Entertainment

A Definitive Ranking Of Every Bachelor & Bachelorette

by Nicole Pomarico
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Hannah Brown ranks as the best Bachelorette.
ABC/Ed Herrera

It may seem like The Bachelor has just kind of always been on the air, but come 2020, it'll actually be in its 18th year — which means it's about time for a definitive ranking of every Bachelor and Bachelorette. Over the last two decades, the show has featured a pretty consistent (read: white, Christian) cast, but the leads' personalities have varied widely, from the sweet (and borderline dull) to the bold and sassy. It's not so much comparing apples to apples as it is, say, roses to hot tubs.

Next to take the helm is Peter Weber, the pilot from Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season who was ultimately sent home in Week 9 after making it to the No. 3 spot. Compared to the Chaotic Evil Luke P., who sucked up much of the screen time in Hannah's season, and the ultra-charming Tyler C., Peter sort of took a backseat. But he seems like kind, genuine guy who will carry the season well. And after Hannah's unforgettable windmill comments, he may have a few surprises up his sleeve.

It remains to be seen where he'll place on this list, but until then, here's a ranking of all 37 Bachelors and Bachelorettes so far — starting with the very worst and ending with the very best.

37. Juan Pablo Galavis

ABC

Juan Pablo Galavis is pretty widely recognized as the indisputable Worst Bachelor. Not only did he show very little respect for the women on his season, but he also made homophobic remarks while doing press for the show (he later apologized, blaming the language barrier and claiming the comment was taken out of context).

36. Brad Womack

ABC

Womack was Bachelor twice, and both times he was disappointing. The first time he chose no one, which is fair enough but not exactly the maker of a great TV love story. Then, during round two, he chose Emily Maynard — one of the most beloved Bachelorettes to date — only to break up with her while the show was still airing.

35. Jason Mesnick

ABC

Though an otherwise likable guy, Jason rubbed fans the wrong way when he broke up with Melissa Rycroft on After the Final Rose and asked Molly Malaney, his runner-up, if she'd give him another chance. It was probably the right choice, since he and Molly are now married with children, but did he really have to dump poor Melissa on national television? Seems like it would have been a conversation better saved for when the cameras weren't rolling.

34. Arie Luyendyk Jr.

ABC

Much like Jason, Arie also changed his mind after his season finished airing, except he somehow managed to make the whole thing worse. Not only did he end things with his final rose winner, Becca Kufrin, on TV, but the entire situation played out practically in real time during one of their filmed "couples weekends." Cut to today, and he and Lauren Burnham are married with one kid, while Becca and Garrett Yrigoyen are happily engaged, so maybe it all worked out for the best.

33. Jake Pavelka

ABC

Jake rejected actual angel Tenley Molzahn in favor of the villain of his season, Vienna Girardi, and their relationship didn't last. Hopefully, he learned his lesson.

32. Ben Flajnik

ABC

Like Jake, Ben also chose the villain of his season, Courtney Robertson, at the final rose ceremony. Courtney didn't play by the rules, which would have been admirable if she hadn't been catty to all of the other women but sweet any time Ben was around. It was disappointing in the end to see that Ben didn't see right through it.

31. Charlie O'Connell

ABC

Charlie was likable enough in the beginning, but as the season went on, it was easy to see that he wasn't exactly a guy who two dozen women should be fighting over.

30. Ashley Hebert

ABC

It was hard to watch Ashley fall for Bentley Williams. Fortunately, she eventually realized that he was no good for her and ended up with JP Rosenbaum, whom she's still married to now. Still, she let Ben propose without telling him she planned to reject him first, which came off as cruel.

29. Lorenzo Borghese

ABC

You'd think a season of The Bachelor featuring an actual prince would be the best season ever, but this one just fell flat. Lorenzo was kind of boring as a leading man, and it led to a forgettable season.

28. Andy Baldwin

ABC

Andy's season was also kind of a snoozefest. Plus, he just didn't have that charming, nice guy vibe that you want in a Bachelor.

27. Byron Velvick

ABC

In Byron's season, the Bachelorettes voted to keep him over Jay Overbye, their other option, but his season was still kind of a dud... even with the double Bachelor gimmick.

26. Alex Michel

ABC

As the first Bachelor, Alex gets at least a little credit, since the show hadn't yet worked through all the kinks and figured out its tried-and-true format, nor were there other seasons to watch to prepare for the spectacle he was getting himself into. But he did make the bad decision of letting go of Trista Rehn, who went on to become the first Bachelorette — as well as a longstanding favorite among fans.

25. Aaron Buerge

Scott Gries/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Aaron's season was pretty lackluster. There's not even anything else to say about it.

24. Chris Soules

ABC

Discounting his legal troubles after the show (and all that boring talk about farms and corn), Chris' season is significant because it brought us so many Bachelor Nation favorites, from Ashley S. and Ashley I. to Kaitlyn Bristowe.

23. Travis Lane Stork

ABC

Travis was a pretty good Bachelor, though he picked up more traction after his season, when he started hosting The Doctors.

22. Matt Grant

ABC

Matt was a sweetheart, even though his relationship with Shayne Lamas didn't last.

21. Jesse Palmer

ABC

It's hard to forget Jesse, especially since he went on to become a Good Morning America contributor. His season was pretty uneventful, but still solid. Sometimes a break from the drama is a good thing.

20. Meredith Phillips

ABC

Meredith wasn't the most memorable Bachelorette, but she was very sweet, and it's worth commending her for speaking out about the way alcohol is used on the show after dealing with alcohol misuse herself.

19. Nick Viall

ABC

Nick Viall has always been a controversial contestant — between two seasons of The Bachelorette, an appearance on Bachelor in Paradise, and his own season of The Bachelor, he's been on the show more than almost anyone. But when he was the one handing out roses, he was actually really entertaining.

18. Becca Kufrin

ABC

After Arie broke up with her on his The Bachelor finale, it was good to see Becca get a second shot at love on The Bachelorette. Although some fans weren't pleased that she chose Garrett in the end (mostly because of his controversial Instagram posts), they're still together now, so she clearly made the right choice for herself.

17. Jillian Harris

ABC

Jillian is sort of like Kaitlyn Bristowe 1.0: funny, authentic, and Canadian.

16. Bob Guiney

ABC

Even 16 years later, Bob remains one of the most down to earth Bachelors, and he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy.

15. DeAnna Pappas

ABC

DeAnna felt like someone you wanted to root for, which made her Bachelorette season genuinely fun to watch.

14. Andrew Firestone

ABC

What was there not to love about Andrew Firestone? He's handsome, rich, charming, and he and Jen Schefft were so perfect together (while it lasted).

13. Colton Underwood

ABC

Colton was a pretty cookie cutter choice for Bachelor, but he did have an unforgettable ending. That fence jump will be remembered for many seasons to come.

12. Jen Schefft

Evan Agostini/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

As the first Bachelorette to turn down both of her final two men, Jen was one of the first women to break the show's mold.

11. JoJo Fletcher

ABC

After her heartbreaking split with Ben Higgins on The Bachelor, JoJo snagged a season of her own. She was a lot of fun to watch, and she and Jordan Rodgers have become one of the strongest couples in Bachelor Nation.

10. Desiree Hartsock

ABC

It was impossible not to like Desiree, especially since her love story didn't end when the show did. She's still happily married to her final pick, Chris Siegfried, which proves that relationships from the show can actually last... sometimes.

9. Emily Maynard

ABC

There are so many reasons to love Emily Maynard, from her sweet, loving personality to the way she stood up for herself when she went "West Virginia hoodrat backwoods" on Kalon McMahon after he dared to call her daughter, Ricki, baggage.

8. Trista Rehn

ABC

As the very first Bachelorette, Trista will always have a special place in every fan's heart. Plus, she and her pick, Ryan Sutter, stayed together, and they and their adorable kids make such a perfect family.

7. Rachel Lindsay

ABC

As the first woman of color to helm her own season, Rachel gets a lot of credit for facing the pressure and scrutiny that comes with breaking barriers. She also met and fell in love with Bryan Abasolo while telling it like it is all season long... especially when she told DeMario Jackson to "get the f*ck out."

6. Ben Higgins

ABC

Ben's season was super entertaining — he did introduce the world to twins Haley and Emily Ferguson, after all. He may no longer be with Lauren Bushnell, but he's remained a beloved (if a little bland) fixture of Bach Nation ever since.

5. Ali Fedotowsky

ABC

Ali's Bachelorette romance may not have lasted, but it seems like everything happens for a reason... at least, in her case. These days, she's married to Kevin Manno and they have two children — and the show led her to a lot of other really cool opportunities, including her former gig hosting at red carpet events on E!

4. Sean Lowe

ABC

When you think "nice guy," you think Sean Lowe, and that basically defines his entire Bachelor experience. He made a genuine effort to get to know the women for who they are, and it worked well: He and Catherine Giudici are one of the longest standing couples in Bachelor Nation.

3. Andi Dorfman

ABC

Seeing Andi stand up for herself to Juan Pablo Galavis was a good indication of how her season would go. She knew what she wanted and wasn't willing to settle for anything less, and it was a real treat to watch her charge throughout her season (even if her fierce independence is one of the reasons she and Josh Murray ultimately didn't work out).

2. Kaitlyn Bristowe

She may have been one of the most controversial Bachelorettes, but that's exactly why she was one of the best. She didn't let anyone's opinions stop her from being her hilarious, out-of-the-box self — which is also what made her season so entertaining.

1. Hannah Brown

ABC

After an awkward start, fans weren't sure if Hannah would make a good Bachelorette, but she ended up being one of the all-time greatest. She was unapologetically herself, she was unconventional, and she didn't stand for anyone's sh*t. It will be hard to ever top a moment as iconic as moving the full rose pedestal to get away from Luke P.

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