The Greatest Rebels In TV History

Ranker TV
Updated September 15, 2024 21 items
Ranked By
1.1K votes
191 voters
3 reranks
Voting Rules
Vote up your favorite characters who play by their own rules - not someone else's.

Get ready to stick it to authority as we rank the greatest rebels in TV history. Believe it or not, rebels have been on television since the dawn of the medium. Whether they’re bad boys, anti-authoritarians, scorned heroes, women who buck the patriarchy, or even school teachers who take matters into their own hands, there’s usually at least one rebel in every group.

While most of these characters come from different backgrounds, the one thing they have in common is that they are all strong-willed and dynamic characters who will stop at nothing for what they think is right. From Walter White in Breaking Bad to Ruth Wilder in GLOW, these characters are known for sticking up for their principles - regardless of whether they’re right or wrong.

Vote up the greatest rebels and share the list with your friends. Don’t see your favorites? Give a rebel yell and add MORE, MORE, MORE characters to the list below!

Most divisive: Daryl Dixon
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Greatest Rebels In TV History
Ranked by
  • Buffy Summers
    1
    Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffyverse
    76 votes
    • Powers & Abilities: Healing factor, Superhuman strength, Prophetic dreaming
  • Arya Stark
    2
    Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire
    88 votes
  • Bart Simpson
    3
    The Simpsons, The Tracey Ullman Show, Do the Bartman
    67 votes
  • Fonzie
    4
    Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
    51 votes
  • Walter White
    5
    Breaking Bad
    78 votes
  • Jessica Jones
    6
    Invitation to Hell
    50 votes
    • Powers & Abilities: Flight