Poldark was one of the most beloved period dramas of these last few years. The characters are so diverse and extremely well written (though in this version, they change a bit from the books written by Winston Graham). In this series, no one is perfect and all the main characters have qualities and flaws. This story perfectly shows the complexity of people from all social classes. From Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), the poor girl beaten by her father who becomes a lady, to the courted, admired Elizabeth (Heida Reed), who can not seem to escape the noose of her condition, we are taking a look at Poldark’s 9 best characters.

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9. Hugh Armitage

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Image Via BBC

Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse) is mainly a great character for the impact he had on Demelza. Though his presence in the series is short, he is the reason she feels desired and loved, which hasn’t been the case for a long time. Even if Ross (Aidan Turner) thinks that Hugh is Demelza’s revenge for his adventure with Elizabeth (and the fact that her baby is probably Ross’s child), Hugh is much more than that for her. She is too honest and loyal to use someone for revenge, especially because his night with Elizabeth happened a long time ago. Hugh Armitage courted Demelza like Ross never did. He met her as a lady and not as a maid. It is the first time that she is desired this way, like a gentlewoman. Hugh is an artist, and he sees the world like one. When he sees love right in front of his eyes, he goes for it, simply because he is a utopist who wishes to seize the day. This affair wasn’t about revenge, but simply about attraction and two souls connecting to each other. When Hugh dies, Demelza is deeply heartbroken and even shares her grief with Ross. In a way, Hugh was the reason Ross realized that he took Demelza for granted.

8. Verity Poldark/Blamey

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Verity (Ruby Bentall) is perhaps the character who’s the most like Elizabeth. Just like her, she is controlled by the men of her family. But she also is the kindest and most sensitive person living in Trenwith House. She never judges people, does not care for social classes, and that’s why it feels like she doesn't belong to this family. She is a believer in love and equality. She is the first one to congratulate Ross and Demelza for their marriage, and she actually becomes Demelza’s closest friend. However, her resemblance with Elizabeth ceases the day she chooses Captain Blamey (Richard Harrington) over her controlling and selfish brother, Francis (Kyle Soller). Leaving Trenwith and this society for a man she loves was the only way she was going to be happy. She didn’t choose her fate according to what people were expecting from her and with the help of Demelza, she wrote her own happy ending.

7. Elizabeth Chynoweth/Poldark/Warleggan

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Elizabeth is an essential character. The series starts because she was Ross’s first love. She is the epitome of the 18th-century lady who is stuck in her condition: She is courted by many, yet never marries the only man she ever loved. Elizabeth has always been miserable because she was never able to get anything she wanted. She acted like she was happy by putting on a face like many women of her social class, but she never recovered from Ross’s return from the war. Her life is filled with unfortunate timing. The two men she married, Francis and George (Jack Farthing), never let her take part in the family/ business affairs. She is never really in control of her house, does not possess her own money, and could not even choose her children’s education. Marrying George was probably the only real choice she made in her life because she makes it to ensure a decent future for her children. Elizabeth is written in a way that makes her constantly questionable, no matter what choice she makes. She is one of the best characters of the show, simply because of how obvious she is. Since she is not in the position of choosing her own life, she must choose what will make her life easier: money and a position in a good society. She is constantly a victim of the schemes and manipulations of her two husbands. Even if fans were rooting for Demelza, they also did feel sorry for Elizabeth, who never lived the life she wanted.

6. Morwenna Carne

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When Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) appears in Poldark and meets Drake (Harry Richardson), it feels both refreshing and astonishing how these two were written to be with each other. Just like Drake, Morwenna is kind, caring, intelligent, although she is more realistic about her relationship with Drake. Though she tries to fight her feelings for him at first, she soon starts believing that there is hope for their love. However, after her horrifying marriage to the abhorrent Osborne Whitworth, the joyful, innocent Morwenna we knew is completely broken and withdrawn. Her situation is absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating. No one except Dr. Enys (Luke Norris) would listen to her. Unfortunately, a divorce or prison for her monster of a husband was not an option at the time. Morwenna was really gifted with children before her marriage to Whitworth. After marrying the love of her life, Drake, she starts a school and teaches kids how to read and write, which gives a new direction to her life, a new aspiration. After a while, she even has a family of her own with Drake. If there is one character that truly needed a happy ending, it definitely was Morwenna.

5. Caroline Penvenen/Enys

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Caroline (Gabriella Wilde) is a surprising character. Indeed, when she first appears in the series, one could think that she is yet another caricature of the rich heiress who only cares about high society, as we have seen in many other period dramas before. However, Caroline is also the embodiment of a woman of her time who, in theory, holds a lot of power and yet, cannot make her own decisions, unless her uncle agrees to them first. Underneath her air of cold and heartless lady, she is a strong, kind, and generous woman who knows how to use her stature and money to help the ones she loves, and the less fortunate. Anonymous acts of charities even became her trademark. She hates that Dwight might only think of her as a fortunate heiress, but her upbringing made it difficult for her to show her emotions and vulnerability. Unlike her husband, Caroline disguises her feelings with sarcasm although, she opens up more when she marries Dwight. When he disappears in France, Caroline moves heaven and earth to find him. When he comes back, Dwight suffers from intense trauma and Caroline finds herself distraught by the situation. While she usually pretends to mock sentiments and emotions, this time we truly see how worried and scared she is to lose her husband.

4. Drake Carne

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Drake Carne, Demelza’s brother, is an innocent, kind, romantic young man. His love for Morwenna is the purest of the series. He believes their love can conquer the social barrier between them. However, Morwenna is forced to marry the abusive Whitworth. Though his family wants him to move on from Morwenna, Drake understands that he could never love anyone like he loves her, and decides to wait for the young girl, for as long as it is needed. When Whitworth dies, Drake finally has a second chance with his true love, but the latter suffers from PTSD after facing so much terrible abuse from her late husband. When Drake finally sees the dream of his life come true and marries Morwenna, he makes sure to never pressure her and to be the most patient, as she still fears physical contact. They eventually welcome a child of their own and Drake has the happy ending he deserves.

3. Dr. Dwight Enys

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Probably the most uncompromising, honorable, human, and ethical character of Poldark - Dr. Enys is progressive. His methods are often questioned by the ones who are constantly opposed to change and medical advancements. He is also Ross Poldark’s most loyal friend. He is always there to help him, even in the most perilous situations. He is committed to treating his poor patients just as he would treat the richer. In fact, his education and social status could have guaranteed him a future in the most prestigious places, but Dwight’s unshakable principles could never be wilted by wealth and luxury. Of course, Dwight’s only human and makes the mistake of having an affair with Karen, who is already married. When her husband accidentally kills her, Dwight is deeply affected and blames himself for a long time. Once again, Dwight perfectly represents how the show was written to have layered, nuanced characters. His marriage to Caroline, the love of his life, is also scattered with difficulties and heartbreaks, but Dwight always finds a way to remain solid and faithful to his patients, his wife, his friends.

2. Ross Poldark

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Fans definitely have mixed feelings about Ross Poldark. Yes, he is everything we search for in a hero: brave, noble, incorruptible, egalitarian. But he is also often detestable, arrogant, prone to tantrums, and disloyal to Demelza. His way of blowing hot and cold makes it really hard to love him at times. One could even go as far as to say that Ross’s better part is his love for Demelza. Their marriage is filled with highs and lows, especially after he got his frustration out of his system with Elizabeth in Season 2... After this event, Ross realized that he is completely in love with Demelza and that what happened with Elizabeth was a way to put an end to an unachieved love story. When he realizes that he is about to lose Demelza, he hides his shame and sadness with pride, which makes it even harder to forgive him.

Though this paragraph seems to make a terrible portrait of Ross, it is actually why is one of the best characters. He is flawed, yet he is a very good man, who even despises his own social class and its hypocrisy. He seeks a profound change in society. He wants equality and justice so badly that it seems as if he is always carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, which proves how empathic he is. He is written as a complex, layered man, and his mistakes, as much as his qualities, make him one of the most relatable and best characters ever written for television.

1. Demelza Carne/Poldark

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Let’s face it, Demelza is Poldark’s greatest strength. Talk about character development! Demelza goes from being the poor, illiterate young girl, hanging on the streets with her dog, to the most compassionate, intelligent, and dignified character of the series. Demelza’s power particularly resides in her way of always being true to herself, her convictions, and she never looks down on other people when she becomes Ross Poldark’s wife. She never forgot where she came from, and she actually used her past in order to bring change and some good in the Upper Class. She never lets her marriage to Ross determine who she should be. Her integrity and benevolence are so natural. Demelza is definitely a diamond in the rough, in the best way possible. She is the most loyal to Ross, even though she has to deal with his bad temper. It is impossible to not be heartbroken for Demelza after that night with Elizabeth. She was always there for Ross. She lost her daughter, and she supported her family through thick and thin, and yet, she went through many heartbreaks because of Ross. Demelza is such a captivating character that one can’t help but feel happy for her when her relationship with Ross is at its strongest.