20 Gilmore Girls Characters Ranked: From Lorelai To Kirk

20 Best Gilmore Girls Characters, Ranked

Gilmore Girls still featuring Lorelai and Rory at the 24-hour dance-a-thon.MovieStillsDB

By Cher Thompson Published 4 minutes ago

Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV.

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Few shows have achieved the lasting cultural impact of Gilmore Girls, and while there are far more than 20 characters in the world of the show, some have made more of an impact than others. Gilmore Girls first premiered on The WB in 2000, and though it spent its last season on The CW, the show was quintessential WB viewing.

Full of pop culture references, the fast-talking stars of Gilmore Girls were laying out a slowly structured story that revolved around Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), a single mother with a teen daughter, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). Revealing Lorelai's background, including her estrangement with her well-off parents Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop), and her life after leaving luxury behind, Gilmore Girls spanned seven seasons.

While the blend of rapid-fire dialogue, emotional sincerity, and offbeat humor was a hit during its original run, Gilmore Girls has gained more traction in its years off the air than it did during its time on The WB. The show's resurgence ahead of its 2016 Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, brought new fans to the show and a renewed interest overall.

Part of the show’s enduring power comes from the universe Amy Sherman-Palladino created alongside her writing partner and spouse, Daniel Palladino. Sherman-Palladino's fictionalized Connecticut town, Stars Hollow, always felt like a lived-in world, even though it was often simply the backdrop of Lorelai and Rory's problems. The town's rhythms and quirks kept viewers invested and anchored the show as a universe of its own.

Often, the beauty of Gilmore Girls lies more in the characters that build the world rather than the stories being told. As a long-time Gilmore Girls fan who's been able to watch the show at different phases, I continue to have a varied relationship with the show's story. Over the years, my opinions on characters have changed, giving more clarity to some type of hierarchy.

While there isn't going to be a definitive way to rank the Gilmore Girls characters that would satisfy everybody, this ranking is looking at the overall interest a character provides. For some, that may mean there are characters on this list who seem like the worst of the show's history, but they may have sparked conflict, provided comic relief, or grounded the show's themes as it moved.

20 April Nardini

Played By Vanessa Marano

April Nardini sitting in front of her science project on Gilmore Girls

You may be thinking, "Why is April Nardini (Vanessa Marano) on a list of the 20 best characters when she is arguably the worst thing to happen to Gilmore Girls?" While I see your question, I raise you this: the execution of April was atrocious, made worse by the fact that the majority of her time on the show came from a non-Amy Sherman-Palladino sanctioned era.

However, April's time on the show put Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) into the most difficult predicament viewers saw him face. April's existence challenged Luke and Lorelai's relationship, and for that alone, she's a distinct and memorable piece of the Gilmore puzzle. That, and her appearance in Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life made me laugh, so she got points for that.

19 Taylor Doose

Played By Michael Winters

Taylor Doose talking during a town meeting on Gilmore Girls

Michael Winters' eccentric Taylor Doose is one of the best Gilmore Girls background characters on the series. Grounded in his rivalry with Luke and his intense need to control everything happening in Stars Hollow, Taylor's a driving force in the town's biggest events. Without Taylor working behind the scenes, the Gilmores wouldn't have any of their favorite festivals, which always make for memorable moments.

18 Christopher Hayden

Played By David Sutcliffe

Christopher Hayden sitting with Lorelai on a date on Gilmore Girls

While Lorelai had her fair share of relationships throughout Gilmore Girls' run, none of them were more important than her relationship with Rory's father, Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe). I could wax poetic about the relationship between Christopher and Rory for ages, but the most integral piece of Christopher being on this list lies in his consistent inconsistency.

Christopher was often the least dependable piece of the puzzle on Gilmore Girls, which made his visits both hair-raising (good) and hair-raising (bad). The fact that one character could ooze charm in one moment and toss away his parental obligations in the next was always fascinating to watch, making Christoper another driving force in the way Rory and Lorelai operate.

17 Logan Huntzberger

Played By Matt Czuchry

Logan and Rory sitting on a couch looking uncomfortable in Gilmore Girls

Logan and Rory sitting on a couch looking upset and nervous on Gilmore Girls

Before we talk about each of these men individually, please note that I've tried to take my personal enjoyment of each of Rory's relationships out of the ranking entirely. For transparency, I'm team Jess, but I get why other Rory relationships are enjoyed and respect each of them for what they ultimately meant in her life. Now, onto Logan Huntzberger.

Logan, played by the ever-charming Matt Czuchry, is the least interesting of Rory's boyfriends in my eyes. I think ultimately, Logan served the purpose of allowing Rory a true into the life that Lorelai ran away from, which is interesting, albeit a little unnecessary. As a character, Logan was full of fun-loving nonsense.

As a character, I rarely thought about him outside the scope of his relationship with Rory, and though I think that's the point, it makes him matter less. While he's still important overall, he's not as interesting as other Gilmore men.

16 Max Medina

Played By Scott Cohen

Lorelai and Max in the snow in Gilmore Girls

Again, you are probably wondering why Lorelai's boyfriend, who only appeared in a handful of episodes, is on this list, but I think Max Medina (Scott Cohen) sits in an interesting position when it comes to the show's overall trajectory. Max and Lorelai's relationship represents a sense of stability that Lorelai didn't think was possible in her life, and opens her up to more later on.

Throughout Gilmore Girls' earliest moments, it's clear that Lorelai's fears are guiding her away from long-term relationships that are fulfilling. Yes, she's busy being a mother to Rory and handling her life overall, but Lorelai has shied away from romance for more than just inconvenience. Max, who's a sweet, patient, smart guy, has a meaningful influence that simmers throughout the show.

15 Jess Mariano

Played By Milo Ventigmila

Rory looks upset in a conversation with Jess

Jess and Rory still from Gilmore Girls

To me, Jess Mariano (Milo Ventigmila) was the boyfriend who could connect with Rory on a genuine level the most consistently, but to be clear: he was a bad boyfriend. This, unfortunately for those of you who don't like Jess, makes him a good character. Jess' life outside his relationship with Rory was always interesting to learn about.

From his difficulties with his mother, Luke's space-case sister Liz Danes (Kathleen Wilhoite), to his absent father, to his job at Walmart, Jess had a rich life that wasn't solely based on his relationship with Rory, which made him more interesting to watch. Plus, who doesn't love a broody, eternally misunderstood bad(ish) boy in a leather jacket?

14 Mrs. Kim

Played By Emily Kuroda

Lane looks over at Mrs. Kim while she's talking in Gilmore Girls

Lane and Mrs. Kim

Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda) is one of the most interesting characters on Gilmore Girls because of her antiques shop alone. The mother of Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), Mrs. Kim is introduced as a health-conscious Korean business-owner who doesn't really care for Lorelai being a single parent.

As Gilmore Girls continues, Mrs. Kim's character finds a surprising depth for the amount of time she's on screen, and develops an incredibly fun sense of humor. While there are moments between Lane and her mother that are deeply painful, some of Gilmore Girls' most comedic moments stem between the pair, and that duality can't be beat.

13 Dean Forester

Played By Jared Padalecki

Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Dean (Jared Padalecki) smiling in formalwear in Gilmore Girls

Okay, hear me out: Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki) may not be a great guy as the show progresses, but he's easily the best character Rory's ever romantically involved with. Dean is a great first love. He's earnest, sweet, enamored, and supportive, plus he's able to charm Lorelai more than anticipated.

All of this is great, but when Gilmore Girls paints Dean into a more sinister piece of Rory's puzzle, he becomes infinitely more interesting. Dean is a character who evolves over time, and the messy relationship he shares with Rory is a huge part of her story as she grows up. While Dean doesn't have as rich an outer life as Jess, he's the most nuanced Rory boyfriend.

12 Michel Gerard

Played By Yanic Truesdale

Michel sits in the secret bar in Gilmore Girls A Year In The Life

Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale), a deeply French concierge trying to work at the Independence Inn when we meet him, is one of the most frustrating-yet-charming pieces of Lorelai's life. While we don't always know much about what's happening with Michel, he's consistently around and brings a sense of humor to the series.

Michel's unique personality enriches Stars Hollow in a different way than other townspeople, especially because of his proximity to Lorelai. Existing in a world outside of the rest of the town, Michel is always a joy to watch.

11 Luke Danes

Played By Scott Patterson

Luke And Lorelai looking at each other and smiling while sitting on the front steps of a house in Gilmore Girls.

Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls

Although Scott Patterson's Luke is a charming, gruff-yet-loyal diner owner who finds himself enamored with Lorelai on paper, the character often has a surprising amount of depth. Luke's personality doesn't work in the same way I'd like long-term, as his outward grouchiness started to feel less realistic and more like a shtick as the show went on.

That being said, Luke is one of the most important people on Gilmore Girls, and his character is an important part of Lorelai's story. Existing well on his own without Lorelai's influence, when Luke and Lorelai finally do find their way to each other, he becomes that much richer of a character.

Gilmore Girls

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