John Steed

John Steed is a dapper British agent who prefers a bowler hat and a tightly furled umbrella to any obvious weapon. He drives vintage cars, quotes etiquette like scripture, and treats espionage as an extension of good manners. Partnered with formidable, capable women, he investigates the outlandish with unshakeable politeness and a raised eyebrow.

Macnee plays Steed as if Edwardian charm were itself a disguise for real steel, and the joke never curdles into camp because he never winks at it. The show trusts him to be genuinely dangerous underneath the courtesy, and that restraint is what makes his lightness so watchable.