The 100 is a show infamous for killing off its characters, sometimes en masse. Over the first 6 seasons of the show, we've seen characters from every walk of life rise and fall (and rise again, in the case of the Primes) as they tried to survive apocalypse after apocalypse.
Keeping true to its tradition, season 7 of The 100 will introduce us to many new characters, despite its being the last one viewers will ever get! As we prepare ourselves for the final season, let's take a look at some of the best and worst side characters The 100 has had over the years.
Best: Gaia Kom Trikru
Introduced in season four, Gaia is now the last true Flamekeeper, though John Murphy also knows the ascension ritual. As the perfect warrior-priest, Gaia has always protected the Flame and the Commander with her life, but what makes Gaia one of the best side characters is her ability to learn and grow. In season 6 she tells Miller that "Mistakes are forgivable, but not learning from them isn't," referring to their time spent in the Bunker with Blodreina. Most recently, she saved Madi's life by allowing Raven to destroy the Flame in an attempt to destroy Sheidheda, showing that her character growth and compassion know no bounds.
Worst: Riley
Many fans are still wondering how Clarke knew Riley after she yelled his name and ran up to hug him in an unprecedented show of affection. Viewers may never get that answer, but what they did get was a full season of Riley getting drunk and messing things up for our core-kru.
Riley had a lot of good reasons to act out, but with the chances of survival already so slim, it was frustrating to watch Riley peel off from his watch duty to try to assassinate Roan. Later when he helps Jasper convince a room full of kids to die, it only gets more frustrating.
Best: Nathan Miller
The 100 is one of those shows that gets more interesting each time you watch it, and one of the reasons why is Nathan Miller. Rewatching season 1, it's hard to know which characters will be important later on. Because there are so many characters Nathan Miller fades to the background. Upon a careful rewatch, you may notice that Miller has always been there, and has always fully supported Bellamy (and Clarke by extension). Being a thief landed him in the Skybox, but being a great friend and warrior landed him on this list.
Worst: Ilian Kom Trishanakru
Ilian showed the most promise in his last hours. In the final conclave, he tries to start a Hunger Games-esque alliance with Octavia. He even sprinkles his trademark flirtatious smile onto the offer... but Octavia refuses. Sadly, Ilian saves Octavia's life a few scenes later, and then promptly dies.
Before that small redemption arc, Ilian spends a season blaming Skaikru for the City of Light, which results in him burning the Arc to the ground, among other things. In one of the most futile scenes on the show, Ilian shows Octavia how to farm even though the Earth will be irradiated in a week.
Best: Lexa Kom Trikru
When Clarke meets Lexa, it's not under favorable circumstances. Clarke had just killed Finn to save him from a death by a thousand cuts, the final of which was to be carried out by Lexa. The grief Clarke shows for Finn seems to resonate with Lexa, who had just lost her girlfriend in a war with Azgeda. Though Lexa dies much sooner than viewers would have liked, she spends her time on the show loving Clarke and showing Clarke what it means to be a leader. Lexa is the only Commander to have united the clans in a coalition, and she's hands down one of the best warriors to have ever lived.
Worst: Ryker Desai
Though Ryker could return as Ryker X, Ryker IX was killed by Echo after he strapped her to a medical chair in his motorcycle garage and turned her into a Nightblood. When Gabriel turned against the Primes, Ryker left Gabriel's cell open so he could escape and told no one.
Though he says he doesn't agree with the resurrections, Ryker never acts to directly stop them. In one scene, he goes as far as to tell Raven about the keepsakes he holds onto to honor all of his hosts. Not unlike serial killers who horde creepy trophies.
Best: Harper McIntyre
In a world full of warriors who can fight ten people at one time, Harper is the most relatable character on the show. Though she's not often given the best plots, and though she doesn't have the most lines, she feels real in the moments she's sharing her fears with Monty or using her guard skills to save her friends. It's clear that Harper's motivation is her friends and loved ones, and she and Monty are the first characters to truly want peace for everyone, which is just the best.
Worst: Jasper Jordan
Jasper had the roughest start on the show, and he might have been a better character before being speared through the chest in episode one. After he recovers from the injury he's pretty difficult. Maya dies, he blames Clarke, even though Bellamy and Monty both had a hand to play in the destruction of Mount Weather.
Finally, he gives up the will to live after learning about Praimfaya, at which point his character descends into nihilism. This would be bad on its own, but before he kills himself he convinces a room full of teenagers to go with him. Though Jasper's character gives the story the perfect peaceful antithesis to Luna's violent nihilism, it was still hard to watch.
Best: Charmaine Diyoza
Her decisions may not always have been the best, and she wasn't always on the side of the heroes of The 100. Despite all of that, Charmaine Diyoza brought something unique to the table as one of the only living characters on the show who actually lived on Earth before the apocalypse.
She's full of Earth wisdom, like "Stay frosty," and seems to really know what she's doing when it comes to leading an army. After she ditched her on-again-off-again cohort McCreary, Diyoza became a character fans hope will return in season 7.
Worst: Thelonius Jaha
In his first episode, Thelonius Jaha sends one-hundred children to an irradiated Earth to test if it's survivable. Among those children is his son, who later dies for being related to him. In his last episode, Jaha plants the seeds of thought that turn Octavia into Blodreina, telling her she needs to unite Wonkru against the common enemy of death, leading her to turn the arena into a form of justice. In between those episodes, Jaha does a lot of equally awful things. He murders some people who volunteered to help him on the way to the City of Light. Probably his worst offense: Jaha gives A.L.I.E. the means to overcome free will.