Netflix’s Bright, directed by David Ayer, features a world too big to be harnessed in a comedic buddy-cop action flick. It doesn’t work. It’s safe to say that the creators bit off more than they could chew. While that’s a bid sad, considering that Max Landis created an cool world with all types of different creatures, and none of it was utilized. The world wasn’t established, but the characters were somewhat decent. If only Max would’ve given them some personality! Well, I guess it is what it is, right? But I’m still going to create a list of the top 3 best Bright characters, be it as hard as it may!


A blue orc named Jakoby wearing a policeman's uniform in a crowded room.

Played by Joel Edgerton

Nick Jakoby is the half-blood (part human, part orc) who’s a police officer among the humans. While that sounds fine, in this world the orcs are not welcomed as police, and they don’t want to be police neither. In turn, Nick is the first of his kind to wear the blue uniform. This, together with his half-blood race, makes him an outcast in both the human world and orc world. While there are other races, it’s safe to say that most of them stick to their own kind. But for Nick, he is trying his hardest to be a cop, something he’s always wanted to be, and his journey is truly admirable.

While I enjoyed Nick in this buddy-cop action comedy, I honestly felt like Joel Edgerton gave a mediocre performance. It’s like he was very bland, irregardless of what he was speaking about or what he was doing. And that’s ironic because he’s supposed to be the interesting one. He’s not. I honestly never felt invested in him once. Whether he was talking on orcs and their place in the world or dying infront of my eyes, I didn’t feel anything. He lacked personality, a distinct behavior and some flavor! Why was he so dull? He’s a half-blood orc! There should have been more than enough to pull from to create a more engaging character. Maybe there wasn’t? But the character writing was poor, there’s no question about that.

Blue orc in Bright with blood on his face holding a gun in the dark.

Moments that would’ve fit Nick were given to Daryl, played by Will Smith.

Worst of all, some parts that would’ve fit Nick were given to Daryl. I’m not surprised, as Smith is the big draw of the movie, so he gets the biggest moments. But why on earth was Daryl the Bright? Why couldn’t it have been the half-blood orc who moments ago got his respect from the orc clan for coming back to life and fulfilling a prophecy? No? You just have him hanging from the cord during the climax of the movie, making him feel like a crutch for Daryl to look better. It was really odd. That, and many other moments. So, I guess you could say that we didn’t get the full potential of Nick, and thus I’m gonna rank him 3rd on my list of the top 3 best Bright characters!


Noomi Rapace with platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes and pink lips.

Played by Noomi Rapace

I’m sure some of you are surprised, right? I’m placing the bloodthirsty elven Bright 2nd, while leaving Daryl Ward off my list? Yes. I’m doing exactly that. When it comes to Leilah, she does a good job in her villainous role, and she’s darn scary. But it’s not like Leilah is great or anything. No character in Bright is great. In turn, it opens up for lesser characters to rank higher, as there wasn’t much competition. So I’m more than happy to give Leilah the silver medal!

Not long after we’re introduced to Tikka, we are forced to kneel in front of Leilah. She’s played to perfection by Noomi Rapace, who has a talent for oddball roles that would intimidate some of the most veteran actresses in Hollywood. In this role, she’s able to let her sadistic and scary side run rampant, in various gory action sequences. It’s a joy to watch, as she’s one of the few good things going in Bright. Seeing her chase Daryl, Nick and Tikka is genuinelly entertaining, and her ruthless approach makes her an interesting character. That’s more than I can say for someone like Daryl or Nick.

Noomi Rapace as Leilah with white hair and sharp teeth holding a curved gambit knife.

Her story isn’t bad either, considering that she’s the leader of the Inferni and a Bright, capable of wielding a magic wand. Together with her superior physical abilities, like super agility and super strength, she’s an imposing and intimidating figure. In addition, she’s chasing after her own sister, Tikka. This adds another layer of interest to her story, as she’s willing to kill Tikka in order to obtain the wand. While the ending fight sequence could’ve been better, she was the best part of Bright’s ending. No doubt about that.


Lucy Fry as Tikka looking shy and scared in a dimly lit room in Bright.

Played by Lucy Fry

I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I think that Tikka is much more interesting than Daryl and Nick combined. It’s not a matter of just personal preference, but actual character depth. When you think about it, doesn’t Tikka have a much better storyline? Doesn’t she have the best moments in Bright? Isn’t she a complete character? Well, I think that she’s all of those things and more, as she’s the highlight of Bright in my humble opinion.

Tikka, by far, has the most emotionally draining parts in Bright. Therefore, I have to give Lucy Fry some credit for her acting ability, as she had the hardest role to pull off properly. From the emotional scenes to the action sequences, she didn’t miss a beat. If anything, I’d say that she hit all the notes, and did it quite well. I’d even say that Tikka’s emotional range is what made her character stand out, as she wasn’t monotone or bland like all the other characters in this movie. That counts for something in my book.

Lucy Fry as Tikka holding a glowing magic wand while holding his hand up with a puzzled look in Bright.

I think that Tikka is the main draw of the movie, Bright. She’s the central piece of the puzzle, and her story involving Leilah is the base of the plot. Without her, nothing happens in Bright. There’s no story to tell. And above it all, Tikka’s story is the most emotional excrutiating one. Not Nick’s. While you could say that Tikka was a bit inconsistent as a character, she was still the most interesting and well-acted character in Bright. With that said, I crown Tikka the best character on my list of the top 3 characters in Bright! 👑


Nope, Will Smith didn’t make the list, and It had nothing to do with The Oscars incident. He was just terrible in Bright.

Will Smith and Joel Edgerton as blue orc in Bright inside of a cop car.

I’m sure some of you are surprised that Will Smith didn’t make the list, right? I assure you, It had nothing to do with him slapping Chris Rock. Will Smith was just really bad as Daryl Ward in Bright. It’s that simple.

Just to clarify, I grew up watching Will’s movies, with Men In Black and Bad Boys being among my favorite trilogies. Heck, I watched The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air after school every single day, and that’s saying something, isn’t it? I mean, I’m from Estonia and I live in Sweden, just fyi. In turn, excluding Will Smith from the list was a genuine opinion. Not in any way, shape or form influenced by The Oscars indcident. I focus my lists solely on what happens in the movie, and nothing else. I just felt like I needed to say this. Now, let’s carry on with our day! I hope yours is going great! ✨

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