Pose was an FX show created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals. It ran from 2018 to 2021, and told the story of a group of people who participated in balls in 1980s and 1990s New York City. The balls consisted of people who formed a family, or house, and competed in themed runways. In the first season, Blanca (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez) formed her own house, the House of Evangelista, which competed and expanded over time. Whether in the ball scene or not, the show had great characters who felt like family and supported each other in the face of AIDS and political strife, and Pose was especially noteworthy for telling the lives of queer and trans people with queer and trans performers. Here’s our ranking of the show’s major characters.
9 Candy
20th Television
Candy (Angelia Ross) was a member of Elektra’s (Dominique Jackson) House of Abundance, though she eventually left when the house fell apart. She was strong and determined to be herself, even getting body injections that made her sick. Her cold demeanor softened over time, allowing the audience to better understand her and the struggles she faced. Her senselessly violent death – one that Ross, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, said reflected the violence trans women still face – was heartbreaking, and was made even more emotional by her funeral, where she expressed forgiveness to her friends in spirit.
8 Damon
Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain) was a young dancer who was kicked out of his house due to being gay. He was homeless when Blanca met him, and though he originally rejected her offer to join her family, his opinion changed after attending a ball and hearing Blanca’s story. With her help, he enrolled in dance classes and became the person he wanted to be, though he struggled with alcohol and could be at odds with his family. He wasn’t as present for the show’s final season, but the finale revealed he was teaching dance in Chicago, in a sweet ending for a beloved character.
7 Ricky
Ricky (Dyllón Burnside) was a dancer who first dated Damon. While on tour, he had an affair with another dancer, which drove him and Damon apart. After becoming HIV-positive, Ricky went to Pray Tell (Billy Porter) for advice, and eventually began a relationship with him. He matured through this relationship, leaving Pray and encouraging him to get help for his alcoholism, and finding his way back to Pray at the end. After Pray’s death, Ricky continued taking care of his health, and kept performing in a gay mens’ chorus to keep Pray’s memory alive. He became more mature and responsible, and a beloved child of Blanca’s.
6 Judy
Judy (Sandra Bernhard) was a nurse who grew close with Pray and Blanca after they became HIV-positive. She was strong and stood up for her patients, but was also kind to them. She was there for everyone in many times of need – she helped get Candy a proper funeral, encouraged Pray Tell to go to rehab, and joined activist movements to get better healthcare for people with AIDS. She went above and beyond for her patients, and felt like part of Blanca’s house, especially in the heartbreaking moments of Pray Tell’s memorial, when he counted her as family.
5 Lil Papi
Lil Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) became a member of Blanca’s house after she took him in. He would be kicked out of the house after dealing drugs, but came back and got his GED before becoming a manager for models. He remained playful and positive even during the darkness of his own life, and was there for his family when he needed to be. He even embraced family and maturity when he found out he had a son, and turned himself into the best husband for Angel (Indya Moore).
4 Elektra
Elektra is another character who grew over time. She was initially disliked by the other characters for her harsh words towards them. Like Candy, she softened, with important scenes that showed why she built herself up so fiercely. Despite her rivalry with the House of Evangelista, she would join them and acknowledge how amazing Blanca was. Elektra may not have always stayed inside the law, but she often had good intentions, like teaching a lesson to the transphobic bridal shop owner who wouldn’t let Angel have a dress. She also had some of the greatest insults and monologues in TV history, and was great fun to watch.
3 Angel
Angel went through so much pain and heartbreak before finally emerging triumphant. From the first season, when a man had an affair with her only to leave her, to the sexual harassment in her modeling career, and her drug addiction, she kept fighting through a world that so often tried to harm her. With her family, she was able to get the love and recognition she always wanted, in a celebration of happiness that queer and trans people deserve to see for themselves. Despite what she went through, she was able to love herself and be happy in her marriage to Lil Papi in the end, giving her the joy she deserved.
2 Pray Tell
Pray Tell was the emcee of the balls and a fashion designer. Bold and outspoken, he was an immensely fun character with hidden depths, all perfectly brought to life by Porter, who became the first gay Black man to win a lead actor Emmy, according to Variety. From his health struggles and addictions, to the complexities and emotions of his past and home life, Pray remained fully engaging and someone you wanted to succeed and feel love, even when he pushed it away. In the end, Pray, who saw too many friends and lovers die of AIDS, gave his trial medication to Ricky, so that he could live. It’s a heartbreaking arc that is fitting for Pray and his growth.
1 Blanca
As the house mother, Blanca was constantly there for her children, caring for them so deeply that she often forgot herself. She did everything she could for her family, and was even crowned Mother of the Year at one of the balls. Through the encouragement of others, she eventually pursued her dream of becoming a nurse, and of having a relationship with Christopher. The audience gets to share her fears and pains of being trans and HIV-positive, and celebrate in the joys of her successes, like being elevated to Legendary status in a ball by Elektra. Her getting to enjoy the love of Christopher and her family, while truly loving herself, was a perfect and rewarding ending.
