Since its first tantalizing breath in 1973, The Young and the Restless has kept hearts pounding across generations, a mirror to the power struggles, passions, and betrayals of the Newman and Abbott dynasties. Set against the cutthroat world of cosmetics, its stories twist through boardrooms and bedrooms, drawing viewers into an unending dance of ambition and desire. Throughout these decades, countless faces have flickered across the screen, but a select, stalwart few have weathered the storms of time itself, carving their names into soap opera legend with performances that refuse to fade.

Tonight, we step through the decades, into the lives of these ironclad icons — their journeys from brash upstarts to pillars of Genoa City, from reckless youth to tempered elders whose presence still commands awe.

Number 10: Christian Jules LeBlanc as Michael Baldwin (1991–2025).

In 1991, a devil walked onto the canvas — Christian LeBlanc’s Michael Baldwin, a legal genius with a twisted hunger for chaos. He slithered through walls to terrify rivals, burned with ruthless ambition, and paid the price in prison, disappearing for years into the abyss of his own darkness. But Michael would not be erased. He returned, older, sharper, determined to transform the embers of his rage into a powerful legal mind. Though the shadows of his broken childhood still sometimes flicker behind his eyes, his marriage to Lauren Fenmore and their son anchor him now. With over 2,000 appearances, Michael stands as a cautionary tale — proof that monsters can change their skin, but never truly lose the fire that forged them.

Number 9: Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers (1994–2025).

A hurricane in red heels, Phyllis Summers stormed into Genoa City in 1994, a woman unafraid to lie, steal, or seduce to get what she wanted. Claiming a rock star’s child, shattering marriages, twisting rivalries into lifetime vendettas — Phyllis was chaos personified. Michelle Stafford took on the audience’s hate with pride, knowing that every boo and hiss meant she had branded her mark on their hearts. Through over 2,400 episodes, Phyllis evolved from a reckless heartbreaker to a wily co-conspirator with a sense of loyalty to her oldest allies, like Michael. Her claws have dulled, perhaps, but her spirit is still untamed, ever ready to spark a flame.

Number 8: Kate Linder as Esther Valentine (1982–2025).

From a single line as a background maid in 1982, Esther Valentine — named on a whim by the great Katherine Chancellor — bloomed into the show’s rare beacon of warmth. Kate Linder infused her with humor and sweet innocence, a gentle soul balancing the raging storms around her. As a flight attendant outside the set, Linder made her own path, and that resilience bled into Esther, who, after inheriting a slice of Katherine’s fortune, rose beyond comic relief to face heartbreaks and joys of her own. Her bond with her daughter and grandchild cemented her as a quietly powerful force, a beating heart in a world that too often bleeds.

Number 7: Amelia Heinle as Victoria Newman (2005–2025).

Born in scandal, Victoria Newman was raised in a web of jealousy and fierce independence. Amelia Heinle stepped into her shoes in 2005, shaping Victoria from a wounded child into a fierce corporate warrior. She was never afraid to break the rules or challenge the men around her. Love proved a dangerous battlefield, from a toxic union with JT to the passionate collision with Billy Abbott. But Victoria emerged as a mother of four, her story no longer chained to past sins but forging ahead with new resolve. Over 2,400 episodes, she transformed into the formidable queen of Newman Enterprises, a woman who would never again be underestimated.

Number 6: Sharon Case as Sharon Collins (1994–2025).

Arriving as a fresh-faced teen, Sharon Collins carried a soft sweetness that soon collided with tragedy and obsession. Sharon Case made the role her own, steering Sharon through a cyclone of heartbreak, stalkers, mental illness, and even arson. Burning down the Newman ranch, marrying her ex-lover’s father, fighting to protect her children — Sharon’s tale has been nothing short of epic. Her courage to portray bipolar disorder on daytime TV opened vital conversations across living rooms nationwide. After over 3,000 episodes, Sharon stands stronger than ever, though her tether to Nick Newman leaves viewers perpetually on edge, wondering if these two tortured souls will ever truly break free of each other.

Number 5: Melody Thomas Scott as Nikki Reed Newman (1979–2025).

Nikki Newman, born of pain and defiance, danced her way from an exotic stage to the heart of Victor Newman, in a love story that has been the backbone of Genoa City for over four decades. Melody Thomas Scott gave Nikki a soul so vibrant and so tragic that fans could not look away. A mother, a fighter, a survivor — Nikki’s journey from abused youth to queen of the Newman empire echoes through over 3,000 episodes. In her quieter moments, Scott herself once missed the tempest, but Nikki would always be drawn back to the fire. In a world of shifting alliances, Nikki’s legacy is carved in bedrock, unshakable, unbreakable.

Number 4: Joshua Morrow as Nicholas Newman (1994–2025).

Thrown into the chaos as a teenager, Nick Newman has worn the hero’s crown, the lover’s chains, and the son’s burden. Joshua Morrow’s Nick has survived unimaginable losses — children stolen by death, wives turned to enemies, and the shadow of his father looming large. But through more than 3,800 episodes, Nick’s unshakable drive to define his own destiny has made him a legend in his own right. Whether rescuing his loved ones or battling his own demons, Nick remains the everyman champion, a reminder that a good heart can survive the harshest storms.

Number 3: Peter Bergman as Jack Abbott (1989–2025).

The Abbott heir, Jack, a man of impossible passions and dangerous grudges, has been Peter Bergman’s tour de force since 1989. Jack’s endless war with Victor Newman became a generational saga, burning bright through boardrooms, bedrooms, and battlefields. Nearly 4,000 episodes later, Jack’s fierce loyalty to his family still collides with his volcanic temper, creating a man whose contradictions keep audiences riveted. Like a hurricane restrained only by love, Jack remains a legend — unpredictable, unforgettable.

Number 2: Doug Davidson as Paul Williams (1980–2020).

Doug Davidson carved Paul Williams into a hero for the ages across forty unbroken years. Once a rebel entangled with Nikki, Paul evolved into a steady lawman, protector of Genoa City’s wounded souls. His relationship with Christine Blair was a rare light in a world of shifting loyalties, weaving personal and professional threads into a legacy of courage. Though Paul’s presence faded after 2018, and ended in 2020, his legend still echoes through the streets of Genoa City, a ghost watching over the city he once vowed to defend.

Number 1: Eric Braeden as Victor Newman (1980–2025).

And then there is Victor Newman — the alpha, the patriarch, the iron-willed lion whose roar defined The Young and the Restless for nearly half a century. Eric Braeden took what was supposed to be a short guest role and forged it into a dynasty of power, revenge, and impossible love. Over 4,300 appearances, Victor’s empire grew, but so did his legend as a father and lover, a man whose ruthlessness was tempered only by devotion to Nikki. If ever Victor leaves Genoa City, the very ground will tremble in his absence, for he has become the beating heart of the show itself.

Through the tangled lives of these unforgettable characters, The Young and the Restless endures, its legacy etched in thousands upon thousands of episodes. These actors have given us heroes, villains, lovers, and fighters who echo in memory long after the screen fades to black. And as 2025 dawns, they remain a testament to why this soap, this legend, refuses to die — because as long as there are dreams and betrayals, there will always be stories left to tell in Genoa City.