Angel: Every Main Character Ranked Worst To Best

As a spin-off to the cultural phenomenon Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel did an impressive job of separating itself from its predecessor and solidifying itself as a great, inventive and daring show in its own right.

This is down to a number things, from the change in setting to the much darker tone, but the most pivotal aspect of Angel came with its characters.

Though title character Angel and Cordelia Chase were already established characters by the time the spin-off was commissioned, new characters such as Charles Gunn, Lorne and Fred Burkle allowed the show to feel fresh and easily separated from the adventures of Sunnydale and the Scooby Gang. With new characters to watch and admire, Angel became a much-loved supernatural drama, often rivalling the ratings of its sister show.

Each character in Angel has something interesting to offer, with the vast majority growing massively over the show's epic five season run.

The following list will have a look at all of Angel's key players, from the titular vampire himself to his closest allies, from his long-time foes to his most trusted confidants. Whether they're eccentric demons, former Watchers or failed actresses, here are the main characters of Angel ranked from worst to best.

There were moments when Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) looked like he was going to be one of the show's best characters. Son of Angel (David Boreanaz) and Darla (Julie Benz), he was kidnapped by Angel's arch-nemesis Holtz (Keith Szarabajka), and raised in another dimension to despise his father and want him dead.

Though when he returns, intent on killing Angel, there are sparks of brilliance anchored by the pair's seriously fractured relationship, Connor gets tiresome very quick, and by Season 4 he's nothing but a frustratingly inconsistent, naive kid with no defining characteristics outside of his "I'm-good-I'm-evil" persona.

His ugly, ill-advised relationship with Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and makes the low point of the character (and the show), and his shifting allegiances makes for a painful series of episodes.

In the show's fifth season, he reappears as a guest star and proves more likeable and compelling than ever, forming a genuine bond with his father and allowing Kartheiser (a serious talent who would go on to star in Mad Men) something interesting to chew on. Unfortunately, it was all too little too late, and the damage had been done.