Every Hero Has A Code: Ranking The Characters Of HBO’s Westworld

Pretty much every aspect of HBO's latest smash hit, Westworld, has impressed critics and audiences alike. The visuals are terrific, the writing is some of the smartest on TV right now and it's got lots of Game of Thrones-esque gratuitous nudity and violence to help keep the viewing figures up. Much has also been said about the Hollywood-level cast, which is full of major thespians and hot up-and-comers. Thankfully, the show rewards the actors with some great material. Be they human or host, many of Westworld's characters have gone through the ringer over this incredible first season. As it's an ensemble show, everyone has had their crack at the whip and several characters have made quite a big impression, quickly emerging as clear fan-favorites. And so, ahead of the much-anticipated finale, here's our ranking of the 15 most prominent characters from HBO's Westworld. Also, in case you missed it, be sure to check out our predictions and theories for tonight's final episode. 15) Lee Sizemore As played by British actor Simon Quaterman, Lee Sizemore seemed to be set up as a major character in the first couple of episodes - before he disappeared for about half the season. Let's be thankful that he did, as he's the second most unlikeable character on the show. The head of the park's Narrative Department, Sizemore is a massive drama queen who either complains when his stories are interfered with or sits around by the pool all day waiting for inspiration. He might be a clever bit of self-deprecation on the writer's part, but he's still an annoying character. 14) Ashley Stubbs Seeing as he's played by Luke Hemsworth - the elder brother of Hollywood stars Chris and Liam - you would expect head of security Ashley Stubbs to have had a bigger role in the show. In reality though, he's just the glorified muscle of the park. We do glean that he doesn't trust the hosts and has always believed they'd one day go haywire, but that's about it for his character. Assuming he hasn't been killed by the Ghost Nation though, he'll probably get more to do in season 2. At least, we hope. 13) Felix And Sylvester These two bickering host surgeons were never going to be any match for scheming Maeve and her knack for wrapping people around her little finger. Sylvester attempts to antagonize her and gets his throat slit for his troubles. The much more likeable Felix, on the hand, just can't seem to say no to her. Perhaps that's because he's more interested in the programming of the hosts rather than just being a butcher, or because he feels something for her, which is why he goes along with Maeve's every wish - even when he's putting his job (and possibly life) on the line. 12) Charlotte Hale Soon to be Thor: Ragnarok star Tessa Thompson turned up about halfway through the first season as the head of the Delos Corporation, looking to kick Ford out of his own park. She's a sassy, sexy character, but she's another one who's mostly just there to further the main character's plotlines. In this case, her scheming brings Theresa into the firing line and causes Ford to tighten his control on the park. Thomspon's charismatic in the part and enjoyable to watch, but there's a lot of potential with Charlotte that's so far un-mined. 11) Clementine Pennyfeather The closest of Maeve's "girls," Clementine is one of those poor hosts who are completely unaware of their true nature. Created to be a plaything of the paying customers, she's ultimately used by Charlotte in her quest to frame Ford for negligence. While she's effectively lobotomized and shoved in the basement, another host is given her backstory and personality. It's a tragic fate, but Maeve's growing powers and affection for her suggest she may undergo a resurrection in the future. 10) Elsie Hughes The fate of Elsie is one of the big questions we want answered in the finale. A colleague of Bernard's, she was helping him investigate the quirks in the park before her mysterious disappearance a few episodes ago. In the penultimate installment of the season, it was seemingly revealed that Bernard had killed her, under Ford's instructions. But we haven't seen a body yet so our instincts tells us Elsie is still out there somewhere. Let's hope so, as Shannon Woodward has so much more to give to this show. 9) Theresa Cullen Oh, Theresa! At first, she seemed like the stereotypical ice queen boss but soon was given some character through her growing romance with Bernard. Unfortunately, her dalliance with him proved to be her undoing - as she investigated Ford's secret base with him, she discovered Bernard's true nature and got murdered for her troubles. It was a shame to see Borgen's Sidse Babett Knudsen go, but her death made for a huge turning point in the series. Plus, this might not be the end for her. Who knows, she could always come back in the future as a host? 8) Teddy Flood After X-Men, Enchanted and Superman Returns, James Marsden has become the go-to actor to portray nice guys who end up on the losing side in love triangles. It's no surprise, then, that heroic cowboy Teddy is split from Dolores when she starts to break from her loop. Thankfully, Teddy is more fleshed out than many of Marsden's previous characters, as he shows some much darker sides as the show goes on. On a quest to meet his old friend turned enemy Wyatt, Teddy ends up siding with the Man in Black - who he doesn't know has assaulted Dolores several times. With the revelation that he too went rogue and killed other hosts, we look forward to seeing what else Teddy is capable off next season. 7) Logan Let's get this straight: Logan is a complete sleazeball and by far the most hateable figure on the show (yes, even more than Sizemore). To him, the hosts are just playthings that he has every right to, as the Westworld staff put it, "shoot or f*ck" as he sees fit. He's a rich, entitled slug of a human being... but that is fully the intention of the character, so really he is one of the most effective. Ben Barnes clearly gives a great turn in the role as every time he's on screen you want to punch the character in the face. With Barnes moving over to Marvel though to play the villain on Netflix's The Punisher, it seems likely that Logan's time on the show is up. Which is both a shame and a relief. 6) William At first, William is a welcome counterpart to Logan. The definition of a white hat, he's repelled by the lowbrow entertainment that his boss and prospective brother-in-law seeks and wants to have a deeper experience in Westworld. Of course, he finds it in a passionate affair with Dolores. His feelings for her unlock a bolder side in him, to be sure, but they also make him blur the lines between what is real and what isn't. Jimmi Simpson gives great value as the man who's sinking into a world of fiction to the extent that he's become mentally unhinged - ripping apart dozens of hosts and threatening Logan. William has already swapped his white hat for a grey one, and now it seems likely that he's about to don a black one... 5) The Man In Black Just like the original Westworld movie had Yul Brynner as the rogue robot Gunslinger, the TV show has its own dark cowboy. From the beginning, Ed Harris' sinister man with no name - credited as the Man in Black - has been the embodiment of the seedier underbelly of the park. While most guests come to shoot and shag away their vacation, the Man in Black has become obsessed with the constructed reality of Westworld. In the real world, he seems to be some philanthropist or medical practitioner. But in the park he becomes a whole new man. Though we haven't got full conformation, it now seems certain that he used to be William - which makes him all the more of a scarier figure. Don't lose sight of reality too much, the story of the Man in Black warns, or you might lose yourself in the process. 4) Dolores Abernathy For the first few episodes of Westworld, Dolores was the clear central character of the show - as it focussed largely on her starting to break out of her loop and realizing that her world is a lie. However, since then the show's ensemble cast has grown to the extent that Dolores has been pushed to the sidelines somewhat (she never appears at all in episode six, for instance). That said, Dolores is still a great character and the unfolding mystery of her being Arnold's pet host and her past rogue episodes is always intriguing. Evan Rachel Wood has also given a terrific performance throughout as a woman made to be a damsel in distress becoming a gun-toting runaway who's trying to take her destiny in her own hands. 3) Robert Ford Anthony Hopkins is obviously one hell of an actor, but it has to be said that he's been coasting for quite a while - it's nice to see him in the Thor movies, for example, but it's hardly a taxing role. In Robert Ford, the creator of the Westworld park, however, Hopkins has found one of his meatiest parts in years. As slowly unveiled throughout the series, Ford is someone with a massive god complex. In Westworld, he creates and controls all - and he would sooner kill his opponents rather than relinquish that power. Yet Ford is not an out-and-out villain. In his own way, he cares deeply about the hosts and has even constructed a replica of himself as a boy in a bid to reclaim some lost innocence. 2) Bernard Lowe Bernard is another character whose hidden layers are unveiled as the first season goes on. At first, he seems to be a committed senior staffer who's torn between his loyalty to Ford and his feeling that all is not well in the park. Later on, however, we discover that he's in fact a host himself - a copy of Ford's deceased co-founder Arnold Weber (notice the anagram). It's a revelation that turns the series on its head and leads to some of Westworld's best material. Before and after the reveal, Jeffrey Wright's understated yet soulful performance makes Bernard one of the most compelling characters on the show, and despite the events of last week's episode, we really hope he'll return for season two. 1) Maeve Millay For our money, the character who most lights up the screen is Maeve, Sweetwater's brother madam with a scheme to get herself out of Westworld. Unlike Dolores who, as tough as she is, is a confused individual who relies on the men around her like Teddy and William, Maeve uses her wit and wiles to manipulate others into doing what she wants. With her no-nonsense attitude and hogging of all the best lines, she's the breakout star of Westworld and Thandie Newton definitely deserves an Emmy nomination. She might have been given super-intelligence by Felix and needs Hector's help to complete her plan, but the fearlessness and unwavering determination to be free are all her. Maeve is the perfect example of how lifelike the hosts are - and how deadly they can be when they break loose. But is her insurrection all her own idea, or is she still being controlled? Let's hope the finale sheds some light on that.