In my previous post, I ranked Netflix’s Marvel Knight’s top villains. But the time has come to show a deep appreciation of the heroes…
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Top 20 Heroes of the Marvel Knights
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20 – Malcolm Ducasse – Jessica Jones, The Defenders
Malcolm makes the list through sheer weight of numbers. Malcolm is probably one of my most annoying characters of the series, but he does continually provide aid to Jessica Jones across four seasons, so credit where credit is due. Not bad for a character with a small incidental role in the comics. I love his introduction, unintentionally tangled up in Kilgrave’s scheme to keep tabs on Jessica. As the seasons progressed, I like how Malcolm eventually learnt the investigative craft for himself, getting to a proficiency near the same level as Jones, but personally, he always seemed one or two decisions behind where he should be. B+ for effort though.
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19 – Henry “Pop” Hunter – Luke Cage
Pop is such an integral part of the motivation behind who Luke Cage wants to be. For all intents and purposes, Pop is able to gain respect from all factions of Harlem, maintaining that his barbershop is ‘Switzerland’. Although we never see Pop’s barbershop become anything more than a base for the Hero for Hire (like a gym for the youth, or an office), Pop’s presence remains in the show, kept alive though the shop, that swear jar, and Luke Cage.
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18 – Stick – Daredevil, The Defenders
A funny old man is Stick – the sensei who unwittingly gives Matt Murdock the fighting skills to be the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Stick’s stand-offish nature means he is not forthcoming on his complete knowledge of the Hand, which is annoying for this audience member. Although, he intends Murdock to be the saviour against them, and must always find a backhanded way to make an appeal. Stick, also blind, means a great deal to Matt, as an inspiration to what Matt can become, and what he hopes Daredevil can go beyond. Whether Stick be a pain or an ally, his best moments come in uniting the Defenders.
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17 – Dinah Madani – The Punisher
Again, Madani isn’t always helpful, but who is for the Punisher? But soon enough, she recognises the good in Frank Castle, as she finds herself outmatched by powerful enemies; one that even shares her bed. Her sidekick status is attained across two seasons with The Punishers, and she is crucial to navigating the law enforcement side of the hunt for Frank Castle and his associates.
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16 – David Lieberman (Micro) – The Punisher
Since Micro had been in Punisher movies before I had some familiarity to the character, but just like Michael Cain’s Alfred in the Batman movies, compared to that of Michael Gough, it was great to explore the depths of the relationship between David Lieberman and our anti-hero. Here, they are equals, with Lieberman knowing how to match Castle’s military tactics, and the respect they build for one another comes out of necessity first. We also delve into the emotional toll of Lieberman’s necessary absence from his family. I was surprised that Lieberman didn’t return for the second season of the Punisher, but I’m glad with what we got when we got it.
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15 – Brett Mahoney – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher
Out of all the good cops in the Marvel Knights, none are as prolific as Brett Mahoney. Starting out as a convenient friend for Foggy Nelson and Daredevil on the beat, Mahoney earns his collar and faces his own moral moment of reckoning when getting to the bottom of Madani’s relationship with the Punisher. Brett sees what help these vigilantes can be but doesn’t want to give them more power than they already take. His loyalty lies with the badge; that’s his superpower.
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14 – Curtis Hoyle – The Punisher
I don’t think I saw the full appeal of Curtis until the second season of the Punisher – Curtis is the soldier who has been able to put his service in the armed forces aside when returning home, where for most others, the war has come home with them. Curtis tries to serve as the voice of reason in between his mutual friends Frank Castle and Billy Russo, before eventually aiding Castle to prevent any more localised terrorism. He’s a charitable guy – setting up counselling circles every week for shellshocked vets, and providing a voice for their issues in a wider context than just a frivolous comic book TV show.
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13 – Amy Bendix – The Punisher
After friends, and lovers, and earned respect, Amy Bendix provides Castle with an opportunity to nurture again. Amy is not much older than what Castle’s own daughter would have been if she had not been murdered, and Castle takes her under his wing when she is faced with unmatched danger. Amy brings a lot of charm to season 2, bringing Castle back down to Earth – admittedly, he probably would have been happier with Beth Quinn, the lady he met at the bar, but then we wouldn’t have our Punisher, would we? Although the end of season 2 has the Punisher tracking down baddies in New York (and ready for a team up with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man someday, maybe), I thought it might’ve been nice if Castle had reconnected with Beth, fostered Amy and Beth’s son, and lived happily ever after.
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12 – Claire Temple (Night Nurse(?)) – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders
The original honey holding the Defenders together; Claire Temple weaved her way through the early seasons, providing much needed medical attention to Daredevil and Luke Cage, before getting some well-deserved “coffee”. Rosario Dawson was a perfect casting choice for this no-nonsense nurse, doing her best to do the right thing, and often finding her personal procedures aligned with the powered types. But then, where did she go? Her final scene with Luke Cage is one of the most dramatically well-acted scenes in the entire series, and I feel the shows lost an anchor without her presence.
P.S. I have a question mark with her alter-ego Night Nurse, because Rachael McAdams is Marvel’s real Night Nurse in Doctor Strange, but Dawson has done more nursing so far than Adams ever has.
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11 – Colleen Wing – Iron Fist, The Defenders, Luke Cage
Tough, might be her middle name. Colleen Wing has the more level-headed temperament in her relationship with Danny Rand, and matches his expertise in the field of martial arts. The two form a formidable duo, placing the safety of Chinatown on their shoulders. Colleen is the final holder of the Iron Fist – a spin-off season with her and Misty Knight could have worked well as they always proved a winning combination together.
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10 – Jeri Hogarth – Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist, The Defenders
Yes, Hogarth strays to be the antagonist at times, but her own conniving selfishness usually ends up biting her in the butt. I applaud her resourcefulness with Danny Rand over her tense relationship with Jessica Jones, although her respect for Jessica Jones keeps her on the straight and narrow more than once. To be the most successful lawyer in the business, you probably have to risk being seen as a shitty person at times, but she is one of the first to defend the ‘supers’. Originally a male in the comics, I’m glad that Jeri Hogarth was able to provide Carrie-Anne Moss another vehicle to nab my attention, since I barely recognised her outside The Matrix trilogy, but now, I love her all over again. Hogarth is also one of the few supporting characters to get her own story arc separate to the title characters – she’s just that interesting.
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09 – Foggy Nelson – Daredevil, The Defenders, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage
Who wouldn’t want to have a beer with Foggy Nelson? Who wouldn’t want him defending you in court? This man is all about spirit; a rock for Matt Murdock, and a better friend than he sometimes deserves. Foggy gets around, when he is hired by Hogarth, he keeps an eye on Jessica Jones and assists Luke Cage with a contract. I was glad when Marci pushed him to run for city council; watching Foggy go it alone for once.
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08 – Trish Walker – Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders
Yes, I know, I have Trish Walker on two lists, but I can’t ignore the good she did through the course of the series. Jealous of Jessica’s powers, Trish certainly made the best of what she had, using her celebrity status to nose around, and her platform to call out criminal activity as she saw it. Trish keeps Jessica in line; they’re sisters and the bond they have shines through the screen. In season 2, I was probably more involved with the Trish Walker arc than Jessica’s, learning about her past drug addiction, and her idolisation of powers. At times, she is the true hero of Jessica Jones.
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07 – Danny Rand (Iron Fist) – Iron Fist, The Defenders, Luke Cage
Just like everyone else, it wasn’t until after the first season of Iron Fist that I warmed to Danny Rand. His fish-out-of-water billionaire routine could be draining, and his myopic focus on destroying the Hand was repetitive. It was hard to see why this boy who’d run away from the magic land, would be destined to be the Iron Fist. But the showrunners of season 2 found the right niche to make Danny unique – together with Colleen, Danny is not afraid to make deals with criminal syndicates if it means curving out more peaceful prosperity. It’s a complicit form of safeguarding the community, and a different philosophy than say, Foggy Nelson or Misty Knight, who believe in the law. I actually came to like Danny a lot, and would have liked a season 3.
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06 – Karen Page – Daredevil, The Defenders, The Punisher
Well, hasn’t Karen Page done well for herself – she’d be dead in the first couple of episodes if it wasn’t for the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. But then, she’s a legal assistant and the investigative journalist that all the supers would love to know. She’s the highest-ranking person on my list based on pure tenacity. In the comics, I know Jessica Jones becomes a reporter, but I guess Karen Page fills in for her and Ben Urich both, as Urich, an established character in the Daredevil cannon, is gone too soon. Ranking higher than a title character in Iron Fist is no mean feat, but Karen is equally in the corner of two of New York’s best criminal hunters, even if they disagree on method.
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05 – Misty Knight – Luke Cage, The Defenders, Iron Fist
She feels like a blaxploitation character, but with a modern-day attitude. I want this woman in my corner. And then she goes and gets herself a metal arm! A winter soldier for all seasons. Misty’s finger on the pulse of the law gives her a winning determination that is mighty compelling. Misty is charismatic when together with her gal pals Claire and Colleen Wing, and not afraid to tell Luke Cage what’s what. I suppose she won’t get her own series now, but at least she crosses shows, taking down criminals in both Luke Cage and Iron Fist. We see Misty go through the ringer; shocked by her partner’s betrayal, seeing her police chief die, pushed to be great by her superior officer, and get frustrated by the system she has dedicated her life to in the quest to catch Shades and Mariah. And that hair – Misty Knight is the coolest.
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04 – Luke Cage (Power Man) – Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders
Luke Cage has the best gimmick of the Marvel Knights; his shirt explodes holes when he gets shot in battle – that’s the sort of week to week export what would have gained him cult status if his show had come out at the same time as TV series’ The Incredible Hulk and Batman. Season 2 of Luke Cage is by far my favourite of the entire series, even if I admit it feels like Luke Cage is a supporting character, following the motivations of everyone else. I like Cage’s relationship with Jessica Jones, especially in the first season, where the two do their best to team up. After Claire had her pick of the Marvel Knights, she settled in nicely with Luke Cage, and it’s a shame they couldn’t agree on Cage’s future to keep their relationship afloat. Cage keeps a watchful eye on Harlem, wanting to be the public example for the community, unlike Daredevil and Jessica who prefer to hide away. I love how he’s always lurking on Mariah Dillard, even if she knows how to push his buttons.
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03 – Jessica Jones – Jessica Jones, The Defenders
I had never heard of Jessica Jones before this series came out – a noir detective with superstrength and a dodgy ability to fly. She drinks, she swears, and she hates herself deep to the core. The producers of this show got to tell an excellent story of abuse with season 1 with Kilgrave, but her self-loathing seemed a bit misplaced in the second season, only for it to come full-circle with her handling of challenges in season 3. Jones’ voiceovers can be a little overdramatic, but it’s a small price to pay. Krysten Ritter in that leather jacket has all but become an icon for Marvel now. I think how Jessica Jones handles Hellcat finally provides the answers to what kind of hero she is; for us and to herself – Jessica Jones and The Punisher are probably the only two shows that you could argue, end at the right place.
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02 – Matt Murdock (Daredevil) – Daredevil, The Defenders
Most of the best fight scenes belong to Daredevil. But more than that, seeing Matt Murdock’s strain to keep his personal and two professional identities separate was fun to watch. I’m disappointed that we didn’t get more of Daredevil in the red suit, especially in season 3, but he steals the show in The Defenders, and given how beaten he was, we’re lucky to even get a season 3! Initially Charlie Cox didn’t seem the right type for Matt Murdock (too skinny and dorky maybe), but perfect as the calm blind lawyer, he brings the necessary quelled rage when required, especially through the difficulty of inexpressive eyes. Daredevil launched the Marvel Knights, and rightly so, since there’s so much to cover – I love how the character balances justice and vengeance through religious undertones.
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01 – Frank Castle (The Punisher) – Daredevil, The Punisher
Who would have predicted that Shane from The Walking Dead would go on to have a fulfilling acting career? That intensity on the zombie show, falls perfectly across to Frank Castle, out to end the reign of all the sick and worthless criminals of the world with a bullet to the head. Castle is our anti-hero, who lives by a code aimed to quell the pain that’s come from losing his family in a mob shootout. Debuting in the Daredevil franchise, allows our established characters in Matt Murdock and Karen Page to debate his motivation, and see his metal tested by the justice system. Then, in his own spin-off series, things get really bloody; Frank’s ability to take a hit and keep on going is truly commendable. Despite being a noted killer, everybody he meets gravitates towards him. Jon Bernthal’s gruff voice and the way he emotes the numbness of his lost previous life, is perfect for Castle, along with everything else I fail to mention – I was a fan of Thomas Jane in The Punisher movie, but now Bernthal is my quintessential Punisher. No wonder Tom Holland wants the Punisher in his movies; Disney, let the Punisher come out to play again.
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A special mention to Mitchell Ellison, Erik Gelden (Mind-Wave), Paul Lantom, Eddy Costa, D.W Griffith and Turk Barrett, I just couldn’t fit on my list. And yeah, Turk is in both special mentions – he’s always around, so I’m keeping the trend going!
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Lastly, for arguments sake, here’s how I would rank the Marvel Knights seasons from best to worst, but I’m practically splitting hairs. Apart from my top and bottom picks, the rest are fairly evenly matched.
01 – Luke Cage – Season 2
02 – Daredevil – Season 1
03 – The Punisher – Season 1
04 – Jessica Jones – Season 1
05 – Daredevil – Season 2
06 – Iron Fist – Season 2
07 – The Punisher – Season 2
08 – Daredevil – Season 3
09 – Jessica Jones – Season 3
10 – Luke Cage – Season 1
11 – The Defenders – Season 1
12 – Jessica Jones – Season 2
13 – Iron Fist – Season 1
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Who are your favourite characters of the Marvel Knights? How would you rank the series? Which character’s will you be bummed about if you never see again?
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