Unchecked egos and tenuous alliances dominate the corporate landscape of HBO’s Succession. Series creator Jesse Armstrong crafts a saga with characters as big and bold as its ambitions, thus cementing its place among the greatest television series of all time. The leaders of the fictional media conglomerate Waystar Royco will forever be burned into our brains.
Succession filters its characters through a dizzying prism of excess, avarice, and self-interest, transforming plausibly awful people into caricatures worthy of our fascination and pity. But which ones stand out as the best at what they do? Who’s the craftiest, most intelligent player in a world populated by master manipulators and cutthroat wannabes?
9. Connor Roy
Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) is the black sheep of the Roy children. As Logan’s only child from his first marriage, Connor feels overlooked and undervalued. His pompousness rivals his brother Kendall’s, and his grandiloquence often renders his discourse incomprehensible. He insists that he’s smarter than everyone else in the room, which strongly suggests he’s not. Connor’s ramblings may hint at a dormant intelligence, but he’s neither humble nor curious, and he doesn’t display a willingness to grow or change.
8. Roman Roy
Roman Roy is far from the most intelligent member of the Roy family, which is part of what makes him a blast to watch. Kieran Culkin‘s portrayal makes him feel lived-in and established. For most of the show, Roman skates around on tracks of his own grease, snidely remarking on the faults and slip-ups of others while providing little value of his own. General repulsiveness aside, the youngest Roy isn’t without ambition. Under Roman’s cavalier facade is a powerful desire to prove himself to his father. He knows that his family doesn’t hold him in particularly high regard, and he’s painfully aware that his reputation precedes him. This doesn’t lead to much, especially because he squanders every shot he gets through multiple instances of poor judgment and unchecked impulse (the most notable of these blunders being accidentally sending pictures of his junk to his father).
7. Kendall Roy
Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is the eldest child born from Logan’s second marriage, a twice-defeated mutineer who again finds himself in his father’s shadow, and one of Succession‘s most fascinating characters. Kendall isn’t the smartest Roy. Not even close. His self-destructive behavior sabotages his attempted takeover of Waystar, and he doesn’t seem remotely aware of the fact that he’s out of his league when battling his father. But hey, Kendall’s recklessness is a vital part of what makes the series so compelling and unpredictable. If he didn’t have such an out-of-control ego and holier-than-thou response to everything, Succession wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as it is.
6. Cousin Greg
Greg’s (Nicholas Braun) insistence that he’s of greater use is one of his most endearing qualities – it’s also what holds him back at first. Succession introduces an eager-to-please Greg who slowly evolves into someone far more sure of what he wants but only slightly more sure of how to get it. Greg’s trajectory within Waystar is difficult to predict, primarily because he doesn’t have the direct blood relation that Shiv, Roman, Kendall, and Connor frequently attempt to parlay. Greg can’t match his grandfather Ewan or his uncle Logan in the experience or intelligence department, but like Gerri, Tom, and the other high-placing people on this list, maybe his cognizance of that is his greatest asset.
5. Shiv Roy
Shiv (Sarah Snook) isn’t nearly as smart as she thinks she is. Yes, Logan insists that she’s the smartest and promises her that she will lead Waystar after he’s gone. But consider his options. The recreant Roman is unable to have tough conversations, nor does he take himself or anyone else seriously. Kendall is a two-time traitor whose self-righteousness and a false sense of entitlement fuel his ill-fated attempts to wrestle control of Waystar from his father’s grip. Connor is the half-estranged eldest child who is far busier with his political ambitions than he is with Waystar affairs. Shiv is different. She’s charismatic, decisive, and somewhat honest with herself about what she does and doesn’t know. These qualities may initially seem desirable to her father, but the latter half of the second season finds Logan growing more hesitant to have her captain his ship.
4. Gerri Kellman
Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron) has survived Waystar for decades. As Logan’s General Counsel, she’s privy to his most sensitive secrets and his most compromising mistakes. She is pathologically private and noticeably cagey when confronted about anything personal, meaning we only get to see how she conducts herself professionally. Gerri hasn’t lasted this long at Logan’s side for nothing. She helps him through the cruise scandal and remains by his side regardless of who moves against him. Gerri is confident that staying aligned with Logan is the best way forward, and so far she has been right.
3. Tom Wambsgans
The closing minutes of Season 3 reveals Tom’s (Matthew Macfadyen) willingness to play hardball. Up until then, his sycophantic behavior reeked of a fool attempting to ingratiate himself with smarter, savvier people. He diminished his smarts so that he could endear himself to the Roys. But as Shiv, Kendall, and Roman attempt to thwart their father’s acquisition of streaming app GoJo, Tom warns Logan of the move and helps the flustered mogul retaliate. His betrayal hints at a deeper understanding of how to play the game. Season 4 will likely introduce us to an incongruously confident and unapologetic Tom, one who has embraced the game and is now playing to win.
2. Logan Roy
Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is a titan with few equals. His calculated ruthlessness makes it nearly impossible for his children to overcome him, regardless of what they think they have on him. He rigs the Waystar hierarchy to expose the disloyal and the duplicitous, making the mere idea of moving against him a career-killing notion. He’s mean, explosive, and perpetually curt, and he’s not above launching psychological missiles at his children out of spite (Kendall’s birthday “gift,” anyone?).
Logan’s superior business sense is one of Succession‘s prevailing themes. He navigates tricky acquisitions and public scandals with a level of skill that his children just don’t possess. Most notably, he ends Kendall’s first mutiny by promising to divert suspicion following the manslaughter of the waiter at Shiv’s wedding. In return, he asks for Kendall’s help in taking down his former co-conspirators. The Roy patriarch handled this masterfully, further proving his brilliance, savviness, and deep comprehension of the game.
1. Ewan Roy
Ewan Roy (James Cromwell) is the smartest Roy for a simple but powerful reason: He stays out of it. It’s easy to dismiss Ewan as a fiercely opinionated old man with a grudge against his brother, but the character’s later appearances show us differently. Ewan doesn’t like Logan, nor does he respect Waystar’s ethics (or lack thereof). That said, he refuses to act against his brother in any way. In the first season, Kendall gathers Waystar board members to vote on Logan’s immediate removal as CEO. As Logan’s older brother, Ewan occupies a seat on the board. Kendall hopes to sway Ewan to his side, but is ultimately unsuccessful.
Ewan is Succession‘s most self-actualized character. His decisions very clearly reflect a solid set of values and beliefs, and his actions and attitudes remain consistent throughout the series. He’s gruff and unpleasant, but he remains loyal to his family and refuses to compromise them in any way.
