A Definitive Ranking of the Gilmore Girls Guys

As Gilmore Girls celebrates its 20th anniversary (yes, really!), we're looking back on the WB-turned-CW dramedy and celebrating the men of Stars Hollow, from Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) and Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) to Tristan Dugray (Chad Michael Murray) and Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale). Who will come out on top? 

Being quirky is not a fault in the world of Gilmore Girls. In fact, it's preferred! But there is something about how Jason's particular eccentricities, combined with his smug, rich lifestyle, that rubbed us the wrong way. Plus, who sues their girlfriend's father? So not cool, Jason.

Taylor is the man everyone in Stars Hollow loves to hate (just sometimes without that "love" part). He's domineering, rude, holier-than-thou, petty, bossy, selfish -- the list of his bad qualities is nearly endless. However, he is also the man who makes sure all of the Stars Hollow festivals go off without a hitch, so we guess Taylor isn't all bad.

Where do we even start with Christopher? The time he abandoned Lorelai to raise Rory on her own? Or the time he abandoned Lorelai to raise Gigi with Sherry? Or maybe the time he broke up Luke and Lorelai at Emily and Richard's vow renewal? How do you spell deadbeat? C-H-R-I-S.

Poor Brad. He likely has PTSD from being terrorized by Paris at Chilton for all those years. At least after Brad discovered his love of musical theater he was able to face his fears and find the brave little Sondheim within.

There's no question that Colin is the weak link in Logan's Yale crew. He is the least charming of the bunch and has few other notable features besides his womanizing ways.

Smarmy. That is the only word to describe Tristan. And yet, he holds a special place in our hearts. The way he taunted Mary Rory was despicable, but you've got to admit, the man had chutzpah! And let's be real: Is he really much worse than any of Rory's actual boyfriends?

Rory clearly has problems, because why she would date a trio of men who treated her badly and never give Marty a second look is seriously cuckoo bananas. Marty's smart, charming, emotionally present, pop culture savvy, and he supplied her with food -- he's everything a Gilmore girl needs in a guy! That is, until he lied to his girlfriend, Lucy, reminding us that nobody's perfect after all.

Luke might have been wary of T.J. at first, but Liz's husband quickly won everyone over with his charming buffoonery. T.J. is a simple guy, but he would have gone to the end of the world for Liz. And if he gets the Luke Danes stamp of approval, he's good enough for us too.

A man of few words, Morey is as devoted a husband as they come. He does mostly whatever Babette asks and his too-cool-for-school attitude is the perfect counterbalance to her over-the-top energy.

Yes, he built her a car. We get it. It's romantic. But he also did the not-so romantic act of publicly humiliating Rory by dumping her in front of her friends and family -- twice! Not to mention the third time, when he broke up with her because she didn't say "I love you" fast enough. Then there's the whole cheating-on-his-wife thing and the time he married Lindsay even though he knew he was in love with Rory. But as long as our list of grievances is, we also know that, despite Dean's flaws, he had a good heart. Plus, he always treated Lorelai well.

Finn is the best part of Logan's posse. His ridiculous schemes and Australian accent made him a scene-stealer from the start. We totally would have joined the Life and Death Brigade if it meant hanging out with him.

There's very little we know about the Town Troubadour beyond his music, but what more do you need? He's the man who provides the soundtrack to Stars Hollow! That's a way more romantic job than building furniture. (Sorry, Aiden Shaw, but it's true.)

Everyone forgets about poor Brian -- and we don't understand why! He's funny, sweet, and a total nerd. Sure, Brian might not be about that rock 'n' roll life that Lane wants to live, but we're still groupies for Hep Alien's asthmatic bass player.

Though he rarely shows affection towards anyone except his prized chow puppies, Chin-Chin and Paw-Paw, Michel loved Lorelai and Sookie as much as we do. At his core, Michel is a good -- albeit high-maintenance and rude -- friend who always knows how to make us laugh (often at his own expense).

Kirk is simultaneously a man of many talents and a master of none. He's had every job in Stars Hollow, and yet seems to be good at nothing. But there is one thing at which Kirk always succeeds, and that's making us smile each and every time he manages to drive Taylor or Luke crazy.

Poor Max. He was one of the few men who Rory actually looked forward to having as a stepdad. That is, before Lorelai crushed his heart. In the end, Max's perfection may have been his downfall, because it's hard for someone so reliable to keep a person's attention in the over-the-top world of Stars Hollow.

Let's give credit where credit's due: Paris is a whole lot of person, and anyone who enters into a relationship with her deserves our respect. And not only does Doyle love Paris for all her intense idiosyncrasies, he has more than a few of his own. But like Paris, Doyle's quirks are exactly what make him so great.

Lane was Stars Hollow's coolest resident, which means she needed a pretty cool dude. Fortunately, she found Zack, who not only shares her love of music, but is as weird as she is (remember his banjo playing and obsession with cleaning products?). It might have taken a while for Zack to process Lane having feelings for him, but afterwards, he was all-in and we're glad the pair found their happily-ever-after together.

The most divisive of all of Rory's boyfriends, Logan was an entitled trust fund kid with a heart of gold. Over the course of the series, Logan helped Rory challenge herself in ways no boyfriend had done before. And in tandem, he also challenged himself to break away from his family's claustrophobic expectations and Logan matured into a thoughtful, caring, and intrepid young man. That is, until the revival completely trashed all of his character development, but we firmly stand by our decision to ignore this devolution. 

The account of all the bad things Jess did is longer than Rory's reading list. He tried to force himself on her, he attempted to make her run away with him and -- oh yeah -- he moved across the country without telling her. Yet Jess is so charming, smart, and irreverent that we can't help but love the Stars Hollow bad boy. And out of all of Rory's terrible boyfriends, Jess is the one who knew her best and ultimately fulfilled his potential to become a voice of reason in the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

As much as we love Seth Cohen, we can't help but wonder what would have been had Brody not left Gilmore Girls for The O.C. Dave Rygalski is not only a great name to say out loud, but a perfect human being. Dave even managed to get Mrs. Kim's stamp of approval, which is the highest accolade a love interest can get. And remember when he stayed up all night reading the entire Bible in order to take Lane to prom?

Jackson and Sookie can fight like cats and dogs -- but only when it comes to produce. Otherwise, he's the most supporting, loving, and responsible partner a person could ask for. And he's so willing to help out his friends, he'll even sleep with the zucchinis (literally).

Lorelai's parents were far from perfect, but that doesn't stop us from loving Richard Gilmore. Sure, he had his bad moments, but even Richard's worst actions were motivated by simply wanting the best for his family.

Despite being someone who's very set in his ways, Luke is always willing to adapt for the people he cares about. Because underneath that gruff exterior is a total sci-fi nerd who loves it when Lorelai pushes him out of his comfort zone. Plus, he's the one who has the coffee.