From Michael Corleone to his complicated father Vito, The Godfather trilogy is filled with some of the most captivating characters ever to grace the big screen. A lot of these characters were already compelling on the page in Mario Puzo’s source material, but director Francis Ford Coppola picked the perfect actors to bring them to life in the film adaptation. The Godfather cast is rounded out by screen legends like Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and Diane Keaton, who brought depth and nuance that these characters didn’t have in their original literary form.
There are some iconic characters who grew and developed over the course of all three movies, like Kay, Connie, and of course, the Godfather himself, Michael. But there are just as many characters who made a lasting impression with a major appearance in just one movie, like Sonny (who only reappears for a brief flashback in Part II) and his illegitimate son, Vincent, one of the only bright spots in The Godfather Part III. From Fredo to Tom Hagen, the sprawling ensemble of The Godfather trilogy is jam-packed with unforgettable, three-dimensional characters.
10 Peter Clemenza
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II
Along with Sal Tessio, Peter Clemenza is one of Vito’s oldest and closest friends. But unlike Tessio, Clemenza never turns on the family. He’s a trusted capo and Sonny’s godfather. When he was played by Richard Castellano in the first movie, Clemenza was shown to have more integrity than most of his fellow supporting characters. As Michael took over the business and all of Vito’s allies were turning against him, Clemenza remained loyal to the Corleones.
When Bruno Kirby came in to play Clemenza in the prequel storyline of The Godfather Part II, the character got rounded out with a fascinating backstory. Clemenza met Vito when he needed him to hide some guns from the cops, and he repaid that favor with a lifetime of loyalty. Everyone deserves a friend in their life like Clemenza.
9 Fredo Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II
Before he tragically passed away at age 42, John Cazale left behind one of the greatest filmographies in Hollywood history. That included his two performances as Fredo Corleone in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. The middle child of the family, Fredo is a unique character within the gangster genre. These movies are usually full of tough guys, but Fredo is basically a laughingstock. He’s the weakest, most dim-witted, and most indecisive member of the Corleone clan.
Fredo can’t be trusted with any important responsibilities in the business, so he’s just given busywork to keep him out of the way, and he struggles to find a purpose within that busywork. Fredo seems naive and unsuspicious, but he turns out to be more complex and unscrupulous than that. He ends up betraying his brother Michael in Part II — and Cazale nailed the nuance of that arc.
8 Luca Brasi
The Godfather
Luca Brasi only appears in the first Godfather movie, and he’s murdered pretty early on, but that was all he needed to make a lasting impression. Brasi is the Corleone family’s personal hitman, and the only man that Don Corleone fears. There’s an air of authenticity to Brasi’s portrayal in the movie, because he was played by Lenny Montana, a former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime family.
Brasi is a memorable character from the second Michael tells Kay the story of “the offer he couldn’t refuse.” Brasi held a gun to a bandleader’s head and threatened to kill him if he didn’t release Johnny Fontane from his contract. That incident doesn’t even appear on-screen, but it made Brasi an instantly iconic character. Even his death is iconic: “Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.”
7 Sonny Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II
The hot-headed eldest boy, Sonny Corleone, is oddly lovable in spite of his fierce temper. Sonny only has a major role in the first Godfather movie — and he’s killed about halfway through it — but that was more than enough time for Sonny to become an icon. James Caan gives an unforgettable performance as Sonny; his unparalleled charisma shines through even when Sonny shows his ugly side.
Whether he’s smashing a paparazzo’s camera and then reimbursing him for it or beating Carlo to a pulp for abusing his sister, Sonny is a mesmerizing screen presence every time he shows up. Sonny reappears briefly in a flashback to Vito’s birthday party in 1941 towards the end of The Godfather Part II. It’s a joy to see him again, and it’s a reminder of how much he’s been missed since he was gunned down at a toll booth.
6 Vincent Mancini
The Godfather Part III
Critics were divided on The Godfather Part III when it was first released in 1990. Sofia Coppola’s acting was criticized (although it’s since been reappraised) and, whereas the first two films came together to perfectly capture the Corleone saga, the third movie’s standalone story was considered to be less vital. But there was one thing that critics could agree was a bright spot in the threequel: Andy García gave a brilliant performance as Vincent Mancini.
Vincent is Sonny’s illegitimate son who enters a forbidden love affair with his cousin, Mary, the Don’s daughter. What makes Vincent so compelling is that he combines qualities of all five Corleone men: Sonny’s temper, Vito’s craftiness, Michael’s mercilessness, Fredo’s compassion, and Tom’s loyalty. García received a much-deserved Academy Award nomination for his scene-stealing performance in The Godfather Part III.
5 Tom Hagen
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II
Vito’s lawyer and right-hand man, Tom Hagen, is a Corleone in all but name. Tom is Vito’s most trusted business associate, and he’s as much of a son to Vito as Michael, Sonny, or Fredo. Tom has an interesting backstory that predates the trilogy. He’s essentially the Eli Cash of the Corleone family; he was adopted by the family and raised as one of their own.
The biological Corleones are more the focus of The Godfather trilogy, but Tom still has his share of memorable moments that make him one of the franchise’s best characters. After the opening wedding sequence in the first film, the movie takes a detour to enjoy a Tom-centric episode as he travels to Hollywood to intimidate producer Jack Woltz. Duvall is compelling enough in the role that this detour doesn’t slow the movie down.
4 Connie Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Godfather Part III
Played by Coppola’s younger sister Talia Shire, Connie Corleone is Vito’s only daughter, and she’s said to be his favorite child besides Michael. Although The Godfather opens at Connie’s wedding, the character was sidelined in the first two movies. She’s used more as a plot device than a real character. Her anger at Michael is justified, but not really explored. Thankfully, The Godfather Part III finally gave Connie a substantial role in the story and made up for her reduced role in the previous films.
In the final stage of her arc, Connie evolves into one of Michael’s most ruthless advisors. She even orders hits and bumps off enemies behind his back. In the first film, she was disgusted by Michael’s cold-heartedness when he has her abusive husband killed. But in the third film, Connie becomes just as cold-hearted as Michael.
3 Kay Adams Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Godfather Part III
Kay Adams Corleone goes on quite the emotional journey across The Godfather trilogy. She starts off as Michael’s girlfriend, terrified by stories about his family having people killed, and she ends the trilogy as Michael’s bitter ex-wife. Diane Keaton’s performances in classic Woody Allen movies showed what a great sense of humor she has, but her turn in The Godfather movies showed that she’s just as adept at conveying tragedy.
Kay is a subversion of the usual mob wife archetype. All the other mob wives are expected to turn a blind eye to their husbands’ shady dealings and tend to their domestic chores. But Kay is much too independent and self-assured for that. She challenges Michael’s despicable actions all throughout the trilogy. There aren’t a lot of strong female characters in The Godfather trilogy — it’s a very male-driven story — but Kay is a feminist icon who refuses to bow to the Corleone patriarchy.
2 Vito Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II
Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Don Vito Corleone has become the defining pop-cultural image of a mob boss. Brando’s gravitas and intimidating on-screen presence are a shorthand that immediately established the power and influence that Vito has in this world. When audiences are introduced to Vito in the first movie, he’s fully formed. He’s built his empire and he’s trying to secure a worthy successor to take on his mantle after he dies.
Vito was already one of the most iconic characters in film history before The Godfather Part II’s prequel storyline went back and filled in his origin story. But Robert De Niro’s performance as the younger Vito made the character even more fascinating. It showed that building the Corleone empire wasn’t easy; Vito came from nothing and had to fight for his power every step of the way.
1 Michael Corleone
The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Godfather Part III
There are a lot of great characters in The Godfather trilogy, but arguably the most iconic, most well-rounded, and most compelling character in the ensemble is the central antihero, Michael Corleone. Michael is the tragic character whose fall from grace is the basis for the entire saga. No matter how immoral he gets, Al Pacino’s powerful performance keeps the character engaging.
Michael’s perfectly constructed character arc throughout The Godfather trilogy has a succinct beginning, middle, and end. In the first movie, he goes from being the good son with a bright future ahead of him to embracing his role in the unscrupulous family business. The second movie chronicles the dark descent that follows, as Michael becomes so cold-blooded that he has his own brother whacked. Then, the third movie brings it full circle as an older Michael is tormented by remorse towards the end of his life.
The Godfather
The Godfather is one of the most iconic and influential film franchises in cinematic history. Based on Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel of the same name, the series chronicles the rise and fall of the powerful Corleone crime family. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the franchise consists of three films that explore the complex dynamics of organized crime, loyalty, and family. The films are celebrated for their outstanding performances, direction, and thematic depth, especially regarding power, betrayal, and morality within the Mafia world. The first two films, in particular, are widely regarded as some of the greatest films ever made.
