Top 10 Ruthless TV Gangsters Who Redefined Crime Drama
"Top 10 Most Well-Realized TV Gangsters Who Redefined Crime Drama"
Get ready for a deep dive into the dark and intriguing world of TV crime drama! In this countdown, we're spotlighting the most complex and unforgettable gangsters from your favorite shows. From the morally ambiguous antiheroes of “Better Call Saul” to the fearsome figures in “The Wire” and “Justified,” these characters have left an indelible mark on the genre. Whether they wield power with a cold, calculating edge or grapple with their own demons, each of these TV gangsters has redefined what it means to be a player in the criminal underworld. Think we missed a major character? Let us know in the comments who you believe deserves a spot on this list!
Get ready for a deep dive into the dark and intriguing world of TV crime drama! In this countdown, we're spotlighting the most complex and unforgettable gangsters from your favorite shows. From the morally ambiguous antiheroes of “Better Call Saul” to the fearsome figures in “The Wire” and “Justified,” these characters have left an indelible mark on the genre. Whether they wield power with a cold, calculating edge or grapple with their own demons, each of these TV gangsters has redefined what it means to be a player in the criminal underworld. Think we missed a major character? Let us know in the comments who you believe deserves a spot on this list!
Transcript
00:00I've been poor. And I've been rich. Rich is better.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most well-realized
00:09TV characters from the organized crime world. We won't include any portrayals of real
00:13life, or based on real life gangsters, animated ones, or those from outside the Americas.
00:18Garfield or Love is?
00:21I prefer the cat. He hates Mondays. We can all relate.
00:2710. John Abruzzi – Prison Break
00:29What is this all about?
00:31Say you were able to get outside those walls. Would you have the people in place to make
00:36sure you disappeared forever?
00:38Why do you care?
00:39Just curious.
00:40Every prison has its top dog, and Fox River's is John Abruzzi. The Chicago mob boss enjoys
00:45more freedom than most while inside, which is why protagonist Michael Schofield recruits
00:49him to his planned escape attempt. A devoted family man, despite his criminal nature, Abruzzi
00:54captures the attention whenever he's on screen.
00:56He's lucky I didn't take this to his head. You could have.
01:02His intense, unpredictable nature leads to many shocking and violent developments during
01:06his time on the show. While his tenure in the series is nowhere near as long as we'd
01:09like it, Abruzzi still looms large in a series filled with fascinating characters.
01:14What is it exactly you've got up underneath there, huh?
01:19What the hell are you doing?
01:20You think that'll stop me tonight?
01:22Think twice, Don Quixote.
01:259. Kai Proctor – Banshee
01:27It saddens me that you continue to hold me in such low regard.
01:31You'll get over it.
01:33Can we get on with this?
01:34You stay right there.
01:35The Amish community probably has few gangsters to its name, but Kai Proctor is the exception
01:39that proves the rule. The resident crime boss and the titular town of this criminally underrated
01:44series, Proctor may be known to the authorities, but he's always charming and cunning enough
01:48to evade going down for good.
01:49You may cause me to rethink my own terms.
01:56You know what this is?
01:59It's a whistle.
02:01It's a lesson in power.
02:03Proctor makes us uncomfortable, not only with his creepily close relationship with his niece,
02:07but also with how often we find ourselves rooting for such a ruthless, vile man.
02:11But the devil you know is often easier to love than the ones you don't.
02:14Be careful, father. I've swallowed your insults for years, but don't mistake my tolerance
02:21for weakness. You all live here because I choose to allow it.
02:268. Omar Navarro, Ozark
02:28I want to launder only when I say that it's safe.
02:32And when's that gonna be?
02:37When I compromise an FBI agent.
02:39The Byrd family suffers plenty of anxiety in laundering money for a drug cartel, and
02:43the cartel's leader, Omar Navarro, is the number one source of that stress.
02:47While he does respect competence and honesty, Navarro proves to be the boss from hell.
02:51The drug lord is volatile and unpredictable, with his mood shifting rapidly in his every
02:55encounter with his subordinates.
02:57If I wasn't handcuffed to this table right now, Wendy, I would kill you.
03:00You're not listening.
03:01No, no, no, no, no, no. You are not listening. My nephew is dead.
03:06Worst of all, Navarro is impatient and frequently sets unrealistic deadlines for tasks to be
03:11accomplished. His presence and demanding attitude instantly make any scene he's in fraught
03:15with tension.
03:16We're supposed to be partners.
03:17Partners? No, no, no, no, no. You exist for me to use.
03:20What did you think, huh? That because you were American, you were not gonna get your
03:24hands dirty, Wendy? If I am at war, you are at war!
03:29This is the bad part, but it doesn't last long.
03:36Mixture's all natural from up in the hills.
03:40Women can be gangsters, too. They may be less common, but they're just as vicious, if not
03:44more so. Mags Bennett, played by the always-incredible Margo Martindale, is the matriarch of the
03:49Bennett family, a clan of generations of criminals. Mags and her brood have their fingers in a
03:53lot of pies, including everything from pot-growing to moonshine, which actually tastes like apple
03:57pie.
03:58We need to talk about what comes next.
04:00Despite her charming and homely facade, Mags is a cutthroat gangster who will do anything
04:04to protect her family's interests. And she'll even use poison, or exact harsh lessons to
04:08her sons with a hammer if necessary.
04:10Coover, I know you're sorry. That's why it's gonna hurt so much to have to do this.
04:17Number 6. Clay Morrow, Sons of Anarchy
04:19Bury them in the woods. Mark the grave. Pick those up and gift wrap them.
04:26It was very tempting to choose series protagonist Jax Teller instead, given that he steps up
04:30to lead the eponymous motorcycle club the series focuses on. But Jax's stepfather, Clay
04:34Morrow, ultimately embodies the gangster archetype more in our eyes. Clay is responsible for
04:40increasing and initially appearing to have the club's best interests at heart.
04:43You better be real careful how you navigate around this one.
04:46Or what? You gonna put a bullet in the back of my head, too?
04:50Clay gradually betrays everyone close to him, revealing that he's only looking out for himself.
04:54Flawed yet fascinating, Clay is one of Sons of Anarchy's most watchable characters.
04:58Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, can save you. He can deliver you from all your transgressions.
05:03I appreciate your zeal, Padre, but my transgressions? All I got left.
05:095. Russell Stringer-Bell, The Wire
05:11I mean, it's getting hard to hold on to the towers without our name all over that product,
05:15is all I'm saying.
05:16In this fictionalized version of Baltimore, there are plenty of memorable gangsters on
05:19the streets. But our pick goes to Stringer-Bell, the up-and-coming right-hand man of Avon Barksdale.
05:24Stringer-Bell seeks to turn their organization legitimate. He often does so by studying economics
05:29and putting what he learns into practice in his criminal organization.
05:32What are the options when you've got an inferior product in an aggressive marketplace?
05:37Well, if you have a large share of the market, you buy up the competition.
05:41And if you don't?
05:42Stringer manipulates and outmaneuvers his opponents, eschewing direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary.
05:48While his underestimation of both the criminal and legitimate businesses ultimately proves his undoing,
05:53Stringer's ambition and pragmatic mindset make him a formidable gangster indeed.
05:57I'm the one that's gotta take that responsibility, and y'all are leaving me very, very little to work with right now.
06:034. Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, Marvel Cinematic Universe
06:07Take what's left of him and send it to his brother. It'll start a war. I'm counting on it.
06:16The MCU has many notable crime bosses we could have chosen.
06:19While the brief reign of Cornell Cottonmouth Stokes on Luke Cage is entertaining, there's only one Kingpin.
06:24Wilson Fisk is the enormously powerful head of a shadowy crime organization with connections across the United States.
06:31His reach is such that even FBI agents are on his payroll.
06:34But despite his impressive empire, we still often see Fisk as a vulnerable and lonely man.
06:38Oh. Who are you, Wilson?
06:45Tonight, I'm just a man. And joined the company of a captivating woman.
06:50He may sport a massive frame, but Fisk never really grew up.
06:53And his moments of immaturity are often accompanied by fits of terrifying violence, which makes for a truly compelling villain.
06:59I wanted to make this city something better than it is. Something beautiful. You took that away from me!
07:103. Enoch Nucky Thompson, Boardwalk Empire
07:13As you know, in less than two hours, liquor will be declared illegal by decree of the distinguished gentlemen of our nation's Congress.
07:22To those beautiful, ignorant b*****s.
07:27Very loosely based on real New Jersey politician Nucky Johnson, though with enough creative liberties that he still qualifies for our list,
07:33Nucky Thompson is a corrupt county treasurer and gangster.
07:36While popular among everyday people due to his generosity and charming personality,
07:40Nucky effectively controls Atlantic City in its entirety, through both legitimate and criminal means.
07:45You paid. I'm a happy man.
07:47Well, next time I come to your place, you pay for it. You kick in the clamp.
07:50Wielding a tongue as sharp as his suits, Nucky orchestrates most of his criminal acts through others.
07:55But when he does get his hands dirty, he rarely hesitates.
07:58Played to brilliant perfection by Steve Buscemi, Nucky Thompson is an old-school gangster through and through.
08:03I didn't ask for this.
08:05You didn't have to.
08:062. Gustavo Gus Fring, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
08:10Now, the group that I supervise focuses on methamphetamine, which is a growing problem in the country, unfortunately.
08:16Terrible.
08:17If Stringer Bell is a drug economics student, Gus Fring is a professor in the subject.
08:21Presenting himself in public as the affable owner of a chain of chicken restaurants,
08:25Gus is actually the cold-calculating head of a massive methamphetamine empire with ties to a Mexican drug cartel.
08:31Gus wields absolute control over his employees, manipulating them and threatening them into submission in equal measure.
08:37Perfectionist with an eye for the long game, Gus spends decades executing revenge on his enemies.
08:42Now, the Salamanca name dies with you.
08:52Will you look at me now?
08:54Unfortunately for him, his decision to hire Walter White ultimately proves his downfall.
08:58However, after watching actor Giancarlo Esposito masterfully portray his rise and fall over multiple shows,
09:04there's no denying that Gus is one of television's greatest gangsters.
09:07When you have children, you always have family.
09:09They will always be your priority, your responsibility.
09:12And a man?
09:14A man provides.
09:16Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:19Vernon Schillinger, Oz, a terrifying and foul-mouthed white supremacist gang leader.
09:24Officer!
09:25On equal goddamn footing!
09:26Session's over!
09:27All this time, you knew you might be getting out!
09:29Alright, Schillinger.
09:30Schillinger!
09:31Goddammit!
09:33Schillinger!
09:34Carl Elias, person of interest.
09:36An unassuming mob boss with a brilliant strategic mind.
09:39You really think you're gonna be the one to kill me?
09:42No.
09:43No, my friend is gonna kill you.
09:47I'm just gonna watch.
09:49Mariah Dillard, Luke Cage.
09:51They call her Black Mariah, and her heart is certainly that.
09:54I hope this settles matters between us.
09:57Yeah.
09:59Not by a damn sight.
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10:17Number 1.
10:18Tony Soprano, The Sopranos.
10:20Are you in the mafia?
10:24Am I in the what?
10:25Whatever you want to call it.
10:26Organized crime.
10:27This famed mafia series is a positive goldmine of incredible TV gangsters.
10:31Silvio Dante and Paulie Walnuts are wildly entertaining, but come on.
10:35The name of the show is The Sopranos, and Tony Soprano is the head honcho.
10:38Your own uncle.
10:39Now let's do it right.
10:42Act normal.
10:43Plan things out.
10:44Make no mistakes.
10:45Tony perfectly balances all the intimidating brutality of a gangster with the vulnerability
10:50and relatability of a modern family man.
10:52His evolution throughout the show is as captivating now as it was when The Sopranos first aired.
10:57James Gandolfini's performance has cemented Tony Soprano as the most iconic TV gangster
11:01of them all, and indeed, one of the most famous fictional gangsters ever.
11:05Well, here's a rule you might remember.
11:07I'm b---- and one who calls the shots.
11:10And you better pay me the respect that I gave your brother or we're gonna have a problem.
11:15Is there a TV gangster whose exclusion repulses you?
11:17Hold an intervention for us in the comments and tell us your favorites.
11:20You're weak, you're out of control, and you become an embarrassment to yourself and everybody else.
11:26Did you enjoy this video?
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