The Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely been praised for giving weight toward character quality. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier continued this trend, with the general outline regarding Sam Wilson’s turn as Captain America and Bucky Barnes assisting him in the fight against the Flag Smashers.
In addition to the titular duo, there were several other main characters such as John Walker, Helmut Zemon, among others, who had storylines of their own to showcase. All things considered, while every character did have contributions, not all of them had the same quality in arcs as some others did. Looking further into this reveals which characters excelled in the Disney+ series.
Ayo
Ayo represented the Wakandans in the series, arriving with the Dora Milaje to apprehend Zemo after Bucky let him out. She was also shown to be the one to heal Bucky from his mental conditioning in a flashback, with her arc mainly the sense of betrayal she felt from him.
Apart from this, Ayo didn’t get much to do as far as her personal storyline was concerned, with her role in the series concluding after she and the Dora Milaje had gotten Zemo. She was supposed to be a callback to Bucky's last days as the Winter Soldier but didn't factor in otherwise.
Lemar Hoskins
Lemar was a brave and loyal man whose role was unfortunately limited to John Walker’s arc. Lemar started off with promise by having an equal role to play with Walker as his moral compass with the two attempting to prove themselves as the next Team Captain America.
By the end, Lemar became the sacrificial lion, in that his arc was meant to conclude with his death in order to expedite Walker’s fall from grace. He was an interesting character overall, but his storyline left more to be desired.
Sharon Carter
There were a lot of expectations from Sharon to deliver in the series due to her long absence from the MCU. Overall, her story was a combination of “what-ifs?” in that it was never made clear what her intentions were, while her reveal as the Power Broker came too late in the game.
During the time she was allied with Sam and Bucky, Sharon didn’t show up too much onscreen, making her too much of a side character. While her true nature was certainly intriguing, the show could have delivered more from Sharon.
Karli Morgenthau
There haven’t been many villains that have irked viewers as much as Karli did. Her story had to do with her belief that the world was better without national borders, only for Karli to go off the deep end and kill people off in order to prove her point.
Her arc started off in the right way, with Karli coming across sympathetic with valid points. However, the backend of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier turned her into an irredeemable villain after she killed Lemar and became more of a totalitarian.
Sarah Wilson
Sarah was proof that characters didn’t need to be part of the action to remain interesting. She also remained independent enough from Sam’s story for Sarah’s hopes of running her family business to be intriguing in its own way.
She was a representation of perseverance through will and determination, with the series ending when Sarah was successful in her pursuits. Of course, the subplot of her potential romance with Bucky was also engaging in its own way, with a lot of potential for the MCU to expand on that later on.
Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah was a frustrating figure for the majority of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as he remained bitter toward Sam and Bucky. However, it’s understandable when the character is analyzed further, with Isaiah’s heroics not being recognized by the state.
When Isaiah got the recognition he deserved, the conclusion of his arc made it worth following his story, as all of his struggles were finally validated. Despite not being part of the main plot, Isaiah influenced Sam’s way of thinking in the series, making him essential to the overall storyline.
Helmut Zemo
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier deserves credit for changing the perception of Helmut Zemo for fans. Having come across as a despicable and vengeful villain in Captain America: Civil War, Zemo was far more layered in the Disney+ series.
Zemo’s story was about him overcoming the loss of his family, as he got the satisfaction of putting down the Flag Smashers super-soldiers, along with making peace with both Bucky and the Dora Milage for his actions in Civil War. The only shortcoming about Zemo was that he wasn’t in the show as much as he should have been.
John Walker
John Walker started out as a highly formulaic character, as he looked to replicate Steve Rogers’ role as Captain America. However, Walker’s arc became highly engaging due to his constant pull toward the darker mentality that came with the super-soldier serum and his efforts to control these temptations.
Fans were hooked on Walker’s arc whether they liked to admit it or not due to the uncertainty of whether he would end up as a villain or a hero. John came across as both sympathetic and something of a jerk, which only highlights how rich his storytelling was.
Sam Wilson
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was always going to be about Sam’s character development, but even the predictable finish was worth it due to the journey involved. Sam’s arc saw him facing the reality of injustice, inequality, and the responsibility that he initially wanted to avoid.
Sam’s inner conflict with who he was and who he needed to be was apparent to see, and it was entertaining to follow his transition from the Falcon into embracing his role as Captain America.
Bucky Barnes
As far as Bucky’s involvement was concerned, his was a tale of redemption. He was never meant to become the next big superhero as his story had to do with Bucky shedding the remnants of the Winter Soldier persona he had lived with for almost a century.
Bucky’s arc saw him slowly make a return to who he was in Captain America: The First Avenger, with the story tackling issues regarding mental health, guilt, and owning up to mistakes. Although Bucky was front and center in the fight against the Flag Smashers, his winning quality came from the deeply personal journey that he took to find a sense of peace after so long.