Main Characters (Logan Roy, Kendall Roy, Siobhan "Shiv" Roy, Roman Roy) | Extended Roy Family | Waystar RoyCo | Other Companies | Politics | Other Characters
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The Roy Family
In General
- "This family is a nest of vipers."— Ewan Roy
The Roys are an uber-rich family of first-generation immigrants (from the Scottish Isles) who made their fortunes building up and then running a right-wing media and entertainment conglomerate.
- Ambition Is Evil: All of them crave influence and wealth and build their relationships upon power plays rather than normal human interaction.
- Animal Motifs: Predators and/or large animals, especially reptiles:
- Both Logan and Ewan explicitly compare the family to snakes.
- Connor describes the Roy family’s global influence like this: “Butterfly wings, but bigger. Huge wings. Like a pterodactyl.”
- Lawrence Yee calls them "bloated dinosaurs".
- In the Season 1 promotional poster, the Roys have Rubens's "Tiger Hunt" hanging behind them.
- There's the humiliating game of "Boar on the Floor" that Logan has his family members play.
- Anti-Hero: At their very, very best, they are this, but mostly they are Villain Protagonists.
- Ascetic Aesthetic: With the possible exception of Shiv, who is considered something a style icon within the fandom, all the Roys are very conservative dressers, decked out in browns, grays and blacks. The lack of logos and bespoke tailoring betray their "stealth wealth", but the void of creativity and imagination in their clothes speaks to the Roys' general disinterest in everything culture-related. Their homes and apartments are likewise very dull spaces.
- Being Evil Sucks: Not a single good person among them, and not a single happy one, either. Turns out Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, prioritization of money above all else, dehumanization, rampant abuse, and constant violation of personal boundaries do not well-adjusted people make.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Wealthy, powerful, dysfunctional.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: A genetic family trait, apparently, with Kendall being the worst offender and Logan's brother Ewan being the sole exception to the trend.
- Comedic Sociopathy: Occasionally averted, e.g. in the case of Kendall seeing the consequences of his crimes and feeling remorse, but mostly played straight.
- Consummate Liar: Played with. Logan is naturally one and generally treats words as weapons. As a result, the entire family has a... complicated relationship with the truth and sincerity.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: The entire cast are high-ranking business people who are comfortable firing people, covering up major crimes, killing the freedom of speech and shifting blame if it means they get to keep and/or multiply their wealth and power. (Greg, who is merely an executive assistant rather than a boss, is also complicit in the system).
- Dysfunction Junction: They are a toxic, codependent, unhappy lot, with their issues running the gamut from addiction (Kendall) to sexual dysfunction (Roman) and marital troubles (Shiv).
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Played straight; even Logan, easily the worst and most uncaring of the lot, seems to genuinely love Marcia.
- Family Theme Naming: Logan, Ewan, Siobhan and Roman all have names ending in -an.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Of the four Roy children, Kendall is Melancholic, Roman is Choleric, Shiv is Phlegmatic, and Connor is Sanguine.
- Freudian Excuse: The generational cycles of abuse have led to the Roys being unpleasant, unhappy people.
- Freudian Trio: Of the three children from Logan's second marriage, chaotic, intuitive Roman is The McCoy, calculating Shiv is The Spock, and Kendall is somewhere in between as The Kirk.
- It's All About Me: The entire family is self-absorbed, selfish, and only concerned with themselves.
- Lonely Rich Kid: All the Roy children are implied to have had this type of childhood, although Kendall does have a longtime frenemy in Stewie.
- Manchild: Other than Ewan, none of the Roys are what you'd call very mature and all are stuck in various stages of arrested development.
- Meaningful Name: Roy as in royalty.
- Nepotism: None of the Roy children would really be where they are were it not for the family name. Kendall is competent in business, but lacks the killer instinct needed. Roman is nothing but killer instinct and screws up just about every job he's given, Tom has a do-nothing job pretty much because he's Shiv's fiance and Greg was so incompetent as a theme park mascot that he...became the number 2 go-fer to Tom. Even Shiv, who seems to have her own career outside of the family business, is implied to have gotten where she is because she has connections that most would envy and isn't shy about using them.
- Never My Fault: All of them are great at deflecting responsibility for their terrible actions.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The very concept of a media dynasty brings the Murdochs to mind (with Logan and Kendall having clear Murdoch counterparts), although the family has shades of the Redstones and the Trumps, as well.
- Non-Idle Rich: Zig-zagged. Most of the Roys are pretty industrious in spite of their wealth; however, their levels of competence are often insufficient for the positions they find themselves in.
- Nouveau Riche: Only Logan and Ewan were not born into privilege, but the lack of blue in the Roy bloodline is very clear when it comes to their education and views on culture.
- Pet the Dog: The Roys are varying degrees of terrible, but all of them (except Logan) are capable of demonstrating familial concern; the three younger Roy children in particular have moments in between all the backstabbing where they comfort each other or stand up to Logan in each other's defense.
- Rich Bitch: They are all rich and very unpleasant, albeit to varying degrees.
- Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: None of them are stupid (except Connor), but all the Roy children are completely ignorant of the way 99% of the population live.
- Schemer: Everyone in the family, down to the buffoonish Cousin Greg.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Their motto might as well be "money wins".
- Sibling Rivalry: The Show. However, the Roy children do, on occasion, look out for each other.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: The brother duos have this characterization: Logan and Ewan are Cain and Abel, and Roman and Kendall are Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling, respectively.
- Simple, yet Opulent: The family's look is that of "stealth wealth" — i.e. very expensive, logo-free clothes that don't call attention to themselves.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: If there's anything the Roys are collectively good at, it's lobbing insults at other people and at each other (preferably with expletives mixed in).
- Spoiled Brat: All the Roy children, with Roman and Connor being especially egregious examples.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: With some exceptions, a large portion of their humiliations and misfortunes are Played for Laughs.
- Upper-Class Wit: They may be lacking in common sense and competency, but all the Roys are well-versed in Snark-to-Snark Combat and are rarely pressed for creative insults and/or comebacks.
- Villain Protagonist: The entire ensemble is vying for the control of an evil right-wing propaganda media conglomerate.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: All the Roy kids are jockeying for Logan's favor in their own ways, with the mild exception of Connor, who isn't self-aware enough to want it. Kendall tries to gain respect and approval by trying to destroy his father in business, since that's what his father taught him. Roman is after attention and respect too, and openly crumbles when Logan calls him a moron to his face. Shiv pretends she's above the fray with her own career, but the moment Logan offers her a Deal with the Devil, she takes it.
- Wicked Cultured: Averted; they all have the wicked aspect down in one way or another, but none of them have particularly good taste and for the most part they have a dim view of culture.
Logan & Ewan's Family
Uncle Noah
"Uncle" Noah Roy
Portrayed By: N/A
- Abusive Dad: Or rather, an abusive father figure to Logan and likely Rose and Ewan. It isn't stated outright, but the implications are clear: Logan remarks that he never would have been able to talk back to his uncle, Kendall refers to him as "Evil Uncle Noah" and Logan is seen with numerous permanent scars on his back.
- Greater-Scope Villain: His utterly horrific treatment of Logan shaped him into the abusive tyrant he is now, making him indirectly responsible for all the misery and destruction Logan has spread to both his children and the political world.
- Posthumous Character: Considering the advanced age of Logan and Ewan, Noah is surely long-dead.
Rose
Rose Roy
Portrayed By: N/A
Logan and Ewan's younger sister, who died in infancy.
- Morality Pet: Quite possibly the only person on earth that Logan holds any level of genuine love for, to the point he blames himself for her death.
- Posthumous Character: She died from polio in the 1940's, long before any of the Roy kids were even born. Ewan reveals, at Logan's funeral, that Uncle Noah blamed Logan for her death, saying that he brought polio back with him from boarding school (which, of course, Noah had sent him to in the first place, to toughen him up); it's a guilt that Logan kept with him for the rest of his life, even if it wasn't really true.
Ewan's side of the Family
Ewan
Ewan Roy
Portrayed By: James Cromwell
Logan's estranged older brother and Greg's grandfather who resides in Canada.
- Big Brother Bully: While not overtly bullying, he definitely wasn't the warmest or most supportive big brother to Logan growing up, which is, along with growing up with their abusive uncle, implied to have played a role in Logan's later state.
- Brutal Honesty: Like his brother, Ewan doesn't hold back on anything he believes, even using Logan's funeral to preach about what an awful person Logan was and how he made the world a worse place.
- Cain and Abel: He's the Abel to Logan's Cain. Ewan despises Logan for a multitude of reasons and they're opposed completely in their view of the world.
- Ironically, Logan seems to view Ewan as his Cain, as he repeatedly mentions how cold Ewan was when they were children.
- Create Your Own Villain: It's hinted that Ewan's cold and unaffectionate demeanor and lack of sympathy for the hardship they both suffered may have played a role in Logan's cold-hearted personality. He runs into the same issue again with Greg, with his perceived indifference to Greg's well-being only pushing him further into Logan's hands.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Ewan cuts Greg off after he's betrayed him for Logan again. In doing so, though, he tries to impart genuine advice in the hopes that Greg will actually learn something of value from the ordeal. It doesn't work.
- Cultured Badass: Unlike his brother, Ewan is quite cultured, name-dropping figures like Tacitus and being well-versed on issues related to climate change. He also apparently volunteered to fight in Vietnam, though Logan teases he never saw combat, which may or may not be true.
- Fatal Flaw: His brusque demeanor. Ewan is morally righteous, but he is a cold, unaffectionate person, which may have shaped Logan's brutal personality, and definitely drove Greg to take Logan's side over his. He could've steered Greg in a more positive direction if he'd ever shown him any real guidance or affection or treated him like a grandson rather than an inconvenience.
- Fat and Skinny: He's the tall and skinny to Logan's "fat" (although Logan is more short and stocky).
- Gone Horribly Wrong: He cuts Greg out of his will in the hopes that it will get him to mature and grow as a person. Instead, it just pushes Greg to work with Logan further out of desperation.
- Good Is Not Nice: Ewan is in a perpetually grumpy mood, but he's the most honorable member of the Roy family.
- Grumpy Old Man: Honorable as he may be, he's still tough to get along with.
- Hidden Depths: His surprise eulogy at Logan's funeral, while still a searing indictment of his brother (and of many of the guests in attendance), reveals that truthfully Ewan does still love his brother and understands what warped him, but was horrified and disappointed by what he became. He even briefly acknowledges his own hypocrisy.
- Holier Than Thou: Ewan believes he is far more noble and righteous than the rest of the Roys, including his own grandson, and isn't at all shy about letting them know it.
- Hypocrite: Despite claiming to be better than the other Roys, Ewan is still not necessarily a wholly upstanding person upon further analysis.
- He gives Greg a rather cruel ultimatum to either stop working for Logan or to be cut off his inheritance.
- Does not appear to give Greg or his mother much financial assistance despite being quite wealthy himself.
- Despite his holier-than-thou attitude towards Logan, he does not relinquish his board seat and has profited handsomely from Logan’s company despite his belief that Logan has hypothetically done more damage than Hitler if millions perish in climate crises to come. This does not appear to stop him from quietly taking his cut of the profits or leaving the company altogether. If his threat to donate Greg's inheritance is any indication, however, it is suggested that he adopts the "take bad money and do something good with it" approach to this particular ethical dilemma.
- He threatens to give Greg’s $250 million inheritance to Greenpeace if Greg does not quit his job, implying he is still hoarding some wealth and does not usually donate much of it to the climate crisis he seems so concerned with, instead opting to live in the Canadian wilderness in a private estate alone and isolated from the world. This is despite living a fairly frugal life where such a fortune wouldn't be necessary. However, when Greg proves to be a lost cause, Ewan's true to his word and actually does give the charity this large sum of cash.
- He also shares Logan’s penchant for being a bit of a manipulator. When Greg comes to him seeking help obtaining a third-party legal counsel during the battle between Kendall and Logan, Ewan agrees. He brings an unwitting Greg to a seemingly much less expensive lawyer than Kendall or Logan would’ve afforded him (and which Ewan could easily afford) who also essentially tells Greg he will be used as a pawn in some idealized fight against capitalism. The lawyer does not appear to care if Greg is fired or goes to prison, and apparently neither does Ewan.
- He is utterly indifferent to the well-being of Greg beyond the most basic of things and is quite cold towards him, even refusing embraces. Even Logan occasionally hugs his kids and has at least one moment when he tells Greg that he likes him and his tone implies he's sincere. Tellingly, Logan is genuinely torn up about Kendall taking the fall for the Cruise scandal and breaks the news to him in a gentle way while Ewan is completely indifferent at sacrificing Greg just to hurt Logan.
- He refuses to turn against Logan solely due to being family but expects Greg to turn against his cousins and great uncle and is prepared to disinherit him if he doesn't. His adherence to family above all also doesn't stop him from being perfectly willing to sacrifice his own grandson for his own cause.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Deconstructed. He's often dead on in many of his beliefs, that Logan is a reprehensible person who has made the world worse, that Greg needs to mature and that the entire Roy family are terrible people, but his abrasive demeanor and self-righteous attitude and methods of addressing said issues simply by mistreating all of them in the hopes that they will be shamed into improvement as well as the fact that he is not as above them as he'd like to believe tend to undermine his points and lead everyone to ignore him.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's not the warmest or friendliest person around but he is the only one in the family to care about the effects of the news and have seemingly any ideals he puts above wealth.
- Lack of Empathy: Towards Greg, as he rarely shows any concern for his well-being, shows him no warmth or kindness and doesn't even seem overly concerned at the prospect of Greg being ruined or imprisoned if it will allow him to go after Logan.
- Not So Above It All: As noted above, Ewan often shares much of his family’s negative traits, just more subtly. He admits this in his eulogy to Logan, acknowledging that they share many of the same faults and he's not fundamentally as morally superior to Logan as he might have acted or believed. However, he also points out that the key difference is that he at least tries to be better and do the right thing, whereas Logan just gave up, let the worst parts of himself have free reign, and wallowed in corruption and cynicism.
- "Not So Different" Remark: A case of someone admitting this of themselves. In his eulogy for Logan, he acknowledges that they shared a lot of the same flaws and that he wasn't as morally superior as he necessarily believed or acted. However, Ewan also points out that he nevertheless at least tried to be a good person, whereas Logan gave up doing so.
- The One Thing I Don't Hate About You: For all the guilt tripping he sends Logan's way, he honestly tells him that what happened to Rose - one of the very few things Logan actually blames himself for - was not his fault.
- Only Sane Man: He's the only one in the Roy family to have any real moral backbone and the only one who isn't incredibly immature and ruled by their worst impulses.
- Pet the Dog:
- Ewan, even though his distaste for Logan is clear, does not vote against him in the no-confidence vote.
- As much as he loves to vilify Logan, he honestly tells him that he shouldn't blame himself over their sister Rose's death, believing it wasn't his fault.
- In his eulogy, he even takes a few moments to acknowledge the hardships Logan faced, including his guilt over their sister's death, which Ewan says he was unfairly blamed for by their aunt and uncle.
- As Cromwell himself said, he feels deep pity for Kendall at the funeral, believing the boy is just gone by this point.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He has his brother's knack for it. In "Dundee" he turns up almost exclusively to insult Logan to his face or otherwise talk about what an utterly rotten person he is. He's possibly the only character to be better at them than Logan.Ewan: I'm just surprised you're still standing. Any other man would've died from the shame.Logan: Uh-huh.Ewan: It's hard to know which is more toxic: your news outlets or your cruise division. All those years blaming yourself for Rose...Logan: I'm not interested.Ewan: That really wasn't your fault. This, though... This is your fault. This empire of shit. Time to pay up.
- The Scrooge: Has a considerable fortune to his name, but he lives a modest lifestyle, and certainly doesn't do much to help Greg or his mother financially.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Ewan peppers much of his speech with highly verbose and flowery words and references to high culture and literature, often replying to Greg's questions by quoting philosophers, historical figures and academics. It gradually gets worse as the series progresses and emphasizes how Ewan is more interested in making a point than actually engaging with people.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: With Logan and it causes the two to detest one another. This even plays into their appearances as Logan is short, heavy set, and well-groomed while Ewan is very tall, skinny and often has a fairly disheveled appearance with a thick beard compared to Logan's neatly trimmed goatee.
- Soapbox Sadie: Nearly any topic will prompt a moralizing comment from Ewan.Greg: Happy Thanksgiving!Ewan: Not for the Indians.
- Strawman Political: He's one of upper class "limousine liberals" whose righteousness doesn't stop them from engaging in the same behavior they judge others for or benefitting from said behavior.
- Sympathy for the Devil: He recounts during his eulogy for Logan that Logan started to feel guilty in the belief that he had brought home the polio that took the life of their infant sister, Rose. He notes with distinct disapproval that their adoptive aunt and uncle made no efforts to assuage Logan's guilt, and made a deliberate choice to let Logan carry that guilt inside of him. It suggests that Ewan realizes with some sympathy that the episode became a Freudian Excuse for Logan giving up trying.
- Take That!: A not-so-subtle one toward overtly self-righteous liberals who nonetheless act like the people they claim to despise.
- Thicker Than Water: He might despise Logan with every cell in his body, but he's still family, and as such Ewan won't betray him to Kendall, whom he hates a lot more than Logan. Logan keeping him on the board and allowing him to profit from the company implies the feeling is at least somewhat mutual.
- Token Good Teammate: Of the Roys or at least as much as one can be with the Roys. He's the only one who actually seems to give a damn about what their media influence is doing to the world itself.
- We Used to Be Friends: Logan and Ewan, in their sparse interactions, do appear to have some fond memories and even appear on the cusp of bonding in “Dundee.” There’s a tinge of regret in their interactions. This is made more apparent in Ewan's eulogy, where he outlines their shared traumas in their childhood, and is saddened that his brother 'stopped trying' to be a good person.
Marianne
Marianne Hirsch
Portrayed By: Mary Birdsong
Logan's niece and Greg's mother.
- The Beard: Implied Trope with the repeated allusions to her husband, Greg's father, being gay.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She disappears after the beginning of Season 1, even though the pilot appears to set her up as a semi-important character.
- Gone Horribly Right: Marianne forces her son to go to Logan Roy ask for any job opportunities that are available for him so that he doesn't remain a deadbeat loser. Not only does Greg end up getting a secure position at Waystar, but it makes him so wealthy that he's able to cancel her credit cards.
- Irony: In the pilot episode, Marianne strictly tells Greg that she's not giving him any more money due to his bad habit of wasting it on trivial things. By the time of Season 3, Greg is now the one cutting her off, due to her trying to invest in blatantly obvious scams.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: You can't blame her for wanting Greg to pull his weight, but in doing so, she actually succeeded too well, making him go to the Roys and, in doing so, indirectly getting him involved in the cruise ship scandal (which could have led to him going to prison).
- Not So Above It All: Her intial appearances seem to suggest a generally competent person annoyed by her son's pathetic antics. Yet in season 3, Greg reveals that he's had to cancel her credit cards to ensure she doesn't waste her time investing in scams in the wake of Kendall's company-damaging coup.
Logan's Wives
Caroline
Lady Caroline Collingwood
Portrayed By: Harriet Walter
"Some people just aren't made to be mothers. I should have had dogs."
The second wife of Logan Roy and Kendall, Shiv, and Roman's mother.
- Abusive Parents: Much like Logan, her love for her children is not unconditional. She's perfectly happy to use them as sharp tools to hurt Logan from time to time, and indeed seems to see this as their primary use.
- Allergic to Routine: Harriet Walter’s explanation for why Caroline’s The Gadfly: it’s a defense mechanism like Roman’s, and she’s afraid of being alone and actually having to think.
- Alliterative Name: Caroline Collingwood.
- Alpha Bitch: There's perhaps nothing that makes Caroline happier than swooping into a situation and destroying everyone with passive-aggressive sniping.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: She's from an aristocratic family and is a horrifically abusive and unpleasant woman.
- Child Hater: She bemoans having kids instead of dogs, right in front of her daughter.
- Establishing Character Moment: Shiv already talked about her as someone who thinks It's All About Me and would make her daughter move her wedding, but from the very first line she’s passive aggressive to everyone.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: As cold as she is, she does seem to have affection for her romantic partners: she pushes back on insults towards her then-boyfriend Rory, and appears to be quite fond of Peter (albeit in a condescending way.)
- Evil Is Petty: Caroline carries herself like a high school bully whose sole pleasure in life seems to come from finding new ways to be horrible to every around her.
- Evil Matriarch: Once upon a time, she was this for the Roys, but the subsequent divorce and semi-estrangement means she doesn't have much of a family to bully any longer...so she gets in her licks whenever she possibly can.
- Female Misogynist: While she treats her sons badly as well, she saves most of her venom for Shiv.
- The Gadfly: Roman seems to get it from her. The highlight is when she goes around her own daughter's wedding asking guests how long they think the wedding will last.
- Hate Sink: Easily one of the most unlikable characters in the whole series. She may be even less sympathetic than Logan, believe it or not.
- Hypocrite:
- Tells Shiv at her wedding that it's not all about her, after her daughter calls her out for asking everyone how long they think the marriage will last.
- After telling him she doesn’t want him around because her new husband is trying to suck up to Logan, she tells Kendall to get off his high horse. For extra points, they’re mirroring each other’s position showing how much Kendall is like his mother.
- Ice Queen: Caroline is far from passionless, but she's staggeringly cold-hearted to those around her, even (or especially) her own children.
- Impoverished Patrician: While not poor by any stretch of the imagination, Caroline is noticeably less wealthy than the other Roys. She lives alone in a relatively modest home, and prepares her own food (including pheasant that still has some shot in it.)
- It's All About Me: Caroline's first concern is Caroline. During Shiv's wedding, she makes a little speech which she uses to take a public shot at Logan before casually telling Shiv she loves her "after a fashion".
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: In season three episode "Chiantishire", Caroline — who has spent the whole show thus far being the protagonists' bitter mother — has a heartfelt conversation with Shiv, claiming she gave up custody of the kids because she genuinely thought they would be happier in Logan's environment than hers, and most importantly, because their futures would be assured by her divorce settlement, that granted all three would have substantial shares at Waystar. Only one episode later, she exchanges said futures and assurances for an apartment and connections for her new husband. Her children, who at the moment were exactly trying to use their shares as leverage to get their father to back down from a potentially dangerous deal, are not pleased to learn that.
- Kick the Dog:
- Since she makes so few appearances, she takes advantage of every second to inflict as much pain as she can on Logan and their children. Of special note is her interaction with Kendall, who's on the verge of making a heart-breaking confession...only for her to see an emotional homecoming on the approach and move to avoid it.
- Even though her daughter was a tween or very young teen when she chose to live with her father, Caroline seems to think that’s an equal sin to being a horrible and absent mother. It's also unclear how much agency Shiv even had in this decision, and the extent to which Caroline is simply blaming her children for her own decision to leave them behind.
- Lack of Empathy: She's just as cold and indifferent to her children's feelings as Logan.
- Manipulative Bitch: Saves most of her emotional abuse for her daughter Shiv, who tells Tom that she seems to save it for when she's at her lowest.
- Maternally Challenged: Shiv is fighting not to cry when Caroline tells her she should have never had children.
- Mirror Character: Both she and Shiv get warnings about being pushed down the stairs, have husbands who are using them to get to Logan, and are dismissed by Logan in turn.
- Never My Fault: Cajoles Shiv into having a wedding in England, something she didn’t want, and then manipulates some more with “I hope we can be civil”.
- Parental Blamelessness: Much like Logan, she accepts no responsibility for how her children turned out.
- Parental Favouritism: Caroline's favorite is Roman: in addition to their similar personalities, he expects absolutely nothing from her, which suits her just fine. When Roman breaks down at his father's funeral, she genuinely looks sympathetic at his plight.
- Pet the Dog:
- She gives Shiv a very rare moment of comfort after Marcia gives her a vicious "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- She goes out of her way to include Kerry at Logan's funeral, letting her sit with Logan's other ex-wives and mistresses.
- In the finale, she's annoyed at her kids' late-night antics but voices sincere happiness that her three children are getting along.
- Playing the Victim Card: She opines that she’s never won a battle in her life, and decides to blame Shiv for being her “onion," instead of owning up that she’s had a part in creating such unhappy little monsters.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: She can't resist taking a jab at Marcia's Middle Eastern ethnicity when talking about her.
- Rich Bitch: She's not quite as rich as she once was, but she still has money, and she's still very bitchy.
- Riches to Rags: Only in the ultra-rich world of the Roy family could Caroline's situation be called "rags" but relative to what she used to have, she's considerably worse off. The stateside Roys throw around millions of dollars with barely a care, but Caroline has to prepare food for herself, which the Roys don't seem to have done in some time.
- Stealth Insult: Her preferred choice of weapon; she knows how to wound with words, and she does so with masterful precision.Shiv: You OK?Tom: [after an encounter with Caroline] Yeah, I think I just got stabbed by your mom, but I'm not completely sure.Shiv: Oh, yeah, that's how it works.
- Useless Bystander Parent: At her wedding to her new boyfriend, she freezes out her son thanks to the former wanting to impress Logan, and tells Shiv that she didn’t want to get dogs because Logan would have kicked them (the implication being that she cared too much about dogs to let them get hurt, but not about the welfare of her own children). Shiv tries to appease her by saying Caroline wasn’t a bad mother, just an absence, and All There in the Manual has Kendall angry at her for leaving him with his dad and the nanny, which emerges in him making a huge vagina tunnel to represent her at his birthday breakdown.
Connor's Mother
Connor's Mother
Portrayed By: N/A
Logan's first wife and mother of Connor.
- The Ghost: She is never seen in the show itself, only mentioned vaguely.
According to Alan Ruck and Jesse Armstrong, she's no longer living.
- Mirror Character: Connor’s mom was institutionalized, was self righteous about the good things she did and is seen as a warning about Logan to other characters. Kendall has been sent to rehab more than once, has Rightly Self-Righteous as one of his biggest flaws, and is treated like Logan’s early wives to be kept in the attic.
- No Name Given: Apart from her surname presumably being "Roy", she is given no first name and referred to in-story as "Connor's mom".
- Non-Idle Rich: Bits of dialogue in "Sad Sack WASP Trap" indicate that she was largely responsible for the Roy family's charitable efforts, as well as their patronage of the arts. This could possibly explain why Connor was so invested in the gala going well (when his dad and younger siblings couldn't be bothered), to the point of obnoxious micromanagement.
- Sanity Slippage: According to the Roy children, she was eventually institutionalized.
Other Family Members
Kendall's Children
Sophie & Iverson Roy
Portrayed By: Swayam Bhatia & Quentin Morales
Kendall's children with Rava.
- Abusive Parents: Kendall is nowhere near as brutal as Logan, but he's still an absentee father - and deeply erratic whenever he is part of their lives.
- Children Are Innocent: They're the only children in the Roy family, and are spared the worst of the series' action.
- Happily Adopted: As happy as anyone can be in the Roy family, at least. Sophie is clearly of a different ethnicity than either of her parents, and her status as an adopted daughter is a complete non-issue. Except for Logan behind Ken's back, apparently.
- Innocently Insensitive: Sophie hugs her dad to show her appreciation for her birthday party, but Kendall, remembering the ways Logan used physical affection as a weapon, looks like a trapped animal.
- Like Father, Like Son: Iverson has mental issues like his father (though these appear to be a developmental issue like autism, whereas Kendall is most likely bipolar), and is treated badly by his grandfather.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Logan apparently believed that Iverson wasn't biologically Kendall's son (with Sophie being confirmed as an adoptee), which Roman points out. Whether there was a legitimate reason to think that or just Logan being an asshole and potentially ableist (as if it wouldn't be out of character for him to want to distance himself from a neurodivergent descendant), is never stated.
- Mirror Character: Iverson to Kendall, being an obviously neuroatypical target of Logan’s abuse, and Sophie to Rava, having to act older to take care of her brother and in some ways her father.
- Nice Girl: When Logan criticises Iverson for liking a book that’s too young for him, Sophie defends her brother.
- Parental Neglect: Kendall admits to Roman and Shiv that he feels disconnected from the kids ever since he killed the waiter, and he was a Disneyland Dad who left coke on their iPads even before then.
- Shrinking Violet: Iverson is very shy and socially awkward.
- Token Minority: Sophie, a visible racial minoritynote , remains peripheral in the fourth season, but her fears about her family's business supporting Mencken in the election serve as a reminder to her white billionaire father of the human and personal cost of his ambition.
Amir
Amir
Portrayed By: Darius Homayoun
Marcia's son, who announces at Thanksgiving dinner that he has been hired to head Waystar Royco's animation division in Europe.
- Foil: Although Out of Focus, his and Marcia's apparently warm relationship and benefits of nepotism is similar and different from the Roys.
- Nepotism: The likely reason he wound up heading Waystar Royco's animation division, without any of the family save Logan being aware.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: While Kendall's keycard puts him at the scene of the waiter's car crash, Amir spotting Kendall in a soaked suit provides the final chain that Logan needs to force Kendall into obedience.
Partners of Family Members
Tabitha
Tabitha
"It is burning my eyes, but I can't look away."
Portrayed By: Caitlin FitzGerald
Roman's girlfriend who had previously had a sexual encounter with Tom at his bachelor party.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Discounting the lack of sex in their relationship, she and Roman really do appear to enjoy each other's company and are often physically affectionate with each other. She teases him about his sexual hang ups but never gets angry about it, and twice tries to help him through them (although one of them backs out both times).
- Birds of a Feather: Just like Roman, she is a witty, snarky agent of chaos who absolutely delights in the humiliations of other people.
- Deadpan Snarker: She has to be very quick-thinking to handle Roman's constant sarcasm, and she often comes out the better in their verbal sparring.
- Depraved Bisexual: A relative example. Tabitha is much less deadly than any of the Roys, but she's a generally callous, cold-hearted person who enjoys hurting other people.
- One Head Taller: She is almost 6 feet tall and towers over the comparatively short Roman.
- Out of Focus: In Season 2, she largely takes a backseat to Roman's relationship with Gerri. She's yet to make any appearances in Season 3, though characters repeatedly refer to her.
- Really Gets Around: She's had sexual encounters with Tom, Naomi, and finds herself in a strange relationship with Roman which is largely sexless due to his numerous preferences.Roman: Is there anyone you haven't fucked?
Tabitha: You. - Sleeps with Everyone but You: Imposed on her by her relationship with Roman. She's slept with Naomi, Tom (kind of) and a lot of people, but she and Roman have a sexless relationship due to his sexual issues.
- Statuesque Stunner: Tabitha is tall and gorgeous, with her height being very evident around the much shorter Roman.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Invoked In-Universe. She disappears for season 3, and Shiv asks Roman what she's up to, Roman merely replying the relationship is "good." It's clear he may be lying.
Grace
Grace
Portrayed By: Molly Griggs
Roman's girlfriend.
- Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: She watches the movie that Roman's studio made with Kendall's kids on Thanksgiving, and admits she thinks it's good. This annoys Roman enough to dump her.
- Retcon: It's clear that the writers thought Roman was married to her during the pilot, but changed their minds and wrote her out.
- Sexless Marriage: Although they're dating rather than married. During her fight with Roman, she throws it in his face that he'll only sleep with her about once every six months.
Peter
Peter Munion
Portrayed By: Pip Torrens
A CEO with a string of failed marriages and business ventures that Caroline marries in Tuscany.
- Butt-Monkey: Everyone considers him to be a clown and treats him as such, with Caroline seemingly not disagreeing.
- The Charmer: Part of why Caroline likes him is his easy way with people, remarking that he's "tremendous fun".
- Scholarship Student: The 0.00001-percenter Roys stick up their noses at the fact that he had the gall to pay for school with a scholarship and buy his own furniture (as opposed to inheriting it).
- Slimeball: It's heavily implied that his marriage to Caroline is largely transactional, and at his own wedding he tries to pump Logan for political connections.
- Social Climber: Currently a failed businessman several times over, he clearly aspires to rise up in society. He tries his best to appease his fiancee's extremely wealthy and powerful ex-husband and asks Logan to put in a good word for him with the British government.
