7 TV character arcs so brilliant, they deserve a standing ovation and a rewatch

Some character arcs don’t just stand out because they’re dramatic. They work because they feel real. These are the kinds of stories that unfold over time and make you pay attention. You don’t watch them for the action or the shock value. You watch because the character starts in one place and ends up somewhere completely different. The change feels like it came from who they are and what they’ve been through.

A good arc doesn’t need to be loud. It needs to make sense. It needs to feel like the choices they make actually matter. Some characters grow. Some fall apart. Some try to fix the mess they created. Others embrace it and keep going. What makes these arcs worth rewatching is that none of it feels fake. You can see the turning points. You can track the consequences.

This list focuses on seven TV characters whose arcs felt complete. Their journeys pulled you in because they were about something deeper than just plot. They were about people trying to figure themselves out. These characters earned every chance. They earned your attention. And once you finish watching, it’s hard not to start from the beginning just to see it all again.

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7 TV character arcs so brilliant, they deserve a standing ovation and a rewatch

1. Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Walter begins as a quiet chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. He wants to secure money for his family before he dies. At first, the plan looks like a one-time job, but that idea fades quickly.

The character learns how to make meth. He gets deeper into the drug trade. He lies to everyone close to him. His reasons start noble but shift into something darker. He does not stop because of money. He keeps going because it gives him control.

By the time he lets Jane die and poisons Brock, there is no good intention left. The moment he tells Skyler that he did it for himself, not for them, it becomes clear. His story is about pride. It shows how someone changes when they feel powerless and then taste what power feels like. That turn makes Walter’s arc unforgettable.

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2. Jamie Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Jamie is introduced as arrogant and smug. He’s the knight who sleeps with his sister and pushes a child from a tower. He does not care how others see him. He carries himself like a man with nothing to prove.

Then he loses his hand. That changes everything. Without his sword, he loses his identity. He spends time with Brienne and starts opening up. He admits why he killed the Mad King and why the title “Kingslayer” haunts him.

His relationship with Brienne shows a different side. He becomes less guarded. He tries to be decent. He even turns his back on Cersei for a while. Jamie’s arc stands out because it takes a hated figure and gives him a chance to grow. Even if he stumbles at the end, the journey to that point stays one of the richest in the series.

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3. BoJack Horseman (BoJack Horseman)

BoJack is a former sitcom star who lives in a mansion and drinks too much. He blames everyone around him for his failures. He treats the people in his life like props.

The show never lets him off the hook. He keeps repeating the same mistakes. He hurts people. He lies. He tries to get clean but slips again. When Sarah Lynn dies, his actions catch up to him. He can’t explain it away anymore.

BoJack does not get a happy ending. The character does not become a better person. But he becomes aware of who he is. The final season forces him to face his past. He learns that honesty without change means nothing. His arc works because it never fakes growth. It shows what it’s like when someone wants to be better but does not know how to get there.

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4. Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Villanelle starts as a skilled assassin who feels nothing. She kills for sport. She enjoys the attention. She shows no remorse.

But once she crosses paths with Eve, things begin to shift. She still kills, but starts to hesitate. She becomes curious about her feelings. Her obsession with Eve grows stronger. That obsession turns into something messy. It becomes a blur of connection, desire, and frustration.

She doesn’t follow a straight path. The character doesn’t change completely. But she starts to feel things she never expected. That shift creates cracks in her armor. The show never makes her soft. It makes her real. By the end, she is still dangerous but also searching. She wants something more than survival. Villanelle’s arc shows what happens when a person like her starts to wonder who they could be instead.

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5. Michael Scott (The Office)

Michael comes in as a clueless boss who tries too hard. He wants to be everyone’s friend. He says the wrong thing in every meeting. People laugh at him but also cringe.

As the seasons go on, the show reveals something else. Michael is lonely. He wants to feel loved. He messes up because he does not know how to be close to people. The turning point happens when he meets Holly. She sees him. She understands him.

Their relationship helps him grow. The character becomes more thoughtful. He still makes mistakes but tries to be better. His goodbye in Season 7 feels earned. It is small and quiet. He walks away from Dunder Mifflin not to chase fame but to live a life with someone who cares. That growth makes Michael’s story more than just funny. It makes it real.

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6. Ruth Langmore (Ozark)

Ruth enters as a foul-mouthed teenager from a criminal family. She steals. She schemes. She knows how to survive. Most people don’t take her seriously.

But Ruth is sharp. The character learns how money works. She learns how power works. She builds her place in the cartel’s world. Along the way, she loses almost everyone she loves. Her father. Her uncles. Wyatt. Those deaths leave scars that never heal.

Still, she keeps going. She wants a future that looks different from where she came from. She tries to break the cycle. She makes mistakes but never gives up. Ruth’s story matters because she does not become a saint or a villain. She stays complex. She wants peace, but knows how to fight. When she finally takes a stand, she does it with clarity. That makes her one of the show’s strongest characters.

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7. Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Peggy starts as a new secretary who keeps her head down. The character doesn’t speak much. She watches. She learns. She does not try to stand out.

Then she writes her first line of copy. It changes everything. Don Draper sees her talent and promotes her. But that is just the start. She faces rejection. She gets shut out of meetings. She pushes back. She never stops trying to be taken seriously in a room full of men who doubt her.

Her growth is steady. She becomes a leader in her own right. She builds confidence without losing her values. Her personal life stays complicated, but her sense of self gets sharper with time. By the end, Peggy walks through the office not as an assistant but as someone who earned her seat. Her arc never asks for applause. It demands respect. That’s why it stands out.

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