HBO's The Wire was a slow burn in every way. It never reached the popularity of other HBO shows at the time, like The Sopranos, but over time, it has become one of the most beloved shows in television history. Like the show's popularity, the storytelling was a slow burn as well, evolving over 60 total episodes to tell one remarkable story about the City of Baltimore and the workers, police, and criminals that call it home.
The Wire's character arcs are likewise patient in their development and with a huge cast, it was very satisfying watching many of them evolve, change, and grow. Here are the 32 characters that appeared the most throughout The Wire's five seasons.
Jimmy McNulty - 60 Episodes
It's no surprise that Jimmy McNulty, played by Dominic West, appeared in all 60 episodes of The Wire. In a show with dozens of characters from all walks of life, the homicide detective is more or less the main character. McNulty is the through-line for the show, creating havoc wherever he goes, but proving in the end he's one of the best "murder police" in the department.
Bill Rawls - 60 Episodes
When the series began, Major William Rawls was the commanding officer of the Baltimore police homicide unit. By the end of the show, he had climbed the ladder to become head of the Maryland State Police. Bill Rawls, played by John Doman, surprisingly appeared in every episode of the show, and there were very few times he was likable. Both are quite the achievement.
Rhonda Pearlman - 60 Episodes
Rhonda Pearlman (Deirdre Lovejoy) was in every episode of The Wire, which is a bit surprising, but she was critical to almost every court case throughout the show. Pearlman served as the Assistant States Attorney for the major case squad on the drug and murder cases and was a love interest for both McNulty and later Cedric Daniels.
Bunk Moreland - 60 Episodes
Detective William "Bunk" Moreland (Wendall Pierce) was a fan favorite and one of the best characters on the show. He was McNulty's original partner in homicide. While he was never officially part of the major case squad headed up by Daniels, he was an important ally of the team and helped with many of the murder investigations. He was also by far the best-dressed character on the show.
Cedric Daniels - 60 Episodes
Lieutenant Cedric Daniels, played by the late, great Lance Reddick, was the head of the first head of the unit responsible for the wiretaps and was known for his loyalty and honesty, despite his sketchy past during the "bad old days." His wife Marla was politically ambitious and that eventually led to their divorce, but he landed on his feet in a relationship with Rhonda. He also appeared in all 60 episodes.
Kima Greggs - 60 Episodes
Sonja Sohn plays Detective Kim Greggs, another fan favorite who makes it all 60 episodes, though that was somewhat in doubt after the Season 1 cliffhanger that almost found Greggs dead from a botched sting operation. In fact, the original plan was for her to be killed, but her character and Sohn's performance were so good, that she stuck around.
Ellis Carver - 60 Episodes
Another original member of the unit, Ellis Carver (Seth Gilliam), appeared in all 60 episodes of The Wire. Originally a member of the drug squad, Carver and his partner Herc were often comic relief on the show. In the early days, Carver, like his partner, was a hot head By the end, he was one of the most respectable and competent officers in the BPD.
Herc Hauk - 60 Episodes
One of the original members of Daniels' team whom he brought over from narcotics was Thomas "Herc" Hauk, played by Domenick Lombardozzi. Herc was the classic hot-head drug cop who eventually got more serious about his job and getting promoted. He worked for a time on the mayor's protection unit before eventually getting fired from the department and going to work for the shady attorney Maurice Levy. He appeared in all 60 episodes.
Lester Freeman - 59 Episodes
"Cool" Lester Freeman (Clarke Peters) is one of the best cops on the force. "Natural police" is how Bunk describes the dollhouse furniture-building detective. Freeman finds a second life in the department when he is re-assigned to Daniels' special case squad in the second episode. His line, "All the pieces matter," became the tagline for the show and Freeman appeared in 59 of the 60 episodes.
Bubbles - 52 Episodes
Everyone's favorite addict Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins (Andre Royo) has one of the best character arcs on The Wire. When audiences first met him, he was as low as an addict could be, living on the streets and barely living at all. By the end, he's cleaned himself up and working his way back into his family's life.
Omar Little - 50 Episodes
Perhaps indicative of how dangerous it is to be a criminal, the legendary Omar Little, played by the late Michael K. Williams, is the criminal who appeared in 50 or more episodes of the show. The gay stick-up man was an incredible part of the show, one who no less than former President Barack Obama called the best character on The Wire.
Roland Pryzbylewski - 50 Episodes
Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost) appeared in 50 Episodes. He was great at putting the pieces together with Lester in the complicated cases, but terrible at everything else as a police officer. Eventually, he found his true calling as a teacher. The role was inspired by co-creator Ed Burns' time as both a cop and a teacher.
Ervin Burrell - 47 Episodes
The great Frankie Faison played Ervin Burrell in 47 episodes of the show, eventually rising to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Operations. He was constantly playing the political game within the department, always reaching for the brass ring, and he was not always successful and was more often a hindrance than not to his subordinates.
Leander Sydnor - 45 Episodes
It's pretty surprising that Detective Leander Sydnor appeared in 45 Episodes, as he always seemed like more of a side character. He was, looking back, almost always around after joining the unit in the second episode. Played by Corey Parker Robinson, Sydnor often had dangerous jobs, like going undercover to make buys.
Jay Landsman - 44 Episodes
Sargeant Jay Landsman (Delaney Williams) was a jerk for virtually all 44 Episodes he appeared in. As Rawls's right-hand man in running the homicide unit, he was often great comic relief. Yeah, he was a jerk, but he was at least funny about it.
Bodie Broadus - 42 Episodes
Preston "Bodie" Broadus, played by J.D. Williams over 42 Episodes is easily one of the most tragic stories on the show. A low-level dealer first in the Barksdale crew then later with Marlo, he is street-smart and likable. He has a complicated relationship with McNulty that eventually gets him killed, breaking the audience's collective heart.
Avon Barksdale - 42 Episodes
Wood Harris plays the diabolical Avon Barksdale, who, along with Stringer Bell, runs the Barksdale drug crew. He is the first target of the wiretap investigation in Season 1 and eventually appears in 42 episodes before landing in prison for good in Season 3. He later appears briefly in Season handing over his connection to "the Greeks" to Marlo.
Stringer Bell - 37 Episodes
Russell "Stringer" Bell (Idris Elba) is one of the best characters on the show. He is Avon's number two and the defacto head of the Barksdale crew after Avon is locked up. He has designs on going legit, but he is killed before he can.
Tommy Carcetti - 35 Episodes
Mayor Tommy Carcetti appears in 35 episodes, despite not being introduced until Season 3 when he was a councilman. Eventually, he becomes mayor of Baltimore, but soon learns the institutional issues that plague the city aren't easily fixed. Carcetti is played by Aidan Gillen, an actor who also appeared in many episodes of Game of Thrones as Littlefinger.
Marlo Stanfield - 32 Episodes
Jamie Hector's Marlo Stanfield first appears in Season 3 of The Wire as the heir to the Barksdale throne. He's a no-nonsense leader of his crew and one of the most ruthless dealers in Baltimore. He also has the rare distinction of getting out of the game before he's killed or arrested. Or does he?
Chris Partlow - 27 Episodes
Chris Partlow (Gbenga Akinnagbe) terrified audiences for 27 Episodes as one of Marlo's main lieutenants and enforcers. He, along with his partner Snoop Pierson, are responsible for dropping more bodies than anyone else on the show. He also shows he has a heart at times, but it's behind a very frightening exterior.
Bunny Colvin - 27 Episodes
Howard "Bunny" Colvin was one of the most pragmatic members of the Baltimore Police Department on the show. That pragmatism led to his eventual downfall after his "Hamsterdam" was discovered and he was fired. In total, Colvin, played by Robert Wisdom, appeared in 27 episodes.
Slim Charles - 26 Episodes
Slim Charles (Anwar Glover) shows over 26 episodes that he is among the most loyal of lieutenants, first for Avon, then later for Prop Joe after the Barksdale crew falls apart. By the end of the show, he's one of the most powerful figures in the drug trade in Baltimore.
Dennis "Cutty" Wise - 26 Episodes
Cutty Wise, played by Chad L. Coleman, is a man who at first doesn't have a place in the world. After he was released from prison in Season 3 he tries to get back into the game but finds he doesn't have the heart for it. Soon he discovers he has a talent for teaching kids boxing and becomes a role model for the kids on the streets.
Maurice Levy - 25 Episodes
Every criminal organization needs a good lawyer with questionable ethics and morality. On The Wire that lawyer is Maurice Levy. Across 25 Episodes he served as a lawyer for both the Barksdale and Stanfield crews, getting them out of tight jams and prison. He was played brilliantly by Michael Kostroff.
Poot Carr - 24 Episodes
Malik "Poot" Carr (Tray Chaney) was, at first, a low-level dealer working in the low-rises with Bodie and D'Angelo Barksdale. It's easy to see throughout the show that his heart was never really in the game. It was gratifying to learn in Season 5 that he found his way out of crime into a legit job at a shoe store.
Clay Davis - 23 Episodes
Corrupt politicians are ubiquitous everywhere and in Baltimore, Maryland, this is personified by Clay Davis (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.). There was no more slimy character on the show than Davis, who appeared in 23 total episodes, taking bribes from anyone willing to give them to him. He also had one of the most iconic catchphrases on The Wire, but we'll avoid writing here in case children are reading.
Snoop Pearson - 23 Episodes
One thing The Wire often did was cast local actors from Baltimore on the show, and the most famous was Felicia Pearson who played a character named after herself, but went mostly by "Snoop." Pearson was an enforcer for Marlo and one of the most ruthless people on the show for the 23 episodes in which she appeared.
Prop Joe - 23 Episodes
Robert F. Chew's performance of "Proposition Joe" Stewart was a fan favorite throughout most of the show. As the leader of the rival gangs of both Avon and Marlo, Prop Joe had his fingers in everything and was the main conduit for all the gangs of the drugs brought into Baltimore by the Greeks.
Norman Wilson - 23 Episodes
Norman Wilson (Reg E. Cathey) showed up in 23 Episodes as Tommy Carcetti's right-hand man first on the campaign trail and later in his administration. A no-nonsense politician who understood Baltimore politics better than anyone. Without Norman, there is no way Tommy gets elected.
Dukie Weems - 23 Episodes
Dukie Weems played by Jermaine Crawford for 23 episodes is one of the kids introduced in Season 4. Dukie comes from a very poor family, even by The Wire standards, but shows promise as a math student. Tragically, he was last seen doing drugs in the final montage of the show, implying he would become the next Bubbles.
Michael Lee - 23 Episodes
Introduced in Season 4 as one of the middle school kids in Baltimore, Michael Lee (Tristan Wilds) evolves over 23 episodes into a cold-blooded killer. At first, it seemed like there would be hope for Michael, but eventually, the system chewed him up and in the final episode's closing montage, he was seen sticking up some dealers and becoming the next Omar.
The Wire has gone down in history as one of the best shows of all time, and certainly one of the best on HBO. Many of these actors, and a few that didn't show up in enough episodes to make this list, have gone on to new heights of fame, like Michael B. Jordan, for example, but they will never be forgotten for the incredible roles they played on the show.
