The cast of American Primeval is absolutely massive, and here are the 10 main characters from the Netflix miniseries ranked from worst to best. The epic Western saga of American Primeval mostly focuses on Sara Rowell and her party as they attempt to cross the frontier. However, Sara is far from the only main character in American Primeval, with the series following all kinds of intersecting storylines, each with their own main characters. However, some of American Primeval's main characters are better than the others, and here are all of them ranked from worst to best.
The Netflix miniseries American Primeval comes from director Peter Berg and The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, with the show following Sara Rowell as her son Devin as they attempt to find a guide who will take them across the frontier in order to find Devin's father. Along the way, Sara runs into all kinds of dangers, such as killer bands of Mormons, dangerous outposts, the U.S. military, warring Indigenous tribes, and more. Throughout the six episodes of American Primeval, all kinds of main cast members are met, although not all of the American Primeval cast is made equal.
10
James Wosley
Played By Joe Tippett
Image via Netflix
Of all of the main cast members in American Primeval, James Wosley is unfortunately the least interesting. In the miniseries, James Wosley is the head of the Mormon militia, with him spending most of the series attempting to cover up the Mormons' actions during the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Wosley spends a lot of time with Jacob Pratt, and while their dynamic is interesting, Jacob steals the spotlight in nearly every scene.
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James Wosley is played by Mare of Easttown's Joe Tippett, and the actor does a good job portraying the villainous character. However, the main issue is that Wosley is underwritten. He is a pretty standard villain character and feels far less interesting than the other Mormon characters, such as Brigham Young, with Wosley being the most forgettable of American Primeval's main characters.
9
Virgil Cutter
Played By Jai Courtney
Virgil Cutter is another one of the antagonists in American Primeval, with him being a fur trapper and bounty hunter who hopes to find Sara and her party in order to turn the fugitive in for money. Virgil Cutter is played by Jai Courtney, a popular actor who has appeared in projects like Suicide Squad. Despite his notoriety, the character that Jai Courtney is playing isn't all that interesting to the overall story of American Primeval.
Virgil Cutter is just one of many villains who wants to find Sara in the show, meaning that he tends to blend in with the others. Jai Courtney isn't given the time to shine that he needs, making his role in American Primeval feel like a major letdown. Although Cutter is ruthless, he isn't as fun to watch as characters like Brigham Young, with him being sidelined for much of the miniseries.
8
Red Feather
Played By Derek Hinkey
In American Primeval, Red Feather is a member of the Shoshone tribe and the leader of the Wolf Clan, a pack of warriors who fight against white settlers. Red Feather is played by Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1's Derek Hinkey, and the actor does a lot with a little throughout the show. The main problem with Red Feather is that he is pretty boring, with him filling the stereotypical Western villain archetype for the first few episodes of the show.
Admittedly, Red Feather becomes more interesting as the series continues. Red Feather's developing relationship with Abish Pratt and his bond with his children does do a lot to flesh his character out. However, Red Feather is still an antagonist for much of American Primeval, which is starting to become a running theme when describing the show's worst characters.
7
Two Moons
Played By Shawnee Pourier
Two Moons is one of the main characters who is part of Sara Rowell's party in American Primeval, and while she starts out incredibly interesting, this doesn't last. Two Moons is played by Shawnee Pourier, with her being an Indigenous girl who flees her village and stows away on Sara and Devin's journey. At the start of the series, Two Moons is pretty interesting, with the show raising questions about why she ran away and why she isn't able to speak.
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However, as American Primeval goes on, the show finds less and less for her to do. Two Moons does have an interesting relationship with Devin and Isaac, but by the end of American Primeval, Two Moons is just sitting around with Devin waiting for him to heal. Two Moons could have worked better if she felt more like an active part of the story, with her instead feelings sidelined in several episodes.
6
Abish Pratt
Abish Pratt is one of the more interesting characters in American Primeval who isn't part of Sara's party, with her instead spending most of the series with Red Feather and his tribe. Abish is played by Hoard's Saura Lightfoot-Leon, and at the beginning of the series, she is one of the many victims of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. She is taken by Red Feather's tribe after the attack, and while the rest of the imprisoned women are killed, Red Feather lets her live thanks to Abish's fearlessness.
Abish's time with Red Feather's tribe is unique, as she is key to many of the themes of the series. On top of that, her death at the hands of her husband in American Primeval's finale is a great twist. However, Abish's disconnection from American Primeval's main story and her relegation to a plot device in the finale does leave her feeling a bit lacking by the end of the series.
5
Devin Rowell
Played By Preston Mota
In American Primeval, Devin Rowell is the son of Sara Rowell, with him and his mother spending the entire show attempting to locate Devin's father. Devin is played by Asteroid City's Preston Mota, and the child actor gives a fantastic performance. On top of that, his leg injury makes him an interesting member of Sara's party, with him frequently getting the gang into trouble. His relationship with Isaac is also interesting, with him seeing Isaac as a father figure.
However, having Devin start out with a leg injury and then get another leg injury later in American Primeval feels a bit redundant. This second leg injury leads to him being holed up in a cabin with Two Moons for much of American Primeval's ending, with this sidelining of his character hurting him right as the series crossed the finish line.
4
Isaac Reed
Played By Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch's Isaac Reed is the male lead in American Primeval, and while he is all over the show, he isn't the most interesting character. There is a lot to like about Isaac, with his backstory and connection to Two Moons and Devin giving him some intrigue. On top of that, Isaac is at the center of most of the show's action scenes, making him a rather fun character.
Unfortunately, Isaac Reed is the stereotypical stoic mountain man that is seen in so many Westerns, and the show doesn't add much more to him than that. Isaac needed to be a little more developed in order for American Primeval to fully work, although he is good for what he is.
3
Sara Rowell
Played By Betty Gilpin
Sara Rowell is the protagonist of American Primeval, and while she is a good one, she isn't the most interesting character in the series. Betty Gilpin's Sara Rowell is motivated to find her son's father, with her tough exterior and no-nonsense attitude making her a strong protagonist, and her consistent motivation makes her an interesting character to follow.
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However, the big problem with Sara is that she doesn't change a lot. Sara's arc is made interesting when her criminal backstory is unveiled, with this making her a bit more dynamic. However, her motivation rarely changes until American Primeval's final scene, with this making her a bit less interesting than two of the show's other characters.
2
Jacob Pratt
Played By Dane DeHaan
Dane DeHaan's Jacob Pratt is one of the most complex characters in American Primeval, with this making him one of the show's best characters. Although he is an everyday Mormon settler in episode 1, he seemingly dies at the end of the episode, with him being a victim of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. However, it is eventually revealed that he is alive, with him going on a quest to rescue his wife Abish from their assailants.
Jacob Pratt is incredibly motivated, which is the key to making any good character. On top of that, the way that his Mormon faith intersects with the behavior of his Mormon party makes for an interesting character arc. The resolution to Jacob Pratt's character arc is probably the best one in American Primeval, with his storyline being even more interesting than Sara Rowell's.
1
Jim Bridger
Played By Shea Whigham
Shea Whigham's Jim Bridger is an odd character in American Primeval. While he is mostly disconnected from the main story, he is constantly featured throughout the series, with him being the show's best character by far. Jim Bridger's sarcasm and opposition to the Mormon rule over the Utah Territory make him incredibly funny, with his dry wit bringing all kinds of levity to the otherwise grim Western series.
Jim Bridger's fight against Brigham Young is an even more interesting story than American Primeval's main plot, and Fort Bridger is one of the show's most interesting locations. On top of that, Jim Bridger has an incredibly interesting backstory, with the American Primeval character also being connected to The Revenant.
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