Into The Woods Main Characters, Ranked By Likability | ScreenRant
Into The Woods subverts the classic heroes and villains (to an extent) - so if Prince Charming isn't the most likable, who is?
Into The Woods is a fantastic movie musical with an incredible cast of talented actors and actresses coming together to bring various fairytale stories together in a unique manner. While the songs are catchy and the stories are fun, it is the characters themselves who make the movie tick, whether it be The Baker's desperation for a family or The Giants coming down from the beanstalk for revenge.
Every character in this movie is flawed in their own way, with this not presenting the fairytale characters in the usual perfect manner. However, they also have likable traits too, whether that be The Baker rescuing Little Red Riding Hood or Jack's mother standing up for her son. But which of the characters from this tale is the most likable of them all?
10 The Big Bad Wolf
There really is nothing to like about The Big Bad Wolf in this movie outside of Johnny Depp putting together a great musical number. This is a character that everyone is well aware of in terms of the story, except in this version, the wolf actually gets to eat both the grandma and Little Red Riding Hood.
The character is certainly clever and cunning in how he tricks the young girl, but ultimately the fact that he eats them both doesn't make this a character that people love. The Big Bad Wolf is only involved in a small part of the movie, but the impact is felt, even if it's not a nice one.
9 Cinderella's Prince
Typically, the Prince Charming role is one that is full of personality and showcases kindness and a desire to look after Cinderella. However, the Into The Woods version, played by Chris Pine, is very different. Everything that people typically expect from this character is thrown out here and turned on its head.
This Prince is very arrogant and smug, and while he does get to marry Cinderella, that isn't good enough for him. He flirts with other women and kisses the Baker's Wife, despite the relationship he is in, and that cheating and lying ultimately makes him an unlikeable person.
8 The Witch
The Witch is another character that is easy to dislike. Meryl Streep brings an excellent performance that is full of charisma, actually making her slightly more likable than she is. She's someone who is very vengeful, and while she does give The Baker and his wife the chance to have a child, she still makes them work hard to do that.
However, the real reason people don't like her is the way she treats Rapunzel. The classic 'mother' of the princess is always unlikeable, trapping her in a tower and then using her power to hurt her prince as well. She gets jealous easily and doesn't treat others well, although her decision to get rid of the magic beans at the end is a wise one.
7 Jack's Mother
Throughout the vast majority of the movie, Jack's Mother is not a very nice character. While it's clear she's under stress financially, struggling to provide, the way she treats her son isn't particularly nice. She is rude to him, often shouting and failing to encourage him.
However, after the giant's widow comes down from the beanstalk for revenge, she shows her true feelings about Jack. Even though he's not around to see it, she stands up for him against her and speaks passionately about him. This moment ultimately leads to her death, but it is a very likable moment for her, rescuing her character at the end.
6 Rapunzel
While Cinderella gets a lot more screentime than her throughout the movie, the character of Rapunzel is certainly a likable one. As is the case with all the versions of this character, she is locked away in her tower and manipulated by her 'mother,' which instantly creates sympathy for her.
Even once she escapes, the Witch stops her and the prince from being together with her magic. However, Rapunzel doesn't give up, which is a likable trait that she has, and they eventually get to be together. She's a passionate and kind character, and certainly one of the most likable in her supporting role.
5 Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood is a fairytale character that everybody knows, and for the most part, the Into The Woods version of the character is what people would expect. She's a young girl who is innocent and likes to explore but can be quite gullible, which leads to her being eaten by the Big Bad Wolf.
There are points when she can be a little annoying within this movie, but her over-the-top personality is a lot of fun as well. Overall, she is a kind character who has been brought up to have great manners, and she certainly tries her best to help the rest of the group throughout.
4 The Baker's Wife
The Baker's Wife, who is played by Emily Blunt is certainly a likable character overall, although she does have some blips that challenge that, meaning she's not the most likable. Clearly, she's a character who is kind and caring, always looking out for others, which is a great trait.
She has a really fun energy with plenty of passion being shown, especially during her interactions with Cinderella. However, the fact that she is easily swayed by Prince Charming after he flirts with her, leading to kissing him is a sign of poor loyalty, which is a real shame as it does dampen her character slightly.
3 Jack
Jack brings tons of energy into the movie with his huge personality and confidence, and that instantly makes him likable. At the start of the movie, he's very lonely, with a cow being his only friend, which makes the audience sympathetic to him from the start.
However, once he climbs the beanstalk, his confidence grows, and when he meets the other characters in the woods that only continues. He has to deal with his mother being killed and he still tries to remain optimistic. He comes out with some funny lines too and overall proves himself to be very likable.
2 Cinderella
The character of Cinderella is always a likable one, and the Into The Woods version is no different in that regard. Anna Kendrick plays this role in the movie, and she makes the character very kind and considerate, having no interest in becoming a princess for a large chunk of the movie.
While she eventually does marry the Prince, she quickly learns it's something that she regrets due to the fact he is happy cheating on her. The fact Cinderella is able to stand up for herself and then helps The Baker at the end of the movie just highlights the type of character she is, which is very likable.
1 The Baker
The Baker is the central focus of this movie and is a very likable and relatable character. James Corden plays the role really well, showing kindness to others as he desperately tries to make up for his father's mistakes and attempts to collect all the items in order for the curse to be lifted so he and his wife can have a child.
While he does make mistakes and suffers from a lack of confidence when he initially becomes a father, The Baker eventually overcomes all of that. He steps up at the end and looks after both his son and Little Red Riding Hood as a single father, and throughout the movie, he does try to make the best decisions possible, which is why he's so likable.