BBC’s Sherlock: The 10 Best Characters, Ranked

The BBC original, Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch – as the charismatic consultant detective Sherlock Holmes – is considered one of the best modern adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It features Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson hunting down grotesque criminals in a modern setting in London, while they reside in Baker Street.

Throughout the show’s four-season history, Sherlock and Dr. Watson (played by Martin Freeman) have come up against formidable enemies, making almost every episode of the series a must-watch. There are also a lot of enthralling characters in the series as well, who drive these storylines.

10 Eurus Holmes

The one who was kept a secret from the Holmes family and played the antagonist in the last episode of the series thus far – Eurus Holmes is the sister of Sherlock and Mycroft. Born with the gift of incredibly high IQ levels, she is a different animal considered to the Holmes brothers.

She can manipulate human beings into doing her bidding by just talking to them. While she doesn’t really know what she is capable of, all she wants is to live a normal life and have friends, but that is not possible for her, thanks to Mycroft keeping her in a high-security prison.

9 Mrs. Hudson

Mrs. Hudson is the owner of the house in Baker Street and she is quite close to Sherlock and John, thanks to her gracious nature of allowing anything in her place. Be it Sherlock firing shots at the wall or bombs exploding in the near vicinity, she is as good an owner one can get. Moreover, she also adds comic relief to the show, with her subtle digs and persistence. She knows John and Sherlock better than anyone and they just cannot let anything happen to her.

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8 Culverton Smith

The antagonist of “The Lying Detective” (Season 4, Episode 2), Culverton Smith is one of the biggest and most loved businessmen in London, thanks to the numerous charitable donations across the city. But, inside, there is a monster who almost always feels the urge to kill. And because he has many properties in his name, he can do anything he likes as he simply hides in plain sight. When Sherlock made Culverton his primary target, he didn’t know what the monster was capable of as he was pure evil.

7 Irene Adler

It’s not easy to get the attention of Sherlock and for girls, it’s all the tougher to impress the supreme detective. But, Irene Adler aka The Woman really did a trick on Sherlock, thanks to her beauty, for one thing, and the brains. She’s charismatic, bold, and a showoff, much like Sherlock. It’s no wonder why they are attracted to each other.

6 Charles Augustus Magnussen

Charles Magnussen, quite easily, takes the second spot behind Jim Moriarty, when it comes to formidable adversaries. He is another one of those people who possess the gift of a brilliant memory. His brain is like a hard drive, or as he calls it, his mind palace.

Thanks to the high-level information he has, he can negotiate his way through any door and that’s what gave him the name – The Napoleon of Blackmail.

5 Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft is a top-level British official, who much like Sherlock, is an absolute genius. One can even say that when it comes to deductions, Mycroft is way better than his brother. But, emotions aren’t Mycroft’s forte as he prefers to stay alone, although he isn’t some sociopath. He worries for Sherlock almost every time but still, he puts him in harm’s way. It’s not a normal brotherly relationship for sure.

4 Mary Morstan

One of the most fascinating characters in the series, Mary Morstan was introduced as John’s love interest. At first, she seems like every other normal woman John has dated but when she starts giving valuables inputs in Sherlock’s cases, it feels like there’s more to her than she lets others see. Eventually, though, John marries Mary but as they move on, some dark secrets come to the fore that threaten to break their relationship.

3 Jim Moriarty

Andrew Scott nailed Jim Moriarty in this series. His larger than life personality comes to the fore almost every time he opens his mouth. He is another showoff who wants an audience to watch what he is capable of and just like Sherlock, he is a consultant, only for the criminals.

Moriarty is funny, loves riddles, and can do anything to bring Sherlock down. Till now, “The Reinbach Fall” (Season 2, Episode 3) is considered one of the best episodes by a series in the last decade.

2 Dr. John Watson

Sherlock’s only best friend in the entire world, Dr. John Watson, is someone Sherlock can happily sacrifice his life for. A war veteran, John has never been able to recover from the trauma of his past, which means, he is addicted to a particular lifestyle, which is the one that involves danger and is unpredictable.

He is a pretty decent doctor, but it’s his policing skills that come to the fore in the series. While not always the best man, John is certainly one of the wisest men in a room.

1 Sherlock Holmes

Genius, bored, caring, and one of the most charismatic characters you will ever come across, Sherlock is, quite simply, an extraordinary character. So much so that one will never get bored of listening to him while cracking a case wide open just with his observational skills.

A high functioning sociopath, as he likes to call himself, Sherlock has a very weird way of showing his emotions. Sometimes you even feel sorry for the man but then you remember all the not so good things he has done. Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock is near perfect.

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