‘The Big Bang Theory’ said goodbye to fans almost a year ago. But its characters still remain in the hearts of the audience, and will seemingly continue to do so forever. While the absurdity of some characters is what makes them stand out, others are loved for how relatable they are. Here is our list of characters ranked by their relatability.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ introduced the viewers to Sheldon Cooper and his longtime friends: Leonard, Raj, Howard, Penny, Amy, and Bernadette. All of them had their own unique identity and were loved equally by the viewers. Though the characters are all very lovable and adorable, they are far from being relatable (well, most of them!). The Big Bang Theory characters have been ranked here based on how relatable viewers find them, from most relatable to least relatable. Scroll down to see our pick.
Highlights —
- Who doesn’t love Penny!
- Sheldon Cooper is not all that bad
- Raj Koothrappalli, Leonard Hofstadter, and everyone else!
Penny: No surprises there!
Kaley Cuoco aka Penny is the most (and arguably the only) relatable character on the show. Characters like Penny are not too difficult to find in our day to day lives. That is to speak of women who struggle between jobs to fulfill their dreams, and are not insecure about their identity. Penny goes from being a poor waitress, aspiring to be an actor, to becoming a successful pharmaceutical rep. She is hard-working, sarcastic, bold, and has a good head on her shoulder. But, more importantly, she does not shy away from engaging with a group of geniuses, and, in fact, goes on to lead them completely.
Leonard Hofstadter
Though Leonard is as nerdy as Sheldon Cooper and passionate about physics, he is the sanest of them all. Initially, even Leonard is shown to be shy. But the brilliant experimental physicist proves that you can conquer your fears to achieve your dreams. Leonard is like your shy, smart but considerate older brother, whom you can look up to whenever you need help or advice. He is like the wisest friend in a group of crazies. Despite initial struggles, Leonard successfully manages to find a balance between scientific involvement and societal normalcy. Do you know someone like him?
Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
She is the quintessential next-door neighbour’s younger daughter you read about in novels. You might have already guessed who we are talking about. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz is sweet, adorable, and a soft-spoken microbiologist in a group of physicians. She is one of those women who may look small, but are, in reality, a powerhouse you don’t want to mess with. Fans have loved her as much as they are scared of her. Her voice is what makes her stand apart in the crowd. In an interview with Dave Rubin in ‘The Rubin Report Show’, Melissa Rauch said that Bernadette’s voice is inspired by her mom.
Howard Wolowitz
He is a flirt. He always boasts about the fact that he has been to space. He has a sexualized sense of humour and a rivalry with Sheldon. But he is fierce when it comes to his friendship with Raj. He is Howard Wolowitz. Howard is like one of those pretentious guys from your friend group who loves to boast about his high-paying job or his latest gadgets and flirts with every girl he comes across. You might hate such guys but can’t help adore them. More often than not we come across a person like Howard in our lives, isn’t it? Fans have a love-hate relationship with him.
Which The Big Bang Theory Character Are You? (Quiz)
Raj Koothrapali
Reportedly the most stereotyped character in The Big Bang Theory is Rajesh Koothrapali played by Kunal Nayyar, the astrophysicist in the gang. He is an NRI living in Pasadena for his research at Caltech. If you have an NRI friend or relative, who goes to a different country and starts hating everything about his/her nation immediately, from food to lifestyle and language, you won’t find it too difficult to relate to Raj. He hates Indian food, considers English as his native language, and likes to dominate the women in his family. A case in point, in season 4, he “forbade” his sister Priya from talking, holding hands, and spending the night together with Leonard because she is “Indian”. Do you have friends or relatives like Raj? Let us know in the comments.
Amy Farrah Fowler
According to Raj and Howard, Amy is the female version of Sheldon. Characteristically, she is the combination of Leonard and Bernadette. Yes, that’s right! She is shy like Bernie but out-spoken like Leonard when she is in her comfort zone. She feels extremely awkward trying to make friends with other “normal” girls. A case in point is her obsession with wanting to be friends with Penny. It is hilarious. Amy is extremely nerdy and even has a research paper that proves that love-at-first-sight is a scam. But life proves her wrong when she meets Sheldon. At the same time, Amy is judgmental and her beliefs are old-school, for instance, the belief that pre-marital sex is forbidden. When you think like that, doesn’t Amy sound like your typical Indian aunties?
Sheldon Cooper
Sheldon Cooper is The Bing Bang Theory’s most adored and most popular character. This character, portrayed by Jim Parsons, became so famous that the network created a spin-off series based on him called ‘Young Sheldon’. On the papers, he might be the worst friend to have. He is annoyingly smart, always wants his way, is judgmental, does not think before talking, and when he talks, he talks in weird physics jargon, and, last but not the least, his weird way of knocking. But, when you get to know the character, Sheldon is extremely caring and passionate. He is complicated, doesn’t like any change, and has his insecurities. Sheldon even tries to explain a simple incident of plates falling and shattering with physics theorems. Even though the complexity of his character, his complete reliance on logic to understand any situation or societal norms, and inability to decipher emotions make him the hardest to relate to, these have also made him the most adorable character in the TV industry.
That was our list. Do you agree with it? Which The Bing Bang Theory character can you most relate to? Let us know in the comments section below.
