History Characters / Succession

* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCharacters Other Characters]][[note]]Eduard Asgarov, Michelle Pantsil, Roger Pugh[[/note]]

** [[Characters/SuccessionTomWambsgans Tom Wambsgans]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCompanies Other Companies]][[note]]Sandy Furness, Sandi Furness, Nan Pierce, Naomi Pierce, Mark Pierce, Maxim Pierce, Peter Pierce, Marnie Pierce, Rhea Jarrell[[/note]]

[[/index]]

** [[Characters/SuccessionRomanRoy Roman "Romulus" Roy]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionMainCharacters Main Characters]][[note]]Logan Roy, Marcia Roy, Kendall Roy, Siobhan Roy, Roman Roy, Connor Roy, Greg Hirsch, Tom Wambsgans, Rava Roy, Willa Ferreyra, Frank Vernon, Gerri Kellman, Karl Muller, Karolina Novotney, Hugo Baker, Stewy Hosseini, Lawrence Yee[[/note]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCharacters Other Characters]][[note]]Gil Eavis, Nate Sofrelli, Nan Pierce, Naomi Pierce, Mark Pierce, Maxim Pierce, Peter Pierce, Marnie Pierce, Rhea Jarrell, Sandy Furness, Sandi Furness, Eduard Asgarov, Michelle Pantsil, the President, Michelle-Anne Vanderhoeven[[/note]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionWaystarRoyco Waystar RoyCo]]
* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCharacters Other Characters]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionTheRoyFamily The Extended Roy Family]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionMainCharacters Main Characters]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionTheRoyFamily The Roy Family]][[note]]Logan Roy, Kendall Roy, Siobhan Roy, Roman Roy, Connor Roy, Gregory Hirsch, Marcia Roy, Tom Wambsgans, Willa Ferreya, Tabitha, Rava Roy, Sophie & Iverson Roy, Ewan Roy, Caroline Collingwood, Marianne Hirsch[[/note]]
* [[Characters/SuccessionWaystarRoyco Waystar Royco]][[note]]Frank Vernon, Stewy Hosseini, Lawrence Yee, Paul Chambers, [=Mo McClintock=], Gerri Kellman, Karl Mueller, Karolina Novotney, Hugo Baker, Cyd Peach, Mark Ravenhead, Jamie Laird, Jess Jordan, Bill Lockhart[[/note]]
* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCharacters Other Characters]][[note]]Gil Eavis, Nate Sofrelli, Nan Pierce, Naomi Pierce, Maxim Pierce, Rhea Jarrell, Sandy Furness[[/note]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionWaystarRoyco Waystar Royco]][[note]]Frank Vernon, Stewy Hosseini, Lawrence Yee, Paul Chambers, Mo McClintock, Gerri Kellman, Karl Mueller, Karolina Novotney, Hugo Baker, Cyd Peach, Mark Ravenhead, Jamie Laird, Jess Jordan, Bill Lockhart[[/note]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionOtherCharacters Other Characters]]
[[note]]Gil Eavis, Nate Sofrelli, Nan Pierce, Naomi Pierce, Maxim Pierce, Rhea Jarrell, Sandy Furness[[/note]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionWaystarRoyco Waystar Royco]]

* [[Characters/SuccessionTheRoyFamily The Roy Family]]

[[foldercontrol]]

!The Roy Family

[[folder:In General]]
* 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.
* NouveauRiche: 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.
* WellDoneSonGuy: 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 DealWithTheDevil, she takes it.
* WickedCultured: Averted; they're 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Logan]]
!!Logan Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/BrianCox

Founder of media conglomerate Waystar Royco and patriarch of the Roy family, Logan is intensely protective of his media empire, even in the face of his declining health.
----
* AbusiveParents: Not physically, but his brutal Hobbesian way of seeing the world has led to him pitting his children against one another and destroying their self-confidences (with the exception of Shiv) in the process.
** Also heavily implied that he himself had an abusive uncle [[spoiler: if the scars on his back and his comment about not being able to talk back to his uncle are any indication.]]
* AmbitionIsEvil: Wants to monopolize all news media in order to push his own agenda, making him have unparalleled amounts of influence in the country, and does not really care that the law says he shouldn't.
* ArchnemesisDad: To [[spoiler: Kendall. Kendall's character arc revolves around him standing up to his father by trying to take him down.]]
** [[spoiler: To Shiv too later on as her new client is a Bernie Sanders-style left wing politician who's deadset on bringing Roy down.]]
* BaitTheDog: What starts the feud between him and Kendall that is the central conflict of the show. He promises to step down and give the company to Kendall, but after his stroke and seeing Kendall's general poor handling of the company, he decides to maintain his role as CEO.
* BerserkButton: Having his authority challenged or questioned.
* BigBad: Of the entire show and to so many different people.
* BlatantLies: Him during the family therapy session. It is very obvious to everyone he did not arrange it with any other motive than to cover his own ass.
* ControlFreak: Part of the reason why he doesn't step down. (But also because Kendall is not....great as CEO.)
* EtTuBrute: After [[spoiler: Kendall organizes a vote of no confidence to remove him as CEO of Waystar. He loses all trust in Kendall and most in Roman.]]
** [[spoiler: This happens again after Kendall organizes a buyout of Waystar from under him.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He is objectively a bad person, but he very obviously loves Marcia. And in his continuous attempts to get his children (back) into the company, he expresses his own form of love for his family. When a gunshot goes off at headquarters and he is herded into a panic room, he asks only if Kendall is also safe.
* EvilGenius: Regardless of the impact of his actions, Logan is undeniably a savvy businessman.
* EvilOldFolks
* FatBastard: Logan's got a noticeable gut and is definitely not on the side of the angels.
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:Was physically abused by his uncle for the slightest infractions.]]
* IHaveNoSon: [[spoiler:Treats Kendall this way after the vote of no confidence.]]
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Spent most of his life trying to raise his children to be as brutal as he is to one day inherit the company. This is ironic on three fronts: it breaks his 3 sons, none of whom end up competent enough to run the company successfully; his only daughter, who IS competent enough to run the company, has been driven away from the company; and his son uses those same brute tactics to stage a hostile takeover.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: "Fuck off" seems to be his favorite phrase.
* JerkassHasAPoint: His critiques of his children are bitingly harsh, but aside from the mean-spiritedness of his comments, they're generally true.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: He can barely be called affable, apart from those few scenes of intimacy between him and Marcia. And his rough exterior is a direct reflection of his cruelty.
* LackOfEmpathy: He really doesn't care about the feelings of others, ESPECIALLY his own children.
* {{Narcissist}}: Wants to buy all local TV networks to use as a way of spreading his own worldview.
* NoNonsenseNemesis: He has no patience for weak-willed individuals and half-assed plans. If you're [[spoiler: going to try to oust him, you better be upfront about it.]]
* ThePatriarch
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: That's kind of the point.
* {{Pride}}: He will not let go of his company. He also refuses visitors in his weakened state after his stroke.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Hands these out regularly.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Why Senator Eavis wants to take him down.
* SurroundedByIdiots: His 3 sons, who are in their own ways unfit for any position of authority, let alone CEO of a major corporation.
* VisionaryVillain: He definitely has a vision. Whether that's a good or bad thing is for debate.
* WellDoneSonGuy: His children all seek his approval in some ways, with Kendall and Roman being the most obvious about it. However, they rarely live up to his standards and when they do (Shiv), if it is outside of the family business, he doesn't really care.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kendall]]
!!Kendall Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Jeremy Strong

Kendall, Logan’s second-oldest son, is primed to lead Waystar when Logan retires. However, he has yet to gain the full trust of his father.
----
* BigBrotherInstinct: Immediately yells at Logan, and comforts and examines Roman after Logan backhands him so hard he knocks one of Roman's teeth out. Like the PapaWolf incident below, it's one of the only times he stands up to Logan directly, and this time it's even while he's in the midst of pathetic subservience to Logan.
* DirtyCoward: Actively works behind his father's back to try to get him ousted while being generally genial and pleasant to his face. Though given who Logan is, it's something of a necessity.
* FatalFlaw: His issues with addiction, which Logan is aware of doesn't trust him because of it. [[spoiler:He would have finally had control over Logan had he not driven off for a quick fix during Shiv's wedding.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Becomes just a shell of his former self in the second season, listlessly carrying out his father's orders like a drone.
* NoRespectGuy: His own father has no respect for him, his best intentions are frequently misinterpreted and many of what he thinks are smart plays end up failing because he has relatively little business experience compared to theory. When he does find a strategy that could put him over Logan, he usually does something to ruin it.
* PapaWolf: Lashes out at Logan after Logan hits his son at Thanksgiving.
* RecoveredAddict: One of the reasons Logan doesn't trust him is because he went through rehab.
** FunctionalAddict: He falls off the wagon after being fired, but more or less stays upright until "Nobody is Ever Missing."
* SpeakingLikeTotallyTeen: Multiple times, he tries to use casual and slang-y language to deal with business associates, which goes poorly.
* TookALevelInBadass: Averted. When he tries to take a tough approach to the bank holding the company's debts, it goes over horribly until he gets an escape route via his old friend.
* UndiscriminatingAddict: Kendall's lapses back into substance abuse compel him to consume any drug he can, whether that's meth at a house in New Mexico or ketamine at a secret party in New York.
* WellDoneSonGuy: He's desperate for his father's approval, even when he's in the middle of actively working against him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shiv]]
!!Siobhan "Shiv" Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Sarah Snook

The youngest child in the Roy family, Shiv possesses natural leadership instincts, but would rather wield her talents in politics.
----
* BadassDecay: She loses the cool charisma she had in the first season during the second, when her desire to be Logan's successor drives her to a series of humiliating moments.
* BigEgoHiddenDepths: She has a high opinion of herself both personally and professionally, and frequently taunts her lover with the reminder of how out of his league she was. However, she's just as insecure for a relationship with Logan as the rest of her siblings and does feel guilty for cheating on Tom after he realizes the truth.
* MeaningfulName: Her nickname, while not a bad way to shorten "Siobhan," reflect that she can be a weapon when she needs to be.
* TheUnfettered: She'll do anything to make her candidate win, and being on the winning side in general. Despite being ostensibly liberal, she isn't afraid to use her name to try to get a news station to sink a negative story about her candidate. She then abandons said candidate for being too "safe" (that is, boring) and then gets behind Gil, getting him to put aside his principles for a compromise with Logan (which she secured via blackmail); this makes her lover aghast, as he's backing Gil out of sincere belief, and she mocks him for his idealism.
* UptownGirl: Shiv is this to Tom, a fact that characters repeatedly use to stick a thorn in his side. The series drives this home by having Tom humiliate Shiv's lover at their wedding as this song plays in the background.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to Gerri.
* YourCheatingHeart: When Tom brings up that there's nothing about adultery in her prenuptials, she says she doesn't consider it that big a deal, and that "shit happens;" unsurprisingly she starts cheating on him with an ex and later an actor.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roman]]
!!Roman Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Kieran Culkin

Logan’s son Roman exudes the bravado and cockiness his father desires from a Waystar executive. But, his immaturity and lack of focus has kept him from advancing within the company.
----
* AmbiguouslyBi: Though he talks a lot about how attracted he is to random women (including his own stepmother), his girlfriends complain he never has sex with them, and he seems really fixated on impressing how important he is to his young, attractive, male personal trainer. Others have even suggested he's actually asexual, though the second season reveals that he gets off on humiliation and feigning necrophilia.
* CasanovaWannabe: Roman is always talking about how much sex he gets, but the girl he takes to Shiv's wedding complains that he never has sex with her, and Grace says they only have sex every six months. [[spoiler:Then the second season reveals that he can really only have sex when fantasizing about something deviant, like his partner being dead, or when he's feeling guilt or shame.]]
* DeadpanSnarker
* DidntThinkThisThrough: He has a lot of ideas but little acumen or experience, so many of his attempts at being cunning fall flat and blow up in his face.
* DumbassNoMore: After spending most of the time being humiliated after trying and failing to take after his father, he spends the second season getting more experience, and after being humbled during a [[ItMakesSenseInContext hostage takeover]] he arrives at the yacht much more mature and intelligent, and even impressively quashes a bad deal that otherwise would have been pushed through.
* TheGadfly: Frequently digs into other characters and heaps on the misery when they're at a low point.
* HiddenDepths: Despite all of his dickishness, he really does care about Kendall even as they spar, and despite enjoying coming off as a playboy he often gets insecure and lonely. He's also desperate for Logan's approval even when outright stating that he has almost never told him that he loves him, and has apparently been abused by him in the past.
* ItsAllAboutMe: In true Roy ComedicSociopathy, he goes against advice and pushes his launch ahead as a "wedding present" to Shiv (which she's not even interested in), leading to a disastrous explosion on the launch pad. When it comes to possible fatalities, he's only concerned about whether or not he'd be culpable for the deaths.
* JerkAss: He loves stirring up trouble and drama, and rips up a million dollar check in front of a young boy's face after taunting him about it.
** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Maybe not "gold," but he truly does care about his siblings deep down, and rescues Kendall when the latter starts using again. [[spoiler:He also stands up to Logan to try to argue for Kendall to stay after the latter decides that Kendall will take the fall for the cruises scandal, after defending Gerri from the same fate.]]
* WouldHitAGirl: Gives Shiv a bitchy slap during one of their arguments.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Connor]]
!!Connor Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Alan Ruck

Relative to the other Roy children, Logan’s eldest son (from his first marriage) is uninterested in the demands of navigating Waystar’s internal politics, instead preferring the libertine lifestyle he leads at his ranch.
----
* ButtMonkey: "This is Not for Tears" he is left begging Logan for $100 million because Willa's play left him in serious debt, but Logan's sole condition is that Connor give up his political ambitions, which embarrasses Connor. The same episode has him almost completely forgotten when Gerri mistakenly refers to Kendall as Logan's firstborn son, and [[spoiler:when he volunteers to take the fall for the cruises scandal, Logan almost takes pity him for the useless offer.]]
* CloudCuckooLander: He's prone to latching on to odd topics and is generally out of the way of the rest of the siblings' interests of cut-throat business and politics. When he does randomly decide to run for president, one of his tenets is being against masturbation for some reason.
* ControlFreak: He has a meltdown when a party doesn't go his way.
* CrazySurvivalist: He waxes on about how the world will soon run out of water, and his need to hoard as much of his as possible to be able to sell it.
* KavorkaMan: Downplayed. He's not ugly, but despite being an older, doddering fool, he easily finds himself surrounded by attractive, interesting women, even ones he doesn't have to pay to spend time with.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: He thinks simply being well-read makes him intelligent, when it's clear he can't really hold up in a debate.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Though he claims to not be confrontational and prefers to be neutral, it doesn't take much to get him involved in petty drama. He also is a ControlFreak with his own agenda, despite framing himself as the most calm, mature sibling.
* TheUnfavorite: Due to his rather... odd demeanor and ambitions, as well as the age gap between him and the rest of his siblings, he's usually [[ButtMonkey completely forgotten about]], and tolerated at best. Despite being Logan's firstborn son, Logan considers him [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg a complete nonfactor]].
* UpperClassTwit: He's as rich as the rest of the siblings but easily the dumbest and most out-of-touch with his privilege.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Greg]]
!!Greg Hirsch
->'''Portrayed By:''' Nicholas Braun

Greg is Logan’s lackadaisical great-nephew. Far removed from the Roy family’s wealth, he moves to New York to ingratiate himself to Logan and get a stable job within the company.
----
* AmbiguousDisorder: Greg seems to have some sort of developmental impairment that resembles autism, though it's not clear if he has it, a mental deficiency, or is just slow and foolish. He's socially awkward and seems to lack the ability to pick up social cues. He's gullible and easily pushed around, but also not exactly stupid and is well aware when he's doing something wrong.
* ButtMonkey: Nobody really hates him, but no one really cares about him, either, not helped by his slow and unimpressive demeanor. Tom also frequently has him doing embarrassing dirty work, such as forcing him to shred sensitive documents after Greg had already driven twelve agonizing hours to get his belligerent grandfather to Thanksgiving dinner.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Has a tendency to wander off into strange thoughts. When in a panic room in the second season, he becomes increasingly anxious of the room's design, thinking that antagonists could fit an "attack child" through a window.
* ExtremeDoormat: Seriously, he can be pressed and guilted into doing just about anything.
* InnocentBlueEyes: Has big, mooning blue eyes, and is generally the most naive and good-hearted (in comparison to the rest of the family).
* NiceGuy: Maybe he's simply too slow to run with the cunning, backstabbing Roys, but he's pretty well-meaning and honest.
* ProfessionalButtKisser: The only way he knows how to get ahead is being something of a suck-up and begging for jobs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ewan]]
!!Ewan Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JamesCromwell

* GoodIsNotNice: Ewan is in a perpetually grumpy mood, but he's the most honorable member of the Roy family.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Of the Roys.
[[/folder]]

!Partners of Family Members

[[folder:Marcia]]
!!Marcia Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Hiam Abbass

Logan’s third wife Marcia is fiercely devoted to Logan but has yet to earn the full trust of his children, especially Shiv.
----
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She's one of the nicer associates of the Roy family, but she won't hesitate to call you out, even if it's at your own wedding.
** SilkHidingSteel
* DarkMistress: [[spoiler:She's as equally interested as Logan is in framing the dead caterer as a thief so Logan can be freed of suspicion of his death.]]
* MysteriousPast: When Shiv investigates her background, she doesn't find any information about her prior to when she was 31. In the second season she outright states that even if given a year, she wouldn't have enough time to tell you all about her past.
* WickedStepmother: The siblings consider her this, seeing her as a gold digger who's entrapped Logan, especially when she refuses to let them see Logan while he's recovering from his stroke (though she has good reason to).
* WomanScorned: She is ''not'' happy about being sidelined during the second season.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tom]]
!!Tom Wambsgans
->'''Portrayed By:''' Matthew Macfadyen

Tom, Shiv’s boyfriend, is infatuated with the Roy family’s power and prestige. He pursues acceptance from the family, sometimes humiliating himself in the process.
----
* ArsonMurderAndAdmiration: Responds this way when he realizes that Greg is blackmailing him, using crucial documents that could land him in prison against him. He's genuinely proud that he's showing initiative and savvy, even going so far as to encourage him by offering Greg more than he is demanding.
* TheDogBitesBack: While he allows himself to be run roughshod by the entire Roy family, he has his limits - notably snapping back at and humiliating Shiv's lover at their wedding reception before having him leave the premises.
** He becomes more tired of Shiv treating him like a pawn in the second season, even telling her to fuck off when she goes too far mocking him during a dinner.
* DoggedNiceGuy: He behaves this way around the Roys, but takes out his insecurities in an ugly way on anyone who is beneath him in standing.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Though he can be very abrasive, self-serving and bullying, he really does care for Shiv and wants to be part of the family, and is genuinely hurt when [[spoiler:he realizes she's cheating on him and refuses to admit it.]] Even Logan tells Shiv he's a good man.
** Also shown to care at least a little for Greg's well-being, despite his bullying, when he protects him from Logan's wrath after inadvertently betraying his great-uncle to a biographer writing a tell-all book. Although he does caution Greg that he can't be trusted before doing so.
* SocialClimber: Shiv's ex notes that he's some nobody from Detroit, and he's very interested in climbing up the ladder of the company and even considers taking Shiv's last name for reasons obviously unrelated to equality (though he is marrying for love).
* TheSvengali: ''Attempts'' to be this to Greg, taking him under his wing in both business and social mentorship, but mainly keeping him around as a resource to exploit for his own goals. However, he does at times seem to be genuinely misguided in thinking that he's also helping Greg out by doing this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rava]]
!!Rava Roy
->'''Portrayed By:''' Natalie Gold

Though Rava cares for her estranged husband, Kendall, she has remained separated from him while being the primary caretaker of their children.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Kendall reveals that she's been trying to screw him over in court despite playing nice and flirting with him in public.
* PutOnABus: Despite being a big part of Kendall's life in the first season, she's absent from the second.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Willa]]
!!Willa
->'''Portrayed By:''' Justine Lupe

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Snaps back at Tom after he makes a dig at her status as a call girl.
* ButtMonkey: The siblings all openly detest and deride her.
* HighClassCallGirl: Is paid to spend time with Connor, and by the looks of her, she doesn't come cheap.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Played with. She's clearly not above entertaining Connor's false hopes if it means she can get the money to pursue her own goal, but she's generally well-meaning, such as being one of the few to be nice to [[ButtMonkey Greg]] and shows genuine interest in Logan's war memorabilia.
* TerribleArtist: She's really not that great at writing, so it's no surprise she never found much success.
[[/folder]]

!Waystar Royco

[[folder:Frank]]
!!Frank Vernon
->'''Portrayed By:''' Peter Friedman

Logan’s longtime confidant and chief operating officer of Waystar Royco.

* TheBusCameBack: Logan brings him back in to negotiate a deal with the Pierces, because they were charmed by his Shakespeare recitations.
* StraightMan: He's one of the more normal characters and generally doesn't bite when it comes to Logan's antics.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karolina]]
!!Karolina
->'''Portrayed By:''' Dagmara Domińczyk

Head of PR for Waystar Royco and a member of Waystar Royco's legal team.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stewy]]
!!Stewy Hosseini
->'''Portrayed By:''' Arian Moayed

A financier and friend of Kendall's who becomes a member of Waystar Royco's board.
----
* FunctionalAddict: He's a frequent user of cocaine, but it doesn't seem to impair him.
* PoisonousFriend: His ideas constantly land Kendall in hot water, though he never really has to face the consequences.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gerri]]
!!Gerri Kellman
->'''Portrayed By:''' J. Smith-Cameron

General counsel to Waystar Royco.
----
* CoolOldLady: She can usually maneuver competently around Logan, such as not having to be a "boar on the floor" despite admitting to opposing his desire to acquire PGM.
* OddFriendship: With Roman, who she does truly seem to care for.
* PlayingBothSides: Her most common tactic.
[[/folder]]

* FunctionalAddict

* {{Jerkass}}