Peaky Blinders - Characters & Cast

His primary motivation is ambition, rooted in the trauma of war and a deep-seated desire to rise above his working-class, Romani origins. He is driven to protect his family and build a legacy, but also by a personal need to control his environment and prove he is smarter than the establishment. As the series progresses, his motivations become more existential, grappling with the meaning of his actions and seeking redemption for his sins.

Tommy begins as a haunted war veteran and small-time gang leader, emotionally crippled by PTSD. His arc across six seasons is a relentless, calculated climb up the social and criminal ladder. Initially driven by a desire for wealth and security for his family, his motivations evolve into a complex quest for power, legitimacy, and ultimately, an escape from his own demons. He transforms from a street-level gangster into a sophisticated businessman, a Member of Parliament, and an international power broker. His journey is marked by profound loss and moral compromise, leading to a final confrontation not with an external enemy, but with his own mortality and identity, culminating in a symbolic rebirth where he chooses to live rather than succumb to a manipulated death.

Her core motivation is the protection and preservation of the Shelby family. She is driven by a fierce love for her nephews and a desire to see them succeed, but also by a need to keep their ambition from destroying them. She also seeks to heal her own past traumas, particularly the loss of her children, which informs many of her decisions and vulnerabilities.

Polly is the formidable matriarch and treasurer of the Shelby family, who ran the business while the men were at war. Her arc is one of maintaining control and seeking personal happiness amidst the chaos of the family's criminal enterprise. She is often Tommy's closest confidante and sharpest critic, serving as the family's moral, and often spiritual, compass. Over the series, she grapples with the loss of her children, finds love, and asserts her independence, refusing to be defined solely by her role in the family. Polly's journey is about balancing her fierce loyalty to the Shelbys with her own needs and identity as a powerful woman in a man's world.

Arthur is motivated by a deep-seated loyalty to Tommy and the family. He craves his brother's approval and a sense of purpose, which he finds in being the muscle of the operation. He is also motivated by a desperate search for redemption and an escape from the violence that defines and consumes him.

Arthur, the eldest Shelby brother, begins as the supposed head of the family but is quickly shown to be too volatile and traumatized to lead effectively. His arc is a tragic struggle with his own violent nature, PTSD, and addiction. He serves as Tommy's loyal and brutal enforcer, but yearns for peace and a normal life, which he briefly finds through his religious wife, Linda. Throughout the series, Arthur is caught in a devastating cycle of violence, remorse, and relapse. He never fully escapes the horrors of war or the demands of the family business, representing the raw, untamed id of the Peaky Blinders and the most visible casualty of their lifestyle.