Peaky Blinders: The 9 Best Villains, Ranked By Power (2024)

By Suzail Ahmad

Tommy has made plenty of enemies over the years, some of whom are incredibly powerful. These are the most dangerous Peaky Blinders villains, ranked.

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Peaky Blinders is a series that is known for its fantastic villains. In each season, Thomas Shelby faced off against one of the most powerful men in the country. With every passing season, Tommy's enemies continued to increase, both in number and in power.

RELATED: Peaky Blinders: Thomas Shelby's Biggest Mistakes

Towards the end of the series, Tommy reached a point where he was fighting against a man who was the front-runner for the position of the British Prime Minister. He has faced countless people during his rise from an ordinary gangster to a member of parliament. With his reputation, Tommy has made plenty of enemies, some of whom are incredibly powerful.

9 Billy Kimber

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Billy Kimber was a famous gangster who earned a great deal of money from his racetracks. When the Peaky Blinders looked to expand their business to London, Kimber really did not take too kindly to it.

At first, Kimber appeared to be a dangerous man, but as the story began to unfold, it became obvious that Kimber was a fool who relied too much on the police and his assistant.

8 Darby Sabini

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Darby Sabini is the secondary villain of the second season. After the Peaky Blinders trashed Sabini's club, they immediately received a major threat. Sabini and his men came to Birmingham and cut Tommy's cheek, and they would have killed him too if Inspector Campbell hadn't arrived.

What truly made Sabini scary were his fits of rage. He managed to convince Alfie Solomons to betray Tommy, but eventually, it didn't amount to anything as he lost all his betting licenses.

7 Chester Campbell

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Arguably the most well-rounded antagonist in the series, Chester Campbell had a fierce rivalry with Thomas Shelby for two seasons. He had both power and wit, which made him a formidable opponent.

RELATED: Peaky Blinders: Best Characters (That Aren't Shelby's)

Despite showing how much he resented corruption, Chester Campbell had no fixed moral code. He would use violence and blackmail others to get what he needed. It required a great deal of effort from Tommy and Polly's help to kill him.

6 Jimmy McCavern

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Jimmy McCavern might be the most hated character in the series. He is a ruthless person, who serves as the leader of Billy Boys. Jimmy also has ties to Oswald Mosley, which makes him extremely dangerous.

Jimmy murdered Bonnie Gold in cold blood just to send a message to Thomas Shelby. Furthermore, Jimmy planted landmines on Thomas' land, which shows his fearlessness.

5 Luca Changretta

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Luca Changretta was the son of Vincente Changretta, who was responsible for the killing of Grace Shelby. After Grace's death, Tommy made sure that Vincente Changretta would die in the most gruesome way possible. Tommy ordered Arthur and John to kill Vincente Changretta.

RELATED: Peaky Blinders: Best Songs Used In The Series So Far

Luca was a mobster, who was fierce rivals with Al Capone. Luca managed to kill John, and nearly succeeded in killing Arthur as well. He was one of the few characters who genuinely struck fear into the hearts of the Shelby Family. Towards the end, Luca was betrayed by his own gang members, which led to his death.

4 Michael Gray

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Michael became Tommy's enemy in season 5. His marriage to Gina Nelson changed his ways of thinking and the death of his mother pushed Michael over the edge, and he openly declared war against Tommy. Michael had the support of Gina, who was Jack Nelson's niece.

The tension between the two continued to spike, and it finally reached its peak in the final episode of season 6, where Michael had planned to blow up Tommy's car with a bomb. However, Tommy was a step ahead of Michael as he had asked Johnny Dogs to move the bomb bag to the second car. After a short conversation, Tommy shot Michael.

3 Father Hughes

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Father Hughes was a sick and sordid character, who was involved in the third season of the series. He served the Economic League, which consisted of a lot of powerful members. In order to show off his power, he kidnapped Tommy's son from his house.

Hughes also arrested and broke Tommy's skull just to show how superior he was to him. Thankfully he got his comeuppance in the final episode of the third season when Michael finally killed him.

2 Oswald Mosley

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Oswald Mosley served as the main antagonist of season 5. He is a man who has a great deal of political power. Mosley believes in fascism and he wanted to use Tommy's influence to spread his ideas throughout Britain.

In season 6, Mosley's power increased further after getting married to Diana Mitford. The marriage took place in Berlin, and it was attended by Hitler. Mosley is the only enemy that Tommy has failed to kill so far, which is another reason why he ranks so high up on the list.

1 Jack Nelson

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Jack Nelson is an American gangster, who was introduced in the final season of Peaky Blinders. He is the uncle of Gina Gray, and he is deemed to be a very strong man. Jack resembles Tommy in several ways. Both of them started from obscurity and eventually rose to a very high social standing.

Jack Nelson is not afraid to do any kind of dirty work, as shown when he attacked Billy in the bath. He has contacts with people who have a great deal of influence. Jack Nelson also has ties with the American President Roosevelt. He is one of the few people in the series who have both brains and brawn.

MORE: Peaky Blinders: Best Quotes In The Show

As a seasoned enthusiast with a profound understanding of the Peaky Blinders series, let me delve into the intricacies of the article you provided. My extensive knowledge of the show, combined with a passion for its characters and plotlines, allows me to shed light on the dangerous villains ranked in the piece.

The article outlines the most perilous adversaries faced by Thomas Shelby, the central character in Peaky Blinders. I'll break down the concepts and characters discussed:

  1. Billy Kimber:

    • A famous gangster associated with racetracks.
    • Opposed the Peaky Blinders' expansion to London.
    • Ultimately revealed as relying too heavily on the police and his assistant.
  2. Darby Sabini:

    • Secondary villain in the second season.
    • Retaliated against the Peaky Blinders for trashing his club.
    • Known for fits of rage and successfully manipulating others.
  3. Chester Campbell:

    • A well-rounded antagonist with a fierce two-season rivalry with Thomas Shelby.
    • Possessed both power and wit, employing violence and blackmail to achieve goals.
    • Required significant effort from Tommy and Polly to eliminate.
  4. Jimmy McCavern:

    • Leader of the Billy Boys.
    • Ruthless character with ties to Oswald Mosley.
    • Committed cold-blooded murder and planted landmines on Thomas' land.
  5. Luca Changretta:

    • Son of Vincente Changretta, responsible for Grace Shelby's killing.
    • Fierce rival of Al Capone, known for killing John Shelby.
    • Betrayed by his own gang members, leading to his demise.
  6. Michael Gray:

    • Became Tommy's enemy in season 5.
    • Changed his ways after marriage to Gina Nelson and the death of his mother.
    • Openly declared war against Tommy, culminating in a failed assassination attempt.
  7. Father Hughes:

    • Involved in the third season, serving the Economic League.
    • Kidnapped Tommy's son to showcase his power.
    • Met his demise when Michael killed him in the final episode of the third season.
  8. Oswald Mosley:

    • Main antagonist of season 5, a powerful figure with fascist beliefs.
    • Sought to use Tommy's influence to spread his ideas in Britain.
    • Gained more power after marrying Diana Mitford, even being attended by Hitler.
  9. Jack Nelson:

    • Introduced in the final season as an American gangster.
    • Uncle of Gina Gray, resembling Tommy in various ways.
    • Not afraid to engage in dirty work, with connections to influential individuals, including the American President Roosevelt.

This breakdown showcases the evolution of Thomas Shelby's adversaries, from local gangsters to powerful political figures, highlighting the complexity and depth of the Peaky Blinders narrative.

Peaky Blinders: The 9 Best Villains, Ranked By Power (2024)
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