All 6 main Griffin characters of Family Guy ranked worst to best
By Reed Gaudens
Family Guy has been going strong for over two decades and 400 episodes and counting. The Griffin family's dysfunction in Quahog, Rhode Island is endless, and it all comes straight from six of the funniest and most entertaining characters on television.
Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Brian, and Stewie Griffin have been staples on the small screen since 1999, becoming part of our language through quotes, references, and online memes. They're frequently crude and offensive, but you can count on these dynamic characters for a laugh.
But which Griffin is the best and which is the worst? Who's the strongest character with the most consistently funny antics and episodes, and who's maybe a tad more forgettable than the others? Let's rank all six Family Guy main characters in descending order!
6. Chris Griffin
Everyone was expecting to see Meg ranked the lowest of all the Griffin family members, but she's too much of an easy target and deserves a break. Besides, in my opinion, she's often more interesting than Chris. Is it a hot take to say that sometimes Chris isn't the most interesting Griffin? There's nothing actually bad about him, but over the years, he's become ever so slightly unmemorable.
Chris, the middle Griffin child voice by Seth Green, has evolved over the course of the show's run to become more than just the laid-back weirdo with an evil monkey in his closet. He has his moments of intelligence, but at his core, he's still an eccentric member of an eccentric family. Still, whenever there's a Chris-centric episode, it's not always my favorite episode to watch.
5. Meg Griffin
Somewhere along the way, Meg became the popular punching bag of Family Guy. She's the gross, often forgotten family member that everyone loves to torment — whether with farts in a locked car (Peter) or an offense that's even more sinister. But she's nowhere near the worst character in the show or even in the Griffin family. In fact, she's truly the wild card of the bunch.
Because Meg, the oldest Griffin child voiced by Mila Kunis, has become such a wild card of a character, the show can really throw anything at her storyline-wise. The remaining Griffin characters to be featured on this list have something of a brand. We know what to expect from them. But with Meg, all bets are off. She can compete in the Winter Olympics, have strange romantic entanglements, and prove everyone wrong, while also still being a punchline. She gets a bad rap!
4. Brian Griffin
Now, I'm not sure what the popular opinion about Brian, the Griffin family's talking dog voice by Seth MacFarlane, is these days. He could either be a fan-favorite or a character fans love to hate. But he lands somewhere in the middle of the worst to best ranking because, while he's inherently a dynamic character as a dog that can talk, he's also probably the worst type of person.
Brian prides himself as a writer, though any time he's ever had an opportunity to write professionally, he's somehow squandered it. He's often self-righteous and holier than thou, which obviously makes for great observational comedy and cultural commentary. As a character, he's super well-rounded and exciting to watch. He pairs well with any character in any storyline. There's a reason his death in season 12 hit fans so hard. He's beloved! He can be annoying, but we love him!
3. Lois Griffin
Who's risen as the Family Guy meme queen? That's right, it's Lois! The matriarch of the Griffin family, who's voiced by Alex Borstein, has probably been the most underrated character of the series. At the beginning of its run, Lois was often underwritten and mostly played the archetype role of a housewife and stay-at-home mom. But modern Family Guy has allowed Lois to let her freak flag fly.
Whenever Lois is allowed to be the star of an episode and have a moment in the sun, she shines. Remember when she tried to become the customer of the week at her favorite coffee shop? That's just one example of an iconic Lois Griffin episode that showcases how much the character has developed throughout the years. She can still be a doting wife and mother in one episode and then be a crazed murder suspect in the next. That's her right!
2. Peter Griffin
Family Guy wouldn't be what it is without Peter as the backbone. Obviously, he's the protagonist and face of the series, likely the first character people think of when the show is mentioned. His antics have only gotten crazier as the years have gone on, which can admittedly be hit and miss. Look, every Peter storyline isn't going to be a banger. But he's the one TV character who can get away with anything.
He's built from the stereotype of a sitcom dad, the average American working-class father, but he's whatever an episode needs him to be. Peter always gets into some larger-than-life misadventure with varying degrees of social commentary. His running gags, dependably funny voice, and unpredictable nature are a lightning rod for quotability. Love him or hate him, there's no Family Guy without Peter Griffin.
1. Stewie Griffin
Again, I'm not sure how Family Guy fans feel about Stewie, the Griffin family's fully conscious talking baby who once upon a time sought world domination. But I love him, and I have always loved him. His voice, a take on a British accent, is the funniest in the main cast next to Peter (both care of MacFarlane). Sometimes Stewie doesn't even need to speak to inspire a laugh.
Whether he's tinkering with his always faulty time machine or feeling out the social politics at pre-school, Stewie has such a rich inner life for a baby. That's what's great about the adult animation genre: A character like Stewie doesn't feel out of place or too big or ridiculous. He can do and be anything! While he's enjoyed a number of classic episodes, The Untold Story trilogy from season 4 will always rank as series best episodes for the series' best character.