The Sopranos: Ranking Every Main Character Worst To Best

Nancy Marchand only appeared in the first two seasons of The Sopranos before her death led to a regrettable CGI constructed goodbye to the character, who similarly died in season three. Even limited to a relatively brief chunk of the show’s overall run, though, there can be few characters whose presence hangs as heavily over proceedings as Livia Soprano.

As Melfi and Tony dance around in various therapy sessions, the secret to unlocking our protagonist is his parenting, particularly the flighty, volatile stylings of Livia. Though she’s a frail old lady by the time we meet her, she’s no less terrifying for her lack of physical presence. She has a man with the power of Tony Soprano jumping through hoops, and winds up conspiring with his uncle to have her own son whacked.

She no longer dominates the storylines following season two, but her ghost is always there to haunt Tony, influencing his decisions and appearing in dreams and flashbacks. The very mention of Livia is often enough to send Tony into a blind rage - now that’s real power.