Marvel's Luke Cage: Ranking Every Major Character From Worst To Best

Luke Cage is a hell of an achievement: not only is it a brilliant comic book TV show with a spectrum of depth not possible in the shorter feature run-time of the mainline MCU, but it's also a modern blaxploitation epic with the kind of political muscle that NWA would kill for.

Inevitably, the show's 13 episodes are full of characters across a broad spectrum too: there are pantomime villains, pulpy, even noirish heroes, delicious anti-heroes and a supporting cast of some of the comic's most famous characters.

True, some are redrawn entirely from what they were on the page, but stunningly almost all of those who are subject to the most changes are among the best characters in the entire show. That's not just good writing, that's incredible. But how do the characters rank? Who is the most watchable? Who could have been cut entirely? Those are the important questions here.

Not included are the side characters who did little more than advance the plot (like the three hoods who double cross Cottonmouth and end up dead or Lonnie the mostly mute youngster).

So how do the other characters rank?

Finest Moment: Engineering Mariah's escape.

He might be key to Mariah, but Alex barely qualifies above being furniture in the show: he's basically just there for the most part, sorting out things she needs sorted out. Another in an army of over-looked, under-appreciated personal assistants of the world.

He does eventually prove his worth - and his commitment to doing whatever it takes for his mistress - but he still lacks an actual personality and any sort of character development of his own. Plus, other than sorting out Candace, he's not actually any good at being a PA.