How evil is Thomas Shelby?

Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby is a great example of an evil character who is complex, and thus, compelling. He's not evil for the sake of being evil, which is why fans root for him. The Shelbys are often seen as the good guys when compared to the Peaky Blinders' enemies - people like Luca Changretta or Father Hughes.
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Is Tommy Shelby a good man?

However, the series makes no mistake about the fact that Tommy Shelby is not a good person. He's ruthless, violent, and ambitious, making his power moves on behalf of (and sometimes in spite of) his family so compelling to watch.
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What problem does Thomas Shelby have?

Thomas suffers from PTSD which was known back then as shellshock syndrome. Most soldiers were/are affected by this and it's harder when they try to reintegrate into society.
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Is Thomas Shelby a hero?

Tommy Shelby has no interest in being a hero — he doesn't have noble ideals like Travis Bickle, nor does he have the grounded starting point that Walter White did. In the end, Shelby and White prove to be the same, but the difference is that White ended where Shelby began.
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Is Thomas Shelby a manipulator?

As the leader of Birmingham gang Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby is a master manipulator, deal-maker and entrepreneur, whose unbridled ambition and personality are matched by his instincts for survival.
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The Ruthless Nature Of Thomas Shelby - Character Analysis (Part 1)



Is Thomas Shelby psychopath?

No. He is far too empathetic, in the sense of being very acute about human psychology - what makes people 'tick'. He is from a brutal background, and was traumatised by the War, so he has little hesitation in using violence.
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Why does Michael betray Tommy?

The Americans didn't want to deal with “an old-fashioned, back-street razor gang”, said Michael. They wanted the next generation. Tommy rejected the proposal and fired Michael, leaving Gina and Michael to “the second option”, which was stage the coup anyway, against Tommy's will.
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Is Thomas Shelby selfish?

10 Worst: Selfish

While Thomas definitely cares about his family, it could certainly be argued that he cares a little too much about his business - but mainly what he wants for the business. They have 'family meetings' but everyone knows that Tommy will ultimately decide what happens next.
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Why did Tommy betray his family?

Tommy had seemingly double crossed his family in order to escape the clutches of his enemies, and while he promised them they would be released – that he had a bigger plan in mind – his act of betrayal, as they see it, is likely to be a big theme of series four.
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Does Michael Gray betray Tommy?

Following his apparent willingness to betray Tommy, Michael was sent to head up the company in America. Now based in Detroit, he has fallen in love with an American woman, Gina. But his tendency to see himself as Tommy's heir, with an added veneer of legitimacy, has led him to make a hubristic decision.
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Is Thomas Shelby mentally ill?

Cillian Murphy himself has made it clear that Thomas Shelby's mental illness is PTSD. “I think that it's pretty obvious [Tommy is] experiencing the war over again,” Murphy told Metro. “It has such a profound effect on him.
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Does Thomas Shelby have a personality disorder?

One of the major symptoms of PTSD is "recurrent, unwanted distressing memories or dreams of the traumatic event"[1]. A number of characters in Peaky Blinders appear to suffer from it, the most notable ones being Thomas Shelby, Arthur Shelby Jr., and Danny Whizz-Bang.
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What is Tommy Shelby dying of?

BBC Peaky Blinders character Tommy Shelby is dying of tuberculoma. His private doctor revealed the devastating news last week on the show. Tommy has been suffering blackouts for weeks.
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What is Thomas Shelby's goal?

Tommy's intelligence is evident in the way he carries out his plans for the Blinders. His ambition is clear, making money is one thing but he aspires for them to be the leading gang in England, and ultimately to be a legitimate betting company.
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Who is the man Thomas Shelby Can't defeat?

Michael Gray is the man that Tommy Shelby cannot defeat - not because Tommy is incapable but because the cost of doing so is Tommy's soul.
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What is Tommy Shelby trying to?

Tommy is facing a war on three fronts across two continents. Our Zelig-like hero has always enjoyed having his fingers in too many pies. Indeed, after failing to kill himself at the end of series five, the clothes horse from nowhere is back where we want him to be: in all kinds of trouble.
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Is Finn Shelby a traitor?

Following this, Finn was deemed a traitor in the ranks and as a result was largely absent from future family plans. In the final episode, Finn was kept in the dark about Tommy's plans for his manor home and was shaken when Duke Shelby (Conrad Khan) announced he had to kill Billy.
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Did Polly sleep with Tommy?

Finally, Polly decides to come for him at night and sleeps with him. Polly trusts him, leading her to share the secret of her involvement in the murder of Campbell with him.
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Who was the mole in Peaky Blinders?

Billy Grade (Emmett J Scanlan) is revealed to be the informant or 'black cat' that betrayed the Peaky Blinders.
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Are the Peaky Blinders villains?

Peaky Blinders is a series that is known for its fantastic villains. In each season, Thomas Shelby faced off against one of the most powerful men in the country. With every passing season, Tommy's enemies continued to increase, both in number and in power.
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Are there any good guys in Peaky Blinders?

The Shelbys are often seen as the good guys when compared to the Peaky Blinders' enemies - people like Luca Changretta or Father Hughes. No matter what extreme measures Thomas and his family take against their foes, fans support the Shelbys. Even so, there's a clear sliding scale of evilness on the show.
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Is Thomas Shelby introvert?

He prefer to be in the background. He doesn't have a sense of extraverted ego nor does he need things from the outside world. He is probably one of the most introverted characters I have typed yet.
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Who ruined Tommy Shelby's plan?

Billy Grade Informed The IRA About The Mosley Assassination

Peaky Blinders season 6, episode 5, confirmed that Billy was the one who leaked Tommy Shelby's assassination plan to the IRA. Billy meets his end at the hands of Duke, after Finn refuses, in the Peaky Blinders season 6 finale.
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Does Polly betray Tommy to Luca?

Polly made vendetta-driven mobster Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody) a deal in the explosive finale, offering up Tommy's life in exchange for the safety of the rest of the family.
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Is Johnny dogs a traitor?

There's a theory on the Internet that Johnny Dogs, resentful of Aberama Gold's connection to the Shelbys, is the ultimate traitor. After all, Aberama had accused him of treason before and ended up being murdered in the attempted coup.
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