TV's Top 10 Leading Male Characters Of All Time

He has a way with words and an even bigger way with the ladies. Don Draper is the classic depiction of 1960s masculinity with a chiseled jaw, a charming smile and a confidence that makes him a major player in the advertising world. He chain smokes Lucky Strikes and sips on Whiskey for breakfast.

Born as Dick Whitman to a prostitute mother who died in labor, Draper assumes the identity of a fellow soldier killed alongside him in a freak accident when stationed together in the war, giving him the chance to finally escape his low class upbringing.

Don Draper is a character that appears to have it all, but it’s not his shiny surface that keeps us emotionally invested in his character. In the end it's Draper's flaws and imperfections we can relate to that keep us glued to the fate of our hero.

It's never easy being the Boss, but when you're the Boss of a New Jersey mafia family, the title comes with a different set of expectations than the average leadership role. The Boss can't be seen as weak. More importantly, the Boss can't be seen having panic attacks when it's time to "pull the trigger" on a business decision.

When Tony Soprano finds himself feeling a whole new batch of emotions that challenge his ability to remain vigilant in his violence, he does what any stressed out human being would do: He sees a psychiatrist.

With the help of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Tony Soprano explores the depth of his emotions through weekly therapy sessions. Interwoven between his psychopathic exterior is a man we can identify with, haunted by his childhood, plagued by the stress of raising a family and dependent on the perception of others for validation.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are facing imminent death, Jack Bauer is the man you want leading your rescue mission.

Bauer is a true American patriot dedicated to protecting the lives of his fellow citizens. Whether rushing to diffuse nuclear bombs or thwarting a presidential assassination, you can be sure Jack Bauer will do whatever it takes for good to overcome evil, even when it contradicts ethical standards.

Jack Bauer's loyalty to country falls just short of his loyalty to family and friends. His enemies use this to their advantage often putting those closest to him in the line of fire. But those who cross Jack Bauer always feel his wrath in the end and often end up begging for mercy.

The man willing to do absolutely anything to provide for his family long after his death.

They say facing death changes a person. This is the entire basis for Walter White's character. There can be no other excuse for a quiet chemistry teacher whom always played by the rules to suddenly 'break bad' for no reason. He was a good man and good men want to provide for their family after they are gone. With limited time and nothing left to lose, even good men will cut corners and dance on the dark side.

But by the end of the series, you realize that Walter White's cancer was not a source of some spectacular spiritual awakening. It was a trigger that unleashed in him a dormant psychopathy that existed all along. The kind of evil that resides within drug dealers, murderers and pathological liars. Yet at the same time, he'll always be some high school chemistry teacher, a husband and a dad. Not a bad disguise for the big, bad, 'Heisenberg' White becomes.

Remember back when you were a little kid and you learned all about George Washington and the big dream our founding fathers had for creating a fair and just society? And you believed that the President of the United States was pure of heart, pure of intention and a selfless soul who rewarded the good and punished the bad?

President Josiah Bartlet is the man your little idealistic mind was thinking of. He comes from a long political lineage but as an underdog from the start, he fought and scraped his way to the Oval Office with the support of a loving family and an excellent staff.

Bartlet, like all other heads of state, must make very tough decisions during his terms, but his choices are always thought out and made in the name of morality and ethics. He suffers from relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis, but handles it bravely, never letting it interfere with his duties as leader of the free world. He is a lover of history and offers wise insight to anyone fortunate enough to engage him in conversation.

If President Josiah Bartlet is the type of man who represented our political ideals when we were young enough to still have them, President Frances Underwood is the type of political figure we've become accustomed to now that we are wise enough to know better.

Frances Underwood has some serious people skills, no matter how false or self-promoting his motives. He knows how to wheel and deal, believing everybody has a price. He's willing to lie, cheat, sabotage and kill to get what he wants.

His wife Claire Underwood shares her husband's taste for ruthlessness making them a handsome match, but Frank's narcissism has driven away his partner, leaving Underwood grasping to hold on to the life he worked so hard to build, destroying so many others in the process. While we cannot help but feel Frank Underwood deserves the destruction that may await him, his compelling character makes us equally want to see him rise again from his political ashes.

We've all pondered that dark, depressing question of how we might behave in a life or death situation, like if our plane went down and we washed ashore a deserted, paradise island. Personally, I don't think I'd make it, but thank God for the cast of LOST, Dr. Jack Shephard was nothing like me.

He didn't want the power. He didn't want to be in charge. But when Jack woke up besides a burning fuselage surrounded by dozens of injured passengers, he entered superhero mode and quickly became known to the survivors as their leader.

Even after several twists and turns, when Jack finally escapes the island with a handful of others, he can't live knowing he left the rest of the group behind. He sets out to return to the island to save them. Dr. Jack Shephard is a humble, principled man who puts the need of the greater good above his own.

Dexter Morgan forces us to explore the debate of nature vs. nurture and how it effects our individual life choices. It also makes us take note of our own animalistic tendencies and propensity for vigilante justice.

At age three, Dexter Morgan's mother was brutally murdered and Dexter was found at the crime scene by police officer Harry Morgan who eventually adopted him. Harry began to notice sociopathic traits in Dexter and his taste for blood at a young age. He chose to use his knowledge of the law and ethical values to instill a code in Dexter that would let him satisfy his crave to kill without getting caught, while simultaneously ridding the world of a few bad guys.

While Dexter Morgan is technically a serial killer, and he introduces himself to us as a man who goes through the motions of normal people to blend in with the rest of society, we also see him grow to feel true love for other people along the way. His love for his adopted sister Debra, his love for his wife Rita and their son Harrison, reveal to the audience that Dexter is not all bad. There is good among his evil and we can't help but wonder if things had happened differently when he was a boy, how it might have changed him as a man.

In a world overtaken by zombies and dangerous human animals obsessed with survival at any cost, it's hard to imagine anyone retaining some semblance of man's capacity to love. However that someone exists and his name is Rick Grimes.

It makes sense in pre-walker days Grimes was a sherif. He has a natural instinct to protect and serve, especially those he considers family. He has a keen ability to assess a situation and reacts optimally under pressure. Do not make the mistake of trying to hurt someone he cares about. He will destroy you.

As we get to know Rick Grimes, we see a truly good man, forced to resort to primitive behavior due to his primeval surroundings when men were either hunters or hunted. In his darkest moments, when his claws must come out and he must bite and bleed to survive, it is the love from his people that always saves him. They remind him why he must fight the good fight, reminding us all the importance and power of friendship, love and family in any apocalyptic situation.

Quite possibly the most popular and beloved character among shows currently in production, Jon Snow has come to life in a way every writer dreams of. Words like honor, nobility and bravery only begin to scratch the surface of Stark-bastard Snow.

When we first met Jon Snow, he was a boy with plans to join the Night's Watch, fairly unskilled at battle and green in the ways of the world. But he was his father's son and Ned Stark was a decent, respected man who raised his children to act on behalf of the greater good, with hope and prosperity as a source of motivation. In the several years since Jon left Winterfell, he has changed from boy to man to warrior and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He has seen first hand the plague of war and death that winter is set to bring and he is one of the few people left who can mount some type of defense.

Jon Snow believes people must set aside differences in tough times to overcome turmoil. He can see beyond petty sentiment and communal rivalries as a means for all to survive the wrath and certain death that lives beyond the wall. While Jon Snow's fate is unsure, we know without him, no one stands a chance.