The Bear Characters Ranked By Likability

Donna Berzatto, portrayed by recent Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis in a performance for the ages, is infinitely more sympathetic and relatable than her sort-of boyfriend Uncle Lee (portrayed by guest star Bob Odenkirk). But that doesn't mean she's easy to be around. Carmy avoids her. Mikey tolerates her. She and Sugar have a roles-reversed relationship in which the child has to look out for the parent. In Sugar's case, that means carefully choosing her words and dumping vodka into the sink when her mom isn't looking. 

A depressed alcoholic who is prone to outbursts, Donna's unable to change and unable to forgive herself for her borderline abusive treatment of her children. One of the existential questions "The Bear" seems to be picking at is whether mental illness is inherited, learned, circumstantial, or some combination of the three. Are Donna, Mikey, and, to a lesser extent, Carmy unhappy because of their genetics? Is generational trauma to blame?

Sugar is understandably worried about what bringing a child into their world will mean, and Carmy's lack of interest in relationships suggests he wants to break the cycle simply by not having a family of his own. Or has Donna been the victim of a specific traumatic incident? While her actions are inexcusable and extreme, we're sad for this mom who doesn't know how to show her kids that she loves them. 

Uncle Jimmy Cicero (Oliver Platt) is probably the most well-adjusted of the elder generation on "The Bear." He occasionally gives good advice (albeit through sports metaphors) and he genuinely cares about the Berzatto family, who he's supported emotionally and financially for years. Still, he'd break Carmy's legs if he had to in a second. That's because Jimmy is basically a mild-mannered Tony Soprano. 

That Jimmy Cicero can loan out large sums of money and hurry along administrative processes codes him as someone who exists at or near the top of an organized criminal enterprise, and one that's deeply embedded in the community. Jimmy wields power... and he knows it. Sugar's family and friends are grossed out when she performs helpless femininity to get "Unc" to help clear red tape. Neither of them are stupid; he understands what she's doing and likes feeling big and important. Even creepier is the moment when Jimmy tells Sugar to meet him in his car so as to avoid making a scene. He loves the Berzattos, just not so much that he'd be willing to lose money on their deal.

Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) is perhaps the first wholly likable character on this list. A refugee from Somalia who fought in that country's civil war (the one from "Black Hawk Down," Richie realizes), Ebra is overqualified for his job. He's a steady presence but more of a background player in Season 1. However, as The Beef transitions into The Bear, this veteran soldier and chef faces new challenges. His decades of harrowing experience on the battlefield and in the kitchen haven't prepared him to function in a wannabe Michelin star restaurant, so Carmy and Syd send him to culinary school, thinking they're doing him a favor.

The show has given Ebra a catchphrase: I accept. It's a good mantra for the character, who likes to feel respected and included. He accepts that his employer wants him to train, but he's also set in his ways and struggles both to keep up with new methods and to see why it's necessary that he learn them in the first place. The new restaurant, his new role managing the pick-up window, the second round of training he must go through to get servsafe certification — it all makes Ebra feel insecure about his knowledge, skill set, and, ultimately, his worth as a member of society. Thankfully, by the end of Season 2, Ebraheim seems to have found his place in the world of the show again.

If there had only been one season of "The Bear," we would feel differently about Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas). It takes the stubborn cook seven of eight episodes to come around to Carmy and Sydney's way of thinking. While other more experienced employees of The Beef haze the young newcomers (both of whom are classically trained), Tina feels real animosity toward them and is awful to Sydney in particular. She pretends she can't speak English. She hides equipment and ruins recipes. She refuses to wear a blue apron, telling the rest of her colleagues that they look like members of a cult. Only when Tina sees that her superiors do believe in her does she change her tune. 

Tina starts Season 2 as a changed person. The extra work she puts in makes it obvious that she's gunning for the position of Sydney's sous chef, which her former nemesis offers her early on. And, unlike Ebra, Tina fully embraces the opportunity to attend culinary school. She proves herself capable of being a high-end chef, and she steps outside of her comfort zone to make new friends — and kill it at karaoke night. This once-bitter loner is now the epitome of a growth mindset team player.

At first, Abby Elliott's Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto wasn't much more than a nag whose purpose was to get Carmy into group therapy and to break bad news about broken tax laws. Now, she's a mother-to-be who becomes the de facto mother figure to the staff. At first, she's reluctant to work at her family's restaurant, which, she says, sucks up all their time, money, and sanity. But in the process of opening The Bear, Sugar — a savvy problem solver who can do anything from properly price a menu to fix an overflowing toilet — shows how indispensable she is. And as Pete points out, she's thriving in her new job.

Sugar's patience and persistence keep the restaurant and her family going. When "The Bear" began, she and her little brother didn't have much of a relationship to speak of. The busyness that their place of business provides has healed some of those wounds, mostly because Sugar is so forgiving. She displays that same grace with Richie and her mother, though her "cousin" makes good while Donna does not. Any woman who's ever had to juggle as much as Sugar does will relate. Nobody has ever deserved a perfectly cooked omelet more.

Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) was a recurring character played for comic relief in Season 1, but has a more pivotal role in Season 2. He gives Claire Carmy's real number, he figures out that Mikey had overridden the fire suppressant system, and he lays the groundwork to make a move with Claire's recently dumped friend — but that's not why he ranks this high. Neil Fak is funny, but he's much more than a joke.

Fak is possibly the most in touch with his feelings out of everyone on "The Bear." Sometimes he expresses those feelings to avatars in video games, but that's more of a style choice on the part of show creators than evidence of psychosis. His childish tendencies (like trying to flip trading cards for profit) are more charming than they are cause for concern. When Fak's feeling anxious, scared, or great about himself, he isn't afraid to say so. He's hard-working (adorably, he says hearth-working). He's honest. He has everybody's back. He puts himself out there. He always does the right thing, even when it comes at a cost. Carmy admits to Claire that Fak is probably his closest friend, and really, you couldn't ask for a better best bud.

"The Bear" is, at its heart, a show about hard-edged, imperfect people who are trying to be good and to put good out into the world. Marcus (Lionel Boyce) is the least hard-edged, least imperfect character on "The Bear," and nobody tries harder or puts more good into the world than him. Whether that means offering to help carry veal stock, crafting the perfect doughnut, caring for his terminally ill mom, or rescuing injured cyclists, he's an all around great guy.

Marcus is humble and selfless yet aspirational and determined. Though his only prior experience is at McDonald's, he doesn't look down on himself, and he makes the most of every opportunity to soak up knowledge like a sponge. He bakes his way through Carmy's cookbook and stacks more than Sydney loans him, but we really get the full picture when he stages with Will Poulter's Chef Luca.

He isn't frustrated or deterred by the high stakes at Noma. He has faith in himself, works diligently, rises to the challenge, and is proud of the results. And when things don't work out, Marcus owns up to it (he could have handled Sydney's rejection better, but still, we feel for him). He's even kind about firing Josh for getting high on the job. If the Berzattos are bears, Marcus is a teddy bear, and the show's emotional MVP.