Regency Romance
‘Bridgerton’: Ranking All of the Leading Men So Far
When it comes to the leading men of the Bridgerton universe they’re all a dream in their own way, but how do they stack up against one another?
It’s a hard question to answer, but one we’re attempting to take on with a definitive character ranking. Before we get too far into this analysis, though, it must be noted that all judgments are purely character-based and do not bear any weight on the performers or their appearances. Ultimately, all opinions are subjective, and the fun of Bridgerton is swooning over all of the men who dare to make their loves’ dreams come true.
With that being said, as we look ahead to Bridgerton‘s fourth season, based on Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, we can’t help but reflect on the many leading men who came before Luke Thompson‘s Benedict. From Season 1’s Duke Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) and Benedict’s brothers, Viscount Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Colin (Luke Newton), to Queen Charlotte‘s King George (Corey Mylchreest), the lineup is filled with favorites.
Below, see where they land in the ranking, and let us know your favorites in the comments section.
Bridgerton, Seasons 1-3, Streaming now, Netflix
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Streaming now, Netflix
5. The Duke, Simon Basset
While we’ll always burn for Simon, Bridgerton‘s first leading man, there are quite a few red flags when it comes to him as a character. Although the show serves to explain Simon’s actions, lying to his new bride about not being able to have kids is a pretty major fault. Of course, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) doesn’t exactly handle that situation well either. But for their romance’s shortcomings, Daphne and the Duke certainly made up for in passion, which Simon delivers in spades. In the end, Simon’s ranking really boils down to the fact that we’ve seen him the least in the flagship series.
4. King (Farmer) George
In many ways, King George, or Farmer George as he likes to be called, is similar to Simon in that he has secrets that he’s keeping hidden from his bride. His unwillingness to be forthcoming about his mental health puts George at a disadvantage in this ranking, but Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio) steadfast support of her husband certainly does a lot of the heavy lifting in making audiences fall in love with the character as well. Unlike Simon though, George’s devotion to his wife is seen throughout the series, both in the flagship as well as the spinoff, which covers various time periods in their lives. This aspect gives him a slight advantage over Simon for that reason.
3. The Viscount, Anthony Bridgerton
This may be a bit controversial, but when it comes to Anthony as a character, he’s far from perfect. While that may endear viewers towards him, we mustn’t forget his actions at the start of the series as he pushed his sister to marry, not caring if it wasn’t the kind of match she wanted. His immovable viewpoint as the family’s patriarchal figure leads to some rather interesting approaches, including his own search for love in Season 2. While Anthony’s romance with Kate (Simone Ashley) worked out, allowing his engagement to her sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) to actually reach a wedding altar will always perplex us. After Anthony sorting out his feelings and overcoming his fears of becoming attached to someone in the way his parents were, he has become a ray of Regency-era sunshine for which we are grateful.
2. Colin Bridgerton
For the third-eldest Bridgerton sibling, his standing in this ranking relies entirely on the fact that the majority of his shortcomings are all tied to being both naive and unobservant. Colin is good to his core, and we see that early on in the series through his helping the Featheringtons in Season 2 after learning Cousin Jack (Rupert Young) was swindling the Ton. Additionally, Colin’s desire to travel and encounter different corners of the world than the one he came from is an appealing quality. Still, Colin isn’t perfect. We won’t forget that he slighted his best friend and future wife Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) to other men of the Ton, but the difference in Colin’s shortcoming is that unlike Anthony’s remarks made about finding the perfect wife, Colin never really meant the malice with which Pen received the comments. And, although his insecurities following Penelope’s Lady Whistledown revelation weren’t the best, that didn’t stop Colin from trying to help his new bride fix the situation in Season 3. Plus, seeing Colin so down bad for Penelope after his initial blindness towards her romantically is truly satisfying.
1. Benedict Bridgerton
Okay, hear us out. Yes, Benedict has yet to take on his leading man moment, but so far in the series, there really is next to nothing wrong with him. Sure, Benedict is eager to avoid the mamas of the Ton determined to marry off their daughters, but can you really blame the Bridgerton family’s resident renaissance man? Always a shoulder to lean on for his siblings (who doesn’t love his smoke and swing sessions with sister Eloise?), Benedict brings a romantic perspective to almost any situation he faces. Benedict’s openness to new ideas and people of all backgrounds really makes him a gem of a character, and seeing him get to explore that on a deeper level in Season 3 only serves to enhance our love for him. Considering he has yet to take the lead onscreen, we have a good feeling about his upcoming moment in Season 4’s spotlight.
