While Bridgerton Season 4 focuses on Benedict and Sophie, the supporting cast is set to steal the show with their own screentime.
Bridgerton Season 4 will release on Netflix in two parts, with Episodes 1 to 4 on January 29, 2026, and Episodes 5 to 8 on February 26, 2026. The new season focuses on Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek at a masquerade ball, yet the story also gives more screen time to familiar figures around them. These ten supporting characters have new plot hooks and growing fan interest, putting them in a strong position to dominate conversations once the season drops.
Set again in London high society, Season 4 adapts Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman into a Cinderella-style story about class, identity, and choice. Within that framework, side characters control estates, test loyalties, or challenge the ton’s rules.
Many already have invested fanbases or unfinished arcs. Showrunner commentary, casting announcements, and previous seasons point to specific ways these characters can drive key scenes, pull focus from the central couple, and shape what comes in Seasons 5 and 6.
1. Eloise Bridgerton
Eloise Bridgerton (played by Claudia Jessie) enters Season 4 after reconciling with Penelope and leaving for Scotland with Francesca and John at the end of Season 3. She returns as one of four remaining siblings still waiting for a headline season, and book readers expect her love story with Sir Phillip Crane to anchor Season 5.
That future importance means writers have strong incentives to seed her next steps now, whether through letters, intellectual interests, or growing discomfort with the marriage market.
Eloise’s sharp observations also place her close to any mystery surrounding Sophie’s identity. With Penelope’s secret as Lady Whistledown now public, Eloise no longer acts as the sole keeper of truth. Instead, she can become an investigative ally and social critic inside Benedict and Sophie’s story.
This allows her to comment on the class and gender rules that affect Sophie, questioning the Bridgertons’ treatment of their staff in a season that emphasizes upstairs and downstairs dynamics.
2. Francesca Stirling
Francesca Bridgerton, now Francesca Stirling, ended Season 3 married to John Stirling and headed to Scotland, a storyline that was intentionally set up for later seasons. Hannah Dodd took over the role and quickly gained attention for a restrained performance that contrasted with her more sociable siblings.
Her Season 3 finale introduced John’s cousin Michaela Stirling, echoing the books’ Michael Stirling twist but in a gender-swapped way, positioning Francesca as a key queer lead for a future season.
While Season 4 centers on Benedict, the remaining siblings, including Francesca, will headline future years. This gives the writers a reason to deepen her marriage and her move to Scotland, even with limited screen time. The original novel features John’s early death, raising questions about whether Season 4 will hint at illness or separation. Any such clues, plus more scenes between Francesca and Michaela, could generate intense speculation and social media focus.
3. Michaela Stirling
Michaela Stirling, played by Masali Baduza, appears briefly in the Season 3 finale as John’s cousin, yet her framing clearly signals long-term importance. In Julia Quinn’s book, Michael Stirling falls for Francesca on the day of her wedding to his cousin, then becomes her love interest after John’s death. The series keeps that dynamic but makes it queer, with Michaela positioned as Francesca’s future partner in a later season, one of the most significant changes from the novels.
Because Michaela is new, every Season 4 scene with her will carry extra weight. Any moment where she understands a situation faster than others or challenges expectations around marriage and inheritance can pull viewers toward her storyline. Those interested in LGBTQ+ representation will watch her closely, making even brief exchanges with Francesca potential discussion points.
4. Queen Charlotte
Queen Charlotte, played by Golda Rosheuvel, remains central to the ton’s social machinery, including the Bridgerton masquerade ball where Benedict meets Sophie. Netflix’s description of Season 4 links her to the season’s romantic stakes, as the ball follows court norms. She also knows Penelope was Lady Whistledown (via Collider), which changes the power dynamic and allows her to regulate scandal rather than just react to it.
The Queen Charlotte prequel showed her deep connections to Lady Danbury and Brimsley, adding layers to her character. Viewers are still curious about Brimsley’s lost relationship with Reynolds, a question that cast interviews suggest remains open for future seasons. Even a small gesture from the Queen acknowledging Brimsley’s loyalty or loneliness could become a significant emotional moment.
5. Lady Danbury
Lady Danbury, portrayed by Adjoa Andoh, is one of the most powerful brokers in London, with close ties to Violet Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte. Her Season 3 arc with her brother Marcus began to reveal more of her past. The prequel series also showed her early connection to the Ledger family, giving her the history and authority to comment on who belongs where in a season focused on class.
Season 4 is expected to explore the lives of servants, and Lady Danbury’s household connects those worlds to the palace. Fan theory on Reddit suggests she might take on a fairy godmother role for Sophie, similar to a character from the books. A subplot where she supports Sophie or challenges the treatment of staff would position her as a scene stealer, combining her moral clarity with her sharp wit.
6. Colin Bridgerton
Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, enters Season 4 newly married to Penelope and, by the Season 3 epilogue, a father. Their story concluded with a child and the public reveal of Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown, closing a major series-long arc. The show inverted the book order, placing their marriage before Benedict’s season, which allows Colin to act as a commentator and older brother.
With the Featherington estate now tied to the Bridgertons through Colin and Penelope, the season can explore conflicts over money and title from a new angle. Colin’s past as a traveler contrasts with Benedict’s resistance to commitment, setting up scenes where he might advise his brother on settling down. His support for Penelope against her mother, Portia, could also provide domestic drama that resonates with fans invested in their relationship.
7. Brimsley
Brimsley, played by Hugh Sachs, has become an emotional anchor through his loyalty to Queen Charlotte and his tragic romance with Reynolds, the King’s Man. The Queen Charlotte series revealed they were lovers, but an older Brimsley was shown alone in the main timeline. Shonda Rhimes said that Reynolds is alive and the story may be resolved later (via Shondaland). Sachs has also been promoted to the main cast for Season 4.
Brimsley’s potential to steal Season 4 lies in a small update satisfying this curiosity. Any mention of the King’s condition or Reynolds’s fate would likely feature Brimsley. In a story about palace authority, his quiet reactions can highlight the human cost of duty, standing apart from the main courtships. A single letter or reunion scene could become one of the season’s most talked-about moments.
8. Violet Bridgerton
Violet Bridgerton (played by Ruth Gemmell) remains the emotional core of the Bridgerton household. Season 3 hinted at a late-in-life romance for her with Lady Danbury’s brother, Marcus Anderson, suggesting her story may move beyond widowhood. The Season 4 masquerade ball is a Bridgerton family event that Violet helps host, placing her at the start of Benedict and Sophie’s story.
Violet’s choices have a significant impact, especially regarding class boundaries with staff. Her reaction to learning that the Lady in Silver is a maid named Sophie Baek will test the family’s values and shape the audience’s judgment. If she supports Benedict, it reinforces the show’s theme of love crossing status lines, and if she hesitates, it raises the stakes for the couple, giving Gemmell complex material to perform.
9. Portia Featherington
Portia Featherington, played by Polly Walker, enters Season 4 with all three daughters married and with grandchildren on the way. Penelope’s match with a Bridgerton raised their social standing but complicated Portia’s control over the Featherington estate. As a widow who has long managed finances and reputation through ruthless tactics, her dynamic with the newly powerful Penelope and Colin will be a source of conflict.
With Season 4 giving more attention to servants and class lines, Portia’s interactions with her staff, new in-laws, and grandchildren will highlight her adaptability or rigidity. If she clashes with Colin over money or with Penelope over her writing, Polly Walker’s performance could again draw strong reactions. Her ability to pivot to protect her family makes her a likely source of both humor and tension.
10. Lady Araminta Gun
Lady Araminta Gun, played by Katie Leung, is a new key figure positioned as the season’s main antagonist. Character descriptions call her a twice-widowed mother to Rosamund and Posy Li, who are making their societal debut. Described as discerning and blunt, she reacts poorly when her status is threatened and targets Benedict as a potential husband for one of her daughters. This puts her in direct opposition to Sophie Baek, a clever maid working in her household.
Araminta is adapted from Sophie’s abusive stepmother in the novel An Offer from a Gentleman. However, the season changes Sophie’s surname to Baek and confirms she works for Araminta, allowing the show to examine employer-servant power dynamics directly.
Who is your favorite supporting character in Bridgerton Season 4? Which one deserves more spotlight and why?
Bridgerton Season 4 is set to release on Netflix on January 29, 2026.
