Following in the footsteps of its namesake time period, HBO Max's The Gilded Age takes place in the late 19th century in New York City, and it primarily follows the city's elite old and new money classes who fight for social dominance in an ever-changing world.

In particular, the series focuses on The Gilded Age season 3, the power structures of New York have shifted, with new money leading the charge.

10 Caroline "Carrie" Astor

Carrie Astor Has Far Less Power Than Her Mother

Carrie Astor (Amy Forsyth) is part of the younger generation of characters, and like her companions, she wields far less power and influence than her parents. Carrie is the daughter of Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy), who is the leader of the old-money elite of New York. Carrie is first introduced at the beginning of season 1, but she does not appear quite as much as the series has progressed.

Unlike her mother, Carrie is willing to befriend the Russell family, but she definitely holds less social capital. This is clear through Bertha rescinding her invitation to Gladys' (Taissa Farmiga) debutante ball. In this case, Carrie is more often a pawn in her mother's social battles than a true player in the game, but the Astor name still makes her more powerful than the average person.

9 Larry Russell

Larry Could Have More Power If He Wanted It

Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) is also not as important in the New York power struggle as his parents. But as Bertha and George Russell (Morgan Spector) have become increasingly important in the New York cultural scene, that favor extends to Larry. In his own right, Larry is highly educated and motivated, but he mostly has to abide by the reigning social rules. Given how much money and power his family has, Larry could be a bigger player in The Gilded Age's power wars, but he is an entertaining character precisely because he is often seeking other goals.

8 Enid Winterton (Née Turner)

Mrs. Winterton's Newfound Fortune Is Countered By Her Social Status

Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran) begins the series as Bertha's lady's maid, meaning she has no power at all, but that all changes in season 2. After attempting to seduce Mr. Russell, Turner is fired by the Russells , but she becomes part of New York high society by marrying an elderly widower, Mr. Winterton (Dakin Matthews), shocking everyone. The new Mrs. Winterton reemerges early in season 2 and begins causing problems with her newfound wealth and desire for power.

Ranking Enid's power in season 2 is somewhat complicated because her past and present pull her in opposite directions.

Ranking Enid's power in season 2 is somewhat complicated because her past and present pull her in opposite directions. On the one hand, her wealth gives her access to New York's elite spaces, like the Met Opera in the season finale. On the other hand, her past as a maid in the Russell house allows both the old and new money groups to shun her, meaning she is not truly able to make full use of her wealth.

7 Mamie Fish

Mamie Fish Has Some Power In Social Circles

While many of the characters in The Gilded Age are fictional, there are also a fair number who were real figures in New York City's history and Mamie Fish (Ashlie Atkinson) was one of them. In real life, Mamie Fish was a member of the Four Hundred, the elite social group led by Mrs. Astor, and later co-led by Mrs. Fish herself. It is safe to say that Fish was truly an influential figure in New York society, yet she is still not the most powerful character in The Gilded Age.

Some of The Gilded Age's fictional characters, like the van Rhijn-Brook and Russell families, play a larger role in the series and have more active sway in social settings, landing them above Mamie. Likewise, because everything is so heavily led by Mrs. Astor and the opposition by Bertha Russell, Mamie often takes on the role of a follower. A key example of this comes from the Opera War, which sees her switch sides to the Met at the last minute, showing that to some degree she is just following the most popular trend.

6 Agnes van Rhijn

Agnes Lost Ground In Season 2

Agnes van Rhijn has always been a staunch er of Mrs. Astor and the old money group. She married wealthy and lived a comfortable life among the fashionable women of the time. The series makes it immediately clear that Agnes cares about these things deeply and is very opposed to changes in power, hoping to keep her status for as long as possible.

Agnes van Rhijn is a fairly powerful character in seasons 1 and 2 of The Gilded Age, but when Oscar informs her that he has lost almost all of their family's money, everything changes for Agnes.

Agnes van Rhijn is a fairly powerful character in seasons 1 and 2 of The Gilded Age, but when Oscar (Blake Ritson) informs her that he has lost almost all of their family's money, everything changes for Agnes. The only thing that ultimately saves the van Rhijn-Brook reputation is Ada's (Cynthia Nixon) sudden discovery of the money left to her, meaning that Ada is now the head of the house and the more powerful sister.

5 Ada Forte

Ada Is The More Powerful Sister For The First Time Ever

For most of The Gilded Age, Ada is somewhat under the thumb of her controlling older sister Agnes. While Agnes had married and ensured the pair a comfortable lifestyle, Ada remained a "spinster." However, in season 2, Ada finally finds love with Reverend Luke Forte (Robert Sean Leonard), and the pair are married. While this was a great moment for Ada because she finally got to find someone who truly loved her and made her happy, it ended in tragedy when Forte ed away.

By the end of The Gilded Age season 2, the van Rhijn-Brooks' situation is looking grim between Forte's death and Oscar's mishap, but Ada discovers that Forte has left her all his money. Ada was always the kinder of the two sisters, but her newfound money also makes her the powerful one. Immediately after announcing this discovery, Bannister (Simon Jones), the family's butler, switches to addressing Ada as his boss rather than Agnes, upsetting the latter and highlighting how their dynamic might change in season 3.

4 Ward McAllister

Mr. McAllister Guides Social Circles

Like Mamie Fish and the Astor family, Ward McAllister (Nathan Lane) is a character based on a real person. McAllister serves as the right-hand man of Mrs. Astor in making important social decisions. These decisions include what types of events should be held and who should be invited. In short, any character that wants to be involved in New York's upper-class social circle should be vetted by him.

Throughout The Gilded Age, Mr McAllister has had the ear of both Mrs. Astor and Bertha Russell, allowing him to play both sides of the field. McAllister thus has a lot of influence in society, but his will does often need to be carried out by his society patrons like Mrs. Astor. Additionally, season 2's ending sees him side with Mrs. Astor at the opera, meaning that his power may begin to wane in season 3.

3 Mrs. Astor

Mrs. Astor Represents The Old Money Group

The Gilded Age season 1 made it clear that Mrs. Astor was the face of New York society and by far the most powerful member. Characters constantly seek to remain in her good graces, and newcomers to the area like the Russells look to win her favor. However, she is part of the old guard and resents the growing power of new-money people in New York. As a result, season 2 sees her fighting to stay in power.

Mrs. Astor immediately rejects Bertha from entering her group and deems her new money to be offensive to those who have been in New York for generations. In a way, then, Mrs. Astor sets up her own downfall. Bertha is one of the smartest characters and maneuvers herself into more and more powerful circles as the show progresses. While Mrs. Astor is easily the most powerful person at the beginning of the series, the changing values in New York mean she begins to lose her grip in season 2.

2 Bertha Russell

Bertha Has Successfully Proved Her Power

Bertha Russell is the unexpected newcomer at the beginning of The Gilded Age. She and her husband, George, represent the nouveau riche whose wealth flies in the face of the old-money elites that have held power for generations. Despite not being welcomed into any of the important social circles, Bertha's cunning approach to high society eventually makes those around her curious, and she slowly works her way up, rivaling Mrs. Astor's power.

The opera war highlights the divide between Mrs. Astor and Bertha, and Bertha comes out on top, officially overtaking Mrs. Astor and replacing old money with new.

Bertha is often offended by the treatment she receives, and she is willing to go to almost any extreme to outmaneuver those around her as a result. By the end of The Gilded Age season 2, the opera war highlights the divide between Mrs. Astor and Bertha, and Bertha comes out on top, officially overtaking Mrs. Astor and replacing old money with new.

1 George Russell

George Russell Is Just As Savvy As His Wife

If Bertha Russell is cunning and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her place among New York's elite, her husband George Russell is right there with her in his own way. George is the stereotypical example of the new money class in New York as a robber baron, making his money largely on the construction of railroads. The series highlights some of his more questionable business practices on several occasions.

The Gilded Age season 3 will premiere on HBO Max on June 22, 2025.

George is undoubtedly one of the wealthiest characters in The Gilded Age. He also often uses this money to help Bertha gain success in her ventures. Though the men of the series often play a smaller role in the more women-driven social circles, George does influence Bertha's social standing, both through his own manipulation of events and people and because he is the source of the Russells' money, making him the most powerful character in The Gilded Age.