The 99 Greatest TV Characters Since Tony Soprano: #89-80

On January 10, 1999, a bathrobe-clad Tony Soprano first bent over to pick up a Star-Ledger in his driveway — and TV changed forever. We’re celebrating this new Golden Age of Television by paying tribute to our favorite TV characters who’ve debuted since The Sopranos premiered. No reality TV here, folks: just the 99 richest, most fascinating fictional characters from both comedies and dramas to grace the small screen over the past decade and a half. We love TV… and these people are the reason why.

89. Wilhemina Slater, Ugly Betty

You don’t ever want to meet someone like Wilhelmina Slater in real life, but the former wicked witch of primetime — who was based on the likes of Cruella de Vil and Maleficent — is a total delight on television. We could go into detail about some of the Mode H.B.I.C.’s evil schemes and nasty behavior, but there’s really only one thing you need to know about Wilhelmina’s villain cred: The woman attacked national treasure Betty White and lived to tell the tale. — Breanne L. Heldman

88. Brian Griffin, Family Guy

Brian is the audience’s character on Family Guy: He is smart and funny, but still relatable. He likes Coltrane and Dostoyevsky, but he also poops in the yard and is afraid of the vacuum. He has dreams of being a writer, but all he can manage is a cheap knockoff of Iron Eagle 3. Brian is witty but flawed, classy but disgusting. Who else could deliver this classic line with such aplomb: “Hey barkeep, whose leg do you gotta hump to get a dry martini around here?” — Robert Chan

87. Red Reznikov, Orange Is the New Black

Her activities prior to her incarceration at Litchfield Penitentiary saw Galina “Red” Reznikov holding counsel with the Russian mafia — or rather, them seeking her business counsel — so it’s no surprise that as the prison’s chef, she cleverly used her position to run a thriving contraband operation via kitchen deliveries. But her tough exterior belies her mama-bear interior; falling out of her favor is worse than never being in it, but those who she calls friend can count on her fierce loyalty, whether it be for supplies and protection or a job and help with kicking a nasty drug habit. — Kimberly Potts

86. Jackie Peyton, Nurse Jackie

A superb nurse — dedicated, caring, ferocious in protecting her patients in a busy New York City hospital — Jackie is quite a mess as a human. An alcohol and pill addict, she’s lied to everyone close to her, from her family to her colleagues, and endangered lives as well as her career. Despite this, Jackie’s talent as a care-giver and her sincerity as a struggling parent combine to create a complex, realistic personality we can root for. — Ken Tucker

85. The Governor, The Walking Dead

The Governor was aware of, and eventually horrified by, the power-mad leader he’d become, and made an attempt to recapture his humanity with a new family. Sadly, his affection for his new loved ones led him to conclude it was the most ruthless version of himself that would ensure his new family’s survival — a decision that cost all of them their lives. In lesser hands (both actor and writers), The Governor’s eye patch and grand plots could have become the character’s equivalent of a twirl-able moustache, but even at his nastiest, he steered clear of cartoonish villainy. — KP

84. Stefon, Saturday Night Live

No question about it: Weekend Update’s hottest character is Stefon. This guy has got everything: great hair, wicked fashion sense, a handsome husband, and a barely-concealed smile that answers the question, “How long until he totally breaks?” The brainchild of Bill Hader and John Mulaney, Stefon is that thing that feels like a private joke that audiences at home are in on as well. He spoke directly to the inner freak in all of us — the freak who thinks that partying alongside a human fire extinguisher (Google it… on second thought, don’t) sounds like the best night ever. — Ethan Alter

83. Dexter Morgan, Dexter

Witnessing his mother’s gruesome murder laid the groundwork for Dexter’s desire to kill. But unlike other serial killers, Dexter abides by a moral code that insists that his homicidal urges be directed only towards truly evil people who deserve to be punished. All that aside, Dexter is actually a pretty nice person: He works as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, cares deeply for his sister, and struggles to be a nurturing parent to his son. But at the end of the night, he really, really likes killing. That makes Dexter one of TV’s greatest anti-heroes: a prime example of the realities outside the TV world, where every sweetheart next door has a dark side and even psychopaths are disarmingly human. — Chrissy Le Nguyen

82. Mindy Lahiri, The Mindy Project

She’s the pop-culture-obsessed OB/GYN who prides herself on both her brains and her looks. She’s the rare combination of lovable, loyal friend and self-absorbed jerk. (“Your secret is safe with me, mostly because I don’t care and I’ll probably forget.”) Dr. Mindy Lahiri is a new kind of Everywoman, one who happily admits to her own character defects while proving — with her boyfriend, Danny Castellano; with her highly eccentric group of workplace colleagues — that she’s also super-smart and ultra-empathic. — KT

81. Lorne Malvo, Fargo

Though it’s never been made explicit on the show, Lorne Malvo is almost certainly a distant relative of No Country for Old Men’s unstoppable assassin Anton Chigurh. After all, they both have the same ability to dish out death while avoiding it themselves — not to mention the same goofy haircut. But Malvo is arguably the more sinister of the two, because he’s also able to completely morph his face and identity as he moves from victim to victim. How does that song go? “Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name.” — EA

80. Sue Sylvester, Glee

McKinley High’s former cheerleading coach-turned-principal is known for her colorful collection of tracksuits and signature megaphone, but it’s her ruthless and offensive behavior that will go down as her real legacy. Still, Sue (played by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch) isn’t a total mean girl. Gleeks saw a new side of her when she broke down after her sister Jean passed away in Season 2. And while it wasn’t like her heart grew two sizes that day, it did give the character some heart. Sue’s bullying never really stopped, but somehow, she finds a way to make mean funny. — Victoria Leigh Miller

Previously:
The 99 Greatest TV Characters Since Tony Soprano: #99-90