During my senior year of high school I started to watch Downton Abbey with my mom, and I fell in love with the show from the moment I started watching. The whole world of Downton Abbey is just so intriguing, between all of the characters and how of their lives are simultaneously interconnected, and so many storylines going on at once, watching the show is quite an adventure.
I started to re-watch the show with my roommate Hannah, and now she's falling in love with the show too! Re-watching it is so odd because you know what happens, but you forgot all of the little nuances of the characters have, and now seeing them again, there's a definite ranking of who's the best and who's the worst.
16. Sarah O'Brien
Now don't get me wrong, O'Brien did have some shining moments with Lady Grantham and their relationship, but most of time she would just stir up trouble. All she did was pick on Mr. Bates just because Thomas didn't get valet, which was just annoying by the end. O'Brien is 100% the worst "main" character of the series.
15. Lady Edith
Lady Edith always annoyed me, every time she was onscreen I didn't even want to watch her storyline, it frustrated me that much. She always talked about how her life was "terrible", but she caused most of the bad things to happen to her. She turned her back to Mary when she wrote to the Turkish prime minister about Mr. Pamuk's death, she kissed a married man, and would end up blaming all of her terrible life choices on Mary. I was so done with Lady Edith's antics by the end of season 1, and they kept on going for 5 more seasons after that.
14. Thomas Barrow
Thomas was another character that just angers most people. He was constantly rude, no one liked him, and all he would do was take advantage of people. I sort of warmed up to Thomas by the end of the series, but overall I didn't enjoy his character one bit. He just stirred up trouble, just like O'Brien.
13. Isobel Crawley
Isobel has some hilarious moments when she is bickering with the Dowager Countess, but other than that I found her to be a nuance. She just bossed everyone around and thought she was better than everyone else since she didn't grow up rich or living a luxurious life. Isobel was okay. I didn't hate her as much as the above 3, but after a while she was sort of boring and annoying with her attitude.
12. Lord Grantham
I liked Lord Grantham, but sometimes he would bother me way too much. Also can we talk about the brief affair in season 2 he had with a maid, and Cora never found out? What was that? I liked him, but when Matthew was on the show, he paid way too much attention to him and not his daughters just because Matthew was inheriting Downton. Idk, I have mixed feelings about him, but overall he was a solid character throughout the show.
11. Anna
Anna was another good character on the show. I loved her and Mr. Bates' relationship throughout, it was very sweet and they both loved each other so much. I don't have terribly strong feelings for Anna, but overall I didn't mind her character.
10. Lady Grantham
I don't have exactly strong feelings towards Lady Grantham. Sometimes she would bother me, other times she was a true icon. Her character could be quite funny at times, and I always appreciated her snide comments towards Robert.
9. Lady Mary
I enjoyed Lady Mary, but sometimes she could get a little too frustrating. She created a lot of her own problems, but at least she would try to fix them, unlike Lady Edith. Her and Matthew should have been endgame, but of course he had to leave. It's fine, I'm fine, but I wish he would have stayed because he made Lady Mary 10x better, in my opinion.
8. Matthew Crawley
Oh Matthew, why did you HAVE to leave in season 3?! I was so upset that I cried for so long after watching it! He and Mary deserved a happy ending, but he just HAD to leave the show. His character was one the best, but he gets the #8 spot since he wanted to be killed off and ruin a happy ending.
7. Tom Branson
Ugh I love Branson, if I could be in a relationship with him we would already be married by now. Him and Lady Sybil were the best, they truly loved each other, and didn't marry just for status or money. When Sybil died, and he decided to raise Sybie, their daughter, at the abbey, it made me so happy. Him and Lord Grantham didn't always agree or get along, but in the end they ended up being great friends.
6. Mrs. Patmore
A sassy legend, she always wanted everything done to perfection. She constantly had comebacks for all the snide remarks by Thomas, and she always stood her ground.
5. Mrs. Hughes
Mrs. Hughes is one of the most caring people on the show. She looks out for everyone, and always has their back. She and Mr. Carson always did so well running the house, they made the perfect team. Also her relationship with Mr. Carson is so sweet; I wanted them to be together since the beginning.
4. Mr. Carson
Mr. Carson is the best, like the literal best. He runs a tight ship at the abbey and always makes sure everything gets done. Carson's relationship with Lady Mary is also the sweetest relationship between the family and staff. He cares so much that she is happy, and he is always looking out for her. Also him and Mrs. Hughes are literally the cutest couple, I was rooting for them since day one!
3. Mr. Bates
I love this man so much, he is so caring towards Anna, the rest of the staff, and the family. He never wanted pity for his leg, and his character was thrown a million curveballs throughout the whole series, but that never stopped him. Bates is the most caring character on Downton, and is my favorite staff member at the house.
2. Lady Sybil
A true feminist icon. She didn't care about what her family happy, but rather what made her happy. I wish she stayed on the show longer because she was my favorite in the first 3 seasons, and she's just an icon. She wore pants to family dinner, which was unheard of back then!
1. Dowager Countess
One word: Icon. She is a literal queen, she could care less what anyone thinks of her! She never holds back and always stands her ground, She is extremely sassy as well, and her fights with Isobel Crawley were some of the best moments on the show. I strive to be the Dowager Countess when I'm older. I mean, who wouldn't want to be?
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