Is there really a winner?
Well, here we are – the end of the road and the end of the Succession power rankings. With four incredible seasons now wrapped up and barely a bad moment among them, it’s time to say goodbye to one of the best shows of the 21st century.
Despite being horrible, sly, lying, selfish and arrogant people, the Roys are indeed people. People we have grown attached to and care deeply about and will genuinely miss. With this being the final power rankings of the series, it’s worth reflecting on how it all feels: not very final. There are so many loose ends, so many questions that makes us want more and of course it was always going to end this way.
So, farewell Succession, farewell to the sibs and farewell to Waystar Royco. Let’s see where the power ultimately lies in this, the final Succession Power Rankings.
12. Kendall
There are characters on this list who are arguably worse off than Kendall. But in his mind he’s at his nadir, the lowest point of his life. He will never be able to succeed his father, his wife and children hate him (rightfully so) and his siblings have betrayed him.
The worst thing is that he really thought he had it there for a second. Everything was coming together for the central character of the universe before it all came crashing down. Without his place in the machine, this little cog will be freewheeling for the rest of his days.
We’ve seen Kendall walking aimlessly and slack-jawed through the streets so many time before, but something about the series-ending scene really made us feel uneasy about his future. Kendall keeps finding new depths past his perceived breaking points, and now we’ll never know if he’s reached the bottom.
Someone please line up a rom-com or something light for Jeremy Strong next, that guy really has put himself through it.
11. Frank and Karl
All that shitting on Tom has really come back to bite the old guard and they’ve found their way into his sights. Better pull that golden parachute quick boys, because you’re outta here.
10. Willa
She might have been given a blank canvas for her swanky new apartment and even worked out a deal to stay there while Connor mans the ambassadorial fort in Slovenia. But with Mencken’s potential presidency going to the courts, things are looking ropey for our social climbing star.
We hope that cow print couch is worth it.
9. Connor
While the rest of the siblings fight over the right to prove themselves to their dead father, Connor is hiding away in Logan’s old apartment picking out his favourite priceless items to hoard. The ex-presidential candidate never needed love or approval and in a way it made him free. He never even really wanted power (only for tax reasons) and we’re sure he’s happy enough to sit here in ninth place.
However, he unfortunately will have to pay his taxes and he may also be out of a job, depending on the outcome of the election. But he’ll always have the house and his dear wife Willa. Well, we can hope so anyway.
8. Roman
There was a fleeting moment in the finale where I genuinely thought Roman and Shiv weren’t joking about murdering their brother. In a way, it would have been easier. Alas, it was yet another smokescreen of crass jokes and empty threats from a man-child who just wants his mommy and daddy.
It was Roman who realised the truth all along when he said, “We are bullshit. You are bullshit. I am bullshit. We’re nothing,” And in that realisation I think the sib found peace. He never wanted to be CEO, he just wanted to prove to everyone that he could be.
Roman will be alright, he’ll go back to being a full-time sly little playboy who sits in funny positions and has great one-liners. Enjoy your martini, bud. Go buy yourself a PlayStation or something.
7. Greg
While there were theories out there that Greg would indeed become CEO, it was not to be. He was, however, an influential player in the final decision. Leaking the information to Kendall got the ball rolling for the final showdown and, despite probably getting a massive paycut and being known as a snake within the new company, he finds himself irreplaceable to Tom.
At the end of the day, nobody is better at Gregging than Greg. Just look how far that boy has come!
6. Shiv
Shiv is by far the smartest of the Roy siblings and that, unfortunately, is her downfall. In the end, it was her realising how much of a shitshow it would have been if Kendall took over as CEO that made her change the deciding vote and allow the GoJo deal to go through.
In a way, Shiv’s brave decision was probably the most important of the entire series and maybe that glimmer of power, that ability to say “fuck you” to Kendall once and for all, was enough for her. We all knew it was coming but it was a surprise to see it was Shiv that brought up her brother’s murderous secret as the ultimate checkmate.
As for her and Tom? If she loves power so much, why not marry it? Now that Tom is the most powerful man on the US side of the company they can look at the optics and go from there. Treating their marriage like a business relationship might just work out and with an heir to the throne on the way, it’s best to keep each other close.
5. Jeryd Mencken
He’s probably going to be president, he’s screwed over the Roys by not blocking the deal and the siblings aren’t even around to give out about it. It’s a win-win for American democracy!
4. Logan
He’s been proven right. His children are in fact, not serious people.
3. Gerri
Despite being through the ringer this season, Gerri had more experience than anyone to be able to claw herself into a pretty great deal. She’s got herself a massive payout, a cushy new job under Tom and she doesn’t have to deal with that sniveling mess of a child Roman anymore.
Or maybe, right after we last see Roman sitting alone in the bar, she walks in to join her old protégé for a drink? No, definitely not. That would never happen. Sorry, Rome.
Gerri gets what Gerri deserves.
2. Matsson
The Swede could not be bled, the “Reverse-Viking” failed and The GoJo man has managed to complete the deal with little to no blood on his hands (he stores all of that in his freezer). While saying he didn’t have a problem with Shiv pulling his strings, he absolutely did, and his change of allegiance from her to Tom worked out pretty well for him.
Matsson now gets a yes-man to take all the heat off of him and he doesn’t have to feel threatened by a woman anymore. A big win for the tech bro!
1. Tom
Wambsgans you’ve done it, you’ve won the power rankings! Turns out having a very high tolerance for pain and physical discomfort pays off and big Tom is now the new American CEO of Waystar/GoJo.
There’s something poetic in the way Tom was put forward for the role inadvertently by Shiv when she said he would “suck the biggest dick in the room” to Matsson. As it turns out, that’s exactly what the Swede needed, a malleable pain sponge to soak up all the damage for him.
Tom’s got his wife’s hand on his hand (as close to affection as he could ask for at the moment) as he drives away and, despite us all knowing that it’s not going to work out, they will always take comfort in the momentary respite they give each other. It’s a marriage of convenience in the truest sense of the word, but maybe that’s all Tom needs.
Maybe it’s all he deserves.
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