ms.katejones
Cadet
So, I thought it would be interesting to rank the regular characters by who is most vital to the show, like if they left the show would be ruined for you. I'm not talking about which character's you like best, but which you think play the most important role on Alias. By regular characters I mean Dixon, Jack, Marshall, Nadia, Sloane, Syd, Vaughn, and Weiss. (In alphabetical order.) Oh, and if you could explain how you picked your order that would be great.
Here's my list:
1) Syd: Well, I think this one is obvious since she's the main character. Just look at the opening credits, this is JG's show. Syd is the one we're supposed to identify with and root for, plus she's the Chosen One according to Rambaldi.
2) Jack: I picked Jack as the second most important character because he serves as a mentor and foil for Syd. In S1-2 he often went behind her back and his stoicism was contrasted with Syd's more emotional way of living. Then in S3 he became her main confidante. The Syd/Jack relationship is one of the centers of the show imo.
3) Sloane: Sloane is one creepy guy, but his role is central. He's the main antagonist, even when he's supposedly on Syd's side. He keeps us guessing and provides lots of fodder for Rambaldi plotlines.
4) Vaughn: The top three were easier to pick, but this one was trickier. I put Vaughn above Nadia because he's been around longer and his relationship with Syd has therefore had more time to develop and gain signifigance. The end of last season really focused a lot on Vaughn and his vendetta against Lauren and recently he once again stepped into the spotlight with the search Bill Vaughn. Mostly I think Vaughn is important to us because he's important to Syd.
5) Nadia: I really didn't know what to think of Nadia when we first met her in S3. She seemed like this poor victim and then BAM she started to kick ass. That dichotomy has followed through into this year with her obvious skills as an agent contrasted with her possibly naive acceptance of the lies people (Jack/Syd/Sloane/Katya) have been telling her. Her presence adds new dimensions to Sloane's character and of course her role in the Prophecy will undoubtedly make her take a bigger role in the future.
6) Marshall: I was almost tempted to put Marshall above Nadia because I think I would miss him more than I would miss her, but regardless I think Marshall is the most important secondary character who is not in the "spyfamily" by blood or boyfriend status. He gives us a reason to laugh and offers a refreshingly optimistic/less-complicated view of the spyworld. Marshall's motives are generally crystal clear and when he goes on missions we get comedy gold.
7) Weiss: Weiss was mostly a comedic sidekick for the first 3 seasons, although he listened to Syd's problems last year too. His relationship with Nadia has given him more to do this year, but I wouldn't say he is vital to the show.
8) Dixon: Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Dixon. He's a great guy, my favorite partner for Syd, and another person to keep a watchful eye on Sloane, but overall he has the fewest ties to the rest of the characters, which is why I put him last. I think the show could last without him and Weiss and maybe even Marshall or Nadia, but I would of course miss them all.
All right, so what do you guys think? Who's most important?
Here's my list:
1) Syd: Well, I think this one is obvious since she's the main character. Just look at the opening credits, this is JG's show. Syd is the one we're supposed to identify with and root for, plus she's the Chosen One according to Rambaldi.
2) Jack: I picked Jack as the second most important character because he serves as a mentor and foil for Syd. In S1-2 he often went behind her back and his stoicism was contrasted with Syd's more emotional way of living. Then in S3 he became her main confidante. The Syd/Jack relationship is one of the centers of the show imo.
3) Sloane: Sloane is one creepy guy, but his role is central. He's the main antagonist, even when he's supposedly on Syd's side. He keeps us guessing and provides lots of fodder for Rambaldi plotlines.
4) Vaughn: The top three were easier to pick, but this one was trickier. I put Vaughn above Nadia because he's been around longer and his relationship with Syd has therefore had more time to develop and gain signifigance. The end of last season really focused a lot on Vaughn and his vendetta against Lauren and recently he once again stepped into the spotlight with the search Bill Vaughn. Mostly I think Vaughn is important to us because he's important to Syd.
5) Nadia: I really didn't know what to think of Nadia when we first met her in S3. She seemed like this poor victim and then BAM she started to kick ass. That dichotomy has followed through into this year with her obvious skills as an agent contrasted with her possibly naive acceptance of the lies people (Jack/Syd/Sloane/Katya) have been telling her. Her presence adds new dimensions to Sloane's character and of course her role in the Prophecy will undoubtedly make her take a bigger role in the future.
6) Marshall: I was almost tempted to put Marshall above Nadia because I think I would miss him more than I would miss her, but regardless I think Marshall is the most important secondary character who is not in the "spyfamily" by blood or boyfriend status. He gives us a reason to laugh and offers a refreshingly optimistic/less-complicated view of the spyworld. Marshall's motives are generally crystal clear and when he goes on missions we get comedy gold.
7) Weiss: Weiss was mostly a comedic sidekick for the first 3 seasons, although he listened to Syd's problems last year too. His relationship with Nadia has given him more to do this year, but I wouldn't say he is vital to the show.
8) Dixon: Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Dixon. He's a great guy, my favorite partner for Syd, and another person to keep a watchful eye on Sloane, but overall he has the fewest ties to the rest of the characters, which is why I put him last. I think the show could last without him and Weiss and maybe even Marshall or Nadia, but I would of course miss them all.
All right, so what do you guys think? Who's most important?
she's the protagonist. I've always thought Dixon was pretty important until this season. This year he's kind of just there. So I agree that he's least important, because he doesn't really do much. Maybe they will have a story for him in the future? I hope so, Dixon's awesome 
