It’s no secret or surprise that iZombie is one of the best shows on TV right now or that the talented cast definitely has a lot to do with that.
But what you maybe wouldn’t expect from a show where the main character is a zombie that goes through personality changes from week to week is that the best character is actually the show’s supporting character.
Yes, Rose McIver’s Liv Moore is one of the most fascinating characters that we’ve seen in a long time. The way in which the actress takes on a new personality every week while still keeping a core Liv personality is impressive. Plus, it’s just really hard not to love Liv (thanks in part to her petite stature and adorable face).
But as much as I love Liv, I can’t help but yearn for more Ravi Chakrabarti. He lights up a scene like nobody else and really steals the show.
Though there are many reasons to love iZombie‘s Ravi, here are a few that prove him to be the best character on the show.
He’s intelligent
It didn’t take Ravi long at all to deduce that Liv is a zombie. In fact, he figured it out within the first few minutes of the pilot (which would have been only a few weeks or months in the show’s timeline). He figured out that she’s a zombie when zombies aren’t even known to be real. On top of that, he threw himself into finding a cure for zombie-ism (something nobody has ever done before) and almost succeeded. Sure, it turned out to be temporary (for now), but he has the brains enough to even come close to creating a cure. Calling his intelligence impressive would be an understatement.
He’s hilarious
Ravi has some of the best lines and one-liners in the entire show, hands down. Not only that, but he has some of the best physical comedy and gags too. The best part about it is that none of it feels forced or out of character. It all just feels like Ravi being Ravi. And, I mean, if my life was as ridiculous as Ravi’s I’d definitely be cracking a few jokes myself and trying to have as much fun as possible. Remember the time when Ravi found out about Clive’s huge Game of Thrones obsession and then proceeded to take advantage of it? AMAZING.
He puts others before himself
Ravi is an incredibly dedicated co-worker and friend. He always gives without asking for anything in return and thinks of others before himself. He offers Peyton a place to stay even though he knows it’ll be hard on him to have her around. He gives up a lot of his life and dedicates it to finding the cure for zombie-ism, spending more time with experiment rats than Netflix, I’d wager. And then there’s all that time he spent scouring over a deserted field, looking for bodies…
Never once does Ravi behave selfishly or rashly. He’s the kind of friend we all want in our corner (and he deserves so many hugs at this point).
He’s genuine
Ravi is probably one of the only characters on iZombie that hasn’t lied or kept a sizeable secret from another character or a group of characters. He never tries to be someone or something he’s not and doesn’t shy away from letting his freak flag fly. In fact, he embraces his geeky-ness and flaunts it often. With Ravi, what you see is what you get (and then some).
He’s a lover…
Ravi Chakrabarti treats practically everyone (human or otherwise) with love and compassion, if not just respect. He was a model boyfriend when he was dating Peyton, ended things with his subsequent girlfriend without stringing her along, and loved Minor with every fiber of his being (even though the dog showed up out of the blue and he had the responsibility of keeping a dog thrust upon him without warning). Even when he’s stressed or frustrated, Ravi doesn’t have a mean or cruel bone in his body.
…But he can also be a fighter
Ravi may be more of a peaceful character, but if his friends are in danger or need his help, he will fight like hell (physically and mentally). Case in point? The showdown with Blaine in the morgue. Their fight scene is probably one of the best overall iZombie scenes so far, thanks in large part to Ravi’s scrappy-ness. In order to keep the zombie neutralizer from falling into the wrong hands and threatening the lives of many (including Liv), Ravi did everything he could to keep Blaine away from it. Sure, it was a hilarious scene, but it also shows the lengths to which Ravi will go to protect those he loves.
He’s mysterious
Think about it: we still don’t know his whole story. The only thing we know about his background is that he used to work for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, but they fired him after he started obsessing over preparing for biological weapons. Other than that, we know nothing. Nothing about his upbringing, family, and even his dark secrets. Yet, though we don’t know much about Ravi’s background, that makes him even cooler. He’s like the pre-Han Solo origin movie-Han Solo of the iZombie universe.
He’s not perfect
Ravi Chakrabarti is only human. He didn’t get the zombie cure right on the first try. He can let his emotions cloud his judgement sometimes (like going off on Major when he found out that Major is the Chaos Killer Kidnapper) (to be fair, he thought Major had been going on a murder spree). Ravi is far from perfect, but that’s what makes him human (you know, apart from not being a zombie). If Ravi were to be flawless, he’d be boring. But it’s his shortcomings and mistakes (like drinking too much at the Britain-themed party) that make him all the more endearing.
He has a British accent, for goodness sake
Let’s be real: The other characters don’t stand a chance against a British accent. Sure, Ravi Chakrabarti would be a great character without the British accent (or any accent at all, for that matter), but the accent just makes him so much more charming and fun. Plus, it adds a bit of sass to pretty much everything he says. It’s honestly hard to imagine Ravi without it.
Rahul Kohli is the man
Ravi just wouldn’t be Ravi if it weren’t for the amazing acting chops and personality of Rahul Kohli. Here’s another Han Solo reference for you: Rahul Kohli is Ravi as much as Harrison Ford is Han Solo. The actor is so ingrained in the character and embodies him so well that nobody else could ever possibly take his place. Like Ravi, Kohli is super sassy and fun (or so his interviews and Twitter account make him sound). I don’t know about you, but every time I watch iZombie, I just want to hug and thank Rob Thomas and co. for casting Rahul Kohli. Every. Time.