Peaky Blinders Characters And Their Godfather Counterparts

The Godfather film series is timeless, and its excellence has dug its roots deep within the crime genre, serving as inspiration for all those who have followed it. With the final installment of the TV crime saga Peaky Blinders rapidly approaching, it’s a good time to draw comparisons from the series to the film franchise from which it draws heavily.

By design, the Shelby family is very similar to the Corleone family in its business affairs, its power and its members. These characters between the two sets of characters come mostly from personality, though some, particularly antagonist characters, are comparable mainly based on their service to the over-arching plot or to the main character’s development.

Thomas Shelby – Michael Corleone

The comparisons between Thomas and Michael are extensive. Both serve as the main character to their respective franchise. Both are war heroes who later turned to lives of crime. Both are younger brothers of their families and became leaders by show of quality, not line of succession like many crime bosses might. Both characters are known for their daring and wild schemes.

The key similarity between the two that make their franchise so enthralling is the decline of their humanity as their greed swells. Both must witness family members murdered at the consequence of their own actions, and both suffer a growing loneliness throughout each installment as their actions create wider rifts between them and their loved ones.

Alfie Solomons – Hyman Roth

Though Hyman Roth is not as young and spirited as Alfie Solomons when audiences were introduced to him in The Godfather Part 2, the comparisons are still there. Hyman, like Alfie, is charismatic, full of ridiculous quotes, and seems to be entirely untrustworthy. Yet, he is a necessary partner for Michael Corleone’s empire.

Alfie and Roth are both in it for the money. They are willing to backstab and betray to maintain and grow their wealth. Both of them are expected to die soon, Hyman due to age and illness, Alfie due to a skin cancer, yet the protagonists decide to eliminate them anyways. Alfie made a surprising return in Season 5, and we’ve yet to see how his story will conclude.

Freddie Thorne – Carlo Rizzi

Freddie and Carlo both serve the plot as the undesirable romantic interest of both Tommy and Michael’s younger sisters. Though the two are similar, their demises are not seen similarly by their families. Freddie, despite being somewhat of an antagonist in the first season, ends up as an ally of the Peaky Blinders, before his death in between the first and second season.

Carlo starts off as a welcomed member of the family, with The Godfather starting with his and Connie’s wedding. However, after he abuses Connie and plays a role in the murder of Sonny Corleone, he is murdered by Michael.

Ada Shelby – Connie Corleone

The sisters of the family have many similarities beyond just their relation. Both Ada and Connie wish to separate themselves from the family business, and often provide a stubborn, contradicting view to that of their brothers.

Both sisters form romantic relationships with ill advised men, Ada to Freddie Thorne, and Connie to Carlo. The comparisons of these four characters go in pairs, as the women are left to raise the children of the men, after their deaths in the first installment of their respective series.

Billy Kimber – Emilio Barzini

Personality wise, the two don’t have too much in common. Billy Kimber is an almost laughable, mustache twirling villain, whom audiences want dead as soon as he’s seen on the screen. Barzini is far more respectable, but is an equally proportionate obstacle for the protagonist.

For Thomas Shelby and the Peaky Blinders to rise up above the level of street thugs, they must conquer the larger gang, led by Kimber. For Michael Corleone to establish himself as more than just his father’s son, and seize power among the New York crime families, he must murder Barzini.

Polly Gray – Tom Hagen

Both Polly and Tom serve in an advisor role to the series’ protagonist. Both are “family”, Tom through adoption, and Polly, the brother of Tommy’s father. Both commonly serve as a voice of reason to their family’s boss, and if British street gangs had consiglieres, Polly would be Michael’s.

The two have some conflict with their respective families. Tom often feels undervalued and disrespected, but is far less emotional than Polly. Polly takes her grievances to the extreme, and at a time attempts to murder Tommy. Polly Gray is one of the most powerful characters in Peaky Blinders.

Grace Shelby – Kay Corleone

Grace Shelby and Kay Corleone are vital to the development of their Tommy and Michael, as the character’s love interest. Both witness the decline of their relationships coinciding with their husband’s rise to power, as Grace is tragically murdered, and Kay witnesses Michael’s descent as a human being.

Grace and Kay are both unconventional and ill advised marriages for their crime boss lovers. Kay is not born into the customs of a Mafia family, like the Sicilian women mobsters were expected to marry. Grace is initially a spy, working to thwart the Shelby family from the inside. Grace is one of the most brave characters in Peaky Blinders.

Arthur Shelby – Sonny Corleone

The older brothers of the younger crime bosses have a key trait in common, bull headed anger. Arthur and Sonny are both lustful, and full of rage, and it’s clear that their minds are not intended for the strategic thinking required to lead a crime family.

Since the Peaky Blinders gang was not an inheritance like the Corleone family, Arthur is smart enough to let his younger brother Tommy lead it. Sonny, raised to be the Don of the Corleone family, rises to the occasion prematurely, and his lack of foresight results in his untimely assassination.

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