10 Best HBO Characters Ever
6. Al Swearengen - Deadwood
The Wild West was a chaotic, unpredictable, and brutal place.
It's difficult to imagine how a young boy who was abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage with $7.60 to his name would last five minutes, let alone morph into the menacing proprietor of Deadwood's saloon. That is, of course, until viewers clap eyes on Ian McShane's Al Swearengen - the pieces swiftly fall into place when audiences realize what sort of a man they're dealing with.
Swearengen appears to be an absolute dastardly villain when Deadwood begins. Insidiously spreading his roots through the town after his arrival (as he looks to evade a murder charge), the foul-mouthed Swearengen is feared and respected by all who know his name. He's fiercely loyal to those under his protection and ruthlessly brutal to anyone stupid enough to cross him, although he does transform into an antihero of sorts towards the series' conclusion.
Swearengen's incredible legacy as a character is down to the man who brought him to life. Ian McShane towers in what is one of the most monumental performances in television history, lending jaw-dropping legitimacy to the role that defines his career to this day.