Do we like them?

Do we like Logan Roy?

A character from Succession (2018–2023)

Our score: 2 out of 10. A magnetic, darkly funny tyrant. He is great to watch and terrible to follow. He bullies his own children and shields his company's worst behaviour. We wouldn't back him, though we'd watch him all day.

Logan Roy is the billionaire founder of Waystar Royco, a global media and entertainment conglomerate. Succession is a black comedy about his family fighting over who will run the company next. Logan is the show's driving force. He is wily, temperamental and fond of telling people to get lost. His grown children, Connor, Kendall, Roman and Shiv, all want his approval, and all want his chair.

He is fiercely protective of his empire, even as his health declines. He keeps his kids guessing about who will take over by dangling the top job and then snatching it away. He shrugs off the company's scandals as a few bad apples, and he expects his family to fall in line. He is charismatic and sharp, with a rough, self-made charm. At home he is cold, cruel and manipulative.

That's why he scores so low. Cox has called Logan his "evil twin", and the character is a misanthrope who can't be defended. We can see why people are drawn to him and why his children can't leave him alone. But he does far more harm than good, to his family above all, and he never earns the trust he demands.

Logan dies suddenly partway through the final season. His children are left to fight over the company without him, and his plans for the business still shape what they do. The story shows how much his shadow shaped them.