Definitive Ranking Of All (Important) Characters From Reign

Ranked from worst to best and based entirely on the opinions of my co-author and I. Warning: we really hate Aylee. Also, spoilers ahead.

62. Queen Elizabeth

Who they are: She debuted in the season two finale and got started with a bang, as we were thrown right into the messy drama of her relationship with Robert Dudley. Elizabeth was the virgin queen of England who battled Catholic opponents, lost lovers, and numerous insecurities.

Why they're ranked here: Honestly, she was just the worst. Every plot line related to Elizabeth was boring and dragged on for way too long. She was never a likable character and didn't add anything to the show. Even worse, she distracted from Mary, the main event. Next!

61. Lola

Who they are: One of Mary's OG handmaids. She fucked Mary's future husband, had his baby after one dickdown, and almost got him killed in the plague before moping around for the remainder of her life.

Why they're ranked here: This bitch. She messes up everyone's life, lies about it, is a whiny little bitch, wears the same ugly cape every freaking time it's cold, and was constantly looked at as this perfect angel. And don't even get me started on the baths.

60. Nicole

Who they are: Farm girl that fell in with King Charles during his angsty phase and moved to court to be his mistress, only to have every guy in France fall in love with her for some reason.

Why they're ranked here: There was no reason for her to be around. She was not likable or pretty (and had ugly hair), yet for some reason was romantically involved with Charles, Narcisse, and Henry?? And was never fully content with anything, even though she was living every French farm girl's dream. She did have to watch Narcisse and Catherine bang though, which was brutal.

59. Aylee

Who they are: Mary's lady who died in literally episode eight.

Why they're ranked here: Look at that hair. Enough said.

58. King Henry II

Who they are: The fucking King of France. Married to Catherine but bangs Diane (and everyone) on the reg. Goes batshit crazy. Killed by his own son #savage

Why they're ranked here: A lot went down because of Henry ngl. He tried to marry Mary, forced Bash and Kenna to happen (ugh), was a dick to everyone, and literally fucked a girl to death. Mean dude. Do not recommend.

57. Amy Dudley

Who they are: Elizabeth's first lover's wife who killed herself so that Dudley would be blamed and couldn't marry Elizabeth.

Why they're ranked here: She committed suicide to fuck someone else over. Dick move. Also, just annoying.

56. Tomás of Palmela

Who they are: Portuguese bastard who screws Greer over by proposing to Mary but turns out to be an abusive, murdering dickhead.

Why they're ranked here: Abusive, murdering dickhead.

55. Lord Darnley

Who they are: Englishman who married Mary to become king of Scotland (without the crown matrimonial heyooooo) so she can claim the British throne.

Why they're ranked here: Does a lot of sketchy crap - who sets a fire just so they can be a hero??? - and keeps breaking Mary's trust. Abandons baby in the snow. Sees his dead lover a lot too. A general trainwreck.

54. Leeza

Who they are: Catherine's daughter who becomes Queen of Spain through marriage. Thinks she's hot shit but isn't. Has major mommy issues.

Why they're ranked here: Miss Priss is a bitch to everyone, especially family, and thinks she owns all of Europe. Anti-everyone who's not Catholic and ruins lots of fun. Around too much.

53. Lord Narcisse

Who they are: Greedy Noble who becomes Lord Chancellor by being a conniving douche. Has an on-again off-again with Catherine and asks Lola to take lots of baths before finally tricking her into marrying him.

Why they're ranked here: All of the above. He also cuts a man's balls off, which is just a lot.

52. Colin

Who they are: Lola's OG mans who was blackmailed to rape Mary. Got mixed up in a lot of shit he shouldn't have.

Why they're ranked here: Tried to rape Mary. Also, why would you ever want to date Lola?

51. Penelope

Who they are: Bean Queen

Why they're ranked here: More like Mean Queen.

50. John Knox

Who they are: Mary's main Protestant hater in Scotland. A real dick.

Why they're ranked here: Kept fighting Queen Mary at every turn. Was terrible to his wife and hated all women. Needs to chill.

49. Gideon Blackburn

Who they are: Mary's ex-lover, Elizabeth's ex-lover, died randomly.

Why they're ranked here: Apparently had a thing for queens, even though he was way too ugly and annoying to be a good love interest for anyone. His loyalties were confusing and no one rooted for him to be with anybody. He was a good dad though, so he regains points there.

48. Olivia D'Amencourt

Who they are: Francis’s ex-lover who tried to win him back from Mary. Also, she banged Nostradamus.

Why they're ranked here: When insurrectors took over the castle, she abandoned Mary and Catherine because she was SCARED OF THE DARK, so M and C were almost raped. She also got kidnapped by the Darkness and had a tooth stuck in her back, which was pulled out by Nostradamus, whom she later banged and ran away with. Plus, she was strangely adamant on hooking up with Francis again when, let’s be honest, no way he’s that good in bed.

47. Christophe

Who they are: Catherine’s booty call who also was a serial killer.

Why they're ranked here: He killed a shit ton of people and was the root of Bash and Delphine’s subplot, and we all know we didn’t need more Delphine.

46. Yvette Castleroy

Who they are: Castleroy’s daughter who had a thing with Leith for a hot sec but then was straight up murdered during the plague.

Why they're ranked here: Got in the way of the ultimate OTP, Leith and Greer!!!! It was just weird that Leith had a thing with his ex-lover’s new lover’s daughter. And as a person, we just don’t care about her.

45. Catherine's Creepy Dead Daughters

Who they are: Catherine’s twins who died when they were babies because their nanny was off bangin’ Henry instead of taking care of them (but then she blamed it on baby Claude which was a whole thing)

Why they're ranked here: Really just all of the above. Tried to lure Catherine to suicide with dead Henry’s help. Never bought Mother’s Day gifts. Overall bad kids.

44. Pascal

Who they are: Little kid taken in by Kenna and Bash (when they were a thing) and who was destined to become the Darkness (but died during the plague and we never heard about it again???)

Why they're ranked here: he was kinda adorable but kinda creepy and just was a lot at the time.

43. William Cecil

Who they are: Elizabeth’s advisor who was so obsessed / in love with her that he poisoned her unborn baby so she would remain a “virgin” queen.

Why they're ranked here: dude, what the fuck?!?!

42. Francis

Who they are: Prince and eventual King of France. Wooed and married Mary over the course of the first few seasons. Died and then came back to life only to die again.

Why they're ranked here: Said he was utterly devoted to Mary but he prioritized literally everything over her!!! Kept saying and doing dumb things like “wow babe i love you, now let me sabotage your entire political and personal life for my own pleasure!! But don’t worry, I’m still your primary love interest and the audience will totally cry when I die from an ear infection and being a little bitch.” Also, just when we thought we had finally gotten rid of him, Delphine came in and HEALED HIM BACK TO LIFE only for him to die AGAIN like an episode later.

41. Christian de Guise

Ben Mark Holzberg

Who they are: Mary’s uncle who had an army of bois he stole from families

Why they're ranked here: Kinda a dick. Power hangry.

40. Delphine

Who they are: Bash’s rogue love interest who, for some reason, had a magical ability to heal people and bring them back to life. Caused lots of shit to go down.

Why they're ranked here: They found her sitting (bloody!) on a dead guy’s chest and it was never mentioned again??? She also brought Francis back to life which, let’s be honest, was the worst move of all time. The cost for that was apparently Mary’s mom’s life, but at the time, Delphine passed out and Bash was dramatically like “Was the cost your life this time?” but she was totally fine after??? Idk, maybe just me but I’m bitter about it.

39. Emily Knox

Who they are: John Knox’s wife who was seduced by James.

Why they're ranked here: You kinda feel bad for her the whole time because she didn’t deserve to be lied to by James and married to such a dick, but to be honest she was just annoying. Sorry.

38. Kenna

Who they are: one of Mary’s OG ladies. Started hooking up with King Henry (in the pilot!!!) after he caught her masturbating in the open and was into it. Forced by crazy Henry to marry Bash and proceeded to ruin his life by being the worst. Had absolutely terrible fashion sense.

Why they're ranked here: Common theme in Kenna’s life: ruining everyone’s else’s life by being unbelievably selfish!!!! She screwed up a lot of things in her pursuit to be Henry’s official mistress, and she brought Bash down a ton, which he never deserved. Like for real, she was given such a golden opportunity by marrying him cuz he’s a real gem, but she was just pissed cuz he wasn’t rich. Get a grip.

37. Diane de Poitiers

Who they are: Henry’s mistress and Bash’s mother. Rival of Catherine. Also super Pagan.

Why they're ranked here: She caused a lot of stuff to go wrong, fucked with my girl Catherine, got Bash exiled because she tried to make him King, and just overall didn’t need to be there. I was glad when Catherine legit choked her to death (Sorry not sorry)

36. Clarissa

Who they are: Originally thought to be a ghost who lived in the castle, but then she and Mary became low key BFFs and we found out that she’s Catherine’s daughter WITH ANOTHER MAN, which is apparently shameful even though Henry had like a thousand mistresses (ex: Kenna, Diane, Bean Queen, the girl he fucked out the window, etc.)

Why they're ranked here: She kidnapped her half brothers and was going to kill them to get revenge on Catherine. TBH she didn’t deserve what she got, but she had the support of Nostradamus and Mary so she could have been a little less fucking insane. Also, she disappeared and then reappeared for literally one episode, only to die when Delphine tried to heal Francis.

35. Jean-Philippe

Who they are: Francis and Lola’s bastard child

Why they're ranked here: I know he’s a baby so I shouldn’t be this negative, but he seems to represent the worst of Francis, Lola, and them as a duo, and I’m not here for any of that.

34. King Antoine

Who they are: Conde’s brother and King of Navarre. Studly party boi who likes to stir up trouble

Why they're ranked here: Look, I love a good troublemaker as much as the next gal, but he takes things too far. I mean, proposing to Kenna when both of them are already married? Dick move. Plus, he really had a vengeful side that flared up there at the end.

33. Mary de Guise

Who they are: Mary’s mother who ruled Scotland while she was away/a literal child.

Why they're ranked here: She was a terrible, unsupportive mother to Mary and not a fabulous ruler of Scotland either. Drops dead SUPER randomly thanks to fucking Delphine.

32. The Darkness

Who they are: a cannibal who’s like a god to the Pagans.

Why they're ranked here: Like, I know he’s a cannibal, but he’s not THAT bad. He’s just misunderstood. He captured and fed on Olivia, which I can totally get behind, and captured and fed on Rowan, who def deserved it for throwing Bash under the bus. Also, he’s creative! He sharpened his teeth into little points! And got control of a whole religion! Basically, I don’t hate him, but I know I should. I don’t judge.

31. Robert Dudley

Who they are: Elizabeth’s lover who was married. When his wife died, he got married in secret to someone other than Elizabeth which... yikes

Why they're ranked here: TBH i don’t even know why he was in the show! His crazy wife killed herself to keep them apart and Elizabeth kept using him but honestly there was just a lot going on and I didn’t care. Next.

30. General Renaude

Who they are: The army general who knocked up Kenna.

Why they're ranked here: I don't care about him.

29. Estelle

Who they are: Part of the family that took care of Lola while she was giving birth (gross), and after the plague, Narcisse kept her in a cage and almost forced her to marry him.

Why they're ranked here: H8 her for helping Lola, but she didn’t deserve what Narcisse did to her. No one did. Fuck Narcisse.

28. Rowan

Who they are: Had a thing with Bash while he was investigating the Darkness, then got taken by the Darkness after she tried to sacrifice Bash!

Why they're ranked here: NOBODY MESSES WITH BASH. She was trying to save her family, I get it, but he’s just too good! Also she’s dumb as fuck for looking at the Darkness, so she deserved what she got. Common sense.

27. Charles

Who they are: Francis’s little brother who is a literal baby at the beginning of the show, but by the later seasons is a teenager? Not how time works? Anyway, he reluctantly takes the throne after Francis dies, goes through a goth phase after his friend betrayed him, and eventually falls in love with Nicole. Rivalry with his younger brother Henry.

Why they're ranked here: Wow. A lot goes on here. He eats squirrels, lives in caves, and traumatizes girls for a while there, but I can’t hate him. He’s just doing his best, and he didn't even want to be king! Bad call with Nicole though, bro.

26. Henry III

Who they are: Francis’s even younger brother who is next in line after Charles when he takes the throne, even though he looks ten years older than Charles. Has Spain’s support and can kinda be a dick about it. Wears corsets and jewelry sometimes, though the show never really expands upon that plotline.

Why they're ranked here: He was a real wild card for a minute there. Went back and forth between being a total tool and being just another fun party prince. Never really got a full picture of his whole character. Falls into the same category as Charles in a lot of ways, although without the squirrel eating. Bonus points for watching his mom have sex and then having sex with Nicole immediately after.

25. De Medici Relatives

Who they are: Catherine’s powerful Italian relatives.

Why they're ranked here: I don't care. Love me some good family drama tho.

24. Nostradamus

Sven Frenzel

Who they are: Catherine’s right-hand-man who acted as a seer and healer. Very angsty. Not really sure what happened to him in the end.

Why they're ranked here: His character was just annoying and not someone you ever cared about. He moped around wayyyyy too much. Had some weird romantic past and relationship with Olivia that was boring as hell. Went back and forth on every issue (ik it’s because the future changes or something, but whatever) so was never any help to anyone. A real dick to Clarissa. Looked like A Quiet Place-era John Krasinski and it made me uncomfy.

23. Lord Bothwell

Who they are: Mary’s Scottish ally who looks out for her and looooves her.

Why they're ranked here: He, like, wasn’t terrible, definitely better than Mary’s other late season love interests, but I still didn’t care about him. A fine guy. Just fine.

22. Claude

Who they are: Catherine’s daughter who was sent away because nobody liked her and she’s spoiled. She slept around a lot (with Narcisse, that general’s son, Leith, etc.) and had bad hair.

Why they're ranked here: She’s really fucking annoying sometimes, but she appreciates Leith. After what Greer did to him, he needs that. She also was framed for trying to murder her baby sisters and her mom tried to kill her on numerous occasions, so I kinda felt bad for her. She had pretty dresses though! And her hair eventually got kinda better.

21. Don Carlos

Who they are: The heir to the Spanish throne who’s down to bone Mary. But he’s a little TOO into the boning and asks her to whip him because it gets him goin’. But Mary chickens out and asks Catherine to help and he freaks out and accidentally stabs his skull on his sex torture device??? Then, he has a traumatic brain injury but mysteriously recovers from it to try and steal Mary’s throne but then reverts back to it later?????

Why they're ranked here: Where do I even begin? Don Carlos took us on a wild ride. I’m sure he wasn’t meant to be comic relief, but his plotline was absolutely fucking HILARIOUS. He also disappears for a while and we forget about him until he makes an insanely dramatic three second cameo a season later. Honestly, I was confused but amused.

20. Louis Condé

Who they are: The brother of the king of Navarre who comes to France for some reason. While he’s there, he and Mary fall in love (after she’s raped and doesn’t want Francis to touch her). But she falls back in love with Francis after Conde tries to stage a revolution to take over France and marry her, leading her to FAKE A PREGNANCY AND STAB HIM!!! WHAT?!?!?

Why they're ranked here: Conde was a hottie with a body in a show with a lot of notties. He treated Mary well and was just looking out for her. He was a little dramatic and didn’t have to do the whole revolution thing, but definitely didn’t deserve what he got. He just wanted to be with Mary and for her to be happy :( Poor Conde.

19. Cecelia

Who they are: The sister of archduke Ferdinand, who Henry fucked so hard she flew out of a window and died.

Why they're ranked here: She’s insignificant but has proved to be an endless source of laughter and hysteria in our dorm. God Bless Cecilia.

18. Jane

Who they are: Elizabeth’s maid

Why they're ranked here: She finds out that Elizabeth and Gideon are hooking up, so Elizabeth straight up SLAMS HER with an oar, but feels bad about it later and releases her. Her ranking is in the same vein as Cecelia and Don Carlos because random hilarious things happen to them and it defined who they were. 10/10.

17. Munro

Who they are: Scottish clan leader who kidnapped Mary once. Arranged Francis's death.

Why they're ranked here: Honestly, just because it’s John Barrowman(!!!!!!)

16. Pirate Martin de Lambert

Who they are: A pirate who fucks Greer while in French court and gets her pregnant (oops!). She’s still into him though, but he’s a womanizer so she doesn’t tell him she’s pregnant… UNTIL HE SEES HER BABY IN SCOTLAND!!!

Why they're ranked here: Martin’s a cutie and he and Greer would make a power couple. Once he finds out that Rose is his son, he wants to be a good dad and leaves her jewels and pierces her ears (awwwww!). Just a good piratey dude.

15. Lord Julien/ Remy

Who they are: Came to court to court (pun intended) Greer and ended up marrying Lola. Turns out he was pretending the whole time and was actually Lord Julien’s servant. Pretended to be dead and bolted.

Why they're ranked here: Look, anyone who can put up with Lola deserves some level of respect. He did like a crap-ton but in the end, he was a decent dude. One of the only all-around decent characters on the show, really.

14. Henry's Dead Brother Francis

Who they are: King Henry’s older brother that he killed as a teen so that he could be king instead.

Why they're ranked here: I’m 99% positive he would have made a better king than Henry. Just look at him, he seems like a sweet guy who would do well in academics and would play sports but wouldn’t talk about it constantly, you know? I just think he deserved better! Justice for og Francis!!

13. Madeleine

Who they are: Engaged to baby Charles for a hot sec early on.

Why they're ranked here: A real cutie!!! Friends with Mary too, which is always a good sign.

12. Lord Aloysius Castleroy

Who they are: A wealthy lord who courts and eventually marries Greer. Talks about peppers a lot at the beginning but eventually becomes a real dude. Absolutely fucking loaded. Protestant, which creates trouble later on.

Why they're ranked here: An absolute angel!!! He was so sweet and forgiving and gracious to Greer always, because he loves her and he’s just such a good guy. He does inadvertently fund the guys who raped Mary which is terrible, but he didn’t know that was happening. He has to put up with a lot from Greer (because Leith and baby from Pirate Martin) but he does for the most part because he’s great! We just ignore that he randomly ran off with another girl there at the end.

11. Agatha Blackburn

Who they are: Gideon’s daughter who dies :(

Why they're ranked here: Another cutie!!! She was adorable and didn’t deserve to be killed off. Her queen for a day should’ve extended indefinitely tbh.

10. James Stuart

Who they are: Mary’s brother who handles a lot of shit in Scotland.

Why they're ranked here: He rules Scotland for Mary while she’s doin’ her thing in France and kinda takes Bash’s spot of being the go-to guy for random tasks, but he makes them his own. He’s loyal and good and cute and loves his sister!! James always has a conscious and feels guilty when doing stuff like seducing Emily Knox. Almost has a thing with Greer in the end which would have been PERFECT but the show ended before it could develop further. A good character whose weakest spot was being introduced too late in the show.

9. Luc Narcisse

Who they are: Gross Narcisse’s son who is forced to marry Claude while Leith is (temporarily) out of the picture. He tries to fall in love with Claude, but she’s being a bitch about Leith (but who can blame her? It’s LEITH!) so she refuses. They kinda have a thing, but it’s just confusing.

Why they're ranked here: HE’S SUCH A GOOD GUY™. He refuses to let his dad be a dick to Claude, he tries to help Claude and work out a thing with his wife and her side piece, and he is a constant ray of sunshine in a turbulent sea. Love love love!

8. Jenny

Who they are: A con woman who pretended to be Queen Mary in order to take the money of commoners.

Why they're ranked here: She was just doing her best! She was funny and sweet and I rooted for her. Team Jenny!!!

7. David Rizzio

Who they are: Italian advisor for Mary who becomes her bff and dies protecting her :((((

Why they're ranked here: A gay icon™. We didn’t deserve this late addition to the show. He brightened any room and was utterly devoted to Mary. More than anyone else, he did not deserve the completely brutal death he received!!!!!!!!!

6. Catherine de Medici

Who they are: Queen (and later Queen Mother) of France. Married to Henry (who didn’t deserve her) and mother of HELLA kids (Francis, Claude, Charles, creepy twins, etc.). She’s a master of poison and all kinds of murder, but she does it all to protect herself and her family.

Why they're ranked here: I. LOVE. CATHERINE. DE. MEDICI. She everything I need and more. She’s like a mother to Mary and is always looking out for her kids. She’s also brutal and has been through some shit, so she has good advice. She has bad luck with guys (King Henry (YIKES), Narcisse, random general guy, etc.) and doesn’t deserve all the shit she gets. She’s brilliant, powerful, ruthless, dynamic, regal, and will always be my queen.

5. Greer

Who they are: One of Mary’s original ladies. Started and owned a brothel. Has an on-again off-again with Leith, marries Castleroy, has a baby with Pirate Martin, deserved a full relationship with James.

Why they're ranked here: Wow, a true goddess. My girl had herself some class like nobody’s business. She had the best clothes and hair of any of the ladies, and she had the best love interests to boot. Plus, she’s a smart, independent entrepreneur???? What can’t she do??? We saw her go through some rough times, but our girl always made it out with a smile on her face. Greer also stuck it out for the long haul and was there for Mary when nobody else was! She was a fantastic constant in the show and we love her!!!

4. Stirling the Dog

Who they are: Mary’s dog who shows up sometimes.

Why they're ranked here: He’s such a good boy.

3. Bash

Who they are: King Henry’s bastard son, Francis’s half-brother, and Master of Horse and Hunt. A true jack-of-all-trades that filled every role in court over the course of the show. Bash was always there for Mary and his intentions were with her, no matter what Francis said. He may have had some flings (Kenna, Delphine, Rowan), but his heart always belonged to Mary <3

Why they're ranked here: He was our boy. He was there for us when nobody else was. His plotlines may have been ridiculous, but he did his best to keep everything in order. His commitment to Mary was adorable and unparalleled - he followed her to Scotland to protect her!!!! There are plenty of things about Bash’s life we ignore (*cough* magic *cough*) because we choose to remember how often he saved the day and how consistently good he was to Mary, the show, and the audience!

2. Leith

Who they are: A kitchen boy who rose up the ranks to nearly become a prince. He fell in love with Greer, who was high above his current station, but was endlessly good to her. Even when she left him for Castleroy, and later to run her brothel (WHY???????), he committed to rising in station. He became a soldier who saved Francis’s life in the war, and later became Claude’s bodyguard and Francis and Charles’s trusted confidant. Even as he climbed the ranks, he stayed humble and beautiful.

Why they're ranked here: Buckle up, Buttercup. We did not deserve Leith Bayard. First of all, he’s too fucking adorable and had a great bod (unlike literally EVERYONE ELSE ON THIS SHOW). He treated his women with respect above all else and never lost sight of who he was (remember when he could have killed Luc and had Claude all to himself but didn’t because he has a GOOD HEART???). He disappeared at times, but always came back when we needed him the most. We loved him with all our hearts, and he loved us back. A true man to whom all men should aspire to be.

1. Mary, Queen of Scots

Who they are: She was everything. The main character, the queen of multiple nations, and the heart and soul of Reign. She has been through SO MUCH, but always came out stronger for it. She has been kidnapped, raped, betrayed, widowed, attacked, and heartbroken, but she has come out on top through it all. She never let her circumstances get her down, and she fought for what she believed in - her friends, her family, her loves, and SCOTLAND.

Why they're ranked here: Where would we be without Mary, Queen of Scots? She was our pride and joy, and absolutely never let us down. We felt her pain through every setback and her hope in every time she stood back up. Her strength never failed her, and she never lost sight of what was important. She was everything you want a queen to be, and she proved that her gender only made her a better ruler. She could always find a balance between the demands of her nation and her heart, and we love her immensely for it. She surrounded herself with friends who loved her for who she was, and she loved them back and protected them with her life. Long live Mary, Queen of Scots!