Kicking off the long-standing franchise in 1993, Jurassic Park spawned a multimedia franchise that has crossed over almost every type of entertainment, including five sequels. The sequels might not have ever reached the heights of the first film, but they have proven to be a financial and cultural juggernaut all the same.
Part of the reason for this public adoration is thanks to the talented cast members that appeared in these films throughout the years. This list highlights the best characters audiences have seen so far. With much of the original cast returning for Jurassic World: Dominion, audiences finally get to see many of these iconic characters sharing the screen together.
7 Nick Van Owen
The Lost World: Jurassic Park, is fairly given a lot of criticism. Following up the iconic original film was all but impossible, and most movies tend to fail. This is, for the most part, true of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The cast of characters isn't to blame, with two characters from this movie making this list.
Nick is an environmentalist documentarian tasked with following the group to the dinosaur-infested counterpart to the original island from the first film. At first, he seems brazen, and like he doesn't even care. As the film progresses, it's revealed that he stood by his stances. Vince Vaughn plays the character in a way that toes the line between someone that audiences can root for, and someone they can root against. He may not be the most memorable, but he did leave his mark.
6 Claire Dearing
There's a reason that the Jurassic World movies aren't as well received as the originals, and the cast of characters definitely plays a part. With no fault to be placed on Bryce Dallas Howard, who is definitely giving it her all and seems invested in the franchise as a whole, but the character of Claire Dearing leaves a lot to be desired. There had been a lot of criticisms as to how she was written in the first two films, but she is given more room to shine in the latest film. It does help solidify her on this list, but it just wasn't enough to move her higher up.
5 Owen Grady
Chris Pratt has been a certified superstar ever since the first Jurassic World came out, and hasn't left the leading man role ever since. While this film wasn't personally responsible for his stardom, it does help integrate his name into most households.
Owen is definitely an interesting character. His relationship with the raptors is one of the unique aspects of the World franchise, and it was something that instantly became iconic and synonymous with the films. That connection has stretched beyond the realm of believability, but it's still a welcome sight to see Owen and Blue share the screen again.
4 Dr. Sarah Harding
Dr. Sarah Harding has a short but impressive part in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, played by Julianne Moore. Sarah Harding is the only reason that Ian Malcolm ever returned to another Ingen-owned island, and she brought much-needed compassion and empathy to the dinosaurs. She works as a romantic partner to Ian and is also a foil to his line of thinking. Where she would fight for the dinosaurs to have a happy and undisturbed life, he would only really remember the trauma that they could cause. The juxtaposition works well with her.
3 Dr. Ellie Sattler
Not a surprise to most - the original three cast members finish off this list. There's a reason that they're the best, and choosing between them was nearly impossible. However, thanks to the impact the other two made in subsequent sequels, it does leave Ellie Sattler as the lowest of the three.
Not to say she isn't great - because she is. Her fierce determination and positivity is one of the best parts of the original film. Not only this, but her mission to restore power was one of the most dangerous personal missions any of the characters undertook, and without her, they all would have lost their lives. It helps, too, that the incredible Laura Dern gives one of her best performances.
2 Dr. Alan Grant
In a lot of ways, Dr. Alan Grant is seen as the face of the franchise all these years later. Depicted as an almost Indiana Jones type character, Alan Grant is played expertly by Sam Neill, and it's one of his best performances to date. He would appear in three out of the six films, with being the leading character in two of them. Jurassic Park III may not have been the franchise at its best, but it was another vehicle for Neill's character. Alan Grant is a hard-nosed paleontologist who learned the hard way that dinosaurs are as deadly as they are fascinating. His bravery in the face of reluctantly is what makes him such an interesting character and a fan favorite.
1 Dr. Ian Malcolm
Despite being a character that was almost cut from the movie altogether, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is the best character in the entire series. In each movie he's in, even if he's not the star, he's eating up each scene. There are so many iconic moments he brought to the franchise, especially in the first film. The Lost World: Jurassic Park is certainly not among the best of the franchise, but it does finally give the character the moments of spotlight that he needed. More is revealed about his backstory to flesh his character out, and the amount of screen time he gets is only second to Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant.
Dr. Ian Malcolm, despite being the biggest critic of cloning dinosaurs, is constantly putting his life in danger and returning to the fray. He brought a lot of the energy and charisma that comes with a Jeff Goldblum character, and provided the moral backbone that the series needed.