Family Guy Characters Tier List: Every Main Cast Member Ranked
Twenty-plus years in, Family Guy has built one of the deepest ensembles in animated TV, for better and worse. Some of these characters carry entire episodes on a single catchphrase. Others have become running jokes about how the show treats them.
We ranked all ten of the show's core cast based on what fans and critics tend to agree on: comedic value, staying power, and how much they've actually added to Quahog over the years versus how much goodwill they've burned through. Where the fandom splits, and it splits a lot on this show, we made the call ourselves. Argue with us in the usual places.
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SS Tier: Quahog's MVPs
Stewie Griffin
A baby plotting matricide and world domination shouldn't work this well for this long, but Stewie's switch from cartoonish villain to the show's sharpest, most self-aware voice is the best character development Family Guy has ever pulled off. His rapport with Brian carries entire seasons by itself.
About Stewie Griffin
The Griffins' matricidal, world-domination-obsessed infant son, voiced by Seth MacFarlane with an exaggerated British-ish accent. Best known for his elaborate inventions and complicated bond with Brian.
- Voiced by
- Seth MacFarlane
- Age
- Baby (1 year old, series-long)
- Known for
- Time machine and ray gun inventions
Peter Griffin
Say what you want about his arc getting dumber over the years, Peter is still the engine that makes the whole show run. The random cutaway gags, the chicken fights, the sheer commitment to doing the dumbest possible thing in any situation, that's Peter, and nobody else could carry it.
About Peter Griffin
The bumbling patriarch of the Griffin family and the show's main character, voiced by series creator Seth MacFarlane. Works at the Pawtucket Patriot Brewery and spends most of his free time at The Drunken Clam with Quagmire and Cleveland.
- Voiced by
- Seth MacFarlane
- Occupation
- Brewery worker (Pawtucket Brewery)
- Family
- Married to Lois, father of Meg, Chris, and Stewie
AA Tier: Pillars of the Clam
Brian Griffin
A pretentious, martini-drinking dog novelist who's never actually finished the novel. Brian's smugness is the joke, and when the writers lean into that instead of making him a lecturing mouthpiece, he's one of the funniest characters on the show.
About Brian Griffin
The Griffins' talking, martini-drinking dog, who fancies himself a novelist and intellectual despite constant failures. Voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he's Stewie's main foil and frequent partner in schemes.
- Voiced by
- Seth MacFarlane
- Species
- Labrador-type dog
- Known for
- Writing an unpublished novel, liberal political rants
Glenn Quagmire
"Giggity" became a meme for a reason. Quagmire's gone to some genuinely dark places over the years, but at his comedic best, as Peter's unhinged neighbor with zero filter, he's an easy standout in the Clam trio.
About Glenn Quagmire
The Griffins' next-door neighbor, an airline pilot defined by his catchphrase 'Giggity' and an outrageous, often disturbing sex life. Voiced by Seth MacFarlane.
- Voiced by
- Seth MacFarlane
- Occupation
- Airline pilot
- Catchphrase
- Giggity giggity goo
Lois Griffin
Lois gets overshadowed because she's often the "normal" one, but that's exactly her value: she's the rare family sitcom mom with real edges, a gambling habit, a temper, and a backstory involving her rich family that keeps paying off for jokes.
About Lois Griffin
Peter's wife and the family's voice of reason, though she's got her own chaotic streak, from gambling addictions to a surprising talent for piano. Voiced by Alex Borstein.
- Voiced by
- Alex Borstein
- Maiden name
- Pewterschmidt
- Occupation
- Piano teacher (at times)
BB Tier: Solid Supporting Cast
Mayor Adam West
Nobody delivers a non sequitur quite like Quahog's mayor. His tangents about chili and giant mechanical spiders have no business being this consistently funny, and the character owes a lot of that to Adam West himself clearly having a blast.
About Mayor Adam West
Quahog's gloriously incompetent, non-sequitur-spouting mayor, voiced by the actual Adam West until his death in 2017, after which the character continued with archival and new material.
- Voiced by
- Adam West
- Role
- Mayor of Quahog
- Known for
- Bizarre non sequitur tangents
Cleveland Brown
The calm, soft-spoken center of the bar stool trio. Cleveland works best as a straight man bouncing off Peter and Quagmire's chaos, even if his standalone spinoff proved he's a bit thin without them.
About Cleveland Brown
Peter's soft-spoken, mild-mannered friend who later got his own spinoff show. Voiced originally by Mike Henry, Cleveland is usually the calm center of the Clam bar crew.
- Voiced by
- Mike Henry
- Spinoff
- The Cleveland Show (2009-2013)
- Role
- Peter's longtime friend and neighbor
CC Tier: Fine in Small Doses
Chris Griffin
Chris mostly exists in the background of his own family, occasionally getting a spotlight episode about his art or his crush on Jillian. He's fine, he's harmless, but he's rarely the reason you're laughing.
About Chris Griffin
The middle Griffin child, an awkward, overweight teenager with an artistic streak and a crush on his neighbor. Voiced by Seth Green.
- Voiced by
- Seth Green
- Role
- Middle Griffin child
- Known for
- Low intelligence, art talent
DD Tier: Running Low on Jokes
Herbert
The unsettling neighbor joke was always meant to be a one-note gag, and it stays exactly one note for the character's entire run. Fans are split on whether it's dark comedy gold or just uncomfortable padding, and we lean toward the latter.
About Herbert
The Griffins' elderly, unsettling neighbor whose fixation on Chris is a recurring, deliberately uncomfortable joke throughout the series.
- Role
- Elderly neighbor
- Known for
- Unsettling interest in Chris
FF Tier: The Show's Punching Bag Problem
Meg Griffin
The "shut up, Meg" gag got old around the same time it got mean. Meg's had genuinely sharp moments, but the show buried them under two decades of pile-on jokes that stopped being funny and started just feeling like bullying.
About Meg Griffin
The eldest Griffin child and the show's perennial punching bag, voiced by Mila Kunis. Meg's constant mistreatment by her own family became a running (and divisive) joke across the series.
- Voiced by
- Mila Kunis
- Original voice
- Lacey Chabert (season 1)
- Role
- Eldest Griffin child
How we ranked them
We leaned on the broad consensus from fan forums, critic reviews, and years of "best Family Guy character" debates, weighing comedic consistency, cultural impact (catchphrases, memes, spinoffs), and how well each character has aged across two decades of episodes. Where fan opinion is genuinely divided, like on Meg or Chris, we picked a side and explained our reasoning rather than dodging it.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
Who is the most popular Family Guy character?
Stewie and Brian consistently top fan rankings, with Peter close behind as the show's lead. Stewie's evolution from baby villain to genuinely funny neurotic adult-in-a-crib gets the most praise.
Why do fans dislike Meg Griffin?
It's less that fans dislike Meg and more that they dislike how the show treats her. The constant pile-on jokes ('Shut up, Meg') wore thin for a lot of viewers over the years, even as some find the sheer absurdity of it funny.
Is Cleveland Brown a main character?
He's a recurring main character and part of the Clam bar trio with Peter and Quagmire. He left for a few seasons when The Cleveland Show aired, then came back to Quahog.
Why did Mayor West's role change over time?
Adam West, who voiced the character, passed away in 2017, and the show killed off the character out of respect rather than recasting or using archival audio.
Who voices Stewie Griffin?
Series creator Seth MacFarlane voices Stewie, along with Peter, Brian, and Quagmire. He voices several of the show's biggest characters.
More rankings
Image credits
- Stewie GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Peter GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Brian GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Glenn QuagmireCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Lois GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Mayor Adam WestCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Cleveland BrownCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Chris GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source
- HerbertCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Meg GriffinCover: Wikipedia · Source