Top Ten #20 - Characters in The Defenders (Season 1) Ranked
The Defenders brought together a plethora of characters from all corners of the Marvel Netflix universe. And while some continued to be as charismatic and likable as they always are, some didn't translate into the series quite as well. This is my (opinion based and completely subjective) ranking of the characters in Season 1 of the Defenders.
10. Danny Rand/Iron Fist: Perhaps I would have thought better of him if I Had seen his series. Or perhaps not, considering the amount of negative buzz that surrounded it. Regardless, I found the character of Danny Rand to be very poorly portrayed by Finn Jones. Rather than coming off as an impatient, troubled, yet humorous member of the team, Jones played the character with levels of Hayden Christiansen's Anakin Skywalker, with a level of angst that I did not expect. While he, thankfully, works in the grand scheme of things, I did not enjoy his character at all.
9. Misty Knight: Another side character that I had not been properly introduced to (she made her debut in Luke Cage) I was surprised to see how annoying her character got as the series progressed. She "made up for it" at the end, with a heroic action, but to me, that didn't make up for the fact that she spent the entirety of the series refusing to trust the main characters and playing the "good cop/bad cop" routine, when there were clearly bigger things at stake.
8. Stick: Like I've said before, Stick is a character that I am very conflicted on. I'm not sure whether or not to like him because he is a man on a mission and while he is hard on his two prized pupils, Elektra and Daredevil, he is trying to protect them, or whether I should hate him. Ultimately, while Daredevil season 2 toed the line very cautiously, The Defenders almost makes stick seem like a villain towards the end, which didn't help his case at all. Yes, he may be full of wisdom, but he's also full of nonsense and aggressive dispassion sometimes as well.
7. Alexandra: Sigourney Weaver was one of the best choices you could have picked for playing a villain in a series like this. Where very little physical presence was required, but more verbal and mental manipulation. And while Weaver played the character nearly perfectly, after a few episodes, it admittedly got a little old. I was glad to see they freshened up her character towards the end, but by that point, it was too little too late.
6. Claire Temple: Rosario Dawson continues to be a staple of the Marvel Netflix shows in The Defenders. She has now migrated over from Daredevil to Luke Cage, where I personally thinks she makes a much better fit. In the show, she surprisingly provides a morale compass for some of the other characters. She has a lot to do, given how little screen time she actually has, and again, Dawson knows this character very well and knows exactly how to play her.
5. Jessica Jones: It took a couple episodes to get used to Ritter's Jones. She's different, and for awhile, that's what made me dislike her more than the rest of the Defenders. But once I bought into her cynical sense of humor and her narcissism, I completely bought the portrayal and the character. She's a breath of fresh air amidst the Devils of Hell's Kitchens, and the unbreakable Luke Cage. Ritter knows the character and brings it once again in The Defenders.
4. Colleen Wing: Colleen Wing was another character I wasn't all too familiar with, having not seen Iron Fist. The first episode was a little rocky for this character as she was admittedly given some pretty terrible dialogue, but her arc throughout the series was admirable as she makes her journey through self-discovery. Additionally, Jessica Henwick plays a charming, but determined version of the character, and it's very easy to like her.
3. Luke Cage: Luke Cage was the one member of the Defenders that I was sold on, almost from the beginning. He didn't buy the idea of the Hand at all, not until he saw it with his own eyes. He was very clearly opposed to the idea of a mystical threat, but his moral compass and just wanting to help others attitude really sold his character for me. I enjoyed seeing how his relationships with other Defenders and supporting cast played out as well. This is a character that works best when he's in a group ensemble.
2. Elektra Natchios/The Black Sky: If you've seen my review for Daredevil season 2, you know that Elektra Natchios is one of my favorite characters from Netflix Marvel. But as I was watching the show, I came to realize that I actually didn't like Elektra based purely on the character; I mostly enjoyed Elodie Yung in the context of her and Matt Murdock. They have such dynamic chemistry together, and thankfully, this show has its moments too. I loved the scene where she went back to his house; you could feel the palpable connection that was there. Unfortunately, this show botched her character in a minor way, and made it rather confusing what her end goal was. I wasn't clear on what her motivations were, why she was doing what she was doing in certain instances, and what she really cared about. That being said, Yung brings it again as Natchios, and hopefully if Disney revive Daredevil, they'll bring her back as well.
1. Matt Murdock/Daredevil: But really, at its ore, Matthew Murdock, or the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, is the heart and soul of both the group the Defenders, as well as the show itself. Cox knows this character like the back of his hand, and he proves it here. He knows how to be charming, yet pained. He can play well with others, and on his own as well, and he makes the series center around his struggles while simultaneously not making the show just about him. That takes true skill to like a man who runs around in a devil suit, but Cox has done it.
**WARNING: SOME SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST SEASON OF THE DEFENDERS LIE AHEAD. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**
10. Danny Rand/Iron Fist: Perhaps I would have thought better of him if I Had seen his series. Or perhaps not, considering the amount of negative buzz that surrounded it. Regardless, I found the character of Danny Rand to be very poorly portrayed by Finn Jones. Rather than coming off as an impatient, troubled, yet humorous member of the team, Jones played the character with levels of Hayden Christiansen's Anakin Skywalker, with a level of angst that I did not expect. While he, thankfully, works in the grand scheme of things, I did not enjoy his character at all.
9. Misty Knight: Another side character that I had not been properly introduced to (she made her debut in Luke Cage) I was surprised to see how annoying her character got as the series progressed. She "made up for it" at the end, with a heroic action, but to me, that didn't make up for the fact that she spent the entirety of the series refusing to trust the main characters and playing the "good cop/bad cop" routine, when there were clearly bigger things at stake.
8. Stick: Like I've said before, Stick is a character that I am very conflicted on. I'm not sure whether or not to like him because he is a man on a mission and while he is hard on his two prized pupils, Elektra and Daredevil, he is trying to protect them, or whether I should hate him. Ultimately, while Daredevil season 2 toed the line very cautiously, The Defenders almost makes stick seem like a villain towards the end, which didn't help his case at all. Yes, he may be full of wisdom, but he's also full of nonsense and aggressive dispassion sometimes as well.
7. Alexandra: Sigourney Weaver was one of the best choices you could have picked for playing a villain in a series like this. Where very little physical presence was required, but more verbal and mental manipulation. And while Weaver played the character nearly perfectly, after a few episodes, it admittedly got a little old. I was glad to see they freshened up her character towards the end, but by that point, it was too little too late.
6. Claire Temple: Rosario Dawson continues to be a staple of the Marvel Netflix shows in The Defenders. She has now migrated over from Daredevil to Luke Cage, where I personally thinks she makes a much better fit. In the show, she surprisingly provides a morale compass for some of the other characters. She has a lot to do, given how little screen time she actually has, and again, Dawson knows this character very well and knows exactly how to play her.
5. Jessica Jones: It took a couple episodes to get used to Ritter's Jones. She's different, and for awhile, that's what made me dislike her more than the rest of the Defenders. But once I bought into her cynical sense of humor and her narcissism, I completely bought the portrayal and the character. She's a breath of fresh air amidst the Devils of Hell's Kitchens, and the unbreakable Luke Cage. Ritter knows the character and brings it once again in The Defenders.
4. Colleen Wing: Colleen Wing was another character I wasn't all too familiar with, having not seen Iron Fist. The first episode was a little rocky for this character as she was admittedly given some pretty terrible dialogue, but her arc throughout the series was admirable as she makes her journey through self-discovery. Additionally, Jessica Henwick plays a charming, but determined version of the character, and it's very easy to like her.
3. Luke Cage: Luke Cage was the one member of the Defenders that I was sold on, almost from the beginning. He didn't buy the idea of the Hand at all, not until he saw it with his own eyes. He was very clearly opposed to the idea of a mystical threat, but his moral compass and just wanting to help others attitude really sold his character for me. I enjoyed seeing how his relationships with other Defenders and supporting cast played out as well. This is a character that works best when he's in a group ensemble.
2. Elektra Natchios/The Black Sky: If you've seen my review for Daredevil season 2, you know that Elektra Natchios is one of my favorite characters from Netflix Marvel. But as I was watching the show, I came to realize that I actually didn't like Elektra based purely on the character; I mostly enjoyed Elodie Yung in the context of her and Matt Murdock. They have such dynamic chemistry together, and thankfully, this show has its moments too. I loved the scene where she went back to his house; you could feel the palpable connection that was there. Unfortunately, this show botched her character in a minor way, and made it rather confusing what her end goal was. I wasn't clear on what her motivations were, why she was doing what she was doing in certain instances, and what she really cared about. That being said, Yung brings it again as Natchios, and hopefully if Disney revive Daredevil, they'll bring her back as well.
1. Matt Murdock/Daredevil: But really, at its ore, Matthew Murdock, or the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, is the heart and soul of both the group the Defenders, as well as the show itself. Cox knows this character like the back of his hand, and he proves it here. He knows how to be charming, yet pained. He can play well with others, and on his own as well, and he makes the series center around his struggles while simultaneously not making the show just about him. That takes true skill to like a man who runs around in a devil suit, but Cox has done it.
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