Joe Goldberg

Joe Goldberg
Joe Goldberg
You character
	Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg
First appearance	Novel:; You (2014); Television:; "Pilot" (September 9, 2018);
Last appearance	Novel:; For You and Only You (2023); Television:; "Finale" (April 24, 2025);
Created by	Caroline Kepnes
Portrayed by	Penn Badgley; Ed Speleers (season 4); Gianni Ciardiello (teenager); Aidan Wallace (child); Jack Fisher (child);
In-universe information
Full name	Joseph Gabriel Passero (birth name); Joseph Gabriel Goldberg (legal name)
Alias	Jeff Pevensey; Nathan Herzog; Spencer Hewitt; Paul Brown; Dan Fox; Will Bettelheim; Nick Trespidi; Jay; Jonathan Moore; Ezra
Occupation	Former bookstore manager; Former bookstore clerk; Former librarian; Former literature professor; Philanthropist; Bookstore owner
Family	Raphael Passero (biological father); Sandy Goldberg (biological mother); Ivan Mooney (adoptive father); Jacob Goldberg (biological half-brother)
Spouse	Love Quinn (first wife); Kate Lockwood (second wife)
Significant others	Candace Stone (1st); Guinevere Beck (2nd); Marienne Bellamy (4th); Louise Flannery (6th);
Children	Henry Goldberg (son)
Religion	Atheism
Origin	Jewish-Italian
Nationality	American

Joseph Gabriel Goldberg is the villain protagonist of You, a series of thriller novels by Caroline Kepnes. In the television adaptation of the same name, he is portrayed by Penn Badgley.

Joe is a serial killer from New York who develops extreme obsessions with various women that he dates, leading him to stalk and invade their private lives. As the series progresses, he travels to Los Angeles, California and London, England, assuming new identities to hide from law enforcement. Despite attempts to suppress his psychopathic tendencies, his relationships continue to culminate in murder, and he habitually kills those who pose a threat to himself and the people close to him.

Badgley's portrayal of Joe has garnered critical acclaim. Praise has been directed towards his ability to portray Joe as both sympathetic and charismatic in contrast to the character's otherwise sinister and violent tendencies. For his portrayal, Badgley was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Streaming Television Series at the 45th Saturn Awards.