The Most Attractive TV Characters of All Time

Some TV characters make an instant impression, then keep drawing attention through memorable stories, career arcs, and striking on screen style. This list looks at figures who shaped trends, pushed narratives forward, and became cultural touchpoints that viewers still reference today.

Each pick includes concrete details about the character, the performer, and the show’s footprint. You will also see a quick nod to where each series aired, simply to place these characters in their original TV homes.

Rachel Green — ‘Friends’ (1994–2004)

Rachel Green arrives in New York as a runaway bride and grows into a fashion professional who works at Bloomingdale’s and later at Ralph Lauren. Jennifer Aniston plays her with a focus on career shifts, evolving friendships, and a long running relationship arc that helps define the ensemble’s storytelling. The series aired on NBC and built a weekly audience around workplace and apartment set plots.

Costume designer Debra McGuire used fitted blazers, slip dresses, and everyday knits to build a look that viewers copied in real life. The layered haircut known as the Rachel became a salon request across the world. The character’s storylines include retail floor work, assistant roles, and eventual buyer responsibilities that tracked upward mobility in a realistic way for a sitcom.

Don Draper — ‘Mad Men’ (2007–2015)

Don Draper serves as creative director and later partner at an advertising firm, leading campaigns that mirror shifts in American culture. Jon Hamm’s performance centers on pitches, client management, and the pressure of a competitive agency. The show ran on AMC and used workplace dynamics to explore how brands and workers adapted to new decades.

Costume designer Janie Bryant guided a wardrobe that influenced a modern revival of slim suits, narrow ties, and pocket squares. Storylines feature accounts like Kodak and Hilton, office reorganizations, and identity revelations that tie back to Don’s past. The series documents presentations, research trips, and office politics that frame how Draper operates in high stakes meetings.

Daenerys Targaryen — ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

Daenerys Targaryen begins in exile and rises through alliances, military campaigns, and hard won titles. Emilia Clarke charts a path that includes language learning in Dothraki and Valyrian, leadership decisions, and the stewardship of dragons. The series aired on HBO and structured her arc across continents with changing advisors and rival claimants.

Costume shifts from soft fabrics to armor accented pieces signaled phases of rule and travel. Signature scenes include city liberations and negotiations that balance ethics with strategy. The character’s sigil usage, dragon names, and royal customs appear in props and production design that fans recognize immediately.

Olivia Pope — ‘Scandal’ (2012–2018)

Olivia Pope runs a crisis management firm that handles political emergencies, media strategy, and legal coordination. Kerry Washington anchors episodes built around rapid response plans, briefing preparation, and client confidentiality. The show aired on ABC and used fast paced dialogue to depict Beltway problem solving.

Costume designer Lyn Paolo emphasized pale palettes, structured coats, and polished accessories that created a professional uniform. Plots cover campaign crises, courtroom complications, and international incidents that require detailed plans and team assignments. The series also tracks leadership changes at Olivia Pope and Associates and the long term fallout of high profile choices.

Fox Mulder — ‘The X-Files’ (1993–2018)

Fox Mulder works as an FBI special agent assigned to unsolved cases that involve the unexplained. David Duchovny portrays him as a meticulous investigator who builds case files, conducts field interviews, and debates evidence with his partner Dana Scully. The series aired on Fox and blended procedural structure with serialized mythology.

Recurring elements include basement office scenes, informant meetings, and a poster that sets the tone for Mulder’s worldview. Episodes move between conspiracy threads and stand alone cases with clear investigative steps. The character’s background in behavioral science and his family history inform how he approaches each lead.

Jessica Jones — ‘Jessica Jones’ (2015–2019)

Jessica Jones operates Alias Investigations and takes on clients who arrive with complex problems that involve surveillance, witness interviews, and personal risk. Krysten Ritter plays her as a private investigator who documents evidence, tracks patterns, and works with a small circle of allies. The series streamed on Netflix and kept the focus on street level cases inside a larger universe.

Visual identity favors worn leather jackets, boots, and functional layers that match the long hours of city work. Major arcs include legal obstacles, trauma recovery, and confrontations that test boundaries around control and consent. The character’s office setup, camera equipment, and case notes all support the realism of detective work on screen.

Damon Salvatore — ‘The Vampire Diaries’ (2009–2017)

Damon Salvatore arrives in Mystic Falls with a complex history that intersects with town lore, family rivalry, and supernatural rules. Ian Somerhalder’s portrayal follows alliances, betrayals, and redemptive choices that affect the group’s survival strategy. The series aired on The CW and organized its seasons around rituals, artifacts, and council politics.

Key details include the daylight ring, blood ethics, and regional flashbacks that explain past conflicts. The character participates in plans that require negotiation with witches, hybrids, and hunters. Wardrobe tends toward dark jackets and fitted shirts that fit the show’s nocturnal settings and recurring action scenes.

Villanelle — ‘Killing Eve’ (2018–2022)

Villanelle works as a contracted assassin whose assignments take her across Europe with precise planning and language skills. Jodie Comer depicts a professional who studies routines, plots escape routes, and adapts to new identities as needed. The series aired on BBC America and paired investigative procedure with psychological cat and mouse turns.

Wardrobe became a signature element with standout tailoring and couture pieces that mark each location. Storylines focus on handler relationships, agency oversight, and the operational details of surveillance and countersurveillance. The character’s coded messages, safe houses, and travel documents appear repeatedly as tools of the job.

Harvey Specter — ‘Suits’ (2011–2019)

Harvey Specter is a senior partner who specializes in mergers, negotiations, and courtroom tactics. Gabriel Macht plays a closer who builds strategies around leverage, precedent, and client management. The series aired on USA Network and set most scenes inside offices, conferences, and New York courthouses.

Tailored suits, crisp shirts, and precise grooming reinforce the image of preparation for high level meetings. Plotlines show mentor relationships, firm name changes, and ethics hearings that shape case outcomes. The character’s approach blends settlement calculus with trial readiness and careful reading of opposing counsel.

Buffy Summers — ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

Buffy Summers balances high school and college life with nightly patrols that follow the rules of Slayer lineage and Watcher guidance. Sarah Michelle Gellar leads a team that coordinates research, weapon choice, and patrol schedules. The series first aired on The WB and later continued on UPN as the story expanded into new settings.

Recurring tools include wooden stakes, crossbows, and protective rituals that fit the show’s monster of the week structure. Multi episode arcs introduce councils, prophecies, and portals that require teamwork at the library and later at new bases. Wardrobe often mixes practical pieces with symbolic items that mark turning points in training and leadership.

Share your picks in the comments and tell us which TV characters you would add to the list.