10 coldest Tommy Shelby moments from Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders is one of the most acclaimed British drama series. Created by Steven Knight, the show revolves around the Shelby family and their gang of Peaky Blinders in Birmingham.

Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, is the boss of the crime gang Peaky Blinders. Murphy’s Tommy is known for his ruthless and distant behavior in the series. His morbid and cold demeanor makes him a threatening and cunning character. Tommy Shelby has delivered many iconic dialogues in the show that have scared his enemies and also hurt his own family.

Here is a list of the 10 coldest moments of Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders.

Please note the entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

1) Tommy kills Billy Kimber

Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders | Image via Tiger Aspect Productions

In Season 1, Billy Kimber brings his men to the Garrison Lane for a gang war with Tommy’s men. Billy shoots at Tommy first, injuring Tommy and killing Danny Whizz-bang.

However, Tommy, with just one blow, shoots Billy on his head, which kills him instantly, ending the war. He then orders his men to go back to their families as the war has ended, and he has defeated Billy Kimber.

2) Tommy tries to scare Grace

In season 1, Tommy tries to scare Grace by telling her that he shot his horse because he looked at him in the wrong way, and nobody looks at Tommy Shelby in the wrong way.

But in reality, he had to kill his horse because of a curse that the Lees had put on his horse.

3) Tommy Shelby orders his brothers to shoot Mrs. Changretta

After Grace was killed in Season 3 by Vincente Changretta’s men, Tommy told his brothers, Arthur and John, to bring him and shoot his companion, who happens to be his wife. Arthur and John remind him that she was their school teacher and is a good woman.

However, Tommy still orders them to kill her and quips that if she is a good woman, she will go to heaven.

4) Tommy shuts Arthur up

In Season 1, Arthur grills Tommy into taking up a fight with Billy Kimber and his men as he has support from the government they don’t have. He asks Tommy what made him think that they could ever win against Billy Kimber.

Tommy then, in his cold and ruthless demeanor, tells Arthur that that’s what he does. He thinks so that Arthur doesn’t have to, shutting him up.

5) Tommy roasts Chester Campbell

In Season 2 of Peaky Blinders, Tommy takes a jest at Inspector Campbell by pointing out that he was shot by a woman, hinting at Grace shooting him. He tells him that being shot by a woman might hurt the same as being shot by a man.

However, he also quips that when he was shot, he was given a medal, implying his service in World War I, but Campbell won’t be getting one as he didn’t serve in the war.

6) Tommy being rude to Lizzie

Scene from Peaky Blinders | Image via Tiger Aspect Productions

In Season 5, Lizzie is concerned about Tommy’s outbursts, and she talks about it. Tommy reveals to her that he is worried people want to kill him and take his throne and his business. Lizzie then tells him that if he kills himself or someone else does it for him, she will be the one who will get all of his power and business, but she doesn’t know if there would be anything left due to his recent activities.

Tommy delivers one of the coldest dialogues in Peaky Blinders, telling her that in his head, he still thinks he’s paying her. The dialogue highlighted that Tommy never got over Grace and loved Lizzie.

7) Tommy threatens the Economic League informant

With Ada’s help, Tommy gets the name of an associate of The Economic League and goes to interrogate him. The informant tells him that the people of the Economic League are very dangerous, and he cannot reveal anything.

Tommy then checks his watch and informs him that the time now is 11:43. He can choose to be afraid of Peaky Blinders at 11:43 and open his mouth, or else he won’t be alive at 11:44 to be afraid of the Economic League.

8) Tommy Shelby has no limitations

In the final season of Peaky Blinders, Micahel Gray makes his final attempt to kill Tommy by planting a bomb in his car. But, as usual, he does a poor job, and Tommy doesn’t die and comes back for him.

Michael, holding a grudge against Tommy for his mother’s death, says that even after his mother’s death due to his ambitions, Tommy still hasn’t learned his limitations. To which Tommy tells him that he doesn’t have any limitations and shoots Michael in the eye.

9) "I’m not God. Not yet."

In season 5, Tommy’s son is upset because Tommy shot a horse. Tommy tries to explain to him that the horse is not well and couldn’t be treated by the vet, and hence he has to kill the horse. But Charlie doesn’t understand any of it. Later, Arthur tries to explain this to Charlie.

When Tommy asks Charlie if Arthur explained it to him, Charlie replies that Arthur told him it was God’s will. He then frustratingly tells Tommy that he is not God and goes away. Tommy sighs and then delivers this epic dialogue, highlighting his ego and pride.

10) "There is God, and there are the Peaky Blinders"

In season 5, Tommy Shelby and Polly Gray visit St. Hilda’s Orphanage after it is revealed that they are hurting the children. Tommy, in his cold and morbid way, threatens the Mother Superior, breaks her glasses, and then makes her wear them.

He then informs the nuns that he will be withdrawing the funding given by the Grace Shelby Foundation.