Peaky Blinders is one of the greatest series with different interesting characters. Tommy Shelby is the major protagonist of the series and is the best and most-liked character as per the majority of fans.
But other characters are also considered the finest of their kind. The uniqueness added in each character in the series grants many choices for the audience to choose their best character.
So who are the best characters in the series, Peaky Blinders?
Let’s unravel it!!
Tommy Shelby
Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, is the most popular character in the series Peaky Blinders, born in 1990 In Birmingham, England. He is also the leader of the Peaky Blinders.
Tom was ranked as a Sergeant Major during the First World War and was rewarded with two medals, the Military Medal and Distinguished Conduct Medal after the war for his action that saved thousands of lives in the war.
He is the backbone of the Peaky Blinders because he believes his family is his strength rather than thinking of them as his weak point. He always supports his family members although they are a bit difficult to handle.
Thomas Shelby is a fictional character who has a strong mentality and intelligence that has pushed him to be in the position of OBE, DSM, MM, and MP from a mere bookmaker.
The leader of the Peaky Blinders has faced many casualties and has escaped his grave countless times. He might be feeble sometimes but he doesn’t his guard down and doesn’t leave any chance for his rival to assassinate him.
Thomas is an extraordinary person who doesn’t know the meaning of getting defeated. No matter what happens, he can get rid of any problem he faces. He is the one who cheers and set hopes for the Shelby organization although they are in the worst-case scenario.
Even though Thomas lost his wife, brother and daughter eventually, he never let his emotions affect his company and stayed mentally stable although he was suffering the most. His strong mentality, intelligence, and capability to never give up no matter what makes him the most exceptional character in the series.
Arthur Shelby
Arthur Shelby is the eldest son of Arthur Shelby Sr. and the oldest among all the siblings of the Shelby Family. He is not the main leader of the Peaky Blinders although he is the eldest among the Shelby siblings.
Because of the trauma from the First World War, he was mentally unstable. He also had a very bad relationship with his father which led him to attempt suicide many times. However, it was Tommy who saved him from those traumas and helped him many times to get over them.
That’s why Thomas Shelby is the leader of the Peaky Blinders. He supports his family and only focuses on the bright future of the Shelby Company. Arthur is what he is now because of his brother, Tom.
Arthur is the most badass character in the series and is the most difficult to stay aware of. When he unleashes the demon that resides in him, it gives his character an edge that no one can possess. His demonic aura surely leads instant fear to the one facing him.
Arthur is quite clumsy and needs to be handled a bit properly, but fans still root for him. He is famous as he is one of the most capable enforcers of Peaky Blinders. Arthur has made a great contribution to the rise of Shelby Company as he is incredibly loyal to Thomas and his decisions.
At a point, Arthur was almost killed by a certain person who worked under Luca Changretta (Enemy of Shelby Family). His throat was slit brutally during the boxing duel. However, he somehow managed to survive after Tom came to his aid soon after that incident.
The eldest son of the Shelby family had to face many harsh situations. The most complicated situation was to choose between his wife and his brother. But Arthur didn’t want to stay with Linda. As a result, Arthur and Linda got separated from each other. This proves how loyal he is to his brother and the Shelby Company.
Arthur tries his very best to become strong and overcome his weak points rather than being aware of them. His strong determination to push himself to be the best impressed most of the fans and led him to be one of the best characters in the series.
Polly Gray
Elizabeth Polly Gray, better known as the Aunt Poll, is the certified treasure and accountant of the Peaky Blinders Organization, Shelby Company Ltd. Although Poll suffers from trauma and faces many depressive complex situations, she is considered one of the most important characters in Peaky Blinder.
Polly Gray was introduced as the savage, smart, and tough as old boots in the early episodes of the series. However, she came out as the most emotional and one of the most complex characters in the series.
Polly is also a patient of trauma similar to Thomas and Arthur, as her two little children were taken away by the Parish authorities from her.
She always got worried about what happened to her children but later on a woman, Mrs. Pryce of the Patch with her strange power told her that her daughter is already dead. However, her son is still alive.
She burst into tears soon after hearing that and seek out to look for her son. Thomas started to help her find her son and he succeeded too. He got the information about where he lives and visited him. Tommy was successful to Polly’s son back to her.
She is also the manager of the Peaky Blinders. Even though Polly Gray is not directly involved in the crucial activities of the gang, she is the one who is drawing strings behind the scenes as the Matriarch of the Shelby Crime Family.
Polly’s personality is very complicated as she is quite cruel, compassionate, and equally impatient. She has lived a very hard and complex life; the pain she suffered has hardened into irritation but her sympathy frequently remains a victor in her reasoning.
Her anger issues have been justified, proving that the Shelbys choose guts over calmness and good judgment. Polly might be the only one in the family with good common sense but the agony she suffers might lead her to take bad decisions.
The reckless boldness as a woman that Polly carries makes her an extraordinary character among the audience.
Rest in peace, Aunt Poll.
John Shelby
John Shelby also called Johnny or John Boy is the young brother of Thomas Shelby and Arthur Shelby and is also one of the main members of the Peaky Blinders.
John is also the husband of Esmee from the Lee Family. He married Emee because of his older brother Tommy to settle the dispute between the Shelby and Lee family.
As a high-ranked member of the Shelby Company Ltd., John Boy was the 1/3 shareholder of the Shelby Family Business. He contributed a lot to the Shelby Family businesses throughout his life.
Johnny was known for his loyalty to his brother and he agreed with Thomas’s every decision for the better future of the Shelby Family Business. He attends every family meeting for upcoming plans and he admires Peaky Blinder’s nickname, the whole image, and what activity or business they do.
He is just a dangerous and capable enforcer of the organization though he is not as rash as Arthur and tough as Thomas Shelby. He is not the brightest character but something is in him that makes him an exceptional character for most of the viewers.
John Boy was involved in many crimes so having enemies is common for him but his most formidable enemy of him was the Changrettas. Arthur and John were responsible for the death of Vicente Changretta. They gave me a very hard time for the Shelbys.
Luca Changretta sent a threat message to each of Shelby’s family members. Soon after, Thomas warned John that he might be attacked by assassins, but he was late to react to Tom’s notice. As a result, John Shelby got shot in front of his house by Italian assassins.
Michael was one of the best characters whom most of the audiences wished to appear in another episode but he faced his death by the people who worked for Luca Changretta.
Micheal Gray
Michael Gray is the son of Polly Gray and also one of the members of the Peaky Blinders. He was separated from his mother, Polly Gray during his childhood, and later on, he found his mother who worked with the Peaky Blinders as their treasurer.
Michael is an aggressive character who was exhausted from life with his foster family who adopted him during his childhood. He abandoned his foster family and joined Peaky Blinders. He is around the same age as John but he is more clever and calculating than him.
He is the former chief accountant of Shelby Company Limited. He was very good at calculations and was very smart.
Michael is quite similar to Thomas Shelby who creates a complex relationship between two men. He aims to take over the position of the head of the family of Peaky Blinders as he gradually ranks up. But his dream remained with his ashes, as he was shot by Thomas in the end.
Even though he is despicable, he is known as one of the fantastic characters in the series.
Luca Changretta
Luca Changretta is one of the splendid antagonists in the series, Peaky Blinders. He is the son of Audrey and Vicente Changretta, an Italian-American Mobster from New York City.
He is the most formidable opponent the Peaky Blinders faced as he gave them the harshest time after his father’s death. His father had a bad relationship with the Peaky Blinders. As a result, Arthur killed Vicenti Changretta.
So, to take revenge for killing his father, Luca Changretta decided to kill all the family members of the Peaky Blinders. Luca Changretta along with his men came to Birmingham to eliminate the Peaky Blinders.
He sent a threat letter to all the family members of the Peaky Blinders. After getting all those letters, Thomas awarded all the family members and told everyone to gather at a place.
Sadly, John Shelby didn’t get aware of his notice and was shot in front of his house by the Italian assassins whom Luca Changretta hired. Soon after this all of the members of the Peaky Blinders gathered at a place.
While at the other side, Luca Changretta started to make plans to eliminate the members of the Peaky Blinders in various ways. He also manipulated Polly Gray however he failed as Poll is loyal to the organization.
Luca once again hired a person and ordered him to kill Arthur Shelby at the time while other members will be busy watching the duel of two boxers. The assassin almost killed Arthur but the Peaky Blinders acted that the eldest among the Shelby siblings died.
Luca made his move thinking that Arthur is dead but it was the trap of Peaky Blinders. He threatened Thomas Shelby to sign the document of the properties of the Peaky Blinders otherwise he would assassinate the whole family.
Tommy accepted. However, this was also a trap that the Peaky Blinders set. As soon as Luca Changretta compelled Thomas to sign on the property paper by kneeling on the knees, Arthur, with his flashy appearance, came and shot him in his head.
Although he was a villain, he was one of the best characters as he has fabulous exchanges with the leader of Peaky Blinders several times, he turned out to be one of the memorable villains for most of the audiences.
Alfie Solomons
Alfie Solomons, a resident of Camden town, London, is the Jewish gang leader who was introduced in Season 2. He was the friend of Darby Sabini with whom he used to study at the same school in London.
He is also a good close friend of the leader of the Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby. Most of the time he’s good with Tommy when it comes to business, other times they are enemies of each other.
Alfie is the most hilarious, yet the most intelligent and ruthless at the same time. He is a very unpredictable character as he changes sides many times.
He once became a partner with Thomas Shelby but soon after he captivated Arthur Shelby and betrayed him by teaming with Sabini. But afterward, he again started to deal with the Peaky Blinders.
During Season 4, it was shown that he was shot dead by Thomas Shelby. This incident fascinated every viewer. But the plot twist in Season 5 left everyone jaw-dropped.
Solomons made their appearance again, which brought up the question of how Alfie could be alive even after he was shot in the face. Later on, it was revealed that the bullet didn’t come in contact with his skull. It only passed through his cheeks leading him to survive somehow.
Alfie Solomons is a villain but most of the fans like him because of his hilarious dialogues and quotes.
Grace Burgess
Grace Burgess was an Irish barmaid who worked in the Garrison Pub owned by Arthur Shelby as an undercover agent for Birmingham Police. She worked under the direction of Inspector Campbell.
She was a savage, wise, and clever woman who generally what to do, and keeping that in mind, she was always prepared to get into complex scenarios.
Her mission was to get close to the leader of the Peaky Blinder, Thomas Shelby whom she fell in love with. Tommy Shelby knew that she was an undercover agent and sent to destroy him who worked under Campbell.
Though he knew she was a threat to him, he couldn’t get over her and let her go. Grace betrayed the Peaky Blinders by leaking the information and when she was about to tell Tom that she betrayed, they were disturbed. As a result, she didn’t get a chance to tell him and later on she fleed away because she won’t be able to face Thomas after all that.
Afterward, Grace left for New York and married a rich American businessman. It was revealed after two years that her feelings for Tommy didn’t disappear even after she married another man. She still loved him.
Their reunion caused pregnancy later on she left her husband and got married to Thomas Shelby. Many months passed by after their marriage, and everything was fine but at a certain point, Grace got shot that was meant to Tommy by an Italian Assassin ordered by Vincente Changratte.
Grace was a remarkable character who was successful to drag the heart of Thomas Shelby. Though she already faced her grave she will surely have a special place in the heart of every fan.
Ada Shelby
Ada Shelby is the only female sibling in the Shelby family. She was the head of the Acquisitions of the Shelby Company Limited and a member of the Peaky Blinders gang.
She was the wife of the communist agitator, Freddie Thorne who was also a close friend of Thomas Shelby. She is the one who is more similar to Polly as she handled her brother’s rowdy ruth behavior with simplicity and responsibility.
Ada is the treasure of the family. She is the only female sibling who is loved by her brothers. She brings a degree of mutual sense and respect to the Shelby family. She’s not interested in the activities of Peaky Blinders illegal activities.
So, she assumes a position dealing with only legal acquisitions in the United States branch of Peaky Blinders, unlike her brothers who are involved in different illegal activities.
She might be a bit volatile still, Ada does every out of kindness. She is the one who also helps Polly Gray to take good decisions when she’s suffering from grief.
There’s nothing to hate about Ada as she’s kind and hasn’t got involved in any kind of crime even though she is one of the Peaky Blinders which illustrates her as one of the finest characters.
Lizzie Stark
Lizzie is the second wife of Thomas Shelby and the mother of Ruby Shelby. She was a former prostitute who lived in the city of small heath in Birmingham before starting to work with the Peaky Blinders.
Lizzie works as the secretary of Thomas Company Limited. Her story is a fantastic one, and it is quite fascinating to watch someone blooming from nothing and she is the perfect example of it.
She appears to be the only one who can deal with Tom’s burning gaze. She is likable in the process as she deserves an award for putting up the whole Shelby family.
Lizzie is a likable character as she is one of the smartest characters who has played a significant role to uplift Shelby’s Company Limited as their treasurer and helping Thomas Shelby to escape sorrow from the loss of his wife.
Inspector Chester Campbell
Chester Campbell was a chief inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary who was chartered by Secretary of State War Winston Churchill. He was hired to locate the stolen arms shipment in Birmingham.
Chester Campbell is one of the antagonists of the series who opposed the Peaky Blinders who got hold of those lost ammunitions. Chester Campbell is the good person in the first two seasons of the Peaky Blinders who worked for the Crown aiming to eliminate the crimes in Birmingham.
He gave a very hard time to the Peaky Blinders and tried to take the ammunition back. He knew that the Peaky Blinders possessed the lost weapons but he didn’t have an idea where it was hidden.
So to know about the location of the ammunition that the Peaky Blinders hid, he hired an undercover agent. He hired a woman named Grace Burgess and send her on a mission to get close to Thomas Shelby and to get to know about the treasure.
As Chester Campbell ordered, Grace Burgess applied for the vacancy of a barmaid at the Garrison Pub. She was able to get the job and worked with Arthur Shelby as a barmaid.
Thomas Shelby often used to come to the Garrison Pub. There he met Grace Burgess and he fell in love with her. But not only Tommy Grace also fell in love with him. Although she fell in love with him, she continued to leak every information she got to know.
But Thomas Shelby already knew that she was an undercover agent led by the inspector Chester Campbell.
Johnny Dogs
Johny Dogs aka Packy Lee is a Northern Irish gypsy who is also the close friend of the leader of the Peaky Blinders. He works for both the Peaky Blinders and Lee families. He was born in 1884 in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom in a family of Irish Travellers.
Johnny is likely to be one of the characters that Thomas Shelby trusts without hesitation. His loyalty to Tommy is very impressive as he obeys any order that the leader of the Peaky Blinders entrusts him with.
Packy Lee carries great importance as he is the best enforcer of the Peaky Blinders. He has been with the Peaky Blinders from the start till now.
Johnny Dogs is one of the most appreciated characters in the series, Peaky Blinders although he doesn’t get much credit as the paste in the rivalry of the Gypsy/Shelby that makes the dealings between the two gangs possible.
Curly
Curly is also one of the good friends of Thomas Shelby who is also involved in the activities that the Peaky Blinders perform. According to Tommy, he is the best horseman in England.
Although Curly is rarely seen in the series, he is one of the most liked characters in the show. He is very loyal to Tommy and respects every decision of him. He is a person of a kind nature who is never seen doing the act of violence even though he is one of the fellow members of the Peaky Blinders.
Curly also works as a ferryman and stable boy in Charlie’s yard. He has helped Thomas Shelby a lot with the skills of a horseman by taking care of Tom’s favorite horse called Grace’s Secret which is a thoroughbred racehorse.
Curly is one of the best characters as he is one of the most wholesome and heartwarming characters in the Peaky Blinder series.
Father Hughes
Father Hughes played by Paddy Considine is one of the major antagonists during the Season 3 of Peaky Blinders. Working with Patrick Jarvis, he is the representative and member of The Economic League.
He is an evil priest who was suspicious of being a double agent, apparently working for the British Crown and along with the White Russians yet reporting to the Russian Communists.
The priest is a pedophile who was revealed as a sexual abuser. He had abused Michael when he was in foster care.
Father Hughes by teaming up with The Economic League wanted to undermine to provoke a Soviet act of aggression against the U.K. which would increase their Right Wing agenda to a greater extent. However, even after the plan was set Thomas Shelby disclosed their truth to the Soviets.
When the truth was told, Thomas Shelby was permitted by the soviets to kill the priest. Soon after that, Tommy chased after the priest with the intent to kill him.
He followed the evil priest to the toilet and was about to assassinate him but the Hughes was already aware that the leader of the Peaky Blinder was about to kill him.
It was the trap of the priest to lure Tommy toward the toilet. When Thomas followed him and was about to kill the priest, at the same time, two henchmen hired by Hughes appeared out of nowhere and beat him causing a serious injury to his skull.
As an antagonist, Hughes gave a very hard time to Thomas Shelby. He abducted Tommy’s child Charlie and compelled him to blast the train along with 6 people by himself.
However, Father Hughes was killed at the same time by the hands of Michael Gray who arrived there to save Charlie from his grasp.
Even though he is hated for his villainous act, Father Hughes is praised by most of the fans because of his act which almost led to the defeat of Thomas Shelby.
Darby Sabini
Charles “Darby” Sabini played by Noah Taylor is also known as the leader of the Sabinis’. He is one of the major antagonists who was at the war with the Peaky Blinders and Alfie Solomons.
He was born on 18 July 1888 and is also popularly renowned as the gang leader from London, England. He was an Italian violent and volatile crime leader who manipulated the gambling of the racing tracks in the South along with other bases around London.
As the relationship between the Peaky Blinders and Sabini was bad, Thomas Shelby was cut inside of his mouth with a sharp razor by Darby Sabini after he got trapped by Sabini and his other thugs.
Sabini was arrested at the Greyhound Stadium after the outbreak of war. He was imprisoned as an enemy because he could not speak Italian due to his mixed parentage.
Later on, he continued to work against the Peaky Blinders. He helped the Changretta family by providing them with food, shelter, and supplies while planning to eliminate the gypsies.
Darby Sabini is considered one of the best characters because of the complexities he created towards the Peaky Blinders during Season 2.
All of these characters are best in their way. But in my opinion, most of the fans and even I consider Thomas Shelby as the best character in the show as he carries exceptional characteristics rather than any other character in the show.
