5 times Arthur Shelby proved he was not meant to head the Peaky Blinders 

After Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby, actor Paul Anderson's Arthur Shelby is easily one of the fan-favorite characters from Steven Knight's Peaky Blinders. The eldest son of the Shelby family, Arthur is characterized by his rage and the ability to strike his enemies in the most brutal ways.

While Arthur has proved his muscle power time and again, he could not rise above this rage and brutality to lead the Peaky Blinders. Age doesn't define leadership, and the Shelby brothers are proof — Tommy leads despite not being is the eldest because he is the sharpest mind around.

Arthur Shelby might have been be highly qualified to fight his enemies with force, but he lacked the foresight, vision and ambition of his brother, which hindered him from becoming their leader.

Here are 5 times Arthur Shelby proved he was not meant to head the Peaky Blinders gang.

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5 times Arthur Shelby proved that he was unfit to lead the Peaky Blinders

1) When he blindly trusted his father in Season 1

Tommy Shelby had to assume his family and the Shelby business' responsibilities partly because their father, Arthur Shelby Sr., abandoned his children after his wife's death and spent all his family's earnings on alcohol and gambling.

In Peaky Blinders Season 1 Episode 5, when Arthur Sr. returned claiming to have changed, he went for the weak link of the family, his eldest son. Arthur was not only easily manipulated by his father, but also gave him money (which he stole from Tommy).

Even though Tommy had warned his brother that this was many of their father's traps, Arthur trusted the latter blindly, only to be betrayed and lose the money in the end.

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2) When Arthur could not adapt his family's move to politics in Peaky Blinders

Arthur Shelby was a warrior, and a wild man of nature . While he displayed strong muscle power and often did the dirty work for the Peaky Blinders in the initial seasons, he could not adapt to the changing times.

Tommy adopted more sophisticated ways once he moved into politics after Season 5, since he had to interact with powerful people like Oswald Mosley. However, Arthur could not understand this change, and this is highlighted in Season 5 when the Shelbys are at dinner with the Mosleys. Arthur's discomfort in this polished setting suggests that he was unfit to become the right sophisticated leader.

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3) Arthur struggled with war-induced PTSD and often lost his calm in crucial moments

One of the biggest shortcomings that kept Arthur Shelby from becoming the leader of the Peaky Blinders was his inability to cope with past trauma. While both Tommy and Arthur were war veterans who suffered from PTSD throughout six seasons, the eldest Shelby could not cope with the problem like his brother.

Tommy Shelby was a master of pretenses, and this was essential considering he had many enemies. Arthur, on the other hand, often lost his calm in crucial moments, like when he beat a young boy to death in the boxing ring in Season 1. A gang leader is someone who is always in control of his actions and rage, something that Arthur struggled with throughout the seasons.

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4) When Arthur became a pawn to Father Hughes

The Shelbys faced imminent danger when they got entangled with the economic league and international espionage, and set them up against one of the most menacing antagonists, Father Hughes. While leaders are always players and not pawns, Arthur Shelby became a pawn for Hughes, even threatening his family and the Peaky Blinders on the way.

The eagerness to prove his worth in front of his family, and his overbearing desire to protect them, clouded his judgment in Season 3, making him an easy target for Father Hughes. Arthur's hasty plans proved that he could not strategize as well as his brother, and was certainly unfit to rule.

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5) When Arthur Shelby lost control after John's death in Season 4

John Shelby's death in the Peaky Blinders Season 4 premiere was surely one of the most tragic and darkest moments in the show and for the Shelby family. While Tommy and Arthur both loved their baby brother, the former knew that this was the time to strategize against the Changrettas.

While Tommy mourned John's death by laying out a foolproof plan against his killers, Arthur could not overcome his grief and mourned his brother's death by drinking away his sorrows and suggesting that they kill the enemies in cold blood (which was impossible).

While Tommy managed his grief with precision and strategy, Arthur let it sway him emotionally, proving once again that he was unfit to head the gang.

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