TV shows with large ensembles are usually a fan favorite because there is always one or more characters the viewers can relate to. Characters they love, care for and learn from. This inevitably leads to fans creating their own lists of which characters are best and which ones don’t deserve even a bit of screen time. This happened with Criminal Minds, a show that gave the audience a long list of agents and guest stars to love or hate.

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The crime show gave viewers a bit of everything: characters who fell in love, characters who became parents, characters who had issues with their parents, and characters who died. Each one of them found its place in the BAU and the audience’s hearts. Some of them will even return for the Paramount+ revival.

Luke Alvez

Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Adam Rodriguez was no stranger to crime shows when he joined Criminal Minds after having been part of CSI: Miami as Eric Delko. This helped him get acclimated pretty easily to the show’s rhythm, finding a special place in the fandom’s heart.

His character brought much joy to the screen during his interactions with Garcia as he teased her and flirted with her. Although he joined after Morgan, and it seemed like his relationship with Penelope would be similar, he asks her out during the series finale, leaving the door open for romance during the revival.

Tara Lewis

Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Aisha Tyler did what not many are able to do when they joined a show on its eleventh season: made fans love her as much as the original team. Although she didn’t become the main character until Season 12, Tara Lewis proved from the very beginning that she was there to stay and that her talent, experience, and knowledge deserved a place in the BAU.

Like most agents on the show, she witnesses tragedy and experiences it in her personal life, but never gives up. She brought a freshness to the show that everyone was thankful for, and she stayed until the series finale.

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Jason Gideon

Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) felt like the founder of the show as he was the boss in Season 1. However, he departed the show during Season 3 as he is looking for what he believed in during college and for a happy ending. His exit was extremely hard on Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) who saw Gideon as a father figure.

Throughout the seasons after his last episode, he is constantly mentioned by the team for his legacy and everything he did while he was part of the BAU. In Season 10, he is found murdered, and the team has to investigate his death, bringing back memories and emotions.

Derek Morgan

Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Derek Morgan was everyone’s favorite muscle, tough yet caring character for eleven seasons. Although he came back for a few episodes until the series finale, nothing compares to his regular status and his amazing scenes with Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness).

Morgan’s background was explored during the eleven seasons he was a part of the show, making fans love him for who he was and the challenges he had overcome. His relationship with Garcia, their friendship and comradery, is one of the reasons why everyone missed him so much when he was gone.

Aaron Hotchner

Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

For over a decade, Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) was Unit Chief, also adding Media Liaison Officer to his title after JJ’s promotion. Throughout those years, he took care of the team like he took care of his family, making sure they were okay and no one was able to separate them.

Hotchner became a fan favorite for his behavior as chief, talent, and his love for his family. Sadly, his wife died at the hands of an unsub. This led to their son being an integral part of the show, allowing viewers to learn more about Hotch’s personal life.

Jennifer Jareau

Jennifer Jareau (A. J. Cook) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Jennifer Jareau (A. J. Cook) started out in the BAU as a Media Liaison Officer until Season 7 when she is promoted to SSA. From the very beginning, fans loved JJ’s passion for her job and her desire to keep growing in order to help the team on their cases. Her expertise, past, and personal life made her a well-rounded character that everyone loved to watch.

JJ is one of the characters who showed her personal life the most. Viewers got to see her falling in love, getting married, becoming a mom, and dealing with the pressure of a stressful job. She stayed until the very end, making the show feel like home.

Spencer Reid

Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Spencer Reid is everyone’s favorite Doctor who can read a book in less time than it takes most people to open the book. From the beginning, he was a fan-favorite character because he felt extremely real. He was beyond smart, but relatable because he was dealing with issues members of the audience could understand.

Throughout the fifteen seasons, he is seen as a caring, loving agent who gave his all to his mother, his team members, and the cases. He was passionate about what he did, and, although he had gone through tragedy, he never gave up on doing the right thing.

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Emily Prentiss

Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

Paget Brewster, who will return for the Paramount+ revival, brought Emily Prentiss to life for several seasons in which fans had to mourn her, bring her back to life, watch her leave for London, and return to become Unit Chief. Every position she occupied, she did with dignity and grace, making her a fan-favorite character.

Each character brings something special to the show, and Prentiss did so by being the BAU’s mother. She always stood up for her team, made sure everyone was okay, and fought to keep everyone together despite the many challenges. Her return for the revival is a huge deal for the fans.

David Rossi

David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) on 'Criminal Minds.'
Image via CBS

If Paget Brewster played the mom of the BAU, Joe Mantegna (who directed episodes each season) played the father: David Rossi. He joined during Season 3 after Gideon’s exit and became everyone’s favorite Italian author with multiple ex-wives.

Rossi made the BAU his family, cooking for them and hosting several important events at his house. Throughout the seasons, fans get to learn about his past, his marriages, and his daughter. He was always an important support for the team and a father figure to most of them.

Penelope Garcia

Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) on 'Criminal Minds.'

Penelope Garcia was without a doubt the heart and soul of Criminal Minds for fifteen seasons. In her room with her uncountable screens, she brought a joy to the team that was lacking on their trips around the country to solve cases. A joy that Morgan reminds her to keep when she joins them on the field and is overwhelmed by the trauma surrounding them.

Garcia was a Technical Analyst and Media Liaison Officer until her exit from the BAU during the final season of the show. Through the years, she was the only character to be a part of all three of the franchise shows — the original one, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders — which goes to show how loved her character was.

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