side. Even if he sometimes still tries to act cold and claims "emotion is a weakness," he still has that warmth in him.

I'd have to say he's really interesting. Though, to be frank, he is lousy in the social world, and people are forgetting about Martin Freeman's version of John Watson. There's a reason why he was chosen.

7 Dean Winchester (Supernatural) Dean Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the American drama television series Supernatural.

He has so many layers. His character development was very dense. This makes him one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen on TV.

Dean Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles, is a true inspiration. Jensen Ackles portrays his character perfectly. Dean Winchester captures your heart with his bad-boy act, yet it's evident that he is protective, caring, and overall a wounded soul. His good looks are just the tip of the iceberg. His charming personality, selflessness, and bravery are all testaments to the outstanding actor Jensen Ackles, who contributes to making him the best character on TV, now and for years to come. I doubt anyone will ever come close to being as amazing as Jensen Ackles and his portrayal of Dean Winchester.

Dean isn't a hero, and he doesn't try to be one. However, he always tries to do what needs to be done, even if it's painful and will become another source of guilt. In the first few seasons, he acts macho, but he's actually very sensitive. Just consider his behavior with children. Thanks to his relationship with Sammy, he has developed a protective side, which comes out when he deals with kids during hunts and, in general, with people he cares about.

He's also tough, likely because he thinks it's the best way to face horrible situations and their aftermath. Dean is a complex and intelligent character, played dynamically and powerfully by Jensen Ackles. Although it was a difficult choice between him, Sam, and Castiel, I choose Dean. Always.

8 SpongeBob (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob needs to be higher on the list. He has given us a good generation for television as well as our lives.

Bruh, when I saw the list, SpongeBob should have been number one. My second one is Walter White because, you know.

Pure awesome! I would love if SpongeBob were higher on the list. He was really great, especially in the early 2000s when he was the king of TV cartoons!

9 Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones) Tyrion Lannister is a fictional character in A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. In Game of Thrones, the character is portrayed by Peter Dinklage.

Tyrion Lannister is the definition of good things coming in small packages. Tyrion's brain is his weapon, and he proves time and time again that you don't need muscle to be a hero. You need a sharp brain, a snappy, clever sense of humor, and a sense of compassion that overrules even your worst instincts. Tyrion has heart. You can't miss the pain behind all his intellectual bravado. In the most important ways, he is a giant.

Tyrion Lannister is a badass dwarf with more character depth than all the people on this list put together, except for Dean Winchester. Both of them are boss. Period.

He is literally the best character aside from the final two seasons, but then again, the final two seasons were worthless.

10 Stewie Griffin (Family Guy) Stewart Gilligan "Stewie" Griffin is a main character from the animated television series Family Guy. Obsessed with violence and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Meg and Chris Griffin.

He is kind of hilarious in his own way. Sure, his arc with him endlessly trying to murder Lois can be annoying and repetitive, but in his Road To series, he is at his best.

If you do not like this character, then something is wrong with you! All hail to Stewie Griffin!

The Newcomers

? Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)
? Roy Kent (Ted Lasso)
The Contenders
11 Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead) Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from the American television series The Walking Dead portrayed by Norman Reedus. He is an original character and has no comic counterpart.

What's the deal with Supernatural? This guy is more impressive than all the Supernatural characters combined. Daryl Dixon is the backbone of The Walking Dead. Yes, I just blew your mind. He's a crossbow-wielding redneck who's outstanding, takes orders from no one, and can be emotional at times - take Merle's death and Carol's departure, for example. This guy deserves to be in the top ten, hands down. The whole country watches AMC and BBC - shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Doctor Who. No one cares about the Supernatural characters.

Yeah, Daryl is super awesome! He's the best person to have by your side when everything goes south.

12 Peter Griffin (Family Guy) Peter Griffin is the main protagonist and titular character of the American animated sitcom Family Guy.
13 Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)

Definitely should be higher on this list. Easily, in my opinion, the funniest character ever.

For all you people of Kramerica: Giddy-up!
Kramer was the greatest Seinfeld character ever! His legacy shall live on!

I love him. He's awesome, so ingenious and crazy. Just watch the Merv Griffin episode. You'll see. And of course, Serenity Now.

14 Joey Tribbiani (Friends) Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a character from the NBC sitcoms Friends and its spin-off Joey, portrayed by Matt LeBlanc.

Friends is my all-time favorite show, and I really love Joey Tribbiani. I have a major crush on Matt LeBlanc and I really love his awesome sense of humor.

15 George Costanza (Seinfeld) George Louis Costanza is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld, played by Jason Alexander.

Best character ever. Better than pathetic Sheldon Cooper and unrealistic Barney Stinson.

16 Crow T. Robot (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
17 Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the protagonist in the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, portrayed by James Gandolfini.

To any serious observer (though many haven't seen him), James Gandolfini's extended performance of this complicated character has to be among, if not the greatest acting performance in any venue.

#21! What a joke. Kids these days don't know what The Sopranos was all about. Tony Soprano is easily in the top 3 TV characters of ALL time!

The fact that he wasn't even mentioned before is astonishing.

18 Sam Winchester (Supernatural) Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the American drama television series Supernatural along with his older brother Dean.

Sam Winchester is an incredible character. It's hard to think of another character who has suffered as much as he has, with so little love, affection, or sympathy to support him. It often feels like no one has his back, either on the show or among the audience.

I can't think of a character who has been thrust into such a deep well of loneliness and otherness as much as Sam Winchester has. He is punished every day of his life just for being different, for wanting a normal life, or for aspiring to higher education. It often seems that he is punished simply for being Sam, and not Dean, which is no way for any healthy person to live.

I want Sam to be loved and celebrated for all the ways that he is himself. I don't want or need him to be the same as Dean, because that would be boring. Sam Winchester is my hero for standing up to his family when he was still a child. I am so proud of him for doing that!

I also want to thank Jared Padalecki for being such a wonderful actor in bringing Sam to life. He does so much with just his eyes and no dialogue. He does so much with all the different forms of Sam that we've seen, and he does it with great quality acting and a soulful heart. Jared Padalecki is as subtle as he is powerful, and so is Sam Winchester.

19 Dexter Morgan (Dexter) Dexter Morgan is a fictional character and the antihero of a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in the Dark, Dexter by Design, Dexter Is Delicious, Double Dexter, and Dexter's Final Cut.

Dexter is a brilliant character, and he should have gotten a much better ending.

Dexter should be number 1. He is the best TV show character I've ever seen.

Oh, come on, everyone knows Dexter is the best.

20 Jack Bauer (24)

One of the rare characters who never does anything boring. You could watch him brush his teeth and it would be engaging. Not to mention the many fantastic lines he has and the crazy things he's capable of.

Such a badass. He almost dies like 20 times to save innocent lives and his country. If he were real, he would be the greatest man alive. One of the best characters ever.

21 Dwight Schrute (The Office)

It's actually a disgrace that a character from GLEE (the worst show ever) is ranked higher than the legendary Dwight Schrute. Without him, Jim's character wouldn't be funny. Not to mention, Dwight's character is HILARIOUS. He should be in the Top 10.

22 Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty)

She is just so human. She represents any normal person who studies, works, has dreams, flaws, fails, happy moments, and sad moments. I really miss watching her.

23 Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead) Richard "Rick" Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name, portrayed by Andrew Lincoln.

His acting is amazing. It annoys me that he hasn't won an Emmy Award.

24 Squidward Tentacles (SpongeBob SquarePants) Squidward Tentacles is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants.

One of the greatest anti-heroes in the history of animation.

I also feel just like Squidward. Everything bugs me.

I have grown up to become Squidward.

25 Al Bundy (Married with Children) Al Bundy is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American television series Married... with Children, played by Ed O'Neill.

Greatest character in TV history!

8Load More
PSearch List