Empire: The 10 Best Characters In The Show, Ranked | ScreenRant
Empire is an engrossing television show with a large cast, and here are the ten best characters that fans have followed throughout the whole series.
The Fox hit show Empire is set to begin its final season this fall. After 5 years of great music and off-the-wall storylines, Empire will finally give us closure in the entertainment world according to the Lyon family. With a cast as big and diverse as Empire's, it's hard trying to decide who holds the torch as the best character. How will you rank the cast if given the chance?
Will it be the dynamic Cookie Lyon and her sarcastic ways? What about the devilish Lucious Lyon? If music is your thing then how can you go against the grain and not choose Hakeem or Jamal Lyon or possibly side with Tiana? Thirsty has his moments and so does Becky and Giselle. And how can we forget about the ever-so-loyal Porsha? Here are the Top 10 Empire Characters, Ranked
10 Giselle
Giselle screams ''Girl Power" a lot but will be the first to stab anyone in the back if she can benefit from it. She's sneaky but resourceful. Her relationship with the Lyons has always been on thin ice but that's the beauty of her character. She can be hateful to Cookie one minutes then turn around and hold a comedy moment with Becky.
Giselle doesn't bleed Empire as the Lyons do but that doesn't mean her heart isn't in it. Giselle is and always will be about the bottom line, how to secure the bag and stay relevant. From her ex-husband to the Lyon's, she's tired of being in the shadows. Giselle is going to make a major power play soon enough.
9 Porsha Taylor
Porsha needs more screen time. As Cookie's assistant, she has to deal with so much nonsense on a daily basis that fans often wonder if it's worth it. But through it all, Porsha has remained true and loyal to the Lyon name, Cookie, and Empire. A little on the wild side with her style of dress and brash behavior, but that's why she and Cookie's bond is so tight.
Porsha may not show it all the time, but she's not afraid of Cookie. She needs her job and has been fired at least three times each season but in the end, she has Cookie's back and Cookie knows that.
8 Thirsty Rawlings
If you need someone to clean up a mess, call Thirsty. Don't quite know how he does some of the things he does but he manages to come through when called upon. He may not be an official Lyon but Thirsty is definitely part of the extended family. Thirsty has had the Lyon's back from the start. When they had money and when they lost it all.
When Thirsty was booked by the FEDS, he never gave up Lucious. He's loyal. While there is always a payday involved, he's still the one you want on your side. His style of dress is a bit weird and he talks a mile a minute but he's resourceful.
7 Andre Lyon
The brains of the Lyon family. Andre doesn't have the voice that Jamal has or the rapping skills that his younger brother Hakeem has, but Jamal may be the most important Lyon outside of Lucius. If Lucious were to ever give up the crown, that will fall to Andre. Despite his mental health, his brain works on a frequency different than the others.
Andre fell into a deep depression after the death of Rhonda and his baby. It was so much so that he was seeing people who weren't there. His relationship with his parents is often rocky. He loves his mother but has tried to kill or harm his father on many occasions. Andre is tough and what makes him just as dangerous as Lucious is that he uses books smart with the street sense Lucuous instilled in him
6 Tiana Brown
Tiana is a full-fledged diva. As the official songstress on the Empire label, Tiana has had to protect her crown on different occasions. While her relationship with Hakeem has been more or less her entire storyline, Tiana has still managed to carve out her own lane on the show. Now, saddled with being a mother, Tiana is still going back and forth between Hakeem, her personal life, and career.
Tiana is sassy, smart, and determined. If there is one thing that has continued to fail her, it's the torch she carries for Hakeem. We love to see them together as a couple and family, but he's no good for her. Would love to see Tiana step up and do what's best for her. Too strong of a character.
5 Hakeem Lyon
Supposedly the best rapper on the Empire label. When the show first aired, Hakeem was such a hothead. He didn't have to grow up the way his parents did. He was a spoiled brat who thought everything was supposed to be handed to him on a silver platter. He's had his share of ups and downs including being shot, having a baby with his father's ex, and his constant fights with Lucious.
In the beginning, it was Hakeem who gave his mother Cookie the hardest time after she was released from prison. The disrespect he showed was outrageous. However, he smartened up, took a few smacks to the back of the head and now their bond is as tight as ever. We're still waiting for that moment where he matures and becomes a man.
4 Becky Williams
Becky has what it takes to run her own label. She just doesn't have the capital to do so. She and Giselle make a great team but Becky also has blinders on where Giselle is concerned. She tough. She will tell it like it is and not hold back anything. Dealing with top-tier talent daily, Becky refuses to be a yes woman. She also has a great ear for talent.
Her relationship with Jamal has been tested a few times but they have both managed to weather the storm. Despite being there from the start, Becky often gets passed over for promotions that she's more than capable of handling. Her character has come a long way and it will be interesting to see where she ends up when it's all over.
3 Jamal Lyon
The voice of Empire. Jamal portraying a gay male in a black sitcom drew some criticism at first but it was such a wonderful arc to the storyline that audiences accepted and he became one of the fans' favorite. His singing forces him to stand out amongst his family and all other artist but Jamal's character was something special. His character has gone through quite a lot since the beginning of the show.
What made Jamal so compelling was how he dealt with issues. With Cookie in prison, Jamal had to hide who he truly was from his father. Once he came out, it was his journey in dealing with his family, the public and relationships that allowed his character to grow on us.
2 Lucious Lyon
At first, Lucious may have been one of the most hated men on primetime TV. His love for his kids is strong but it just comes across wrong. Lucious is out to win. He wants to be the best at everything. He started Empire with his wife Cookie and while she was doing her prison time, he turned a small studio in their apartment into the largest record label in the world.
His tactics in the early stages of the show were criminal as Lucus was out for himself. But as the seasons grew, so did his character. He still has those conniving ways about him but he's more about the love of his family now. With Cookie and Empire back in his life, Lucious was set to take on the world. Now, with the FEDS breathing down his neck and his wife betraying him, there's no telling what Lucious we will get for Season 6.
1 Cookie Lyon
There is no Empire without Cookie Lyon. She's by far the heart and soul of the show besides the music. Cookie provides warmth, hate, love, and comedy. The mother of three kids who spent 17 years in prison for not snitching on her husband Lucuios. In the beginning, it was about winning her family back, Lucious included. Cookie was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant embarrassing herself.
As the show progressed, Cookie managed to get herself back into the label and into the hearts of her family. Cookie is not without her demons. During Season 5, Cookie went against the grain and held an attitude towards Lucious for the one time he didn't do anything wrong. Engulfed in an affair, Cookie's mistakes will have serious ramifications in the final season.