Since 2019, What We Do in the Shadows has remained the funniest show about the undead on television. The series, created by New Zealand's Flight of the Concords legend Jermaine Clement, follows the escapades of four vampires (and their familiar, Guillermo) living together in Staten Island, NY. Inspired by Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 film of the same name, the show has had an extremely successful run on FX since its inception, now on its fourth season and having been renewed for seasons five and six. A spinoff series, Wellington Paranormal, was also launched last year on the CW and HBO Max.
What makes What We Do in the Shadows such an iconic, consistently entertaining show is its assortment of colorful, eccentric characters that never grow old (literally). Even as the show develops and evolves over time, taking on darker and more complex material with each season, the show's characters can always be counted on to provide viewers with never-ending laughs - whether it be with the vampires or at them. Although it is exceedingly difficult to name one cast member funnier than any other, here is the show's main cast, ranked by hilarity.
6 Baron Afanas
As the most Nosferatu-esque (by far) of the vampire crew, Baron Afanas might not symbolize peak comedy to most viewers of the show. After all, besides his senility (compared to the others) and decomposing physique, he also is one of the show's few characters entirely lacking of anything remotely resembling a sense of humor. While the series' other characters delight in incessant bickering and knowing nods to the camera, the Baron's main concern is dominating the entirety of New York. Even if the Baron's main comedic moments arise from just how hilariously he contrasts with other members of the cast, there are times when his own antics can prove just as memorable as those of his companions. For example, nothing quite beats the Baron shouting "Shots! Shots! Shots!" at a bar in S1E6, "Baron's Night Out."
5 Nadja
Nadja of Antipaxos is rightfully a fan favorite and one of the more complex characters on the show. Her gothic style, stoic take-no-prisoners attitude, and tempestuous past make for a character we are always excited to learn more about. Meanwhile, what makes Nadja so consistently funny is her unshakeable deadpan tone and brilliant one-liners. She is also prone to the occasional unhinged monologue, and her conversations with and about her husband Laszlo are some of the best moments of the show. "If Laszlo and I were to ever have a child," she says at one point, "I wish he'd look like him (points to baby armadillo). Small and hard." Nadja is definitely one of the most entertaining, but also fearsome and multi-layered characters within the series, making her development a unique and fascinating journey for viewers to follow along with.
4 Guillermo
Guillermo is perhaps the sole force that imbues What We Do in the Shadows with a sense of humanity. As Nandor's longtime familiar, Guillermo serves as the grounding human counterpart to all the wacky vampire madness that ensues. What's truly funny about Guillermo's persona is the extent to which the vampires actually rely on him to provide a semblance of order to their world, as opposed to vice versa. In the series' second season, the house is left full of decaying bodies when Guillermo leaves for a mere few days. However, of course, none of the vampires would ever openly admit the extent to which they rely on Guillermo to connect them to the human world, and so his figure becomes even more deeply empathetic. The vampires instead constantly tease and exploit their familiar, which is always hilarious to see, both in what it reveals about how much Guillermo is willing to take and the utter callousness of the vampires.
3 Colin Robinson
Colin Robinson plays a unique role both within the vampire household and the series at large. Despite not being human, Colin's character serves as a hilarious open-ended metaphor for the most mundane and stultifying parts of the human world. As an energy vampire, he sucks the life out of people not through inserting fangs into their flesh, but rather by boring them to pieces. Mark Proksch of The Office and Better Call Saul fame tackles the role perfectly, never exaggerating, yet also not underestimating the real power of his character. The funniest element of Colin’s character is that viewers are never exactly sure when he's being intentional or not - in Colin's own words, "The thing about being an energy vampire is, even when you're being sincere and may be looking for some reassurance or support, people think that you're trying to drain their life force."
2 Nandor the Relentless
Whether it's his near childlike curiosity, undying love of glitter, or curious relationship with his familiar Guillermo, there are almost too many things to count that make Nandor one of the show's most consistently entertaining characters. As with many other characters on the show, it is the sense of contrast within Nandor's character that makes him so laugh-out-loud hilarious. On the surface, and as he would seize the opportunity to brag about, Nandor is a fierce Ottoman warrior, who loves to kill and pillage. "They called me Nandor the relentless. Because I just never relent." However, Nandor is also exceedingly curious about the modern world; he loves "creepy paper" and is unafraid of, even delighted by, a variety of human encounters that allow him to practice his unsuccessful hypnotism skills. From season to season, Nandor can always be counted on to provide the show with some of its most eccentric, quotable moments.
1 Laszlo Cravensworth
Laszlo's persona makes us think more of a sex-obsessed British aristocrat than anything remotely resembling a terrifying bloodsucker - which is precisely what makes him so funny. Laszlo is depraved, brash, and completely tactless, but somehow, at the same time, extremely articulate, witty, and even so charming at times that we briefly forget his true identity. This is due in large part to how he is delightfully played up by Matt Berry, with a very distinctive vocal register and posh inflection at all times. Laszlo is also extremely creative and a quick thinker, when it comes to both his rampant sexual impulses and the vampires' desire to conquer New York. In the beginning of the series, Laszlo simply suggests that the vampires could "assassinate the king" in order to solve all of their problems. It is Laszlo's unshakeable confidence and indestructible ego that make him so infinitely quotable - and also a perfect setup for an endless series of gags (like swallowing a harmonica).