Ending its 25-season run in winter 2022, PBS’s Arthur has been beloved by children (and adults) all around the world since it first premiered in 1996. The heartwarming animated series follows the adventures of anthropomorphized animals living in Elwood City. As its title suggests, the main character is Arthur Read, a third-grader who is an aardvark. But Arthur isn’t the only character whose story the series tells.
Over its expansive history as one of the longest-running animated series, Arthur has introduced hundreds of characters whom viewers have fallen in love with, and even some whom they love to hate, like the Tibble Twins. Arthur might be the main character, but is he really the series’ best?
Bailey Carson Belvedere III
![PBS’ Arthur: The 10 Best Characters, Ranked](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Bailey-Belvedere-III-looks-dismayed-while-wearing-a-suit-in-PBS-Arthur.jpg)
Bailey is a character who has really come into his own in more recent seasons. As Muffy Crosswire’s long-suffering butler, chauffeur, and more, Bailey is a truly dedicated friend to have, even if he is technically on the Crosswire payroll. He supports Muffy through all of her ridiculous ideas, even serving as more of a father figure than her own dad at times.
Bailey is also an incredibly talented artist and a man of true culture, which provides enjoyable contrast with some of the Crosswires’ feigned cultural taste. Bailey might be one of television’s best butlers.
Fern Walters
![Fern Walters smiles while adjusting her bow in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Fern-From-Arthur.jpg)
Fern is a character who is often taken for granted. She might be just as smart as the Brain, but she is much quieter and so her intellect isn’t praised or utilized as frequently as his. Episodes that focus on Fern provide the series with nice changes of pace, as they often involve literature and introspection, which is saying something for a show aimed at children.
Fern loves mysteries, which is frequently shown through her love of Persimmony Glitchet’s Horrendously Horrible Happenings series or her own adventures as her detective alter ego, Virgule Watteau. Fern has a lot going for her and deserves to be appreciated for her creativity and individuality.
Francis Haney
![Principal Francis Haney looks confused at a carnival in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Principal-Francis-Haney-looks-confused-at-a-carnival-in-PBS-Arthur.jpg)
Francis Haney is the adorably goofy and often clueless principal at Elwood City Elementary School. He is a strong educator and leader, but he is perhaps best remembered for one major contribution to the show: physical humor.
Principal Haney often finds himself getting into uncomfortable and clumsy situations he can’t get out of, such as some less-than-successful magic tricks, food being thrown into his face during lunch or festivals, and so much more. When his voice actor sadly passed away in 2014, Mr. Haney was even given one of the series’ most moving tributes as he retired from being a principal to instead work on building a school in Africa.
Nigel Ratburn
![Mr. Ratburn in his classroom in Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Arthur-Mr.-Ratburn.jpg)
When Arthur first began, Mr. Ratburn was clearly meant to be seen as a villain. Arthur and Buster even believed he ate “boy heads” for dinner, after all. But over the years, the series has artfully pulled back the layers on Nigel Ratburn’s character, proving that there’s much more to him than just a strict teacher who loves pop quizzes.
Mr. Ratburn is a foodie, with a particular love of cake and baked goods. He is a skilled puppeteer, but he doesn’t have any real technology-related skills. He has pet fish named after characters from Samuel Beckett and designs his Halloween decorations after Edgar Allan Poe. He is a nerd and a delightful one. In one of the series’ groundbreaking episodes, it’s revealed that Mr. Ratburn is gay when he marries his longtime partner, Patrick.
Alan “The Brain” Powers
![Alan The Brain Powers stares at a notepad in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Alan-The-Brain-Powers-stares-at-a-notepad-in-PBS-Arthur.jpg)
The Brain may be a know-it-all, but that’s what makes him so beloved. Even though earlier episodes certainly portray the Brain, or Alan, in a more irritating light, he has become an integral part of the series’ core cast of characters. As the smartest student in the third grade, the Brain provides a voice of reason that the kids need without getting adults involved.
But he also provides plenty of comedy — especially for adult viewers who are in on his jokes far more than children are. Additionally, through his work at his family’s ice cream shop, Brain gets to show his more relaxed and childlike side, at least for a little while, which adds a wonderful sense of balance to his character.
Grandma Thora Read
![DW Read hugs Grandma Thora Read in the Read kitchen in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/DW-Read-hugs-Grandma-Thora-Read-in-the-Read-kitchen-in-PBS-Arthur.jpg)
Arthur’s parents, David and Jane, are both great characters in their own right. But if there’s any member of the extended adult Read family who is worth ranking among the series’ best characters, it’s the almost impossibly cool Grandma Thora.
Grandma Thora is the grandmother that everyone wants to have. She loves her children and her grandchildren more than anything, fiercely defending them at any chance she gets. But she also loves and is loved by everyone she meets. She loves marbles and bingo, and even though she may not be an excellent baker, she loves to get into mischief with her grandchildren and spoils them every chance she gets.
Binky Barnes
![Binky Barnes holds up an assignment with an A- grade in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Binky-Arthur.jpg)
If Mr. Ratburn is an adult character who escaped the cliche of the villainous teacher, then Binky Barnes is a perfect example of a character who has come a long way from the “Tough Customer” bully he originally was. Binky is the oldest third-grader, having been held back, and his imposing size and age were once seen as threats to his fellow classmates.
But years of character development have revealed much softer sides to his character. Binky is a gifted ballet dancer and loves to collect butterflies. He also excels at playing the clarinet and hides a fear of the dark. Even though he may not be the series’ smartest character, he nevertheless shows real emotional maturity and intelligence in his relationships with his mother and his adopted younger sister, Mei Lin.
Arthur Read
![Arthur with his hands up in celebration](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Arthur-PBS.jpg)
It may be surprising that Arthur Read isn’t the best character of his own show, but there are just so many incredible characters in Arthur that it would be hard to elevate him to the top of the list even after 25 years. As the audience’s entryway into the world of Elwood City, Arthur is easily one of the most sympathetic and likable main characters in children’s television.
Arthur is an average young aardvark. He’s nerdy and shy but also social and somewhat athletic. He loves reading comic books and watching Bionic Bunny, and he’s a gifted piano player. He loves to spend time with his best friend, Buster, and struggles to get along with his little sister, D.W., even though he is incredibly protective of her. He is a well-rounded character, and one of the best examples of a character adapted from a children’s book series.
D.W. Read
![D.W. Read looks unamused while sitting on the couch in PBS Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DW-From-Arthur.jpg)
Even if someone has never seen Arthur before, it’s almost inevitable that they know who D.W. Read is. D.W. has become something of an internet sensation in recent years, due to the hilarious D.W. memes and reaction images that frequently circulate on social media. And how could she not be?
Even though she is just a toddler, D.W. is incredibly sassy and precocious and easily the show’s most hilarious character. She fits the bill of the annoying little sister, but she is also incredibly perceptive regarding the behavior of her older brother and his friends. Her love of all things Mary Moo Cow, her hatred of spinach, her friendship with her imaginary friend Nadine, and so much more all just contribute to making her an absolute icon.
Buster Baxter
![Buster in a hammock with donuts by the water in Arthur](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Buster-From-Arthur-With-Donuts.jpg)
Even though Postcards from Buster didn’t last as a spinoff series, it’s impossible to deny that Buster Baxter is the best character in Arthur. As Arthur’s ditzy and always-hungry best friend, Buster is one of the series’ most reliable sources of both humor and heart.
Buster prides himself on being a comedian, even when his jokes aren’t always funny, and doesn’t particularly care for school or reading. But he cares deeply for his friends, especially Arthur. His relationship with his single mother, Bitzi, is also one of the series’ most beloved and most well-developed storylines. To paraphrase Winnie the Pooh, Buster may be a rabbit of very little brain, but his heart is always in the right place.