Nerdist's best characters of 2025

The Boys universe is officially one of the most consistent franchises in television after Gen V season two. The series took fans back to Godolkin University to continue to unwind secrets and build its ensemble cast. Once again, Marie Moreau (played by the brilliant Jaz Sinclair) proves why she is the the leading lady of Gen V. From exhuming the pain that caused her core wounds to leveling up her powers to a God-tier level, Marie’s journey in season two is heartbreaking and empowering. She’s deeply flawed yet earnest in her approaches, self-preserving yet giving, witty yet wry, and wholly engaging the entire time she’s on the screen. Marie is the heartbeat of this group who keeps the blood coursing through this show’s veins. -Tai Gooden

Wilson Fisk (Daredevil Born Again)

It’s wild that a “best character” could apply to a TV series from 2016 and from 2025, but that’s where we are with Wilson Fisk from Daredevil: Born Again. Fisk is once again played once again to perfection by Vincent D’Onofrio, reprising his role from the Netflix Daredevil series after seven years. And he didn’t miss a beat in his portrayal of the brutal (but occasionally thoughtful) Kingpin of Crime. In Born Again, we pick up with Fisk, a known criminal and murderer, out of prison and running for Mayor of New York…and winning.

D’Onofrio plays Fisk with the same kind of restrained rage he used in the original Daredevil, only now even more controlled because he must maintain appearances to the public that he’s reformed. And the best thing about D’Onofrio’s portrayal is that he really convinces us that Fisk really does want to ditch his criminal ways and evolve. But when his violent, true self emerges despite his innate desire to be a better man, his portrayal makes for a truly riveting performance, and some great TV. -Eric Diaz 

Lex Luthor (Superman)

2025 certainly didn’t invent Lex Luthor, but I surely had never paid attention to the DCU supervillain before. Lex COULD have been an unlikable travesty, but a combination of James Gunn’s clever direction and Nicholas Hoult’s superb acting added a shade of fragile vulnerability to the terrible man. And well, I’m always here for a little fragile vulnerability on a terrible man.

All told, Lex was the only TV or movie character born in 2025 that I wrote a fanfic about, and that says it all, in my esteemed opinion. Happily, it seems like I wasn’t the only person to fall for Lex’s poor little rich boy tears, because he’ll be back again in a big way in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. Here’s to more Lex in 2027, and this time, it’s personal (he’s teaming up Superman). -Ro Rusak

Bob/The Sentry (Thunderbolts*)

Thunderbolts* goes down as one of Marvel’s more introspective films. Delving into themes of deep emotional trauma and isolation, it follows a group of ragtag antiheroes as they try to do good. Of course, everyone loves Florence Pugh’s Yelena or Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, but one character stands out above the rest. That would be the lovable Bob, aka the unstoppable force known as The Sentry. With his awkward charisma and affinity to do the right thing, it didn’t take long for him to capture our hearts.

A cloud of mystery shrouds the character when he first appears, having a muddled memory of who he is and where he came from. He’s just happy to be a part of the team. As we learn more about Bob’s origins, we really begin to feel for him. A lot of us can even relate to some of the trauma and loneliness he buries deep inside. The beating heart of the film is the dynamic between Bob and Yelena, who helps him overcome the dark void that consumes him from within. Though pretty heavy for a Marvel movie, it’s also a heartwarming message. We’d go to war for Bob. -Sarah Campbell

Seth Milchick (Severance)

I thought Tramell Tillman gave a perfect performance during Severance’s first season. Turns out I was wrong. By definition you cannot improve upon perfection, yet he was even better during the show’s second season. His Emmy-winning performance saw him add new layers of depth and humanity to one of television’s most interesting characters. He turned a strange, compelling villain into a fully rounded person worthy of our sympathy even though we still abhorred his actions. His quietly emotional phone call when Mark Scout called out was a standout moment during a standout season. Just as it was when he stood up for himself to his smug superiors.

Tillman did the seemingly impossible in 2025. He had us rooting for Seth Milchick—Seth Milchick!—during Severance’s sophomore outing. And he did so without sacrificing any of the things that made us love to hate him before. He still made us laugh. From nothing more than a quick little run that was among TV’s funniest this year, to his performance as a marching band leader, Tillman did the impossible: he improved upon perfection. -Mikey Walsh

Ronnie Grogan (IT: Welcome to Derry) 

There’s not a show in 2025 that surprised me more than IT: Welcome to Derry. While I am an overall Stephen King fan and I certainly have kept up with IT films, Pennywise is admittedly not one of my favorites in the villain pantheon. However, I was cautiously optimistic when I saw the trailers for this HBO Max series, which hinted that there would indeed be delicious horror and gore despite kids being at the center of its narrative. I didn’t expect to really latch onto any of its characters until Ronnie Grogan came along and stole my entire heart. Rising actress Amanda Christine pours her all into Ronnie, oscillating from debilitating fear to unbridled confidence with ease. She says what’s on her mind to whomever is near with no interest in being likeable. My kind of girl, for sure! -Tai Gooden

Mon Mothma (Andor)

It’s sort of hard to remember that Andor season 2 aired earlier this year given the glut of geek culture properties that came out afterwards. But we can’t forget all the incredible performances the season gave us, most especially Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. That character was little more than a haircut in the years following Return of the Jedi, but Mon became the heart of the Rebellion thanks to this series.

The entire first arc showed how Mon’s hands had to start getting dirty as she senses her childhood friend Tay wavering and becoming a liability. Her dancing her troubles away at her daughter’s arranged marriage was rightly memed to oblivion. But it was Mon’s speech following the Ghorman Massacre in episode 9, and her subsequent escape from Coruscant with Cassian, that pushed her from orator to freedom fighter. It’s a travesty that O’Reilly didn’t receive an Emmy nomination for her work. Mon Mothma gave us life. -Kyle Anderson

Clark Kent (Superman) 

We’ve had the Man of Steel in many movies before. But in 2025, we got our best incarnation of the character in decades in James Gunn’s Superman . In a world that’s filled with hate and divisiveness in all corners, David Corenswet’s version of Clark Kent came in faster than a speeding bullet with a very needed philosophy that kindness is punk rock. This Superman believes in helping for the sake of helping, and sees everyone he meets as beautiful.

Just doing good to do good isn’t antiquated in Corenswet’s portrayal; it’s earnest and charming. And he instantly became iconic to millions of moviegoers. Corenswet’s Superman also provided an example of non-toxic masculinity with an “aw shucks” charm that endeared him to the entire world. May he leap tall buildings for many more years to come. -Eric Diaz