I firmly believe that Alfie Solomons is the best Peaky Blinders villain and he deserved more screen time

While it is difficult to outshine Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in BBC's crime drama series Peaky Blinders, Tom Hardy's Alfie Solomons came really close (and even overpowered him sometimes), and that too as an antagonist.

Hardy, who has previously appeared with Murphy in Dunkirk and Inception, debuted in Season 2 as Alfie Solomons, a Jewish gangster. Hardy's screen presence and that thick Jewish accent quickly made their place on the crime drama, which was a Murphy's show through and through.

Although Alfie and Tommy shared a complicated relationship throughout, with the Jewish leader even betraying Tommy on many occasions, he remains the best villain in Peaky Blinders.

Alfie's unpredictability and wit and Tommy's trust in him gave Hardy's character an edge, and despite being the bad guy, he ended up winning many hearts. While Alfie had just a few scenes in the show, he deserved much more screen time, considering Hardy and Murphy's chemistry on-screen, which is cinema in itself.

While Hardy has expressed his desire to reprise his role in the upcoming Peaky Blinders feature film (via Sky News), fans await to see if Alfie Solomons will make a comeback.

More on Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders in our story.

Alfie Solomons' unpredictability gives him an edge over other villains in Peaky Blinders

Alfie Solomons, the Jewish gang leader introduced in Season 2, is a ruthless man through and through, but he is still a fan-favorite character. A master negotiator, Alfie is a man of words, and his wit and charm are on full display while he is in a conversation, even outshining the likes of Tommy in a few scenes.

No wonder Hardy's Alfie is a beloved character, and fans consider him one of the best Peaky Blinders villains of all time. Because he blurs the boundaries of the category, Alfie cannot be completely encompassed in the term "villain." His unpredictability gives him an edge over other villains like Luca Changretta and Oswald Mosley.

While Adrien Brody and Sam Claflin also perfectly portrayed their respective characters, fans despise Luca and Oswald because they were outright villains until the end, never once budging in their animosity toward Tommy.

But Hardy's Alfie was different. He became a fan-favorite character because one can never know his next move, even Tommy. In moments when Tommy does business with him, it is like seeing the protagonist walk on thin ice because Alfie can double-cross him any minute.

Tommy's trust and relationship with Alfie also make him a perfect villain in Peaky Blinders

One cannot help but wonder why Tommy even trusted or cared (what little he showed) about Alfie when he betrayed him multiple times, even threatening the life of Tommy's son once. Still, Tommy not only did business with him on occasion, but in Seasons 5 and 6, Tommy and Alfie's meetings are almost like two friends catching up.

Tommy Shelby is a smart man, and nobody can double-cross him, but he, too, reconnected with Alfie whenever given the opportunity, which highlights that, deep down, he trusted the man enough. Their conversation in Blinders Season 5, when Tommy visits him in Margate, is enough proof that there was shared camaraderie between the two characters, even when they were on opposite sides.

In addition, Tommy also respects Alfie because he identifies with him as a businessman. On all the occasions that Alfie has betrayed Tommy, it was because of an opportunity, which Tommy is no stranger to.

In fact, Tommy's trust and respect stem from his recognition of Alfie's limitless ambition, which gives him an edge over other Peaky Blinders villains.

Also Read: I firmly believe that Peaky Blinders glorifies the character Tommy Shelby more than exploring his dark side

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