The Ultimate ‘Succession’ Ranking: Who’s Most (And Least) Likely To Win The Waystar Royco Throne

Updated 3 years ago, March 4 2022
Pop Culture, Pop Culture, TV Shows

By the end of Succession‘s second season, the cracks were starting to show in the armor of Waystar Royco’s founder, Chairman, and CEO, Logan Roy. With his son Kendall’s public pronouncement of Logan’s misdeeds and the rest of Logan’s kids failing to meet his standards, the future of Waystar Royco was very much in the air. Now that we’re finally at the beginning of season 3, it seems likely that someone will have to take his place as a successor to the Waystar Royco throne—but who? There are some pretty clear frontmen, but the majority of the characters are fighting for this very coveted position, and only one can win.

Here’s who we think is most and least likely to fill Logan’s shoes by the end of the show (if Waystar Royco isn’t taken down first).

1. Kendall Roy

Kendall Roy is our number one boy for a reason. As the first (second) son, he’s spent most of his adult life living in his father’s shadow, preparing for the day he’d finally step up and claim his rightful place as Chairman and CEO. And when his hopes are brutally stamped out in season one, he puts up a fight to do what’s in the best interest of this company (which is, conveniently, also in his best interests). After spending most of the second season acting as Logan’s lapdog, season three finds him ready to take down his father at all costs—which is pretty risky, given the dangerous information Logan has that he could use against him.

Will Kendall win this fight against Logan? Well, I’m not a betting man, but I would bet that this is about to be an absolute shitshow. Based on the first episode of season three alone, Kendall is definitely spiraling, which begs the question: Is he really ready to take over Waystar Royco? Then again, many an uber-wealthy CEO is at least a little unhinged, and it’s never stopped any of them! I’m not saying Kendall is objectively the best person for the job, but I am saying I sort of hope he gets it anyway.

2. Siobahn Roy

In the words of Kendall Roy, “Oh, Shivy Shivy Shivy.” Siobahn Roy is the kind of woman who spits on phrases like “girlboss” and “lean in.” And yet, despite not caring to be defined by her gender, it still plays a huge role in how she’s perceived by both the public and her own father. When Logan tells Shiv he wants her to step up as CEO in the future, he maps out a rigorous two-year plan for her—and when Shiv calls him out for asking her to do more work than any of her brothers ever had to do, he concedes it is because she’s a woman, but that he can’t change the sexism that’s pervasive in their industry. And yet, when the bombshell news story about the sexual abuse taking place in the cruise division hits, suddenly Shiv is asked to immediately join an industry panel and is considered for the temporary CEO position when Logan decides to step back to save his ass.

But all identity politics aside, let’s be real: Shiv is smart and easily the most strategic of all the siblings. As an ex-political strategist, she knows how to play to an audience and how to straddle the moral gray area when need be. She’s also her father’s favorite, which may or may not come back to bite her in the ass in the end. Not to mention she seems a lot more loyal to Logan than he’d ever care to be to her, which will likely trip her up in her quest for domination. But whether or not Logan thinks she’s the right person for the job (his opinion, after all, is clearly swaying), it’s obvious that Shiv has the killer instincts to get there on her own, even if it means stabbing a few friendly backs along the way. So let me just say: Yaaasss, girlboss, queen shit, the future is female, etc. etc.

3. Roman Roy

With his trademark “I-don’t-give-a-shit” attitude, Roman is the family bad boy, yet underneath that facade, he’s still just a hurting little boy who wants the approval of his parents (or quasi-parental figures, if you count Gerri and whatever the hell is going on there). He spent most of the first few seasons sucking up to his father and still somehow getting treated the worst of all his siblings. It’s clear that when Logan considers him for the temporary CEO position, he’s not the favorite, just someone who happens to fit the bill. And yet it’s this underdog quality that sort of makes you want to root for him anyway. (Never thought I’d call a billionaire fuckboy an underdog, but here we are!)

When Roman said, “I’m dumb, but I’m smart,” I felt that. But you’ve got to admit his self-awareness in that moment is spot on. Roman lacks some of the logic that seems to come effortlessly to his siblings (minus Connor), but he makes up for it in raw Machiavellian cunning. No one’s saying he’s not a piece of shit! I’m just saying he’s an effective piece of shit. He’s the id personified, often suggesting some of the more cutthroat and amoral strategies without even batting an eye, and though he’s perhaps the least refined Roy, as Rhea points out in season two, he has good instincts—he’s just not ready yet. But the events of the last few seasons have seemingly changed him (especially getting held captive in last season’s penultimate episode), and teaming up with Gerri might be just what he needs to learn how to step up and be the man no one actually thinks he can be. (And until then, I’ll take more of that unexpected-yet-compelling Gerri-Roman dynamic, please.)

4. Gerri Kellman

Gerri has worked behind the scenes of Waystar Royco for the majority of her career, but she’s finally given the limelight in season three when Logan decides to make her the temporary CEO while he takes a step back. Sure, it’s all for optics, and yeah, Logan will still be calling the shots, but still! It’s nice to see Gerri getting a little recognition, because it’s obvious she’s been the one pulling a lot of the strings throughout the years and is probably smarter than most of the characters put together.

Still, despite the fact that Gerri is a competent leader (and also a woman, which is apparently a plus now!), she’s likely still complicit in a lot of the shit that got Logan into this mess to begin with. How much did she know about the cruises scandal? And how much more is she hiding for the sake of the company? While Gerri’s commitment to her work is admirable, it’s also a little sociopathic, and if that information were to get out to the public, it would likely take the company down with her. Not trying to be ageist here, but with so much corruption and scandal embedded deep in Waystar Royco’s roots, perhaps the only way the company will survive is if new blood rises up to take the wheel. So while I’m all for this Gerri-as-temporary-CEO situation, I can’t say I think she’s the right person for the job at the end of the day.

5. Logan Roy

Okay, okay, I know the whole point of the show is that we’re supposed to be figuring out who takes over for Logan, but hear me out: Dude be the OG. When asked what Waystar Royco would do if Logan was suddenly incapacitated, Kendall answered, “If my dad gets hit by a bus tomorrow, the city will be down one bus, not one CEO.” And you know, he might just have a point! Logan has this quality that makes you feel like he’ll always be the big man on the throne. I almost suspect that once he dies, his ghost will come back just to continue running his empire from the grave.

Despite all of Logan’s success, though, I’d argue that it’s time for his reign to end. Because while Logan may have built up the company with his own two hands, he’s also to blame for all the ways it has gone wrong, especially in terms of human rights violations. Kendall is right—the world has changed and the old way of operating won’t work in a society where a brand’s reputation is just as important as its product. In fact, Logan’s nostalgia might be his biggest roadblock, as he refuses to be forward-thinking and reverts back to the methods that worked well for him in the past. Maybe it’s time for Logan to take a page from Connor’s book and start looking into new hobbies, like collecting stamps or hunting humans for sport.

6. Greg Hirsch

Realistically, Greg’s ranking on this list is a little inflated, but can you blame me? I’m a sucker for Greg the Egg (or, as he prefers to be called, Gregory). He’s one of the more wholesome Roys, though it’s clear his family’s influence is starting to take its toll—he’s not above blackmailing others for personal gain and he’s willing to backstab his own grandpa to secure his seat at the Waystar Royco table. Still, compared to the rest of his family, Greg comes off as a perfect little baby angel, and that has to count for something!

Now that Greg has firmly committed himself to Waystar Royco and has spent the last few seasons rubbing elbows with the company’s elite, it doesn’t seem completely unlikely that Greg might be able to worm his way into the coveted position. After all, Logan said he’d look out for him! But then again, Logan makes a lot of empty promises. But at least Kendall is willing to take him under his wing! But then again, this puts him on the outs with Logan, which could hurt his chances in the end. Really, it’s entirely likely that Greg is going to end up completely fucked. Still, I can’t help but hope that he’ll rise above anyway. Maybe his height is a good omen.

7. Tom Wambsgans

Oh, Tom. You pull on my heartstrings and also sort of make me want to slap you. I’m not sure how someone can be so simultaneously sensitive and abrasive, but Tom embodies it all so wholeheartedly that you can’t help but appreciate him for it. On one hand, his first instinct when finding out about the cruises scandal is to call a press conference to admit to the wrongdoing; on the other hand, he literally forces his underlings to become human furniture. You can’t say he’s not multi-faceted!

While Tom has been mostly welcomed into the Roy family, it’s no secret that he’s somewhat of the family joke. Not to mention there’s still a certain degree of separation between him and the other Roys, which is harshly illustrated when Shiv says he’s like family, but not actually family. Still, Tom has worked his way up in the management chain at Waystar Royco and even managed to find himself as part of Logan’s inner circle in the beginning of season three (notably without Shiv present). And though the future of his relationship with Shiv is uncertain, it’s also possible that distancing himself from her might actually do good for his reputation with Logan, especially if Shiv ends up backstabbing her father in the end. Do I think there’s a huge chance he’ll one day be acting CEO? Probably not, especially after he completely fucked it at the Congressional hearing. He doesn’t have the poise needed for the role, nor the killer instincts that Logan finds so valuable in his future successor. Still, I think there’s still time for Tom to surprise us and earn his place as part of Logan’s legacy—we’ll just have to wait and see.

8. Frank Vernon

Frank has had a contentious relationship with Logan for the last few seasons, especially after aiding and abetting Kendall in his attempted corporate coup. But he’s also valuable enough that Logan chose to hire him again and allow him back into the inner circle, even though that trust may never be fully repaired. That’s gotta mean something, right?

Still, I can’t really say there’s much hope for Frank. Even he doesn’t seem to fully understand why he keeps coming back to the company that clearly stresses him out most of the time. While he still has maybe a sliver of a chance of stepping into Logan’s position, I think it’s much more likely he’ll quietly retire and start birdwatching, or whatever it is wealthy white men do with their free time. (I also wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he ended up dying from a stress-induced heart attack, but I’m trying to be optimistic here!)

9. Stewy Hosseini

I have to put Stewy on this list because, you know, you never know. He knows how to play his cards, and he posed a very credible threat to the great Logan Roy for the past two seasons. I think it’s totally possible Stewy might still sneak up out of nowhere and overthrow the king once and for all. At the very least, he still has the chance to make the Roys sweat.

But honestly, I don’t really see Stewy having a very big role from here on out. Who needs the outside conflict when there’s just so much conflict on the inside? I’m sure he’s still going to find a way to make everyone’s lives difficult (or maybe even surprise everyone by helping out his old friend Kendall), but his chances of running the company are starting to seem slim. I’ll never forget you, Stewy!

10. Hugo Baker

I spent a lot of season two asking myself, “Why is he still here? Isn’t he just the PR guy for cruises?” And yet, here he still is, somehow solidifying himself as part of Logan’s inner circle. Good for you, Hugo!

There’s really no point in spending too much time delving into Hugo’s chances. It just felt like a good time to say he’s definitely not going to be the CEO (and now you have that in writing).

11. Connor Roy

Despite being Logan’s oldest child, Connor is often the most overlooked of the Roy Siblings—mostly because he’s just so fucking weird. The true black sheep of the family, Connor devotes most of his time to his much-younger girlfriend, Willa, and his odd hobbies—collecting historical knick knacks (such as Napoleon’s shriveled dick), financially backing Willa’s plays, and campaigning to become President of the United States, as unqualified wealthy white men are wont to do. He’s aimless and naive, but he’s also arguably the happiest person in the entire Roy family, probably in part because he really has nothing to do with the company at all. Let that be a lesson to you all, workaholics!

What could we expect from a Connor coup? It’s hard to imagine, since he’s still asking Daddy for a few-million-dollar allowance. And truthfully, he makes Roman look like Albert Einstein. Waystar Royco wouldn’t last a day with Connor at the helm, but you can’t say that train wreck wouldn’t be compelling to watch! It’s probably best that he sticks with his Conheads and runs for (and probably wins) a Texas Senate seat or something. Follow your bliss, Connor!

12. Ewan Roy

Ewan Roy once compared his brother Logan to Hitler. Talk about sibling rivalry! Ewan hates everything about Waystar Royco and believes it is one of the main causes of of modern society’s quickly-escalating downfall, and yet he still retains a seat on the board. How edgy!

Look, there’s no chance that Ewan, who is older than Logan, is going to take over for Logan. That being said, how badass would it be if he did? I like to imagine him slowly destroying the whole company from the inside and donating whatever money is left to Greenpeace. Who said billionaires can’t be revolutionary too?

13. Marcia Roy

Everyone has a game, and Marcia is playing one of her own. While her loyalty to Logan in the past seemed almost saintly, I also got the sense that, if it came down to it, Marcia wouldn’t be opposed to committing a homicide or two if it meant protecting herself and her loved ones. And if taking down Logan Roy meant cementing her son’s future, I imagine she’d do it in a heartbeat.

But Marcia also seemed to choose to disentangle herself from the Roy family mess last season when it became clear that Logan was willing to hand his power to another woman of the non-family variety. At the end of the day, Marcia doesn’t really seem to care about winning it all if it means losing her dignity, so I doubt she’ll be one of the last ones standing by the end of the show. Despite that, I’m sure she’ll be just fine.