4. Silvio Dante - The Sopranos
When discussing the Sopranos, aside from Tony you'll usually hear people speaking up for either Christopher Moltisanti or Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri. While these characters are very entertaining in their own right, I find one of the show's most compelling characters to be Silvio Dante. In a role created specifically for him, Steve Van Zandt a former member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band truly shines through as Tony's advisor. He's one of the most loyal members of the Soprano crime family right until the very end, yet he isn't afraid to speak his mind. Usually a calm and collected individual, Silvio is certainly capable of anger and is notorious for taking out traitors and informants. He is also the proprietor of the Bada Bing Strip Club which acts as a front for their criminal activity. Despite being a murderer and a criminal there's something innately likeable about Silvio. He always has Tony's back and supports him even when it's revealed that he's been seeing a therapist. His other positive traits include being a devoted father to his daughter and although there are instances of adultery (you'd be hard-pressed to find a chaste character on this show) it's clear that he loves his wife dearly. At the end of the show's run he bravely fights back against the attempt on his life and although his fate is never fully revealed, the attending doctor says he is unlikely to wake up from his coma. Sad, really.