Best TV Characters Of 2015 

You know nothing about our favorite characters of the year.

2015 was a banner year for television. From a huge push towards diverse voices both on and off screen, to a willingness to take on big issues like racism and sexual assault… Arguably, television managed to take the risks movies won’t even dare tackle (or aren’t tackling as effectively as the small screen).

Nowhere did that stand out more than when MTV News tried (and eventually succeeded) to put together our list of the best TV characters of the year. The initial list was in the hundreds, and eventually, with a fair amount of hand-wringing and arguing, ended up being whittled down the 48 you’ll see below. (And just to make things easier, we left off any MTV characters because we love them all dearly and please don’t make us choose between them.)

From characters we said goodbye to (and some hello to again later on), to characters that changed the very face of TV, here are our best TV characters of the year… And if you disagree, be sure to vote in our fan favorite poll!

Rebecca Bunch might not always be the easiest character to watch, but that’s just part of her charm! The talented singing, dancing, kinda-maybe stalking California girl is officially taking back the word “crazy,” and we love and respect her for it. It takes guts to base a network TV show around a so-called crazy woman who does aggressively unlikable things, and Rachel Bloom and The CW have been fearless with Rebecca — and besides, doesn’t her earnestness and her adorable relationship with Paula at least sort of make up for that time she slept with a vegan hipster in the middle of her first date with Greg? No? —

A disciple of Seth Cohen, scene-stealer Ravi is both nerdy and awkward, but he’s not hopeless. In fact, Ravi, in all of his weird-but-funny charm, is quite the ladies man — and he’s looking for a lady who’s down to play some “Diablo III” and watch “Princess Mononoke” in bed. Of course, the British accent helps with the charm. —

Simply put, the Braverman patriarch (portrayed by Craig T. Nelson) was the glue that held the adored clan together. His love with Millie was unparalleled, the vet supported his sons and daughters with his sage wisdom (even if he was a bit hard on them) and he guided his grandchildren as they matured in front of his own eyes. Sadly, though, the final season (we’re still recovering) showcased the lovable patriarch’s declining health — and the last episode featured his heartbreaking, but expected, death. But the beauty of Zeek’s legacy on the show was how his relatives honored him: The concluding moments of the long-running series featured his entire fictional fam scattering his ashes on a baseball field — and then playing a game together. —

Following in her parent’s footsteps, Riley loves people with all of her heart. She refuses to stay quiet when something seems unfair or wrong, and she’s the person who always has her friends’ backs. Riley embraces her “weirdness” and inspires people to be themselves, no matter what others think. —

time period) where women have been frequently sidelined or turned into romantic interests, Peggy Carter refused to be either. She might not have superpowers, but that’s just fine for her – she knows her value. And as a nice bonus, her chemistry with Jarvis is Abbott and Costello-levels of funny. —

Oh “Hannibal,” do we really have to say goodbye? The series’ third and (as of now) final season was fantastic, as a fully “out” Hannibal terrorized his way through Italy and, finally, ended up behind bars for his many heinous crimes. But through it all, the show never stopped being a sick love story between Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen, who was perfect at making us root for the worst serial killer one could ever imagine. Hannibal — and his impeccably and lovingly created meals — will be missed. —

Helena is scary. Her tortured childhood and brainwashing will always be a part of her, but her desire to evolve and build a family makes her an incredibly compelling character. You’re just as likely to believe she would leave Sarah behind in prison to protect herself, as kill a Castor clone to protect her sestras. Here’s hoping 2016 brings her more Jesse Towing and a healthy science baby, and less eye gouging and bicep slicing. —

Now-former First Lady Mellie Grant has had a fascinating character arc on the Shonda Rhimes mega-hit “Scandal.” In the first season, she came off as the ever-scheming, power-hungry wife of President Fitzgerald Grant, but as more of her backstory has been revealed in the five seasons we’ve known her, she’s become arguably the most likable character on the show. From the way she handled Olivia Pope and the increasingly jerky Fitz’s public affair, to becoming an unlikely Republican Senatorial ally to Planned Parenthood, it’s exciting to see what Senator Grant has coming in her future. —

Who would have ever predicted that Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) would emerge both literally and figuratively from her self-inflicted imprisonment in her clock tower apartment last year to become the stand-out of the Batman prequel’s resurgent second season? After suffering a near death experience, and killing her own parents, Jim Gordon’s (Ben McKenzie) former beau went insane, teaming up with the bad boys (and girls) of “Gotham” before falling to her near death. Whatever iteration she takes next — jilted lover, insane villain, heartbroken killer, or something new — Barbara is the character to watch in the second half of the season. —

Over the past four seasons, Carol has transformed from scrap-heap red shirt to dynamite leading lady. The show knows to trust her with everything from tearjerker scenes in a women’s shelter to threatening a child with cookies, because she delivers dramatic realness every. Single. Time. Go kiss a Wolf, Morgan… Carol is the real hero of this show. —

With the world fully saturated with blood-sucker stories before “AHS: Hotel” premiered, Lady Gaga has bought real interest to a yet-another-vampire-story in her turn as Countess Elizabeth Johnson. In other tales vampires usually come across as empty, villainous or incapable of emotion, but The Countess’ main focus is the care of her children — even the one she tried to abort — and finding love. That’s not to say she isn’t ruthless, as the body count in the Hotel Cortez steadily rises. —

Of all the characters on “Arrow” — including Oliver (Stephen Amell), who just figured out what a human smile looks like — Willa Holland’s Thea Queen has organically grown the most. From a drug abusing teen, to arguably the most responsible member of Team Arrow, Thea has spent the past year training with her evil dad, almost dying, coming back with an insatiable bloodlust, losing her boyfriend, putting on his costume to become a superhero… And most shockingly, showing a sense of humor despite everything dire going on in Star City. The show might be called “Arrow,” but we’re tuning in every week for Speedy. —

Rafi might only have the second best beard on TV (Phil “Tandy” Miller, bro, we bow down to you), but he remains unequaled as a firecracker of comedic chaos. His rat-a-tat-tat of obscene one-liners, amoral declarations and GIF-this-now insults is often the only reason to tune into “The League.” While the rest of the cast stumbles through lumpy storylines, Jason Mantzoukas’ Rafi remains the funniest and somehow sweetest TV psychopath of the year. —

We all know the drill — Ilana is the wild one, Abbi is the relatable every-woman, right? Not so fast. In the excellent second season of “Broad City,” they flipped the script on us multiple times, each with wonderfully hilarious results. Abbi got high on painkillers and terrorized the Gowanus Whole Foods with a stuffed animal named Bingo Bronson, got drunk during her search for the “Narnia of party-as” and transformed into a jazz singer named Val, and ran around nude to Lady Gaga, essentially reminding us again and again that Jacobson’s physical comedy is one of the best parts of “Broad City.” Also, she pegged a dude, so there’s that. —

Aziz Ansari cast his own parents, Fatima and Shoukath, to play Dev’s parents, Nisha and Ramesh, on ’Master of None,’ and that one decision brought the show to a whole new level of authenticity. Fatima and Shoukath’s real-life experiences inspired several of the show’s storylines — for example, immigrating to a new country and being discriminated against at work — and nobody can portray those stories more accurately than the people who lived through them. —

For over six seasons, Caroline Forbes (Candice Accola) has been the underrated star of “The Vampire Diaries.” Death is everywhere on the show, and Forbes deals with loss –- first her father, then her mother, then her best friend Elena Gilbert (kind of) –- with remarkable poise and grace. She transformed from an unsure high-schooler into a powerful, confident heroine ready to defend her family and friends from supernatural forces. And she doesn’t need a guy’s help to do it. —

Who needs swag when you have SWOT? Jared may be the resident punching bag at Pied Piper, but he’s also the hardest working guy in the room. Sure, he’s a little strange (who screams in German in their sleep???), and no one in the company seems to appreciate the fact that he’s the only one who knows how to run a business, but he’s also extremely lovable. Seriously. If you don’t love Jared, then I have one question for you: DO YOU HAVE A SOUL? Because you must be some kind of monster. (Sit down, Guilfoyle. We know you have no soul.) —

The Kappa Kappa Tau president may be harsh and conniving — regularly referring to her minions as sluts and bitches, plotting murders and delivering a laundry list of offensive zingers are just a few examples. But Emma Roberts’ spot-on portrayal of the glam and spoiled sorority girl is deliciously entertaining, and each scene featuring Chanel No. 1 packs a major punch. Also, idiot hookers. —

Here’s how long it took Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) to become a classic television character: one scene. His introduction as an enigmatic manipulator taken with junkie Nick (Frank Dillane) was horrifying, magnetic and ultimately what powered the last two episodes of the short season. We don’t know much more about him despite a few more minutes of screen time — but we can’t wait to find out how he deals with finally getting the Los Angeles survivors to his boat, Abigail; or what he’ll make them go through along the way. —

Colleen Hayes/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

This year marked Leslie’s final (Ron) swan song, but between her relentless work ethic, cheerful spirit, and occasionally selfish attitude, she joined the ranks of television’s most iconic leaders a long time ago. Still, it’s nice to see her – and everyone else in Pawnee, too – finally get to have it all. —

Gene, “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp”

Deep down we always suspected that Gene had hidden depths under all that fridge-humping, and the “Wet Hot American Summer” prequel definitely proved it. Knowing the cook’s eventual fate made his introduction as an upstanding, sweater-clad gentleman named “Jonas” all the more hilarious – and his descent into inevitable Gene-ness that much more satisfying. —

Charlie Kelly, “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”

Charlie Kelly is a belovable weirdo. He’s the moral center of a motley crew – a team of the most depraved human beings in Philadelphia and probably the world. But if you’re looking for an expert in bird law or getting cats out of walls, he’s your man. And as this year’s brilliant, awards-worthy episode “Charlie Work” proved, the Gang wouldn’t actually be able to function without him. —

Watching Jane juggle motherhood, grad school and co-parenting with Rafael this season made me realize that Jane Villanueva, with her 1000-watt smile and unbreakable spirit, is the most relatable character on television. Despite all of the melodrama going on around her, what Jane is going through as a young mother is real. OK, so maybe not all mothers experience the trauma of their newborns being kidnapped by a psycho crime lord named Sin Rostro, but you know what I mean. —

Oh Kara. You sweet little cinnamon roll. She may be a Kryptonian superhero, but Kara isn’t afraid to show her emotions (even the not-so-happy ones) or to admit when she’s wrong. Can you even imagine Iron Man doing something like that? Instead, Kara chooses to fight her battles with a healthy dose of optimism — and a whole lot of force because homegirl is STRONG. Oh, and our favorite thing about Kara? She has absolutely zero time for misogyny. Well, that and her adorkable laugh. —

Not to brag, but I have a great dad. He’s loving, thoughtful and supportive, but none of that means I don’t want Joe West as my foster dad. He’s an incredible example of the family you make being just as real and important as the family you were born to. While his desire to protect Iris and Barry above all else sometimes means he makes poor choices, like lying to Iris a lot – like a lot, a lot – it comes from a truly loving place. Ultimately he does step back and let his kids make their own choices because that’s what good dads do. —

The iconic Kingpin has always a larger than life character in Marvel Comics, and he still is in the Netflix series, but in almost the completely opposite way – as a haunted, vulnerable recluse capable of monstrous rage. It’s no wonder he stole the show out from under the actual Daredevil and captivated us so thoroughly. —

Kimmy Schmidt’s naïve optimism was refreshing and earnest, but let’s face it – she needed a street-smart, self-absorbed companion to balance things out, and Titus completely ran away with that role. After all, how could anyone else ever hope to compete against the raw power of Peeno Noir? —

Jonah’s always been the White House staffer we love hating the most, and it’s a miracle of storytelling that this season of “Veep” was able to balance our equal amounts of revulsion and sympathy for him via a sexual harassment subplot, of all things. Of course, his awkwardly hilarious broship with the overly-earnest Richard Splett certainly helped, too. —

Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff) from “Younger” is the friend every twenty-something needs. She’s brutally honest, so you can trust her to be 100% real with you. She’s adventurous, so whenever you guys hang out, you end up with an awesome story about whatever craziness went down. She’s a healthy amount of irresponsible. And she knows

where you can sell your used panties should you ever need to make a quick buck. What are best friends for, amiright? — —

There are characters on “Game of Thrones” you love to hate (Joffrey) and hate to hate (Ramsay)… But after years of bouncing between those two categories, Cersei — hoisted by her own petard — ended up in a situation so horrifying, so awful that viewers actually felt bad for the scheming queen mother. All her planning, all her attempts to become something more than the gender she was assigned with at birth had doomed her to came crashing down. The excruciatingly hard-to-watch naked walk of shame through King’s Landing that capped off her season, as passerbys flaunted their genitals at her and tossed human feces, didn’t make us love Cersei, perhaps — but it did make her more dangerous than ever… And had the effect of us siding with her against all those who seek to destroy her. Let’s call it hate to love. —

Who would ever have expected that the homophobic redneck we met in season one would become such a complicated, sympathetic character just two years later? From her newfound friendship with Boo to her heartbreaking struggle with sexual assault and agency, Tiffany Doggett become a fascinating, real woman who’s finally coming into her own. —

Annalise Keating, “How To Get Away With Murder”

Viola Davis won an Emmy for playing Annalise for a damn good reason. She’s easily the most wickedly fun antihero on television right now, and when she screams at you to “get to work” — that work being hiding multiple dead bodies, usually — you LISTEN. Seriously, is ANYONE better at convincing people to commit murder? —

Bojack (Will Arnett) will always be at the center of his titular show, but the animated Netflix series made tremendous strides towards fleshing out its supporting characters in season two. And no-one tugged at our hearts (or made us cry laughing) as much as former reality star, incredible husband, and current game show host (of J.D. Salinger’s “Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things?? Let’s Find Out!” of course) Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins). Look no further than the brilliant last big scene of the season, when Mr. Peanutbutter reunited with estranged wife Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie), to see his perfect mix of heart, humor, and also, being a big dumb dog. —

Ilana Wexler is a gift of a human being. She’s loyal to the core and will stands by her BFF Abbi no matter what, even when she was hallucinating in the Gowanus Whole Foods. She’s quick with a plan — even if she quickly forgets it – but always comes up with another one to save the day. Actually, she rarely if ever saves the day, but her efforts are endearing and consistently f–king hilarious. —

Sure, Gretchen’s depression takes center stage on “You’re the Worst,” but we’re all about supporting pinch-hitter Lindsay. Kether Donahue’s comedic timing is nothing short of brilliant, and we can’t help but admire a woman who makes us love her even when she has rib sauce on her face, or a turkey baster up her hoo-ha. —

Kirsten Dunst — who knew?! I mean, it’s not like she wasn’t fantastic in serious fare like “Interview with a Vampire” and comedic stuff like “Bring it On,” but we’ve never seen her take on anything quite like Peggy Blomquist, who is managing to steal “Fargo” Season 2 from Bokeem Woodbine and Nick Offerman. Her screwball character’s obsession with ‘70s self-help tropes like “self realization” has been played for many, many laughs, but there’s also a whole lot of tragedy under all of Peggy’s comedy that comes across every week. It feels strange to root for the burgeoning criminal to succeed, but since her motivations for transformation are just so whacked out and ultimately sincere, it also feels impossible

The reality television producer is, in a word, fascinating. Even though Shiri Appleby’s complex small-screen alter ego is a master manipulator who lies to participants on a dating show (one word: ratings) and is a bit of a mess when it comes to her personal life (breakdowns, no permanent living situation and relationship woes with her ex/co-worker Jeremy and the dashing “Everlasting” suitor Adam), Rachel is still likable and sharp. Sure, the “UnREAL” protagonist is far from perfect — but that’s exactly why she’s such a superb antihero. —

Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) from “Fresh Off The Boat” doesn’t take no for an answer. She’s a fierce competitor who stops at nothing to achieve her goals, whether it’s impressing her mother or killin’ it as a realtor. But she’s scared her kids will forget their Chinese heritage, and she’s worried about making friends in her family’s new town. Still, she refuses to compromise her values to fit in. She’ll never be anything but true to herself, which makes her an amazing role model for her children. —

Here’s the truest thing about the awards season favorite that I have ever heard: that it’s a bit surprising that the most compelling character on “Mad Men” is a woman. But, in a way, “Mad Men” was a show about the end of that golden age of advertising: with it’s misogyny, casual racism and skewed thoughts about where people belong. Peggy Olson’s strength, creativity and undeniable ability represented the end of the old way of thinking, and for that, she’s also the most powerful character on “Mad Men” as well. —

The second most talked about dead/undead character on our list, when we

we watched Glenn (Steven Yeun) get torn to shreds by hungry zombies early in season six, we — and millions of fans — lost our ever-loving minds. That’s not just a testament to the horror of the scene, but also the love built up for Yeun’s character. As one executive producer told us after the event, Glenn is the Good Angel in a show filled with conflicted, often merciless characters. He’s the ray of hope that even in the darkest times, we can find love, friendship, and the ability to believe in other people. Now that he’s back, though, let’s hope he gets out of that damn tree. —

You’ve never seen a hero quite like Elliot before. This genius computer hacker puts the “unreliable” in unreliable narrator, but Rami Malek’s performance is so heartbreaking and nuanced that we can’t help but follow his f–ked up journey to take down Evil Corp rapturously… Even when his drug use makes it confusing as all hell. —

James Morgan “Jimmy” McGill, “Better Call Saul”

You thought you knew Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) from “Breaking Bad,” but you knew nothing. Heck, in the first, phenomenal season of AMC’s prequel, he wasn’t even called Saul Goodman. Instead of just filling in the blanks until Jimmy met Walter White, genius creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould realized that people have lives before we see them on TV. Rather than the ruthless criminal lawyer (lawyer criminal?) we meet later, here we see a sweet, younger, funnier man who is starting to walk the murky path between right and wrong. With a second season in the wings, here’s hoping the show

hooks up with “Breaking Bad.” It — and Odenkirk’s protrayal of McGill — just that good without it. —

After five long years, A was finally revealed on “Pretty Little Liars” — and it was none other than Charlotte DiLaurentis, a.k.a. CeCe Drake, a.k.a. Charles DiLaurentis. Yes, Ali’s transgender older sibling was also her tormentor, which rubbed some fans the wrong way. “PLL” has a history of introducing beautifully complex LGBT characters, which made Charlotte’s reveal all the more frustrating. Fans — like myself, to be honest — wanted a season of unraveling Charlotte, not one 42-minute finale.

That said, with the time she was given, Charlotte shined. She wanted to be Ali because she couldn’t be Ali. Charlotte was never allowed her to live the life she wanted because her father sent her to a mental institution as a child. He didn’t understand her. Watching Charlotte tell her sister about her years of emotional abuse and suffering was both heartbreaking, and freeing. Not only do we finally know the truth about A’s identity, but Charlotte is also now free to be 100 percent herself. —

The Hotel Cortez’s bartender is so much more than someone who just serves drinks. She’s an inspiration to everyone who feels like they haven’t been living the life they were meant to live. She brings trans issues to the forefront and easily makes us fall in love with her. —

Was there a more hilariously horrible character on TV this year than Phil Tandy Miller (Will Forte)? Probably not, but from his introduction in Tucson, eventual (sort of) redemption in season two, and his epic beard, Miller was an indelible, annoyingly brilliant character from the moment he first hit the screen. And as awful a liar as Tandy can be, the post-apocalypse survivor really

all of us. Who wouldn’t drive a car into the supermarket to pick up groceries, or hang out in a kiddie pool full of margaritas if we had the chance? —

The witty, tough-as-nails with a heart of gold Jessica is exactly what Marvel — and TV-lovers — have been yearning for. She’s a badass with super-strength, sure, but her journey is all about triumph over abuse, and finding ways to love yourself even when it’s really, really hard. (Though having a Trish Walker around helps, too.) —

2015, was quite simply, The Year of Cookie. We can thank goddess Taraji P. Henson for a mesmerizing and fearless performance as the H.B.I.C of “Empire.” Make no mistake: though ostensibly an ensemble drama, it’s Cookie’s show. She’s intelligent, blunt, and delightfully unapologetic. She’s more than just a walking meme-machine — although, “Porsha, get my damn shoe!” is indomitable at this point — she’s an outspoken character with vulnerabilities and even a few irredeemable flaws. But at the end of the day, this Cookie never crumbles. —

If you’re not sure why Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is our number one character of the year, you know nothing. The “Game of Thrones” linchpin had a fantastic season, finally stepping up as commander of the Night’s Watch. He was forced to make hard decisions in the fight between the men in black and the formerly villainous Wildlings. He was stuck between the man who would be king Stannis, and his duty to protect the Wall. And he starred at the center of the biggest, most epic action sequence the show has ever attempted: the battle of Hardhome, which revealed just how much of a threat the evil White Walkers are — and will be.

But it was in death that the bastard Snow made his real impact, becoming

entertainment story of the year, sparking hundreds (if not thousands) of think-pieces, conspiracy theories and even creating his own verb. From in depth articles about the length of Harington’s hair, to blurry pictures snapped on set, to even HBO straight up trolling us with the first poster and trailer for the next season… Even with the show finally lapping the books, even with the end-game in sight, and even with a cast of insanely talented, popular actors and characters… The

thing anyone cares about going into next season is whether Jon Snow is alive, dead, or something in between.

And the only one who knows something about it? Jon Snow. —

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