The League: Main Characters Ranked, According To Intelligence

The friends who come together for a fantasy football league in The League present several quirky personalities. They each display funny moments and help make The League one of FX’s highest-rated TV shows. Each character is developed differently, and as such, they respond to conflict in disparate ways.

As characters like Rodney Ruxin and Taco MacArthur are faced with challenges, they reveal their intelligence to audiences. Some characters like Andre Nowzick have implicit smarts based on their occupation. Others like Pete Eckhart show their brains with their schemes within the league. Some characters are smarter than others.

Rafi

Jason Mantzoukas plays Rafi. He is Sofia’s sister and Ruxin’s brother-in-law. He is perhaps the most outrageous and shocking character in the series. Fans might say Rafi is funny and presents The League with several hilarious quotes.

However, it is hard to argue that Rafi is one of the smarter characters in the series. He shows little self-awareness, and can’t take a hint that the main characters don’t want him around. He shows little critical thinking in his inability to process their criticisms and requests for him to stay away.

Taco MacArthur

Jon Lajoie’s Taco is Kevin MacArthur’s brother. Fans might say he is one of the goofiest characters in the series. He is often treated by his peers as one of the most foolish members of the group.

Taco shows his smarts in his creative schemes, like the several small businesses he comes up with throughout the series like “Taco’s Truck.” However, he sells American food in the truck, lacking the reasoning to realize customers will assume it sells tacos. The resultant failures of these ideas underscore Taco’s lack of critical thinking.

Sofia Ruxin

Nadine Velazquez plays Sofia. She is Ruxin’s wife. She isn’t as developed as some of the other main characters in the series, but she showcases her intelligence in her relationship with her husband. 

Fans might say Sofia is too trusting of Ruxin. When he schemes, she usually believes whatever he says without question. Despite the fact that she has caught him in lies before, she doesn’t try to read between the lines, as Jenny does to Kevin. This action shows a lack of reasoning and critical thinking.

Kevin MacArthur

Kevin is played by Stephen Rannazzisi. He is an assistant district attorney. His job requires a rigorous educational background, but he also shows his smarts in his actions. He is quick-thinking, and comes up with scams within the league and in his personal life, and fast explanations when he is caught.

Kevin is the on and off commissioner of the league, a job that demands level-headedness and problem-solving. However, Kevin showcases foolish behavior in his easy manipulation by others. At one point, Pete and Jenny train Kevin and he follows them blindly. Kevin shows his lack of emotional intelligence when he throws tantrums in losing.

Jenny MacArthur

Katie Aselton plays Jenny. She is Kevin’s wife. She is a good partner, even though Kevin’s schemes often disturb her, especially when they are prioritized over their kids.

Jenny shows intelligence in her relationship with Kevin. She shows critical thinking when she breaks things down for Kevin. When she feels she isn’t treated with romance, she teaches Kevin to change his ways. When Kevin shirks his responsibilities, she unpacks the error of his ways to him.

Dr. Andre Nowzick

Paul Scheer plays Andre. He is a doctor specializing in plastic surgery. As such, he has a strong academic background. He tells his friends he spent the most time in school, and thus, he is the smartest as “that’s the way it works.”

Andre has book smarts, but he showcases some unintelligent moments on the show. He shows a lack of self-awareness throughout. He often can’t pick up on his friends’ teasing him to his face.

Peter “Pete” Eckhart

Some fans say The League‘s Pete is one of Mark Duplass’ best roles. Viewers might note that Pete presents himself as one of the smartest members of the league. He presents his brains in his manipulation. Pete seems to be constantly thinking.

Throughout each season, he comes up with ways to trick his friends into trading players with him for his benefit. He shows critical thinking in coming up with ways to make the trades seem favorable to his peers. However, he shows a lack of emotional intelligence in his unwillingness to accept a loss.

Rodney Ruxin

Nick Kroll plays Ruxin in The League in one of his highest-rated roles. It is hard to argue that Ruxin isn’t one of the most conniving main characters. He is constantly scheming, tinkering, and coming up with ways to give him an edge on the competition.

When the group plays trivia, Ruxin wins, boasting about his smarts and repetitive “domination” in the game. Ruxin reminds audiences that he “destroyed” the rest of the group in the SATs. Furthermore, he uncovers the truth when league rules have been broken during a season, making him lose.

About The Author