Peaky Blinders: Each Main Character Ranked From Worst To Best

The leader of the Peaky Blinders and main character of the show itself, Tommy Shelby is connected to everything that goes on in one way or another. Cillian Murphy brings the world weary Tommy to life with a sense of pained melancholy that he imbues into every scene he's in.

A very serious man, always with a lot on his mind, Tommy is tasked with taking the Peaky Blinders out of Small Heath and into the wider ever-changing world. Difficulties such as controlling his wild brother Arthur, raising his children and keeping his family safe are only some of the problems he encounters on a regular basis.

Tommy is a fantastic central character for the show to have. His experiences in the war have left him haunted, and as a result he is often riding the line of being a good man and being an immoral killer. This is a captivating struggle to watch unfold on screen.

His tragic romance with Grace may very well end up being his defining relationship on the series - it certainly is right now - and a happy ending for the character seems more unlikely with every passing season.

Without Tommy, none of it works. He holds everything together both in the story and more logistically when looking at the show at large. His grounded, gritty take on a Birmingham gangster with ambitious dreams of expansion is the defining legacy of Peaky Blinders.