Ranking Watchmen Characters

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Ranking Watchmen Characters

Watchmen is an iconic graphic novel that is famous for many things, one of which are the characters themselves. This story doesn’t feature too many characters, but those that are there are for the most part superbly developed and even iconic. For this list I only chose to focus on the main and important characters in the series, so here is my ranking.

7. Nite Owl

Oh, Dan. Yes, this guy deserves the lowest placement on this list for just how boring he is. Yes, he is one of the main characters of the crew and he did have a memorable costume, but his sexual escapades with Laurie were more annoying than interesting and most of his story basically constituted filler.

6. Silk Spectre

Speaking of Laurie, she gets a higher spot than her partner because at least her relationship with Dr. Manhattan was quite well explored and the same goes for her complicated family past. But overall, she was for the most part just as boring as Dan, and these two are the only characters that I simply did not care for.

5. Sally Jupiter

Yes, she only got a couple of volumes to shine, but Laurie’s mother is a much more interesting character than her daughter. Her complex relationship with The Comedian was wonderfully explored and she functioned as a very interesting window into the previous team’s history.

4. The Comedian

Speaking of The Comedian, this man’s death was the catalyst for the entire story, but eventually we come to the realization that he was a horrible pig of a man. The series is clever for depicting just how problematic and plain terrible supposed heroes can be and it is this type of complex themes that defined Watchmen as a masterpiece that it is.

3. Ozymandias

Oh boy, did this guy monologue or what. It was frustrating listening to his story for sure. With that being said, Ozymandias was still an incredible villain that was in the morally gray zone while still being highly competent and at times even intimidating. His look, his personality and his cat all made him stick out from the rest.

2. Rorschach

Rorschach is a vigilante who fights the good fight his own way, which led to him clashing with others on the team. Initially seeming like a Batman rip-off, but eventually becoming deepened through a strong backstory and that emotionally powerful end to his story, Rorschach is the heart of Watchmen and the second best character after…

1. Dr. Manhattan

Yes, Dr. Manhattan takes the top spot for me due to his undeniable uniqueness. A superhuman who still retained some humanity within him, Watchmen through him deftly explored what it means to be human and the existentialist themes of life, death and purpose. His interactions with others were quite interesting while his design and backstory were cool and unforgettable. Dr. Manhattan surely is a staple of superhero creations.