These 5 characters from Stephen King TV shows are bound to leave an impression on you

When it comes to television and film adaptations, works of Stephen King have made a place of their own. From The Shining to The Dead Zone, the King of Horror’s work has rocked both big and small screens.

One of the primary reasons behind the works of Stephen King having such great screen adaptability is because of the way the author develops his characters. While it is certainly not true for every character of King, some of his creations do stand out, and it is those characters who have helped his shows and films reach great heights.

If you are a Stephen King fan, here are his five best characters who not only made a great impact when they were first brought to life on screen but also have stood the test of time and continue to amaze fans even now.

The following article is based on the author’s own opinion.

5 brilliant Stephen King characters

Pennywise from It

It’s impossible to write about Stephen King’s best characters and not mention Pennywise. One of the most traumatizing characters of the author, Tim Curry, brought Pennywise to life in the 1990 miniseries It.

Pennywise is a shapeshifting entity that belongs to some part of the macroverse and comes back to terrorize people and feed himself after being in hibernation for 27 years. He takes the shape of what his victims are scared of the most, and in It, Pennywise is the Dancing Clown who is after a bunch of kids.

Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone

The protagonist of The Dead Zone, Johnny Smith, is another one of King’s best characters. The Dead Zone follows Johnny Smith, who gets into a coma subsequently his accident, and, after waking up, he finds out that he has psychic abilities that help him to see both into the past and the future.

Using his newfound power, Johnny helps solve crimes. What makes the character special is the balance between his human and psychic abilities, and also the fact that he is not a completely good person.

He has his own grey areas and is also dealing with his personal loss because of the accident he suffered, which further adds to the relatable quality of the character.

Bill Hodges from Mr. Mercedes

Bill Hodges is the protagonist of Mr. Mercedes, a crime show based on the Stephen King trilogy consisting of the books Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. The show follows Bill, a detective who is now retired and is constantly haunted by a case he could not solve.

As Bill is dragged back into the world of crime by Brady Hartsfield, a psychopath, his determination to do what is right despite having his own share of constant guilt is what makes the character stand out.

Annie Wilkes from Castle Rock

Castle Rock stars a great villain (Image via / Hulu)

Castle Rock is an interesting Stephen King show as it is not based on any particular work of the author, but takes different events and characters from the author’s huge collection of writing.

In its second season, the show introduces Annie Wilkes, one of Stephen King’s best-written villains, who is deeply disturbed and cruel, and would often make the viewer inquisitive whether there is something wrong with her or if she is just driven by evil.

Castle Rock explores the backstory of Annie Wilkes as she takes a job at the hospital and lives with her daughter. Some events in the series also shed light on the events that would explain, to some extent, the absolutely horrifying actions of Annie in Misery.

Holly Gibney from The Outsider

The Outsider can be streamed on Disney+ (Image via / Disney+)

Another one of a very well written Stephen King characters is Holly Gibney, who helps in the investigation of Terry Maitland in The Outsider, a baseball coach who has been accused of brutally killing a young boy.

Holly’s character lies somewhere on the autism spectrum, and she also suffers from OCD, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder. She is extremely observant and sharp, which necessarily means she is not only great at her job, but also leaves a lasting impression on the viewers because of her unfiltered, as well as blunt nature. Holly is also portrayed as an empathetic being who investigates but never lets the brutality of the cases get to her humane side.