10. Betty Draper (Don’s wife)

Betty feels like my ex-wife at this point – I don’t know how I tolerated her for so long, yet I’m oddly nostalgic whenever I think of her and I’m happy whenever I see her.

9. Sal Romano (Sterling Cooper, art director)

Sal Romano! Where did you go!?! It’s shocking that Sal wasn’t brought back after his dismissal from the agency in the third season. He was one of my favorite characters in the early years, mostly because he wasn’t a complete asshole. I hope things worked out for you, Sal.

8. Freddy Rumsen (Sterling Cooper, copywriter)

Freddy Rumsen is definitely the most underrated Mad Men character – he’s their Inspectah Deck, if you will. A drunken Freddy falling asleep and urinating on himself before an important pitch remains the standard to which all other drunken Mad Men antics are judged. He was hilarious, he has interesting relationships and backstories with all of the main characters, and he had a real arc that developed across the seasons despite minimal screen time.

7. Joan Holloway (Sterling Cooper, partner)

Joan is certainly one of the most iconic Mad Men characters, though not necessarily one of my personal favorites. Still, I’d gladly read 500+ page spinoff-novelizations painstakingly detailing her relationships with Roger, Don, and Peggy, just to name a few. Speaking of which, Mad Men should definitely churn out some wacky canonized books, a la Star Wars.

6. Lane Pryce (Sterling Cooper, junior partner)

Lane Pryce came out of nowhere to be a ridiculously entertaining character. Seriously, five episodes into his run I never would’ve guessed that I’d be so thrilled by his highs and so devastated by his lows. Mad Men’s most tragic character, and that’s saying something.

5. Sally Draper (Don and Betty’s daughter)

One of the greatest extended depictions of adolescence in TV history. Watching Sally (and actress Kiernan Shipka) come of age in an era rife with radical change and uncertainty, never mind the steady stream of traumatic events provided her by her family, made for thoroughly engrossing drama. I care more about her than I do almost anyone on the show, if only because, despite it all, there’s still hope for her to turn out okay.

4. Pete Campbell (Sterling Cooper, partner)

First I hated you, then I loved to hate you, then I loved you. Do you hear that, Pete Campbell? I love you. You’re my favorite dick.

3. Don Draper (Sterling Cooper, partner)

Blasphemy? Perhaps. I’m not sure I’ve seen a fictional character that better captured the kind of person who makes the same mistake over and over and over and over again, which can be as frustrating as it is compelling. But, Don’s allure remains his tight-lipped inscrutability – even after seven seasons, I’m not entirely sure what makes the guy tick. I’d gladly watch seven more, desperate for cryptic clues to explain the war he won’t stop waging against himself.

2. Roger Sterling (Sterling Cooper, partner)

Roger is the perfect compliment to Don’s unflappable stoicism – the Luigi to his Mario, the Beavis to his Butthead. You know Don has more depth and nuance, that his part requires more restraint and subtler writing, and, most importantly, that you could never build an entire show around Roger. But, Mad Men is also far less interesting without Roger’s wit, irreverence, and his tragic quest to amuse himself to death.

1. Peggy Olson (Sterling Cooper, copy chief)

Peggy is integral to Mad Men’s structure – she always served as the audience’s surrogate, brand new to Sterling Cooper during the first season, learning to navigate the landscape just as we were. She’s had the most fascinating arc in the show’s run, developing where Don has often stagnated. And, of course, her relationship with Draper is the show’s best subplot. As evidenced by this list, the show is an ensemble piece, but Peggy is its most endearing and relatable player.