Best Characters from ‘The Wire’

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Omar This is an easy one. He is most people's favorite character, and for good reason. Omar is an urban Robin Hood who takes from the bad (i.e. drug dealers) to give to the poor. He commands respect from all yet still manages to be lovable in a dangerous, gangster kind of way. (AP Photo)
Jimmy McNulty A smart, alcoholic tough guy cop who was weirdly charismatic despite being a terrible husband and father. He represented the tortured soul of Baltimore, and we loved him for it. (AP Photo)
Stringer Bell Ever the business man, Stringer Bell was always calm and collected even at his death. Too bad he couldn't stop making shady deals -- Stringer Bell could have been on helluva CEO. (YouTube)
D'Angelo Barksdale Poor D'Angelo didn't make it very far into the series, but he was a huge presence in the beginning. He's a kind of big brother to younger, less experienced drug dealers, and helps them learn the ropes in "the pit." He seems like a nice guy deep down who has been pushed to the extremes by his unfortunate surroundings. (YouTube)
Lester Freamon Methodical and patient, Lester Freamon is pretty much the opposite of Jimmy McNulty. He provides logic and reason to the team, and serves as a kind of wise owl. (YouTube)
Tommy Carcetti He starts as a good guy with the best intentions as a go-getter councilman, rises to the mayor's seat and then comes to understand that sometimes you have to play hardball to get things done in Baltimore. We watch his moral compass eventually fall apart in the end. Talk about a fun, if cynical, character arch! (YouTube)
Bubbles You couldn't help but feel sorry for Bubbles and his troubles. He was endearing and heartfelt. Often, I just wanted to give the guy a hug. Seeing him in rehab was a highlight of the series. (YouTube)
Ellis Carver And speaking of good character archs, Carver sure does grow up throughout the series. He starts as a wide-eyed rookie and becomes a thoughtful policeman. Bravo!(YouTube)
Kima Greggs Kima Greggs was one of the few female main characters in the entire show. She was tough, and didn't mind calling out McNulty when he deserved it. (YouTube)
Ziggy "He provides much needed comic relief in an otherwise dark show. Of course, he had a tragic ending," says one WTOP staffer.
(1/11)
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