Fictional John Lennons, ranked.

Thirty-five years after his death, John Lennon’s influence continues in surprising ways. Fictional portrayals of Lennon have appeared at regular intervals for the past 50 years—from Yellow Submarine to The Rutles to Kevin Barry’s fantastical novel Beatlebone, about Lennon looking for a place to scream in Ireland in 1977, which was published earlier this year, and is one of the year’s best. 

11. Not-Really-John-Lennon-But-Close-Enough John Lennon (Jim Sturgess as “Jude”), Across The Universe

10. Chipmunk John Lennon (Johann St-Louis as “John”), I’m Not There

9. Reconciled With Paul McCartney John Lennon (Jared Harris), Two Of Us

8. Goofy But Weirdly Indistinct John Lennon (voiced by John Clive), Yellow Submarine

7. Teen Angst Teddy Boy John Lennon (played by Aaron Tyler-Johnson), Nowhere Boy

6. Robot Chicken I’m On Acid John Lennon (voiced by Seth Green), Robot Chicken

5. Super Angry Implied Murderer John Lennon (played by Ian Hart), Backbeat

4. Ghost John Lennon (played by Mike Hanford), Comedy Bang Bang

3. On the Nose John Lennon (played by Paul Rudd), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

2. Midlife Crisis John Lennon, Beatlebone by Kevin Barry 

1. Getting Wet In A Shower John Lennon (Neil Innes), All You Need Is Cash/The Rutles