The Best Kens From ‘Barbie,’ Ranked

Warning: The following article contains spoilers about Barbie.

Move over, Ryan Gosling, you've got some competition! Or does he?

The Barbie star has been the recipient of well-deserved glowing reviews and even Oscar buzz for his performance as the Ken to Margot Robbie's Barbie, but Gosling isn't the only Ken in the film from writer-director Greta Gerwig. Also bringing the Ken-ergy is Shang-Chi's Simu Liu, One Night in Miami's Kingsley Ben-Adir, Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa, Grace and Frankie's Scott Evans, and Fast X's John Cena.

With so many Kens to choose from, we've done the only rational thing and ranked them all.

6. Scott Evans's Ken

Chris Evans's younger brother doesn't get much to do, but he sure does know how to pull off a cowboy hat!

5. Ncuti Gatwa's Ken

Like Evans, the future Doctor Who star isn't handed a lot to work with, but he gets bonus points for the bleached-blonde hair paired with the yellow headband and tank top. Also, one of his few lines is at the end of the film when he says he no longer cares about being Ken, he just misses his friend Barbie, and we can all get behind a grateful, platonic pal!

4. John Cena's Mermaid Ken

While the wrestler-turned-actor only pops up twice, c'mon, it's John Cena as a merman, how can we not love that?! I know I'd watch an ocean-set spinoff about Cena's Mermaid Ken and Dua Lipa's Mermaid Barbie. Oh, and this Fast & Furious diehard can't help but get a kick out of how Cena was cast in Barbie.

"Fast X was filming across the street from Barbie, and [Margot Robbie asked], 'Why don't you do Barbie?'" Cena revealed back in May. "I said, 'I've been trying!' And Margot makes a lot of the decisions for that, and I said, 'Well, I'll do whatever you need.' I think Barbie and Fast X share a lot of parallels." Crossover incoming?

3. Simu Liu's Ken

One of the funniest running bits in Barbie is the rivalry between Liu's Ken and Gosling's Ken, with the latter wanting to impress the former. While Barbie (Robbie) insists that Liu's Ken isn't cool, Gosling's Ken declares, "He is to me!" You can see the appeal: He's great at flips, dancing, singing and cheerleading.

2. Kingsley Ben-Adir's Ken

In "Just Ken," Gosling bemoans that he's always No. 2, and he almost was the runner-up here as well. That's how good Ben-Adir is as sidekick Ken, who is ride-or-die for Gosling's Ken. He's there for moral support, ice cream support, and physical support, considering you will have to beach him off too! The British actor first came on the radar for many via his run on Peaky Blinders, before fully breaking out with a stirring performance as Malcolm X in One Night in Miami. He can currently be seen as the big bad on the incredibly disappointing Secret Invasion. So it's both surprising and delightful to see him so adept at comedy, whether he's sharing his love of pelicans, wearing hats, or Kensplaining The Godfather.

1. Ryan Gosling's Ken

Okay, the hype is real! As the main Ken, who unsuccessfully yearns for Barbie's affection, Gosling is a walking laugh, first as puppy dog Ken, and then as the patriarchy and horse-obsessed Ken. Well, as the star of The Nice Guys, First Man, The Gray Man, and The Fall Guy, he shouldn't have had any problem getting into the guy mindset. And Gosling, a two-time Oscar nominee, is as committed to playing the ridiculousness of Ken as he was to playing Neil Armstrong or The Driver, so much so that he makes us want to have our own Mojo Dojo Casa House or wear two pairs of sunglasses at the same time. Just look at him; he's an icon, he's a legend, he is the moment.