Peaky Blinders: Each Main Character Ranked From Worst To Best

The eldest and most troubled Shelby brother is also the best. Arthur Shelby is so desperate to be a good person, but his rage and uncontrollable outbursts make that increasingly difficult.

Paul Anderson brings an incredible vulnerability to a character that could be easy to hate in the hands of a lesser actor. His love for his family and later for Linda, as problematic as that became, showed a compassionate streak that is sometimes hard to see in Tommy. But, his violent temper has pushed him into an animalistic state of being who is dependent of cocaine and is easily manipulated by those around him.

His searing popularity is not lost on Steven Knight either, who, in these later seasons, is more likely to put Arthur in danger than Tommy. Realising that as an audience we don't feel fear for our main character as much as we're ever supposed to, Arthur is the next best thing often put in harm's way and being the centre of more than one fake-out death (generally speaking, Knight should stop with the fake-out deaths, they're becoming tedious).

Arthur feels like a tragic character through and through, and watching five seasons of him spiralling further into darkness with only one or two moments of respite and temporary improvement can be difficult. He is the most empathetic character on the show despite the heinous acts he's committed, and that is largely due to his conscience, smart writing and a phenomenal performance from Paul Anderson.