Modern Family characters ranked from favorite to least favorite

Modern Family has 11 main characters in the ensemble cast, and that means there's lots and lots of different personalities that were portrayed. Some we enjoyed, and others not so much. Just like any other show, everyone has their favorite and least favorite characters. It all depends on what each of us take away while watching. And so, below we've shared what we think about the Modern Family characters, ranking them from favorite to least favorite.

Gloria

There's so many great characters on this show, but my No. 1 favorite has to be Gloria! She's strong, smart, sexy, and suave I love her attitude and she just cracks me up with the way she handles things. She's hot-headed, like me, so I think I can relate to her when it comes to that. She may be a bit "different" than the rest of her family, but that's what makes her special and stand out. I think her storylines were really interesting and fit her character. Though I do wish her sauce business worked out. It was nice to see Gloria working on a passion project outside of the house (before it turned into a headache for her).

Phil

Honestly it was hard to choose between Gloria and Phil as my favorite character! They're almost at a tie. Phil is hilarious, has the best attitude and approach to life, and is just such a likable character. You just can't not like him. He's a great family man and is always ready to help someone out, even if it's not easy for him to do so. He's always looked for Jay's approval, and I think they get to that point by the end of the series. His down to earth nature, can-do attitude, and Phil's-Osophy all make the character great. For the most part, he's unproblematic which is another great trait.

Cam

Cam is so dramatic in the best way possible, I love Eric Stonestreet's delivery of literally every line. If you noticed, the top 3 favorite Modern Family characters are the trio who made a secret group in case on of them needed something with their respective Pritchett! They really are superior. Cam has a big heart and I like that the writers didn't just make the character into a stereotype. He knows and likes football and is a very successful coach. Not all shows will do that. He can be way too sensitive and not accept criticism well, but he's still a favorite for me.

Lily

This little girl's sass is all Mitch and Cam, and she's definitely my favorite of the kids. Lily has so many great one-liners and her facial expressions sometimes just say it all. She's direct and doesn't have time to sugarcoat anything. I'm also a pretty direct person, so I know where Lily is coming from. As she grows older, she's actually quite mature. Honestly more than the Dunphy kids. Lily and Sal's rivalry is also one of the funniest things on the comedy!

Jay

Jay could be a tough character to like sometimes when it came to certain aspects. But I think he definitely had the best character growth on the series. He's the one who needed it the most anyway. Especially when it came to accepting Mitchell and Cam's relationship, and his treatment of Phil. But honestly, he and Gloria have the healthiest relationship on the sitcom. He learns to change and grow as a person, as a husband, and as a father. He becomes a better dad to Claire and Mitchell compared to them growing up, comes to really care about Manny and becomes a great stepdad to him, and learns from his past mistakes so as not to repeat them with Joe. His gruffness and struggle with modern technology is all part of his charm.

Claire

I'm a very Type A, super organized person so I relate and see myself in Claire the most out of all the other characters on Modern Family. Though I will admit I don't go to the level of Pritchett stubbornness and extent that Claire is willing to go for certain things. She can take it a bit too far. I can understand why some people find her annoying or thinks she goes over the top, and she does. But overall, the character is a great mom and role model. I really enjoyed her storyline of going back to work and making her way up in the business. Not because of her dad. But because of her own talent and intelligence. And that's really inspiring.

Luke

Luke is a legend, and that's all I have to say. At least in the first few seasons. He isn't the brightest kid when it comes to certain aspects of life, but he definitely still has a lot to offer. He's actually empathetic, smart in his own ways, and totally fearless as demonstrated by the things he and Phil like to do together. This duo is hilarious! I think as he got older and became a teenager, the character wasn't as likable. The storylines became kind of boring and repetitive, like Manny's (more on that below).

Mitchell

Mitchell could be a hit or miss for me depending on the episode. Honestly, I feel like his and Cam's relationship was kind of toxic at times. They would lie to each other, and I feel like Mitchell didn't always support Cam on numerous occasions. It would take him the length of the episode to learn his mistake which shows character growth. But sometimes it was hard to see. Like his complete disregard for Cam being a clown. I mean, it's definitely not something you see everyday. But he knew about this going in. And believe me, Cam has plenty of faults too. But I think the Pritchett side of Mitchell came out a little more. It took a lot of time for these two to be on the same page. Plus, Mitchell is pretty uptight, haughty, and snobby.

Alex

Not going to lie, but Alex was pretty annoying at times. She took things too far, but I do see Claire in her so it could be that. I feel like her work hard for school characteristics were a bit too much and over the top sometimes. And throughout the show, that's literally her whole personality. It is cool to see the young woman she becomes though, and how she's off to Switzerland with Arvin on a new adventure.

Haley

Haley was fine, but not a favorite character of mine. She always seemed too self-centered and it took her way too long to finally grow up. I personally don't mind the twins storylines, though I do agree with other fans in that I wish there was a bigger focus on her career first. Because of her immaturity, there was much more room for charcter growth in taking responsibility and finding success in something she loves - fashion. She does become a great mom, but it would have been nice to see her excel at work too.

Manny

Manny's always been wise beyond his years from when we first meet him. But unfortunately as the show goes on, the character just becomes really boring, uninteresting, and quite frankly annoying. Many times, it felt like the character became unnecessary and his storylines were repetitive. It was all about the girls. And yes, he's a teenage boy. That's what they think about at that age. But that's literally all he would talk about. He whines too much and just became my least favorite charcter for sure.

All 11 seasons of Modern Family are currently streaming on Hulu and Peacock.