The Sopranos: Ranking Every Main Character Worst To Best
2. Junior Soprano
Junior Soprano takes the archetype of the dignified elder statesman mafioso and turns it on its head over and again. A character equal parts tragic and hilarious, he’s a cantankerous, often downright villainous figure who through it all is simply too funny and entertaining to truly dislike.
We first meet Junior as he vies for leadership of the family in the wake of Jackie Aprile’s death. A lifelong sideman, Junior has neither the cunning nor the stomach to topple Tony, and after a brief stint as a figurehead boss, reverts to his familiar role of grumpy old man and occasional voice of wisdom.
The decline of Junior’s mental health is terrifyingly realised, unflinching and totally believable, but with his later years comes some of the show’s funniest ever material. He forms a ludicrous double act with Bobby and seems to live only to make other folks’ lives that little bit less enjoyable.
It’s a testament to the character that you can feel so sorry for Junior by the end after all he’s done. The depiction is that harrowing, and his antics that entertaining.