The Least Likable Main Character In Peaky Blinders Will Surprise You
Fans of Netflix and BBC's period crime drama Peaky Blinders know that the characters of the series, both the Shelby family and those around them, can tax anyone's patience. Considering this is a world of scheming and murder, an unlikable personality is the least of their worries. Starring Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, Peaky Blinders is set in Birmingham, England, in the aftermath of World War I. Tommy leads his brothers — Arthur (Paul Anderson), John (Joe Cole), and Finn (Harry Kirton) — and a gang called the Peaky Blinders in various schemes to gain control and power in the area. Over five seasons, with a sixth on the way, the gang has continued to expand their criminal organization, gaining footholds in politics and even expanding all the way to America.
While the men of the show are the face of the gang, the women behind them are arguably the brain. The series features Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, the brothers' only sister, Helen McCrory as Aunt Polly, and other notable actresses as the various romantic interests of the brothers, including Annabelle Wallis as Grace Shelby (née Burgess) and Natasha O'Keeffe as Lizzie Stark. But just like the Shelby brothers, the women of Peaky Blinders have their own issues, and not all the characters are endearing. Well, ScreenRant took a look at the characters and ranked them from least to most likable, and the least likable main character in Peaky Blinders will surprise you.
Linda Shelby takes the crown for least likable Peaky Blinders character
Despite the show's many villainous characters, like Tom Hardy's insane Alfie Solomons and Sam Claflin's fascist Oswald Mosley, the least likable character in Peaky Blinders has to be Arthur's wife Linda. When Linda, played by Kate Phillips, is first introduced in season 3, there's good reason to believe that she could be a great influence on Tommy's troubled brother. Formerly a Quaker, Linda helps him on his journey to sobriety and gives him religion as something to live for. Of course, this leads Arthur to be entirely dependent on her, and Linda uses this influence to drag him further away from Tommy. Everything Linda does at first appears to be well-meaning, but there's a selfish nature to her actions.
Maybe it's because fans love Tommy so much or just want the Shelby brothers to be together, but Linda quickly becomes an antagonistic force in the series. She attempts to take Arthur away from his family, and no matter how messed up they are, the Shelbys are all he has. Overall, there's nothing truly malicious about Linda and what she does, but that might make it worse. According to ScreenRant's reasoning, "Linda somehow doesn't even bring out the best in Arthur, despite how much he loves her," and "at the end of the day, she cares only about herself." It certainly says a lot that in a world filled with dangerous murderers and career criminals, Linda comes out on top of this list.
Arthur Shelby's wife Linda only has herself to blame for her troubles
When things don't go her way, Linda looks for a way out. In the most recent Peaky Blinders season 5 — spoilers if you haven't caught up — Linda decides she wants her freedom back and tries to divorce Arthur. Considering the power and influence that the Shelby family has, others around her like Lizzie advise against it, but Linda doesn't listen. When she can't find anyone to help her that way, Linda decides that Arthur isn't deserving of life and tries to off him and make herself a widow. Her husband and the father of her child would be dead, yes, but Linda would be free. As expected, the Shelbys catch wind of her plan, and it doesn't go as well as she hopes.
Despite all of this, Arthur still lets his scheming wife live. Of course, Arthur's no saint himself, and he makes an appearance on this list at No. 6 in the rankings from least to most likable. This puts Arthur in the middle of the pack, which makes sense. You either love him or you hate him, and there's usually no in between. Arthur's got a boatload of his own problems, and he tends to get himself into trouble very easily, which is sort of what led to him being married and under the influence of Linda in the first place. Honestly, maybe Arthur and Linda are perfect for each other. Two messed up, selfish people with hidden dark sides? It's a perfect match.