Giving fans a memorable goodbye, Peaky Blinders recently ended its 6-season run. The series finale made fans go through a range of emotions and it certainly didn't disappoint. Thomas Shelby may not be dying anytime soon but the events of the sixth season made fans wonder who can fill Tommy's shoes and continue his legacy.
The Shelby family is much smaller than it used to be and among the people left, Ada seems to be the obvious choice. This season proved that even if her last name is Thorne now, she is still very much a Shelby and will probably always be. Being a woman, she may not have huge power in society but she has proved several that she forges her own path that is not dictated by the society and its rules.
Tommy Trusts Ada
In the entire Peaky Blinders clan, Tommy trusts no one more than Ada. Even though she is not too eager to be roped into the shady parts of Tommy's dealings, he always seems to turn to her whenever he needs someone to take care of critical things.
In the final season, Tommy calls on her to deal with all of his business for a few days when his daughter, Ruby is sick. This proved that he trusts her for his personal as well as business needs.
Ada Knows The Shelby Business
Thomas Shelby doesn't tell anyone of his business affairs and plans. However, whenever he cannot be present at a meeting or to handle his business, he calls on Ada. Due to this, Ada gets to learn everything about the business.
Also, Ada is highly intelligent and a fast learner. In season 6, audiences saw how efficient she can be. She quickly learns everything she needs to know to deal with all of Tommy's immediate business affairs. So, if the time comes when Tommy is no more, she will be able to take over and manage the entire Shelby business competently in no time.
Ada Can Handle Arthur
Arthur may be the eldest brother in the Shelby family, but he has always required his family to keep his vices in check. Not only has his reckless behavior gotten him in trouble but he has also put Tommy and the family's lives at risk too by killing innocent people.
After Tommy, Ada is the only one who cares about Arthur and can handle him. Arthur is under the effect of opium for half of the sixth season and Ada makes sure that he gets home alive in the third episode.
Tommy Thinks Ada Should Be The Politician
In the series finale, there is a scene where Tommy says goodbye to his family and friends. He admits to Ada in the scene that in the Shelby family, it should be Ada who should have become the politician. Essentially, he is pushing her to take his place in the Parliament and join the Socialist Party.
Ada has been involved in politics since season 1 when she married Freddie Thorne, who was a Communist. She is resilient enough to be in politics because she has always made bold choices and lives with them proudly. She has also refused to back down against other political figures, such as Oswald Mosley, who have been determined to do whatever it takes to eliminate the Shelbys from the city.
Ada Is The Most Sensible And Level-Headed
Ada Shelby is, by far, the most sensible out of all the remaining Shelby family members. She knows how to handle most situations and, in the later seasons, she is shown to be one of the strongest women of Peaky Blinders.
Ada is also always calm and level-headed, which is evident when she meets with Mosley, Diana, Jack Nelson, and Gina, for the first time. She is not overwhelmed by the various antics of all the people present in the meeting, who are clearly trying to intimidate her. These qualities of her will make her an ideal replacement for Tommy as she can handle anyone with ease and without losing her temper.
Not As Overzealous And Immoral As Tommy
Tommy Shelby is an anti-hero that fans love. However, no one can deny that he hardly has morals. He has committed plenty of immoral and unethical acts for achieving his high ambitions and continues to do so. Due to this, he makes a lot of enemies, and people who are close to him often get in danger many have even died.
This still doesn't stop him from going after his ambitions and Peaky Blinders fans will admit that being overzealous is one of Thomas' worst traits. Ada is not like him in this aspect at all as she is much more empathetic and moral than Tommy. She is never in favor of killing anyone. This makes her a better successor because she will make lesser enemies than Tommy and thus, keep her family and her loved ones safer.
She's Just As Strong As Tommy Mentally
Thomas Shelby is quite intelligent and mentally strong. Despite having hallucinations and seizures that weigh heavily on his mind as the seasons go on, Tommy does his best to support and protect his family from their enemies (as they are most important to him).
Similarly, Ada has gone through a lot in her life being a single mother, who is raising a Black child and a son of a Communist in 1920s England. Despite all the adversities and the bigotry that comes due to these factors, she holds her ground and handles all her roles effectively, demonstrating the strength of her mind.
Ada Cares About The Family
Thomas Shelby does care about his family in his own way, but they are often put in harm's way because of him. He often makes many enemies when trying to achieve his ambitions and these enemies target people close to him (which has resulted in many deaths like his daughter Ruby, Grace, John, Polly, and more).
Even so, it doesn't deter him from doing what he has to do for achieving his goals. Thomas even got his entire family arrested once and got them almost hanged. On the other hand, Ada cares about her loved ones a lot more than Tommy. Despite how Tommy is the reason for her misfortunes, she cares for him too. Thus, if she replaces Tommy, the safety of her people and the Shelby family will be of utmost importance to her.
Ada Can Be As Authoritative As Tommy
One of the factors that made Tommy Shelby rise through the ranks is that he can make people do things. He is good at being a leader and a boss. With time, Ada has also developed these attributes and the final season showed that Ada can boss people around almost as well as Tommy.
Being a woman, some people may not listen to her authority but once people start trusting her and seeing her as their leader, they will no doubt become loyal to her because she has what it takes to be a leader.