Many ofthe works ofStephen Kinghave been adapted to TV, sometimes more than once, but some characters are more memorable than the rest for different reasons. For decades, the King of Horror has taken generations of readers to worlds inhabited by a variety of monsters, either supernatural, human, or both.
Despite Stephen King’s stories being a source of inspiration for many artists, not all have succeeded in bringing them to life. There have been many failedStephen King adaptationsin both film and TV, but many others succeeded thanks to how well-adapted they were and for their characters.
ManyStephen King TV showsbecame memorable thanks to certain characters, all due to how loyal they were to the source material, the performance of their actor, or how their story was expanded, despite not being entirely loyal to the original story. The best King TV characters are a combination of humans and monsters, all of them with something that makes them stand out.
10Bill Hodges – Mr. Mercedes
Based on Stephen King’s Bill Hodges book trilogy (Mr. Mercedes,Finders Keepers, andEnd of Watch),Mr. Mercedesis a crime drama TV show. It follows Hodges (Brendan Gleeson), a retired detective haunted by an unsolved case and who is dragged back into action by psychopath Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway).
Bill Hodges stands out for his complexity and flaws, as he carries a lot of guilt but is still determined to do the right thing. Hodges goes through a transformation from a retired, guilt-ridden detective dealing with other personal issues to an active investigator who won’t stop until he catches Hartsfield.
9Jake Epping – 11.22.63
The11.22.63miniseries centers on Jake Epping (James Franco), a recently divorced teacher with the chance to go back in time to 1960. Jake’s mission is to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy on June 15, 2025, but the mission is at risk when he grows attached to the life he built in the 1960s.
Epping earned his place on this list thanks to Franco’s performance, which was praised by critics and pointed out as one of the show’s strengths. Franco perfectly portrayed Epping’s moral ambiguity, inner struggles, and gave him the emotional depth that the character needed, making him stand out from the rest of the show’s characters.
The Dead Zoneis a sci-fi drama that tells the story of Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall), a man who, after a car accident that leaves him in a coma for six years, develops psychic abilities. These give him visions of the past and future when in direct contact with objects or people, and he uses these new skills to solve crimes.
Johnny Smith is one of Stephen King’s best TV characters thanks to his unique blend of humanity and psychic abilities, both adding to his inner struggles: not only is Johnny dealing with personal losses after being in a coma, but also with how to use his powers for good. Despite his good intentions, Johnny isn’t a hero, and his moral ambiguity adds to his complexity.
7Big Jim Rennie – Under the Dome
Under the Dometakes the audience to the fictional town of Chester’s Mill, where a massive, transparent, and unbreakable dome suddenly traps the town and cuts them off from the rest of the world. Among the residents inside the dome fighting to find a way to get rid of the barrier is Big Jim Rennie (Dean Norris), a councilman and used-car dealer.
Under the Domehas many good characters, but Big Jim Rennie stands out for not being entirely a villain or a hero. Some of Stephen King’s best human characters have moral ambiguity, through which the many complexities of being a human are explored, and Big Jim isn’t the exception.
Big Jim goes through character development inUnder The Dome’s three seasons, but it can be debated whether it was for good or bad, but that further cements him as the show’s most interesting character.
6Annie Wilkes – Castle Rock
Castle Rockis unique among Stephen King’s TV shows, as it’s not based on a book or short story. Instead,Castle Rockbrings together different characters from King’s universe along with original characters and stories. For its second season, however, it chose one of King’s best villains as its main character and explored her backstory: Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan).
This young Annie Wilkes becomes stranded in Castle Rock with her teenage daughter and takes a job at the local hospital under a fake name. Annie begins to steal pills to keep her hallucinations under control, but it all takes a twist.Castle Rock’s Annie makes the character more terrifying, showing some of the events that lead to her disturbing actions inMisery.
Annie is unpredictable, violent, aggressive, and deeply disturbed, raising the question of whether she’s naturally evil or her dark past made her evil. Annie is a complex character, but it’s always clear that she’s a villain.
5The Kid – Castle Rock
Another great character fromCastle Rockis an original creation, but he fits perfectly into the world of Stephen King. The Kid (Bill Skarsgård) is a young man found in an abandoned underground cell at Shawshank State Penitentiary. There are no records of his identity, but there are some disturbing coincidences between him and criminal attorney Henry Deaver.
The Kid is introduced as a victim, having spent years imprisoned in complete isolation, and is further cemented when the truth of his past is revealed – however,Castle Rockmakes a horrifying reveal about The Kid that completely changes what the audience thought they knew about him.
The Kid has all the elements of a great Stephen King character: mysterious, with a tragic past, dragged into a life-changing but horrifying situation, and with a shocking twist that gives a completely different look to his story.
4Holly Gibney – The Outsider
A beloved character from Stephen King’s novels is Holly Gibney, and she has had two TV versions – and the one that earned a spot on this list is fromThe Outsider. This miniseries follows detective Ralph Anderson (Bill Mendelsohn), who investigates the case of baseball coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), accused of murdering a young boy.
However, the standout character is Holly (Cynthia Erivo), a private detective called in to consult on the investigation. Holly is a neurodivergent woman and has traits that fall under the autism spectrum. Holly is also incredibly observant and has exceptional analytical skills, making her great at her job.
Holly is also very empathetic and vulnerable, adding to her complexity and making her relatable. It’s not surprising, then, that Holly Gibney has become a fan favorite, especially Erivo’s version, as she beautifully portrayed the different layers and sides of the character.
3Kurt Barlow – Salem’s Lot (1979)
Salem’s Lothas gotten two TV adaptations, and for this list, I’ve chosen the 1979 version.Salem’s Lotfollows writer Ben Mears (David Soul), who returns to his hometown, but his arrival coincides with some mysterious disappearances. As it turns out, the town is being taken over by vampires, as before Ben arrived, so did vampire Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder).
Kurt Barlow has limited dialogue, but he doesn’t need to speak to make an impression. Barlow is a powerful, imposing, and terrifying presence, and it’s his silence that makes him even scarier. Barlow is also incredibly strong and has powers that allow him to hypnotize, control, and manipulate his victims.
Despite the limitations of being a vampire, he’s not an easy threat to defeat. While this version of Barlow is different from the one in the books, it cemented him as one of King’s scariest villains.
2Randall Flagg – The Stand (2020)
One of Stephen King’s most terrifying and mysterious villains is Randall Flagg, and for this list, the winner is Alexander Skarsgård’s version in the 2020 adaptation ofThe Stand. The series takes place after a pandemic that kills almost the entire world’s population, and the survivors are forced to decide whether to side with Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) or Flagg.
Flagg is the representation of evil, as well as a dangerous and accomplished sorcerer, a devoted servant of the Outer Dark, and with abilities that include prophecy, necromancy, and influence over animals and humans. Flagg is incredibly charismatic, which adds to how dangerous he is, and his understanding of human weakness further allows him to manipulate people.
Flagg is one of the most complex villains in King’s universe, and Skarsgård’s version gave him a smooth and seductive vibe that contrasts with his dark and evil nature, making him unpredictable and even more terrifying.
1Pennywise – It
Perhaps the most memorable and traumatizing Stephen King TV character is Pennywise, from the 1990Itminiseries. Played by Tim Curry, Pennywise is the title villain of the show, an evil, shapeshifting entity from a mysterious part of the Macroverse.It hibernates for 27 yearsand awakens to feed, and for that, it terrorizes its victims by taking the shape of their biggest fears.
It’s preferred shape is that of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and he terrorizes a group of kids that call themselves the Losers Club. Curry’s performance as Pennywise was the perfect balance between over-the-top (after all, he’s a clown), sinister, and terrifying, bringing to life the essence of this villain.
Curry’s version of Pennywise is now part of pop culture, and is widely recognized as one of the most terrifying clowns in fiction, as well as one of Curry’s best and scariest performances.
