Arrested Development Characters, Ranked By Likability
Arrested Development is not just "a story about a wealthy family who had lost everything", as the narrator puts it in the intro, it's also a story about a highly dysfunctional family, completely devoid of genuine affection and care. The Bluths are incredibly self-centered, each in their own way. Because of their narcissism, none of them is particularly likable. They are just ridiculous and funny enough for the audience to feel fond of them, though, and that's what redeems them of their general obnoxiousness.
It's hard to resent the Bluth siblings for being so stuck in their ways. They simply don't know any better. Brought up by toxic parents with a silver spoon in their mouths, they are developmentally stuck in their childhood or adolescence.
10 George Bluth Sr.
The Bluth family members are not supposed to be likable at all, but the children deserve at least some sympathy considering what kind of parents they had.
Their dysfunction should be blamed on their parents, and George Bluth is definitely the least likable one. He never gave praise to his children, he taught them lessons in cruel ways, and he kept horrible secrets from them.
9 Oscar Bluth
Oscar is a slightly more likable version of his twin brother George. He is a free-spirited man and far more gentle than most of the other Bluths. The not-so-subtle hints at the fact that he is Buster's biological father are one of the show's most famous running gags.
Even though they don't share the same personality traits, Oscar and George are nearly indistinguishable from one another. Because of their similarity, they share almost the same level of likability.
8 Tobias Fünke
Tobias started out as one of the most likable characters because he was not malicious. He truly meant well: he cared about his marriage and his daughter, far more than his wife at least. Unfortunately, he was also the king of denial, especially when it came to his career as an actor and his sexual orientation.
His character arc was butchered in seasons 4 and 5. While many fans considered him a favorite, there were hardly any Tobias fans left after the show had ended.
7 Buster Bluth
Of all characters, Buster Bluth is suffering from arrested development the most. He acts and thinks like a seven-year-old child, which automatically makes him the least intelligent character. It's hard not to feel sorry for him: he's completely dependent on his mother and is often a victim of Gob's bullying.
His child-like personality made him a likable and funny character in seasons 1-3. In season 5, however, his character arc took a dark turn when it turned out that he was a murderer. Many fans were left unsettled by the reveal and Buster lost several likability points as a result.
6 Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Michael's "twin sister" Lindsay married a man she clearly didn't love and what's worse, she didn't really pay any attention to her daughter. She only cared about things that served her, which is why she took on so many charitable activities. During the so-called "great experiment", it became clear just how desperate Lindsay is for validation and approval from men. Her flirting efforts are some of her funniest moments, and they make her character at least a little bit redeemable.
Whenever she had an honest heart-to-heart with Michael, it seemed like she was not as bad as she seemed. Buster and Gob always came across as much more hopeless than Lindsay. Her refusal to change despite knowing better certainly adds to why she is among the least likable characters on Arrested Development.
5 Lucille Bluth
Lucille Bluth is passive-aggressive, incredibly critical of her kids, and completely out of touch with reality. So why does this cruel matriarch rank so high on this list? It's because she is well-spoken and brutally honest. Sure, she is insensitive, but she often says things that are highly relatable, which makes her a very likable character.
She is the mastermind who pulls all the strings in the family - not Michael. And while she's the one who is highly responsible for much of the characters' shortcomings, she's also the only one who has the power to shut down their delusions in a heartbeat.
4 Gob Bluth
Gob just might be one of the worst brothers in sitcom history. He is irresponsible and self-centered. But his delusion of grandeur also makes him an entertaining character. Not because the audience laughs with him as Gob would like to believe, but naturally because they laugh at him.
While Lucille famously doesn't care for Gob, the fans of the show certainly do. His desperate attempts to finally get his father's approval are hysterical and tragic at the same time.
3 Maeby Fünke
From the very first episode of Arrested Development, it was clear that Maeby is the family's outsider as well as an amazing conwoman. To punish the estranged family, she suggested to her cousin George Michael that they make out to teach them a lesson.
Nobody ever really paid attention to Maeby and that's how she ended up as an executive at Tantamount Studios when she was just 16 years old. Whenever somebody questioned her position, she simply said "Marry me,", which also became one of the show's most iconic catchphrases. As far as likability goes, Maeby belongs to the better half of the characters. She's not as ignorant as the other Bluths and whatever bad things she had ever done, she did them to get her family's attention.
2 Michael Bluth
The one son who had no choice but to keep it all together was the only responsible adult in Arrested Development. As such, he was the most relatable and consequently likable.
He was the only family member with an actual job, but he still showcased his fair share of dysfunction. Michael only saw and heard what he wanted to hear, which is the most obvious in his romantic relationships and his bond with George Michael. His worst character trait is that he thinks that he is better than the rest of his family, which makes him just as self-absorbed as his siblings.
1 George Michael
George Michael was the least dysfunctional member of the Bluth family, which also makes him the most likable one - especially in the first three seasons. Seeing him grapple with teenagehood was endearing, awkward, and endlessly hilarious.
His father clearly cared for him, but he never really listened to what his son had to say. As he grew up, he became more of a Bluth. Surrounded by hypocrites and liars, it's really no surprise that he grew up to resemble his father.