Sherlock: Each Main Character Ranked From Worst To Best

Sherlock's version of Moriarty is easily the character who differs the most from his literary counterpart. Professor Jim Moriarty was not in the novels as much as you might expect, only appearing majorly in the story The Adventure of the Final Problem. However, the character would subsequently be referenced consistently and brought back in many derivative works, and has become a staple of the property.

Moriarty's presence in the novels saw him as criminally insane and ruthless, but very calm and focussed, leading to most versions of the character being performed as reserved and stoic. However, Andrew Scott's performance deeply contrasts this as he chews the scenery and overplays almost every action. This could very easily have come across as cheap, but it works very well in the show's context, as he feels like the complete antithesis to our protagonist.

This performance became one of the most popular aspects of the show, and it's easy to see why, since Scott's supervillain is wholly indulgent and doesn't care what anyone thinks, making him fun to watch no matter the context.