Mayberry is home to a variety of memorable and lovable residents, such as Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), who helps take care of Taylor and his young son, Opie (Howard), and Taylor’s bumbling, stumbling deputy, Barney Fife (Knotts), who manages to always keep things entertaining in the tight-knit community. Out of all the characters in the sleepy town of Mayberry, including Goober Pyle (George Lindsey) and Ernest T. Bass (Howard Morris), these are the ten best characters in The Andy Griffith Show, ranked.
10. Charlene Darling
Played by Maggie Peterson
Charlene Darling (Maggie Peterson) is Briscoe Darling’s (Denver Pyle) only daughter who lives just outside Mayberry and occasionally sings in her family’s bluegrass band. Charlene is a sweet-natured but naive young woman who typically causes problems for Sheriff Taylor and the people of Mayberry with her innocent, flirtatious ways and undeniable charm.
Charlene is the classic girl-next-door who genuinely means no harm and is known for her kind heart and love of mountain lore, which can also create some issues for her and others. Between her bubbly personality and virtuous candor, Charlene is easily one of the best and humorous characters in the series who always manages to stir things up, but in a good way!
9. Mayor Pike
Played by Dick Elliott
Mayor Pike (Dick Elliott) is known for his relaxed, carefree manner, which can sometimes be a disadvantage. This causes the mayor to be indecisive and unsure of certain choices, especially when it comes to important matters, making him an unpredictable but comedic resident of Mayberry. While Pike doesn’t like to rock the boat or ruffle any feathers, he does know he is a valuable pillar of the community and strives to make the people of Mayberry more than content.
While Pike doesn’t like to rock the boat or ruffle any feathers, he does know he is a valuable pillar of the community…
8. Floyd Lawson
Played by Howard McNear
Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear) was born and raised in Mayberry and is the town’s local barber who is known to be a bit absent-minded and move at a snail’s pace. While Floyd can give a more than decent haircut, the show does have a running gag about how he doesn’t know how to cut sideburns evenly. Aside from being a barber, Floyd was also a founding member of the town’s band and served as the secretary of the Downtown Businessman’s Club.
While Floyd can give a more than decent haircut, the show does have a running gag about how he doesn’t know how to cut sideburns evenly.
7. Opie Taylor
Played by Ron Howard
Opie Taylor (Ron Howard) is Sheriff Taylor’s sweet and respectable son who is loved for his sense of humor and unwavering sense of adventure, especially in the great outdoors. While Taylor tries his best to raise his son, he sometimes underestimates or misjudges him, thinking he is being selfish or inconsiderate to those less fortunate than him, only to realize his son is more than selfless and generous than he had expected.
Initially, Opie was depicted as a bratty little boy, but with the help of Howard’s father, the character was rewritten into the adorable Opie fans know and love today. As Opie grew up into a mature young man, his character reached a younger audience as well and is considered to be one of the show’s most universally recognized characters who became a part of every American household.
6. Otis Campbell
Played by Hal Smith
Otis is a hilarious resident of Mayberry who, thankfully, is a friendly, happy-go-lucky drinker who doesn’t get himself into trouble…
Otis is one of the best and rather interesting characters in the show who, despite his excessive drinking habit, still manages to keep a steady, full-time job and make it to church on Sundays. Aside from his drinking, Otis is a hilarious resident of Mayberry who, thankfully, is a friendly, happy-go-lucky drinker who doesn’t get himself into trouble and makes Sheriff Taylor’s job a bit easier by doing himself and everyone in town a favor by ensuring he quits while he’s ahead.
5. Ernest T. Bass
Played by Howard Morris
Ernest has a tendency to behave like a child the majority of the time…
Ernest’s child-like demeanor and ridiculous antics, notably telling tall tales and committing harmless vandalism, make him a unique and hilarious character in The Andy Griffith Show. Even though he is rather brash and rowdy, Ernest, on some level, does mean well and would never intentionally hurt anyone. Known as “the best rock thrower in the country,” Ernest is also recognized for his signature catchphrase, “You ain’t seen the las’ of Ernest T. Bass!” cementing his place on the list as one of the show’s all-time best.
4. Goober Pyle
Played by George Lindsey
Goober Pyle (George Lindsey) is another colorful character of Mayberry; and, despite not being the sharpest knife in the drawer and being a bit backwards, Goober is loved for his ability to see the good in others and a child-like sense of wonder and amusement. He works at Wally’s Filling Station with his cousin, Gomer (Jim Nabors), and is known to have excellent skills as a mechanic.
Goober essentially serves as the show’s main source of comic relief and is easily one of the series’ best characters. Known for his distinct attire and bad celebrity impressions, Goober is a lovable resident of Mayberry who fans can always count on for a laugh and even a bit of inspiration, as he has a knack for finding the silver-linings of any situation and an outlook on life that values the glass as half full instead of half empty.
3 . Aunt Bee
Played by Frances Bavier
Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) arrives in Mayberry to replace Sheriff Taylor’s housekeeper, who had recently gotten married and left her job. Aunt Bee is no stranger to the Taylor family and actually raised Sheriff Taylor when he was a boy, as well as other children in the Taylor family. While it’s never officially mentioned, Aunt Bee has never been married. Since she has the last name Taylor, she very well could be a sister of Sheriff Taylor’s father. Aunt Bee is widely known for her amazing cooking. When she’s not taking care of the Taylor boys, she spends her time doing charity work within the community.
It’s impossible not to love Aunt Bee, who is both warm but stern and the ideal matriarch that any family would be lucky to have in their home. While her job is to keep house, she goes above and beyond and is the glue that holds not only her family together but also the community of Mayberry. She is a woman of faith and disapproves of drinking and any other vices she deems to be unsuitable, but that doesn’t mean she’s a stick in the mud and does know how to cut loose occasionally.
2. Andy Taylor
Played by Andy Griffith
Sheriff Andy Taylor is the heart and soul of Mayberry, who is widely loved for his traditional values, fairness, and being an all-around-loving family man. With the help of his deputy, Barney Fife, Taylor runs and operates the local courthouse and serves all of Mayberry county, which sometimes takes him out of town, resulting in an eventful job that rarely has a dull moment. Despite being born and raised in Mayberry, Taylor has spent time in other places, including France, where it’s suspected he served in the war, and is essentially a well-rounded guy.
Aside from Griffith’s other hit show, Matlock, The Andy Griffith Show stands to be Griffith’s most well-known series and has become a household name as America’s favorite man of the law and caring father. Considering his sense of empathy and understanding towards others, Sheriff Taylor is by far one of the best characters in the show who serves as an upstanding representation of a great individual who diligently serves and protects his community, even if it is a small sleepy town.
1. Barney Fife
Played by Don Knotts
Sheriff Taylor’s deputy, Barney Fife (Knotts), is by far the best character in The Andy Griffith Show who has a smug attitude and self-importance which is meant to humorously conceal his genuine insecurities and a lack of self-confidence. He portrays himself as an expert in almost all things, including karate, women, and wilderness survival, and always strives to be an officer who does everything “by the book.”
Knott’s style of physical and slapstick comedy elevated Barney Fife to be a major fan favorite and meshes exceptionally well with Griffith’s more serious, rational person. While Barney tries to give others the impression that he is a capable, resourceful man, he doesn’t do well dealing with challenging situations and often times caves under pressure or overreacts, revealing his true colors. In fairness, Barney does have his moments of showing true courage and bravery, and is always loyal to his job and the people of Mayberry.
