"The Wire" is one of the greatest television drama's in television history. Entertainment Weekly and other respected television outlets have called it the "greatest show of all-time". While it may not be my favorite show of all-time, it is definitely up there with the likes of "Breaking Bad", "The Sopranos", and "Game of Thrones". That's how good it is. I would get into more detail about the show, but something tells me that if you're reading a list of the greatest Wire characters ever....you've probably seen it for yourself. So, without any further adieu....here we go......
50 Best Characters From "The Wire"
Voting Criteria
1: They HAVE to be interesting. This is probably the most important key to any character on television (duh).
2: I have to like them. "The Wire" may be full of characters that you like. But it also features tons of characters that you would like to go through your television screen and punch them in the throat (looking at you William Rawls). You won't see those guys ranked here.
3: This is MY list. If you don't like it, make your own. You know what's great/not-so-great about humans? Everyone has an opinion.
Warning: This list is meant for fans of "The Wire" who have already seen the show, so it's chalk filled with spoilers. If you've never seen the show and have intentions on watching it, DO NOT read this column until you have. I can't express that enough.
50.
Anthony "No Heart" Little
The older brother of Omar Little, Anthony "No Heart" Little is technically never shown on "The Wire", but his story alone makes him worth at least a mention at the fifty spot. The guy got shot in the heart and didn't die people!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!
49.
Sergei Malatov
Sergei wasn't featured on the show much, but he was a pretty big player in season two. He was the enforcer for "The Greek" and he was damn good at his job. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't perfect though as a murder he committed ended up getting caught on tape and now he's serving time in a Baltimore prison. He does gets bonus points for telling off Marlo Stanfield in season five though.
48.
Poot Carr
For the majority of his time on "The Wire", Poot was just a guy who kind of blended into the background. He was obsessed with women, ended up doing a little bit of jail time, but when it was all said and done....he was the only member of the Barksdale gang that was able to escape the game and change his life. That has to be good for something, right?
47.
Beadie Russell
Beadie would probably be ranked higher, but she really only appeared full-time in one season of the show. Her excellent police work in the second season is the reason she finds herself on this list. I kind of wish they would've stuck her in the MCU full-time instead of making her McNulty's new housewife. She had more potential.
46.
Butchie
Butchie was best known for being the blind guy who helped out Omar along the way. He ended up paying the ultimate price for his association with Mr. Little at the end of the day, but we love Butchie for what he did when he was alive. We miss you buddy.
45.
Donut
Who doesn't love Donut? The car-stealing kid from season 4 had little screen time on "The Wire", but when he was on, it was usually because someone's car was getting stolen. The scene where "Przybo" locks his keys in his car at school and Donut comes over and gives him some assistance is gold. Plus, the multiple random shots of Donut just cruising around the city is some of the best humor "The Wire" offers up along the way.
44.
Rhonda Pearlman
Rhonda didn't really bring a lot to the table character-wise, even though she appeared in almost every single episode of the show. The most interesting part about her was her job and the numerous ways she was able to help the MCU and others. She also went from being Jimmy McNulty's side piece to forming arguably the most boring couple on "The Wire" when she started hooking up with Cedric Daniels.
43.
Anton "Stinkum" Artis
"Stinkum" was a big player for the Barksdale gang in season one. He was easily one of my favorite characters from the first season, but his short time on the show definitely affects his ranking here. We should have gotten to see more from this guy, but life in Baltimore can be tough for anyone. Especially someone who just ransacked Omar's home and burnt his van. Can you blame Omar for getting revenge though?
42.
Maurice Levy
The "evil" lawyer that represents the Barksdale gang when they are the kings of Baltimore and then moves on to Marlo's gang when everything goes crashing down on the Barksdale crew. Love him or hate him, Levy is damn good at his job and you have to be one smart son of a bitch to get one over on him. There's a reason he's representing some of the baddest dudes in Baltimore.
41.
Cheese Wagstaff
Cheese is an asshole, let's not let that one slide. He was responsible for the death of his uncle Proposition Joe and he's also constantly running his mouth pissing someone off. However, there's a memorable scene with Cheese that involves a dog that is one of the funniest scenes on the show and that definitely helps his ranking here. He ends up getting his in the end though anyway at the hands of Slim Charles so it all evens itself out. "THAT WAS FOR JOE!"
40.
Namond Brice
Out of all the kids in season four, Namond (the son of Avon Barksdale enforcer Wee-Bey) was the least likable. He was constantly running his mouth like he was some kind of bad-ass, but he was also the first one to run when shit hit the fan. One of his favorite things to do was pick on Dukie, but that stopped once Michael finally had enough and bitch-slapped Namond in one of my favorite scenes on the show. The good news for Namond is, out of all the kids on the show, he probably has the best future ahead of him thanks to Bunny Colvin. Colvin adopted Namond (with Wee-Bey's blessing) and made him focus on his school work instead of life on the street. We saw the results that ended up having when we got a little glimpse of how good Namond was doing in season five.
39.
Ziggy Sobotka
Ziggy never had a chance. He was constantly being dis-respected and nobody ever gave him a shot, not even his own father. He was forced to make things happen for himself, but unfortunately for him....he's just not that smart of a dude. That all comes to a head when Ziggy gets dis-respected by the greeks and he's finally had enough. The picture above tells you everything you need to know about what happens to poor old Ziggy.
38.
The Greek
This man was responsible for the drug trade in Baltimore (and a whole plethora of other bad things). There's not a whole lot that is known about him (he's not even greek for crying out loud), and that's exactly how he wants to keep things. You definitely don't want to cross him though. We saw the results of that.
37.
Jay Landsman
Landsman was the comic relief of the show. The head guy in charge of the homicide unit, Landsman's time was mainly spent ridiculing other detectives and eating. He rarely ever did any work while on the show, but the time he did spend on police work....he was actually pretty good at it. It also helps his ranking that he looks like a fat John Cena.
36.
Thomas "Herc" Hauk
I don't know what it was about "Herc", but I just wasn't the biggest fan of his. Even though at times he did have some good intentions (apologizing to Bodie's grandma when they came bursting into her house for example), most of the time he was doing (or saying) dumb shit that made you shake your head. "Herc" definitely caused more harm than good during his time spent as a cop (he got a promotion because he caught the mayor getting a blow job from someone who wasn't his wife), but that didn't last long. After some bone-head moves in season four, "Herc" ended up losing his badge and working for Maurice Levy. He did help the MCU catch Marlo Stanfield though, even after he lost his stripes.
35.
Spiro Vondas
Much like "The Greek", Spiro was responsible for Baltimore's drug trade and plenty of other bad things. Unlike "The Greek" though, Spiro was the face of the operation and the man you saw when you wanted to get things done. He was also extremely smart and cautious which is why he was never caught. Maybe Avon and Marlo could've learned a thing or two from Spiro and "The Greek"?
34.
Norman Wilson
I wasn't a big fan of the political storylines on "The Wire". I hate politics in real life and I definitely don't want to see them on a television show, but I totally understand why it was needed on a show like this. Thankfully we had Norman Wilson there to make the political scenes a little more tolerable.
33.
Cedric Daniels
This ranking may be a little low for a character who was as important to the show as Cedric Daniels was, but I just never really cared about the guy that much. He had his moments that made you like him, but for the most part....he was just there. He climbed the ranks of the Baltimore police department pretty fast as he moved all the way from Lieutenant to Police Commissioner in no time at all, but that didn't last long as his past (and his unwillingness to juke the stats) came back to bite him in the ass and he was forced to give up his badge for a career as a defense attorney.
32.
Tommy Carcetti
The "narcissistic" Tommy Carcetti had good intentions when he was running for mayor of Baltimore. It seemed like he was really interested in making the city better. That was until he came to the conclusion that that task may be a little more difficult than he thought, and he focused his intentions on running for Governor instead. Once he focused on the Governor's seat, Baltimore kind of took a back seat to him, even though he promised it never would. He did end up winning the Governor's seat though so who knows....maybe Carcetti was actually able to implement some change? I doubt it though. He's probably more interested in running for President now.
31.
Proposition Joe
Proposition Joe was the head guy in charge of the East Baltimore drug dealers at the start of "The Wire". He's also the main man responsible for trying to end the drug wars when he forms the "New Day Co-Op", which is basically a United Nations-type group of all the big-time drug dealers in Baltimore. It works out well, until Marlo comes into power and decides to end the life of the man who once mentored him with the help of Joe's own nephew, Cheese. Joe definitely deserved to go out better than that.
30.
Nick Sobotka
Nick Sobotka was a man without a country. The only life he's ever known was working down at the docks, but with the economy in horrible shape and with him so far down on the ladder that he wasn't getting enough work...he was forced to turn to crime to support his family. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work out well. Yes, he got out alive and free in the end (which is more than you can say for his uncle or cousin), but was it all worth it for Nicky? He ended up in the Witness Protection Program, but that didn't last as was evident from his cameo in season five. Frank Sobotka is dead. Ziggy Sobotka is in jail. But Nick Sobotka may be the worst off as he's got nowhere to go and a family to take with him.
29.
Clay Davis
The corrupt State Senator who was arguably the biggest con artist on the show. The guy was constantly ripping people off in an attempt to make himself even richer. He didn't have a lot of qualities that made you like him....outside of his awesome catch phrase that actually was under-utilized in my opinion.
28.
Roland Pryzbylewski
The "stupidest" smartest guy on the show. Roland Pryzbylewski (otherwise known as "Pryzbo") started out as a cop and quickly found out that wasn't the life for him. He blinded a fourteen year-old with the butt of his gun just because the "shit bird" was resting on his car. Then he goes ahead and shoots a "suspect" during a foot chase who actually turns out to be another undercover cop. Things get better for "Pryzbo" though once he decides to become a teacher instead of a cop. He's much more book smart than street smart and that shows when he starts making a real connection with some of the kids he's teaching in Baltimore.
27.
Kennard
Kennard was one of my personal favorites on the show. He was a foul-mouthed little 10-year old who thought he was the shit. How can you not love that? He's also had a rough life already considering he's a 10-year old drug dealer who is ripping his friends off, getting beat up, lighting cats on fire, and shooting Omar in the head in one of the most shocking scenes on the show. I can only imagine that when he's older, he'll be a more ruthless version of Marlo Stanfield. Go ahead and imagine that....
26.
Bodie Broadus
I wasn't a big fan of Bodie's to begin with. I didn't like the fact that he was able to kill Wallace so easily considering Wallace was such a good dude. However, Bodie begins to grow on you as the series goes on and you actually feel bad for him once he meets his doom. The guy had a lot of pride and never really showed any kind of fear. It's just too bad he was killed right before it seemed like he might have been interested in potentially turning his life around.
25.
Dennis "Cutty" Wise
Cutty's story was an interesting one at first. He went to prison years ago for killing a guy in cold blood and served his time. He was released from prison and had no idea how to live life outside of jail anymore. He quickly learned that life outside of prison is hard for someone trying to go straight and starts to revert back to his old roots with the Barksdale gang. Fortunately for Cutty (and Fruit....), he quickly sees the error of his ways and finally hits the straight and narrow path when he decides to open up a boxing gym and help give the local kids somewhere to hang out that's not a drug corner.
24.
Frank Sobotka
Frank Sobotka was one of the main characters of season two of "The Wire". He was a guy who cheated, lied, and broke the law, but he did it all with good intentions. He really was interested in helping his fellow stevedores and would do whatever it takes to make sure their industry didn't continue to die a slow death. He ended up paying the ultimate price in the end in a scene that was incredibly hard to watch. Watching Frank walk towards "The Greek" knowing that he was likely walking towards his death was uncomfortable, but that's only because you learned to respect and appreciate what Sobotka was trying to do for everyone he loved.
23.
Augustus Haynes
The "newspaper" storyline in season five wasn't exactly my favorite one. It was extremely rushed due to the season being only 10-episodes long, and I just didn't really feel like the story fit in with everything else on the show. However, if there was a silver lining to it, it was the character of Augustus Haynes. The guy who was hell bent on making "The Baltimore Sun" a legit paper and wasn't interested in fabricating stories to get people to buy papers. You have to admire someone who wants to give the general public the truth instead of trying to install fear into people all for the mighty dollar.
22.
Ellis Carver
Ellis Carver went from being a disrespected police officer in season one to the next Cedric Daniels by the time the series ended. It wasn't always easy for Carver, but he's one of the few in the series who came out pretty much unscathed and ahead when it was all said and done. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
21.
Randy Wagstaff
When we first met Randy, his smile could lighten up a room. He was a bright young kid who made a few extra bucks selling candy at school and seemed to be on a good path. Unfortunately he didn't have the best judgement and kept making stupid little mistakes that ended in big time punishments. Those mistakes eventually led to his adopted mom getting horribly burned and Randy ending back up in the "system" where that smiling kid disappeared and was replaced by a bullying angry young man. The story of Randy Wagstaff is one of the hardest ones to watch on "The Wire" and the scene where Carver is walking away from him can be tough to watch, especially when you know what ends up happening to Randy.
20.
Dukie Weems
Poor Dukie. The kid never had a chance. In season four, he was one of the smartest kids (if not, the smartest) in "Pryzbo's" class and we all thought the sky could potentially be the limit for the youngster. Well, we were wrong. Once he was forced to go up a grade and removed from his friends, he started to lose his way. He quit school and tried getting a job, but he was just too young to work anywhere and ended up in a bad way. He was actually OK, until the shit hit the fan with Michael and the two friends were forced to go their separate ways. That's when we all saw Dukie heading down the same path that has tormented his family for years. The image of Dukie shooting up at the end of the series was absolutely heartbreaking to watch.
19.
Wallace
Wallace is a personal favorite of mine because he was really the first kid we connected with in "The Wire" world who's story was absolutely tragic. He was a kid who was forced into the drug game in order to make money to help support other local neighborhood kids. He was way too young and smart to be placed into that kind of role, but that's just how it is I suppose. He tried to make an effort to get his life changed around after witnessing a horrible murder at the hands of the Barksdale crew and that ended up coming back to haunt him as he was murdered at the hands of two of his best friends. WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST STAY AWAY WALLACE?!?!?!
18.
Slim Charles
Slim Charles was an extremely under-utilized character on "The Wire". He went from being one of the top dog's in the Barksdale crew to being a top dog working under Proposition Joe once the Barksdale crew went under. That's some incredible staying power for a guy who never really got the attention he deserved. Thankfully the writers of the show let him go out with a bang with one of the coolest scenes on the show, as shown below.....
17.
Kima Greggs
My relationship with Kima was hot and cold during the show. Yes, she's one of the real good guys on the show. She's one of the few cops who tries to do everything by the book, but much like all the other detectives, her personal life was a mess. Her job ended up destroying her relationship with her girlfriend after they decided to have a baby together as Kima became a deadbeat mom. Thankfully she ended up realizing the errors of her ways and tried mending the relationship with her son at the end of the series. Kima was always good people, she just made a few mistakes along the way.
16.
D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo Barksdale is the one member of the Barksdale family that you can connect with. He's a good dude who is stuck in a bad game. He's one of the main characters of the show in season one and you can tell from the moment you meet him that he really wants to be out of the game. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out for him in the end. He ends up getting busted by the police and his mother ends up talking him out of taking a deal that would've cut down on his jail time and instead pretty much forces him into doing 20+ years in prison to "help" her out. That results in D'Angelo getting murdered in prison after a call made by Stringer Bell. Drug dealers aren't supposed to be good people, but D'Angelo Barksdale was. The "WHERE'S WALLACE" scene between him and Stringer is easily one of the best in the entire series and frankly....I don't know how this guy didn't win an Emmy.
15.
Snoop Pearson
Snoop is another personal favorite of mine. She's easily the baddest female on the show and will kill anyone who steps in her way. And yes, your hair looks good girl.
14.
Chris Partlow
Chris Partlow was Marlo Stanfield's crew's "enforcer". If you were a drug dealer in Baltimore and you were looking to keep your crown, you needed a guy who would kill anyone you asked and that's exactly what the "enforcer" is. I never actually kept track, but I imagine Chris's body count was probably the highest on the show. Even though he was a ruthless killer, he still had his good sides. The killing of the child molester at the hands of Chris was one of the most brutal scenes during the entire series and that's saying something. In the end, Chris ended up serving life in prison and there was an awesome shot of him and Wee-Bey (the Barksdale crew's enforcer) hanging together in prison, both serving life sentences.
13.
Leandor Sydnor
Sydnor is one of the "true" police on the show. He's a good dude who tries to do everything by the book and by the end of the show, he's one of the best detectives around. He ends up taking Jimmy McNulty's place as the Baltimore detective who is "stirring things up" and something tells me that McNulty is perfectly happy with his replacement.
12.
Bunny Colvin
Bunny Colvin. Good dude. Bad ideas. When we first meet Bunny Colvin in season three, we find out that he's got a good heart and he's really interested in making some changes in his city. Unfortunately, those changes aren't exactly the greatest ideas in the world. After Bunny incorporates "Hamsterdam" into Baltimore (a designated area where drugs are legal), it seems like a great idea at first, but as soon as it gets kicked off...you can see the problems that it's going to cause and man...does it ever cause some big-time problems? After getting kicked off the force, Bunny focuses his attention on the Baltimore public schools and once again, tries to make a change for the better with a class that's designated for "street kids" which works out great, except the "big wigs" in the school system are more concerned with test scores than what the kids are actually learning so it ends up flopping like his other ideas. In the end though, Bunny adopts Namond Brice and when we see them in season five, it appears they are doing tremendously well so don't feel sorry for ol' Bunny. He's doing just fine.
11.
Wee-Bey Brice
The Barksdale's crew's "enforcer". Wee-Bey is a ruthless individual in season one who will kill anyone who even breathes in Avon Barksdale's direction. After he gets imprisoned with multiple bodies under his belt and a life sentence to boot, Wee-Bey becomes even more likable. We meet Wee-Bey's son Namond in season four and just when it looks like he's headed down the same path that Wee-Bey is, Wee-Bey kind of saves the boy by telling his mother to leave him alone and let Bunny Colvin take care of him. That ends up being the best decision Wee-Bey ever made and you can tell he really cares for his son.
10.
Brother Mouzone
Don't be fooled by this guy's appearance. Brother Mouzone may look like a guy who belongs more on the "Big Bang Theory" than he does on "The Wire", but that's exactly what he wants you to think. He's easily one of the most dangerous characters on the show. When Avon Barksdale gets locked up and the East side Baltimore drug dealers start overstepping their boundaries, Avon calls up Mouzone from New York to come down and scare them away.....and it works. The only person who has no fear of Mouzone (besides Omar of course) is Stringer Bell as Bell makes it his mission to try and end Mouzone's life....but that comes back to bite him in the ass in the worst kind of way. Mouzone was a character who was "larger than life" for a show like "The Wire". He wasn't featured a lot, but that kind of added to his character appeal.
9.
Marlo Stanfield
Marlo Stanfield is one of the most ruthless individuals on the show, and that's saying a lot. We first meet Marlo in season three and we aren't really sure what to make of him. He seems like a quiet, under-the-radar, type dude who's interested in taking Avon Barksdale's crown as the "king" of the Westside drug dealers. We quickly find out though that that's not the case. Marlo wants a war and he gets one. He quickly takes out the Barksdale crew and becomes "king" of the West Side, but that's not enough for him. He wants the entire town and he will drop anyone who crosses him or anyone he doesn't need anymore. And he better not even see you talking to the police other wise there's a good chance you're going to become a "cadaverous mother fucker". Is Marlo the ruthless guy on the show? I'm going with "yes".
8.
Bubbles
As far as the city of Baltimore is concerned, they don't make them any nicer than "Bubbles". The story of "Bubbles" is a sad, but true one. A good guy at heart who's caught up in drugs because it's his only escape from this world that has constantly wronged him. You can tell from the moment you meet "Bubbles" though that he wants out of this world. It's a world that he's not comfortable in and it's destroyed everything he's ever known and loved (even his relationship with his sister, the only person he has left). It's a struggle for him to get clean though. He has to make some unfortunate mistakes along the way and loses a lot of people he cares for, but eventually, "Bubbles" sees the light and becomes clean. His story is really one of the good ones on "The Wire" and if anyone deserved to go out good.....it's "Bubs".
7.
Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland is (as he would say) "natural police". He's one of the only detectives on the show who actually tries to do things by the book (as much as he can anyway...) and he actually cares for his city. He's interested in changing things for the better, but he also knows he's fighting a war that he can't win. He's one of the few characters on the show that you actually would love to go and get a drink with (unless you're a lady who plans on bringing him home for some action, than it's a totally different story).
6.
Avon Barksdale
When we first meet Avon Barskdale, the guy is a mystery. He's apparently lived his whole life under the radar and now he's the king of the West side Baltimore drug trade and the cops have no idea who he is or what he even looks like. That all changes quickly though. Avon becomes the first target of the MCU and even though he's a smart and cautious kingpin, he's still not smart enough to keep the Baltimore police off of his tail for long. He ends up getting caught in the end and serving a big-time jail sentence, but he still remains one of the most charismatic characters on the show. Whenever Avon Barksdale is on the screen, it feels like a special moment and that's because Wood Harris absolutely killed it with his performance. Truly one of the most alluring characters in television history.
5.
Michael Lee
I have a soft spot for Michael Lee. The quiet, reserved, kid who has a special aura about him that is quickly picked up on by Marlo Stanfield and his crew. When we first meet Michael, he's a young boy who just wants to be a kid. When we last see Michael, he's replaced Omar as the new "bad ass" on the streets of Baltimore. There's so much that goes on in this kid's life on the show that it would take me all day to write about it here. From being molested by his mom's boyfriend to being the new "Omar", Michael's story is one of the most interesting ones on "The Wire". If we ever go back to Baltimore for a "Wire" special (WHY THE HELL NOT HBO?), we need to find out what has happened to Michael. Something tells me that people aren't exactly that friendly anymore to him.....
4.
Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty is arguably the "main character" of "The Wire". The show spends a lot of time on what McNulty is trying to accomplish (apart from season four of course) and the ups & downs of his crazy life. He's one of the best detectives (if not THE best) on the show and is probably the smartest guy on the show (except for Lester Freamon of course) when he wants to be. He's the main reason that the Baltimore police department is even aware of Avon Barksdale and his crew and he makes it his mission from day one to take them out. Even though McNulty makes a lot of mistakes and does some things that have you scratching your head, you can't help but like the guy because you know he means well. Just keep him away from the Jameson.
3.
Lester Freamon
When we first meet Lester, we don't think much of him. He's a quiet police man who spends the majority of his time building furniture for doll houses (thrilling...I know). Little did we know that deep down inside, Lester Freamon is the smartest and best cop on the show (sorry McNulty). He solves cases that few others could and does it in a way that really makes you appreciate what he does. The scene in season four at the vacant houses when he finally puts it all together is one of my personal favorite scenes from the show. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Lester Freamon and no one else in Baltimore has an alarm clock that wakes them up that early.
2.
Omar Little
Omar Little needs no description. If you've never heard of one of the greatest television characters of all-time, than you'd better ask someone. Oh, indeed.
1.
Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell is my #1 character from "The Wire". He's just the most interesting character in my opinion. He's a drug dealer who is also smart enough to be a competent business man, and he tries to be. Plus, Idris Elba absolutely kills it in this role. Whenever he's on screen, he feels like the most important person on the show. When he finally meets his fate in season three (in probably the coolest death on the show), you get this eerie feeling like the show is supposed to end, yet it goes on. The only reason you get that feeling is because it really does feel like Stringer is super important to everything and once he goes away, everyone should because that's the end. That's not the case though. If I had to change one thing about the show, it would be the killing of Stringer in season three. Yes, it was a fantastic scene, but I thought Stringer added so much to the show that I think there was still some unfinished business with his character that they pulled the trigger a little too early on him. Oh well....that's life in Baltimore, right?
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