Summary

• The characters of Shameless are relatable and imperfect, showcasing the uglier aspects of being human.
• The best Shameless characters are complex and have compelling story arcs.
• The show introduces new and interesting characters in its later seasons, adding depth to the South Side community.

The best Shameless characters are unique and flawed in their own way. Showtime to an end with its eleventh season and beloved fan-favorite characters exited the show along with newer, but equally interesting additions to the show. Shameless doesn't hide the uglier parts of being human: making mistakes, dealing with disappointment, and facing harsh realities. As such, the characters of this series are some of the most intriguing to grace the small screen because of their relatable imperfections.

The best Shameless characters are well-written and performed, but some leave a more lasting impression than others. In terms of the Shameless cast, likability plays a role, as audiences won't want to engage with a character if there isn't some amount of empathy. However, the most popular Shameless characters aren't always the best people. With the introduction of new characters in the final seasons of Shameless, more people on the South Side have become favored characters.

18 Monica Gallagher

Played By Chloe Webb

In terms of the best Shameless characters, absentee matriarch Monica Gallagher ranks low. Monica doesn't have a lot of screen time, but her presence is one of the most impactful, which is a testament to Chloe Webb's performance and the way the character is written. She's loud, energetic, and desperate to feel loved. She wants to be a good mother, but she also wants to lead the life she believes is best for her.

Most of the Gallagher kids end up resenting her or pretending she doesn't exist. Fiona gives up on both of her parents and prefers that Monica stay out of their lives. But after her death, Fiona mourns her mom and reads one of her books to get to know who she is. Every time Monica reappeared, it would be like a hurricane - one of her episodes is aptly titled "Hurricane Monica."

17 Jimmy Lishman

Played By Justin Chatwin

Jimmy's time on Shameless was marked by secrets, lies, and, of course, drama. Jimmy was wildly interesting from his first appearance in the pilot episode, and he had enough secrets, schemes, and charisma to be a part of the Gallagher family himself. Although Jimmy wasn't always honest with Fiona about his life, he loved her and her family very much and would have done anything for them.

At the end of the day, though, Jimmy had the best intentions but bad follow-through. His repeated dips into less-than-legal work and shady behavior made him a complicated and thrilling character, but not a very reliable one, causing Fiona to cut ties with him for good. He was ultimately one of Fiona's worst lovers, but Shameless wouldn't have been the same without the revolving door that was Jimmy/Steve's presence.

16 Sandy Milkovich

Played By Elise Eberle

Sandy was a relatively late addition to the Shameless cast of characters but became one of the more important Shameless characters on the show. She is Mickey's cousin and Debbie's girlfriend during the last season of the show. Sandy is one of the most loyal and understanding of the bunch, and she repeatedly supports Debbie in the Gallagher house but isn't afraid to be brutally honest with her when she's truly in the wrong.

Audiences' hearts broke for Sandy when she revealed the secret that she had been hiding: a child from an unhealthy relationship she rushed into as a young teen. Although her attitude about her son may not be understandable to some, she was obviously in a very difficult and complicated situation, and she did a lot to turn her life around.

15 Franny Gallagher

Played By Paris Newton

Franny, Debbie's kid, is one of the youngest characters on Shameless, but they still do a lot with their plotline on the show, and she often sees the wrong end of Debbie's problematic moments. Franny routinely sticks up for themself and is very vocal about their identity from a young age. Franny expresses distaste for princess dresses and girly things and doesn't want to participate in the pageant that Debbie pushes her into.

Franny is also a benchmark in inclusivity for the show, as they share with Frank that they don't feel like a girl on the inside, but truly identify with being a boy. Franny is still young and has a lot of exploring and understanding to do, but this level of self-expression and identity is impressive for someone so young and is an admirable trait in a character

14 Svetlana Yevgenivna

Played By Isidora Goreshter

Svetlana offers a fresh change of perspective from the other South Side natives on the show and is an important one based on the subtle complexity that was added to a side character. She comes from a different background, and she shows everyone the knowledge and adaptability she's acquired from her tough upbringing. Svetlana is full of surprises, always revealing more layers to her character and her troubled past.

At the beginning of her time on the show with Mickey, she was often objectified and not particularly valued. It's a welcome surprise when she's appreciated as a business-savvy and ambitious character when she lives with Kevin and V. However, what she did to Kevin and V made her one of the most hated characters on the show, despite her character arc being one of the best.

13 Tami Tamietti

Played By Kate Miner

Tami's entrance into the show was an erratic relationship with Lip, but when they discovered that she was pregnant with their child, Fred, she mellowed out significantly and took her role as a mother very seriously, becoming one of Lip's greatest lovers on Shameless. Tami and Lip are a true team as parents, and they do their best to provide a good life for Fred.

Tami double-tasks as a mother and hairstylist and even battled with contracting COVID-19 in the final season of the show, earning her a spot as one of the best Shameless characters. She likes things to look nice and put together and has particular standards for her life that she doesn't budge on. She is fiercely loyal and rolls with the punches, even helping Lip when he and other ex-employees steal the supplies from the auto shop.

12 Frank Gallagher

Played By William H. Macy

Frank is the family patriarch and adopts many different personas throughout his time on the show — Frank, Daddy Frank, Francis, and even Saint Francis, just to name a few. Though he's a terrible person, he's a great example of a realistic and complex character and remains one of the best Shameless characters in the show's history. As he says in the pilot, there's a piece of him in every one of his children, reflecting his and their many layers.

Even if he's drunk or high most of the time, Frank often has a lot of interesting things to say. He's an educated and opinionated person, and his many spiels at the Alibi demonstrate the detail that went into creating his character. Between Frank's ridiculous schemes on Shameless and the subsequent sticky situations he finds himself in, Frank is one of the most entertaining characters to watch, and that's what television is all about.

11 Sheila Jackson

Played By Allison Janney & Joan Cusack

Sheila Jackson was one of the best Shameless characters, despite her somewhat limited screen time. Sheila faced an incredible arc throughout Shameless seasons 1-5, at first suffering from crippling agoraphobia, then eventually fulfilling her dream of traveling the world. While introduced as the "neighborhood weirdo," it's soon discovered that Sheila is trapped in a toxic marriage and battles to reign in her wayward daughter, all while dealing with her agoraphobia and more peculiar tendencies.

Sheila was finally able to leave the toxicity of her life behind to go and search for her happiness because if anyone deserved it, it was Sheila. At first portrayed by Allison Janney, before being recast by Joan Cusack, Sheila's parenting tendencies immediately endeared her to the Gallagher family. Sheila got a lot of flack for her idiosyncracies from the rest of the Shameless cast, but she had a good heart.

10 Mandy Milkovich

Played By Jane Levy & Emma Greenwell

Mandy's time on Shameless was too short. Despite the hostile environment she grew up in, Mandy is very different from her relatives. She's kind, considerate, and selfless, offering a listening ear to Ian and giving everything to herself to help Lip get into college. Her relationship with Lip is one of the sweetest in the show, and it's clear they both care about each other a lot.

Mandy is also a great friend to both Ian and Lip and has no problem telling Mickey when he's acting stupid or not taking things with Ian more seriously. Mandy is also tragically strong, having to endure physical and emotional abuse from her romantic partners on the show. Ultimately, Mandy didn't deserve her fate, and she was one of the best Shameless characters thanks to her resiliency.

9 Debbie Gallagher

Played By Emma Kenney

There are a lot of things wrong with Debbie Gallagher, but her complexity is a testament to the series' writers. While this was never channeled in the right direction, Debbie proved numerous times that she was by far the most ambitious Gallagher child, and mirrored her father in many ways. After Fiona left, Debbie essentially took over her role, and while she was a poor stand-in for her sister, her characterization remained the same.

Debbie knew what she wanted from an early age and, with a staggering amount of shrewdness and calculation, achieved her goals, no matter how short or long-term they were. Debbie's moral code was strange and often changed to face the situation in front of her, leading to some truly problematic yet equally entertaining moments in the series. As much hate as her character got, there's no question Debbie was a big part of Shameless and the series wouldn't have been the same without her.

"Debbie's moral code was strange and often changed to face the situation in front of her."

8 Kevin Ball

Played By Steve Howey

Kevin has always been an audience favorite thanks to his unwavering compassion and empathy. He may look tough on the surface, but for a South Sider, he's relatively soft. Kevin sets the mood at the Alibi, which is home to some of the show's most memorable scenes.

He may not be the smartest character on Shameless, especially when he has his daughters roll blunts for the Alibi, but he always has something interesting - if not unexpectedly wise - to say. Kevin is always there for a good laugh, but he also encourages Veronica to think about things from a different perspective and can be counted on in hard situations. While Kevin and Veronica's relationship had its ups and downs, it was also the most consistent one on Shameless.

7 Veronica Fisher

Played By Shanola Hampton

Veronica is a strong woman who doesn't let herself be put in a box. From the very start, she and Kevin defy relationship expectations and simply do whatever makes them happy, even entering into a throuple with Svetlana at one point. Her strained, and yet still loving, relationship with her mother is complicated and makes her character that much more relatable.

In addition to wanting the best for her relationship and kids, V also wants what's best for her community. She routinely advocates for the South Side, even going door to door to urge black citizens in the area to vote for upcoming bills. After seeing the thriving neighborhoods in Louisville, she makes the difficult decision to leave the South Side and move for opportunities for her family.

6 Carl Gallagher

Played By Ethan Cutkosky

Carl had some serious hustling skills on Shameless. Carl has been through a lot throughout the show and his perspective on life completely changed. At the start of the show and for a large chunk of time on the series, Carl leaned into breaking rules and committing crimes. Then, Carl turned his life around and enrolled at a military school before eventually becoming a police officer.

His arc in the series was one of the most unexpected, making him one of the best Shameless characters. Carl is very protective of his friends and family and has even been a physical protector for them when people threaten to do them harm. Carl has a strong sense of justice and isn't afraid to confront authority when he's doubtful about certain police officers' practices.

5 Liam Gallagher

Played By Christian Isaiah

Liam undergoes one of the greatest transformations of any Shameless character, with his personality forming throughout the series. He begins as a baby and doesn't become a fully formed character until the middle of the series. As he grows, he gains more autonomy and reveals himself to be one of the most skilled hustlers in the Gallagher family, in addition to having one of the biggest hearts.

Being the youngest, he's still attached to Frank, and their relationship is one of the most interesting in the show. Liam wants to be loyal to his father, who half-tries to give Liam a decent shot at life by getting him into a private school. However, at the same time, Liam knows Frank's history and knows he can only really rely on himself.

4 Lip Gallagher

Played By Jeremy Allen White

In a way, Lip is one of the most tragic characters on Shameless, as his ending was the compounding result of all of his life choices. Nevertheless, Lip is so realistic that any audience member can confess that they've encountered someone like him before. Lip's biggest enemy has always been himself, and time and time again, Lip manages to get in his way by letting his libido and insecurities lead him. Lip started on Shameless as the Gallagher child with the most academic potential.

He was the first Gallagher to go to college, but ultimately messed it up thanks to an affair with a professor and falling prey to increasing issues with alcoholism. Lip resented his talents and never wanted to be the "golden goose." While audiences found themselves extremely frustrated with all of Lip's problems on Shameless, he was an extremely well-written character, and his complexity turns out to be to his detriment, as Lip's unsatisfying ending in the series was ultimately the sum of his own choices.

3 Ian Gallagher

Played By Cameron Monaghan

Ian's evolution throughout the series is one of the most interesting to watch. He begins as a shy and quiet teenager, struggling with his identity. He slowly begins to be more confident and uses his voice to help others. Unlike the other Gallaghers, Ian does a lot for the community. He's kind and truly wants to do something more with his life, even becoming an EMT for a time.

Ian feels terrible when he does anything wrong - like putting Yevgeny in danger, for instance. Although he's sometimes afraid to be a burden to his siblings and Mickey because of his mental health, they show unconditional love and support for him. His relationship with and eventual marriage to Mickey were some of the best things to happen to Ian on Shameless and viewers couldn't be happier that their favorite South Side couple got a happy ending.

2 Fiona Gallagher

Played By Emmy Rossum

Frank is often treated like the main character, but during her time on the show, it feels more like Fiona is the leader of the Gallagher pack. Her arc is the one with the most obstacles - a true hero's journey, earning her one of the best Shameless characters. Fiona often subverts audience expectations when it comes to her choices and who the world thinks she should be. Even though she's intensely likable, she makes just as many mistakes as the less favorable characters.

Fiona forges her way and works tirelessly to provide a life for her family, often overlooking her interests and dreams. She's had the largest number of jobs of all the characters on the show. However, after years of being taken for granted, Fiona finally puts herself first and leaves the show to focus on her happiness. Fiona actress Emmy Rossum left Shameless after season 9, and Shameless simply wasn't the same after she was gone.

1 Mickey Milkovich

Played By Noel Fisher

Mickey is easily one of the best Shameless characters, as he is unrecognizable by the end of the series. At first, Mickey seems like a one-dimensional and angry person, but he soon reveals more layers to his character, and the Milkovich family shares a surprising amount of screen time with the Gallaghers. At first, Mickey has a complicated relationship with his sexuality, but it has nothing to do with the physicality of it, rather, the emotional aspect of his romantic draw to Ian.

After countless incarcerations, Mickey and Ian's relationship grows and eventually becomes one of the most stable in the series. Mickey's evolution is very gradual and feels the most realistic given the environment he's grown up in. He isn't a simple person, and he isn't easy to love, but the Gallaghers come to accept him. Of course, his relationship with Ian is one of the highlights of Shameless, but even on his own, Mickey is funny, entertaining, rough around the edges, and always purely himself.