7 Characters Who Should Return If Ted Lasso Season 4 Happens (And 3 Who Shouldn’t)

Ted Lasso concluded after three glorious seasons, but if the show eventually returns for a fourth season, it must be careful only to bring back the characters with stories left to tell. Ted Lasso immediately became the flagship TV series for Apple TV+, and as fitting as the show’s conclusion was, it left fans desperately clamoring for another season. Ted Lasso‘s intelligent blend of comedy and drama is delivered by memorable characters from an excellent cast, making it unsurprising that fans can’t get enough of the show.

It’s hard to know if Ted Lasso season 4 will end up happening, but if it does, the way things ended could make it much harder to recreate the quality of its first three seasons. The story was wrapped up nicely in the final season, and while several of the characters were given somewhat open endings, many of them ended on what feels like the perfect note. If Ted Lasso does make a highly anticipated return, there are seven characters who could easily come back to continue the story, but three who definitely shouldn’t.

10 Roy Kent

Should return

Roy Kent has one of Ted Lasso‘s best character evolutions, and luckily for fans, his season 3 ending leaves the door open for a potential return. Roy finishes Ted Lasso as the new manager of Richmond, and more importantly, he finally agrees to enter therapy with Dr. Sharon Fieldstone. Roy’s journey as a rookie manager and his experience confronting mental health challenges could make for the perfect premise for Ted Lasso season 4. He also loses Keeley, and any attempts he might have in mind to rebuild their relationship could also make for an engaging storyline if season 4 ends up happening.

9 Nate Shelley

Should return

Nate “The Great” Shelley is another character who could easily come back for Ted Lasso season 4. Nate finishes the show by replacing Ted Lasso‘s Believe sign in the Richmond locker room, leaving the door open for his character. As a member of Richmond’s coaching staff, Nate would need to be there if Ted Lasso returned, and there are a couple of stories in Nate’s arc that could be explored further, including his relationships with his father and with his girlfriend, Jade. Nate is one of the show’s most interesting characters, so having him back for a potential fourth season would be a huge boost.

8 Coach Beard

Should return

Coach Beard ends Ted Lasso season 3 on the Richmond coaching staff as well, staying behind to marry his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Jane. Beard and Jane seem to finally work things out and decide they definitely want to be with each other forever, but if their past relationship is anything to judge by, there should be plenty of dramatic moments to unpack in a potential Ted Lasso season 4. Beard also has the best understanding of Ted’s coaching style, so if Richmond is going to carry the “Lasso Way” into another season of Ted Lasso, he will need to be part of it.

7 Jamie Tartt

Should return

While Jamie Tartt has a fantastic arc in Ted Lasso, and he has grown substantially by the end of the show, it still feels like there is plenty of room for his character to flourish if a fourth season comes out. Like Roy, Jamie ends the show being rejected by Keeley, but he and Roy’s bickering over her just proves that he has more room to grow. Jamie certainly becomes a better person over the course of the series, but he is not entirely mature yet, and his fight with Roy proves that. If he returned for Ted Lasso season 4, the show could explore that.

6 Rebecca Welton

Should Return

Rebecca Welton’s Ted Lasso arc ended on a perfect note with her finally putting her ex-husband, Rupert, behind her and finding a new partner who is much better suited for her. However, seeing as Rebecca is still the majority owner of Richmond, it would be difficult to do a fourth season without her. With that in mind, Rebecca should return in a limited role, but the show would need to be careful not to undo the quality conclusion of her arc seen in Ted Lasso season 3.

5 Leslie Higgins

Should Return

Leslie Higgins should also return if Ted Lasso season 4 ever happens, but mostly just because he is a quality character with a lot to offer to the people around him. Higgins doesn’t necessarily need to grow himself, like some of the show’s other characters do, but he can definitely help others grow. Higgins is a surprisingly sage person with a lot to offer, both to the rest of Ted Lasso‘s characters, and to audiences. He’s also a hilarious member of the cast, and his involvement would be a huge plus if Ted Lasso season 4 ever materializes.

4 Sam Obisanya

Should return

Sam Obisanya is one of Ted Lasso‘s most lovable characters, and it would be great to see him return for Ted Lasso season 4. Sam’s story is wide open, and there is plenty to explore both in his love life and his activism outside of football. His rivalry with Edwin Akufo could remain a big part of the story, and it would be interesting to see if he ever managed to get into the Nigerian International Team after Akufo blocked him from being selected in Ted Lasso season 3.

3 Ted Lasso

Shouldn’t return

As great as it would be to see Ted return for another season of Ted Lasso, his story ended perfectly, and any attempt to bring him back into the fold would likely ruin that. Ted’s ending sees him return home to the U.S. to coach his son’s soccer team, and presumably, get back together with Michelle. As entertaining as Ted and Sassy or Ted and Rebecca ships were, his reconciliation with Michelle is the ideal conclusion to his arc.

Ted cares about his family more than anything else, and it’s only right that he returns home to be with them again. While he could make a cameo appearance or two to appease fans, Ted’s story should stay where the show left it. Anything else would risk undoing the show’s best arc and undermining the foundation of the original series.

2 Rupert Mannion

Shouldn’t return

Rupert Mannion is another character who has served his purpose and should not return if Ted Lasso season 4 happens. After Rebecca finally put her resentment towards Rupert behind her in Ted Lasso season 3, his character has no further role to play in the story. While Rupert also served as an antagonist to Nate for most of season 3, Nate too has moved on from Rupert’s toxicity, leaving no obvious place for him in the story. Theoretically, he could return as an antagonist to Richmond in some way, but it would probably be best to let his character move on.

1 Trent Crimm

Shouldn’t return

Trent Crimm finished Ted Lasso season 3 by publishing his book, which, at Ted’s request, he named The Richmond Way. This is the perfect conclusion to Trent’s story, and while it would be fun to see him make a cameo at some point, there’s no obvious way for him to return as a main or recurring character. Bringing him back as a football journalist would essentially undo the earlier part of his arc, and since he finished his book, he has no reason to be hanging around Richmond all the time. Even so, nothing is impossible in Ted Lasso.