15 Best New TV Characters Of The Decade
The golden age of television has continued this decade, but ego are the standout newbies?
It was the ‘00s which first really gave us the golden age of television, but the ‘10s certainly haven’t let us down either. Narrative, well developed, complex TV shows are everywhere now, and these characters represent the best newcomers.
Like the lists of best male and female video game characters of the decade, only characters who debuted after 2010 have been included, although there is one honourable mention. Characters adapted from elsewhere are okay, as long as this is a brand new iteration of them. TV shows made from books, for example, are fair game.
Television is even more narrative than video games, and can delve even deeper, so as good as games have gotten at stories, the personalities on display here are even more complex. We really have been spoiled for choice this past decade.
The rankings have been decided on a few things. The cultural impact of the character, the impact of the show itself, and how important the character has been to the success of the show and its overall plot have also been considered.
There’s also the more nebulous relatability/coolness factor, so there’s sure to be a couple of selections or placings which cause contention.
16. Honourable Mention: Saul Goodman - Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul
Despite being one of television’s greatest ever protagonists, Walter White’s debut came in 2008, making him ineligible here. Saul Goodman though is almost as brilliant, and didn’t come into the show until it was a couple of years old, so he’d be perfect for this list, right?
Well, sort of.
According to IMDb, Bob Odenkirk’s first episode officially first aired on December 26th, 2009; nine days outside of the cut off. Different outlets have his debut at slightly earlier or later, so an honourable mention feels like the best fit.
Fantastic in every appearance in Breaking Bad, Saul got his own spin off in Better Call Saul, and has gone from strength to strength.
A prequel set before his name was even Saul Goodman (it’s Jimmy McGill here), Better Call Saul challenges the spin off label in every episode. It holds its own even with Breaking Bad, and while it isn’t shy about bringing in characters from the original, it has its own running stories and doesn’t trade on Breaking Bad or Walter White’s name.
Slick, witty, ruthless and complex, Saul might not quite be on Walter White’s level, but he’s a great character in his own right.