'The Sympathizer': All characters ranked, and why none of Robert Downey Jr's characters make #1
May contain spoilers for 'The Sympathizer'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Our hearts are full with the satisfying conclusion to HBO's 'The Sympathizer'. With a cast featuring both well-known and relatively unknown actors, Park Chan-wook, as the showrunner, has successfully crafted a series that is well worth your time.
'The Sympathizer' is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's popular 2015 novel of the same name and narrates the journey of a spy using a pinch of dark humor.
Apart from its engaging narrative, the series has gained attention of the masses with Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of four characters simultaneously.
Additionally, Hoa Xuande as Captain delivers a remarkable performance opposite Downey Jr, adding to the show's appeal.
As the series concludes, here's an analysis and ranking of the key characters:
1. Captain
The protagonist of the series is Captain, who is a spy of the North Vietnam planted in South Vietnamese army.
Captain is young and charming, and at the same time, he is a solid spy who has managed to be General's most-trusted man in his brief service.
Captain can be cold when he is needed to be. He has seen his fellow spy being tortured by South Vietnamese army, followed by a brutal investigation with another captured spy.
At the same time, the softness of his heart comes to light. His duties may demand him to kill a man, but he feels afraid and guilty while committing a gruesome act. He isn't your regular action-hero spy from the movies and that is what makes him so special.
Xuande delicately pulls off the dilemmas of the Captain at multiple instances. He can communicate through his eyes, except when he is with Lana, where one can't figure out if he is romantically inclined towards her or not until Episode 6.
2. Niko Damianos
Niko Daminos is one of the many characters played by Robert Downey Jr in the series. Though it is tough battle between all his characters, Niko is our personal favorite.
He holds the magical powers of convincing. Initially, he convinces Captain to deviate from his duties and accompany him for the shooting of his upcoming film.
Later, when things go haywire between him and Captain, he makes a strong argument for his actions. As much as Captain may want to kill him, Niko always manages to distract Captain with his artistic lingo and vision.
For the unversed, the character is based on Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary filmmaker of 1979 war film 'Apocalypse Now'.
3. General
General is, by far, the cutest character in 'The Sympathizer'. He blindly trusts Captain, and we can't blame him for it. Captain is good at his job and that makes General's life miserable.
He is unable to see past the illusion and continues to work towards the betterment of his fellow Vietnamese citizens.
Despite his high rank, he remains kind-hearted and friendly to those who stay loyal to him. His age hasn't slowed him down.
Even after losing his homeland to communists and his daughter to American fame, he is driven by patriotism and a strong desire to reclaim their homeland for his countrymen. However, his characters had the potential to be further explored in the series.
4. Bon
Bon, played by Fred Nguyen Khan, is a character you sympathize with. He has been a good friend to Man and Captain, who have been betraying him big time.
He lost his wife and kid during the fall of Saigon and moved to Los Angeles to rebuild a new life while dealing with the grief.
You resonate with him the most when he decides to join General's mission and tries to reason with Captain mentioning that he has nothing more to lose.
5. Claude
Another Downey Jr's character that makes it to our list of favorites is Claude, a CIA agent. He and Captain share a bizarre work relationship.
We like how Claude, being a CIA agent blindly believes that Captain believes in whatever he says and places his trust into our protagonist.
He comes into the picture and bosses around the poor General. His impactful persona surely engages us to the narrative and leaves us with a feeling that he deserved more screen time.
'The Sympathizer' trailer
'The Sympathizer' is available to stream on Max.