The Sopranos: Ranking Every Main Character Worst To Best

One of the overriding questions of The Sopranos is whether a fundamentally flawed man is capable of change. The ever-cynical styling of David Chase comes up with the conclusion: no, he is not.

Tony Soprano anchors the entirety of the show, and his is a presence like few characters before or since. As portrayed by James Gandolfini he’s one of the most watchable figures ever seen in the media. He’s a fully fleshed out human being, with wants and desires, a complex backstory, the total package.

But he’s no static presence - Tony evolves throughout The Sopranos, constantly for the worse. We see Tony given chance after chance at salvation, near death experiences and other wake up calls that could see him change course - but he never, ever does.

By the end of the series Tony is more monster than man, and Gandolfini masterfully moderates his performance accordingly. While Tony was once capable of energy and enthusiasm, now all he can do is hate, consume, and accumulate more. It’s a bold move to make for your show’s protagonist, and one you could only do with a character so well established as Tony.