Naagin Power Ranking: From LEAST impactful to MOST iconic performances

Here’s our ranking of all eleven Naagins in reverse order, where the 11th spot goes to the least impactful and the top spot belongs to the most iconic.

Published: Monday,Nov 03, 2025 12:56 PM GMT+05:30

Kunal Kothari

Naagin is finally returning after quite a hiatus. Hard to believe, but the last season, Naagin 6, ended way back in July 2023 after a long and successful run. It’s been over two and a half years since we’ve seen any naagins grace the small screen. Now, the supernatural saga is making a grand comeback, with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary unveiled as the newest Naagin who will headline Naagin 7.

Over the years, the franchise has grown massively, giving us six seasons and a total of eleven naagins. Yes, eleven. That got us thinking, which Naagin truly slithered into our hearts, and which one wasn't able to leave a mark enough? Here’s our ranking of all eleven Naagins in reverse order, where the 11th spot goes to the least impactful and the top spot belongs to the most iconic.

11. Rashami Desai as Shalaka (Naagin 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU2eY2uObRQ

While Rashami Desai returned as a guest in Seasons 5 and 6, her mid-entry in Season 4 brought a furnace of emotion to scenes that required immediate heat. Her confrontations became talking points among viewers and the internet amplified several set pieces. Those scenes proved she could deliver striking moments.

The problem lies in scale. The arc lacked consistent scaffolding. The character could not sustain a narrative throughline and frequently felt like a powerful interruption rather than a guiding force

10. Surbhi Chandna as Bani (Naagin 5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8xNyOaWmhM

Surbhi Chandna carried a romantic center that the season relied on heavily. Her micro choices created believable intimacy and gave certain episodes an emotional hook. She grounded melodrama with small authentic gestures that made audiences care in one on one beats.

Still the season’s pacing and editorial shifts diluted momentum. Story decisions pulled Bani in multiple directions and undercut swells that should have landed. With tighter plotting and fewer tonal swings this performance would sit much higher. It never made an impact enough.

9. Mahek Chahal as Former Sarvashreshth Shesh Naagin (Naagin 6)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBoLPttW1mM

Mahek Chahal returned with showmanship and a knack for theatrical jolts. Her stint was bried and her entrances worked like punctuation and generated immediate reaction. Antagonists in this world fuel the engine for heroes and she supplied that fuel.

The drawback was familiarity. The scripts reused familiar villain beats and that repetition shaved away surprise. Effective villains need novelty to remain chilling across episodes. Mahek’s fierce choices were strong but the material around them did not always find fresh territory.

8. Nia Sharma as Brinda (Naagin 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHvh8JY04xo

Nia Sharma shifted the franchise tone by committing to physical sequences and stunt heavy moments. That choice altered viewer expectations for spectacle and added a kinetic layer to the season. She also delivered quiet vulnerability when scenes required it.

The season however leaned on narrative shortcuts that weakened cumulative meaning. Brinda’s arc suffered from occasional conveniences that reduced causal weight. Nia’s energy and physical commitment stand out but the structural holes around her limited the final effect. Nia was good but the source material never felt enough to justify the mammoth nature of Naagin despite a pulsating finale.

7. Jasmin Bhasin as Nayantara (Naagin 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVVGD-tPuSc

Break her real life image and earlier roles image completely, Jasmin Bhasin came in with a jolt of fire and did rather well initially. Her stint was compact but felt consequential. With limited screen time she used timing and tone to create scenes that lingered.

Nayantara’s unpredictability made certain episodes unpredictable in a useful way. When plot focus shifted her role could not expand to the level it deserved. The placement reflects a disciplined cameo that sparked interest without carrying an entire season.

6. Hina Khan as Naageshwari (Naagin 5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP2zeQrpvBE

Talk about having a brief role and making the maximum impact, and that was Hina Khan. Khan was more the introductory track for Naagin 5 which was continued with Surbhi Chandna later but even in the short stint, Hina Khan was able to create a lasting impact. Her presence initiated key conflicts and the ripple effects shaped large portions of the story. Short arcs can matter a great deal when they alter momentum and Hina’s scenes did exactly that.

The chief limitation was duration. The role did not have enough room to become multi dimensional over time.

5. Anita Hassanandani as Vishakha Naagin 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-ecHHzjfk

Anita Hassanandani navigated moral ambiguity with finesse. Vishakha moved between ally and threat without collapsing into cartoonish extremes. That oscillation kept the narrative breathing and allowed the season to balance humor with menace.

Anita’s comic timing and ability to switch registers preserved stakes in scenes that might otherwise have deflated. Her role supplied versatility and steady scene control which earns a middle ranking. It also made sense because Vishakha became a guest constant in the seasons ahead.

4. Surbhi Jyoti as Bela (Naagin 3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l1a7lQnwkc

When you're taking over from the OGs, it is an uphill task right away. But Surbhi Jyoti was phenomenal right away. Surbhi Jyoti carried central thematic weight and anchored a romantic axis that many viewers found compelling. She balanced sentiment without slipping into saccharine territory. Her calibrated reactions matched the screenplay’s rhythm and sustained consistency across crucial episodes.

Small timing slips prevented a higher placement but her overall command of the role and the season’s trust in her work place her in the upper tier.

Adaa Khan as Shesha (Naagin 1 and 2, guest in others)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyQeSqZYZvk

Adaa Khan created one of the franchise’s most durable antagonists. Shesha merged style menace and cold calculation while remaining interesting on return visits. The character evolved across seasons enough to feel part of an internal mythology.

Adaa’s ability to return and rework motives made the role feel like living franchise memory rather than a one season stunt. That intertextual legacy secures a top tier rank. Even today, if she returns as Shesha in Naagin 7, it will still be attractive for the viewers.

2.Tejasswi Prakash as Pratha and Prarthna Naagin 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9SSLQC-DyQ

When you're handling a season for almost a year and a half, it takes a lot for you to indeed be the best enough to do so, and Tejasswi Prakash was definitely that. She anchored the longest running chapter and carried its emotional load across many episodes. Her playing sustained slow burn reveals and late spikes in tension that paid off because she maintained credibility throughout.

The role demanded range from fragile introspection to outright ferocity and she delivered transitions that often landed. Longevity matters here because keeping viewer engagement across a marathon season is a skill as much as a victory.

1. Mouni Roy as Shivanya and Shivangi (Naagin 1 and 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsWh53-Aaa0

The OG will perhaps always be the OG. Mouni Roy set the template. Her original turn married theatrical scale with camera economy giving big moments intimacy. She launched the franchise into mainstream obsession because her performance sold the world. Shivanya and Shivangi carried consequences that felt mythic and Mouni made those stakes immediate and persuasive.

The industry reaction to her seasons changed casting production and promotional choices across subsequent installments. For impact repertoire and franchise defining currency she sits at the top.

And now we wait for Naagin 7, with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary stepping in as the newest serpent queen. She inherits a massive legacy and, knowing the franchise, surprise cameos or returning Naagins from earlier seasons wouldn’t be shocking. What makes Naagin endure isn’t just its fantasy but the actresses who kept reinventing it with new shades of power, love, and vengeance. Every performer added something distinct, turning familiar myths into fresh drama each time.

These rankings reflect impact, not final verdicts. Revisit the seasons with an eye on performance and you’ll see how layered these roles truly were. Whether you agree or not, that ongoing debate keeps Naagin alive- unpredictable, addictive, and ever-transforming.

TL;DR

Naagin is finally back after over two years, with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary leading Naagin 7. From Mouni Roy to Tejasswi Prakash, the franchise has given us eleven Naagins across six seasons, each leaving a different mark. We rank them all- from the least impactful to the most iconic, revealing who truly ruled the supernatural world of television.