The Office: The Main Characters' Story Arcs Ranked From Worst To Best
The Office boasted a fun set of main characters who were all flawed in their own ways. Over the course of 8 seasons, some had better arcs than others.
When one talks about some of the best and greatest sitcoms to have ever released, it's only a given that The Office would make its way into the conversation at some point. This show was truly unique in its own way, making the most of the mockumentary setting to create something truly magical that will stand the test of time as one of the best utilizations of the format by a mile.
Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the achievements of The Office without mentioning its colorful cast of characters, each of whom managed to capture the hearts of fans all over the globe with their magical performances and captivating character storylines... even though one has to admit that some arcs were just objectively better than other.
7 Robert California
There are times when Robert California certainly does shine as a character and manages to capture audiences with his magical performance, courtesy of James Spader's skills as an actor. However, there's no denying that his character was still introduced during a time when The Office was on shaky footing, and his inability to replace Michael Scott eventually led to his downfall.
It certainly doesn't help that this character is portrayed fairly inconsistently throughout the series, being a seemingly well-mannered man until his obsession with anything even remotely sexual overwrites everything else about this character. Aside from this, there's also his smart attitude and manner of speaking that is completely at odds with the fact that he makes a number of stupid and confusing decisions throughout the series.
6 Andy Bernard
Andy's character had started off on a low note when he was introduced with some notable anger issues in the initial goings of The Office, before being a rather pathetic boyfriend to Angela who was clearly using him without caring about his own emotions. However, after this stretch, Andy actually came into his own as a really likable character whose budding relationship with Erin was something that fans were clearly rooting for. Given this development, one would assume that Andy's character had developed positively to quite an extent... but then his impromptu Bahamas trip happened.
This trip completely killed off Andy's character, turning him into a tool who started mooching off of other people's success and taking Erin for granted. While his subsequent breakup and meltdown might've been well-deserved, there's no denying the fact that fans definitely felt slightly bad for a character who'd been a part of numerous positive moments across the series... only to crash and burn by the end in spectacular fashion.
5 Ryan Howard
The temp who eventually became a part of Dunder Mifflin's corporate division could've aimed for the stars and beyond... but unfortunately, it was Ryan's own hubris — along with rampant drug use and unashamedly misleading shareholders — that ultimately led to his downfall.
While he did have his fair share of memorable moments with Michael and Kelly — among others — his character itself was just so smug and condescending that it was really hard to support him for the majority of the series. In a way, that is what the show intended all along. Of course, that being said, one can't deny that watching him run off with Kelly by the end of the series was still oddly cathartic regardless.
4 Dwight Schrute
Dwight might've been consistently hilarious across the series, but there's still no denying the fact that he wasn't really someone that could be considered likable by any stretch of the imagination. However, all this changed as the series progressed and Dwight slowly became more human and less... well, whatever weird thing he was trying to emulate before.
His relationship with Angela certainly blossomed in a positive way, and the relationships he formed with Jim and Pam were certainly quite genuine. His dynamic with Jim is definitely the most interesting of the lot — from rivals to frenemies to best friends, the journey that these two went through is nothing short of amazing.
3 Pam Beesley
Pam is easily one of the sweetest characters on the show, and fans can't help but fall in love with this brilliant character time and time again. While she might've been a bit too clueless when it came to Jim's infatuation for her in the early stages of the series, the fact that their story did ultimately end on a happy note is still something to celebrate regardless.
There are some people who might consider her to be the weaker half of this amazing couple, but dwelling on such things is ultimately pointless. At the end of the day, Pam Beesley is someone that people can easily root for, and the things she might've overlooked is just water under the bridge.
2 Michael Scott
It would be impossible to talk about excellent character arcs and not mention Michael Scott — the lovable office manager who might've been a bit of a bumbling fool at times, but ultimately has his heart in the right place. Well, most of the time, at least.
Regardless of what one might think about him, there's no denying the fact that he deserved a shot at love. While his oblivious nature led him to a self-destructive relationship with Jan, he ended up getting what he deserved when he found love with Holly and moved with her parents by the end of Season 7.
1 Jim Halpert
The heartthrob of The Office is also someone that is easily the best character by a country mile, essentially serving as someone for the audience to project themselves onto given the fact that he's apparently the only one who realizes how ridiculous the situations that play out in front of him actually are.
However, Jim is way more than just that. He's genuinely a nice guy who never does anything with sinister intentions, including his endless pranks with Dwight. He's often viewed as the most popular character in the series, with his arc encompassing everything from friendship to love.