Ranking The Rookie’s Coolest Characters: Who’s the Best?
It’s no secret that The Rookie has some pretty badass characters, but who is the most badass out of the bunch?
To many, it may be up for debate.
But we have our own thought process on how we’d rank these The Rookie fan favorites when it comes to badassery.
Whether it’s mental fortitude, fearlessness, a knack for taking bad guys down or out, or attitude, there can only be one right answer, as far as we’re concerned, regarding the most badass of the bunch.
But that doesn’t make getting to that top answer any easier.
Let’s get into it, and make sure you tell us below if you agree!
13. Quigley Smitty
Smitty is notoriously an underachiever on the series, and he’s known for his comic relief.
He’s the least active of the bunch and primarily clocks in for his paycheck with little else.
However, Smitty has seen some action over the past few seasons, and when he’s forced — and we mean really forced — to rise to the occasion, do his job, and have the backs of those around him, he does it without incident.
Smitty is badass when he absolutely has to be, which is why we rarely see that side of him in action, but it’s worthwhile when we do.
12. James Murray
James’ biggest disadvantage is that he is not a cop or a first responder.
He doesn’t have to be much of a badass when he’s associated with many people capable of holding that title.
He’s also married to Nyla, so that’s enough said.
James typically serves as Nyla’s calm balance, but he has landed in some action-packed situations on his own, and he proves that he can carry himself from the sidelines if a situation calls for it.
11. Luna Grey
For a recurring character, Luna Grey is pretty damn badass.
She has the quiet strength and grounding force that pairs well with Wade, making her one of the most endearing spouses of a cop, circumventing that tired trope of a nagging wife who doesn’t get the job.
Luna never shies away from danger or trouble when he harkens her doorway; she’ll even take the initiative to address dangerous situations head-on.
She had no qualms about confronting the CBD oil suppliers along with Nolan and Grey in The Rookie Season 3 Episode 4.
She was by Wade’s side during the “Takeback,” where the pair discovered that someone had abducted their daughter, and they went after the perpetrators on their own.
She’s also seen plenty of action working at the hospital, which constantly seems under threat of all sorts of dramatic and dangerous ordeals, from escaped convicts to hostage takeovers.
10. Aaron Thorsen
Thorsen has one hell of a background story and has overcome a lot since then.
He blossomed into becoming a strong rookie, and his thirst for knowledge when it came to working with training officers and superiors is always notable.
Despite some harrowing situations he’s experienced firsthand, he’s not a character one ascribes “badass” too freely.
He does well enough as a cop who took a bullet and had to fight for his life, and he’s a great partner for those in the field when shit gets real.
However, Thorsen doesn’t see much action often and rarely takes the point or lead in badass moments. He’s too endearing and nice, and he’s another character utilized for comedic quips and supporting roles for others.
Thorsen is too understated to be a real badass character.
9. Wesley Evers
Wesley does well for himself when you consider he’s a lawyer in this series and not a cop.
But Wesley has seen a lot of action and been near the center of some of the series’ biggest storylines, like his involvement with The Rookie’s compelling villain, Elijah Stone.
His work with Eli was harrowing and stressful, but it was also entertaining, as it led to bigger and more compelling arcs for Wesley and his family.
But Wesley’s strategic mind, ability to be cunning and manipulative against bad guys, and his near-constant state of being in danger but shirking it at every turn make him one of The Rookie’s most understated characters.
Wesley is peak badass when doing whatever it takes to protect his family, and he’s been in that position frequently.
8. Sergeant Wade Grey
You don’t get to be a sergeant at Mid-Wilshire without being a certified badass.
We already know Grey is about his business, and he knows how to lead the charge when it comes to his officers, whom he considers his family and friends.
Some of the best displays of Grey’s badassery come when there’s an all-hands-on-deck situation, like that pulse-pounding The Rookie Season 5 finale.
And we already see what he’s capable of when he has moments to shine, like the absolutely endearing The Rookie Season 5 Episode 9, which found Grey and his wife Luna on a badass adventure when they visited their daughter in NYC.
The only reason Grey doesn’t climb up the ranks on this list is that, as a sergeant, he doesn’t get to see nearly as much action as the other characters.
He typically has to be chained to a desk or somewhere, barking out orders and assignments.
7. Bailey Nune
It’s a running joke that Bailey is absurdly badass, or at least that’s what the series tries to sell us.
She’s The Rookie Barbie; there’s not a single job description she doesn’t somehow hold or very little that she can’t do.
And they’ve given her plenty of opportunities to showcase her skill set.
Whether she’s running into burning buildings, joining in on stakeouts, fighting off Russian spies, thwarting abductions, or confronting her abusive ex, the series is riddled with Badass Bailey moments.
With The Rookie Season 4 Episode 22, we saw her taking on countless criminals at the border when she accompanied Nolan to a stint in the desert.
While The Rookie Season 6 Episode 3 saw the two deeply embroiled in some shenanigans and held captive on their honeymoon.
The series created Bailey to serve as one of the series’ most badass characters, but they forced it so much that it doesn’t always feel authentic.
6. Celina Juarez
Celina is one of the more bubbly and quirkiest characters, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a force when it calls for it.
She has incredibly great instincts, which contribute to her being a great officer, even if she sometimes goes awry under Nolan’s tutelage.
She’s mostly a good read of people, her assessment of them coming in clutch on many occasions and helming off bigger threats and catastrophes as a result.
Celina experienced many harrowing dangers and drama, thwarting explosions, surviving attacks with Thorsen in The Rookie Season 5 Episode 22, and closing her sister’s case.
Celina is also actively on the ground and provides backup for many hair-raising action moments with Nolan, Lucy, Angela, Nyla, and Bradford.
5. Tim Bradford
Yes, this may be controversial, not because it’s unbelievable that Lucy Chen is more badass than Tim (even though he wouldn’t argue that), but because he falls short of Nolan.
However, hear us out. It’s not that Bradford is less badass than Nolan; it’s more that he suffers the consequences of not being the lead, and we don’t get to see all of his badass moments as much as Nolan.
Seriously, Tim Bradford is a badass.
He’s the certifiable G.I. Joe of The Rookie; he’s built for badassery and, when we see it, he executes it well.
While we know what he’s capable of, given his extensive military experience, which included leading a platoon, surviving an abusive household, and joining Metro, he also doesn’t feel as inclined to peacock.
Bradford doesn’t have to be the biggest badass in the room, which is part of his many charms.
If badassery is a numbers game based on what we see, Nolan outranks him in frequency but not in capabilities and charm.
4. John Nolan
Is John Nolan The Rookie’s lead? Yes.
Does that automatically make him the most badass character of the series? Absolutely not.
But make no mistake, John Nolan is pretty damn badass in his own right.
The Rookie never shortchanges us on badass Nolan moments; we have them in heaps, and the man stays in trouble when he isn’t actively pursuing it himself.
Some of The Rookie’s most badass scenes have involved Nolan playing a hero.
Quick for a harrowing rescue of a civilian or one of his own, he is equally as quick when it comes to pulling out his gun and firing without blinking.
3. Lucy Chen
No one has had the type of arc that Lucy Chen has.
Over time, she’s become slightly more jaded, less like the enthusiastic, pure-hearted, and ambitious rookie we first met in the pilot.
But she’s become one of the series’ most badass characters.
There’s nothing Lucy can’t face down or do, and The Rookie has challenged that often and pushed her to the absolute limits.
Her survival skills were on full display during the heart-aching The Rookie Season 2 Episode 11, and how she overcame that traumatic experience to hone her skills and become a better cop proves she’s more than earned her bones and this title.
2. Nyla Harper
A piece of weaponry or a bad guy HATES to see Nyla Harper coming!
She’s effortlessly one of the most badass characters currently on television, and few come close to her in that regard.
1. Angela Lopez
Angela Lopez is the single most badass character on The Rookie, and it’s not even up for debate.
Plus, she’d totally kick our collective asses if we implied otherwise.
Detective, mom, wife, best friend, sister — there isn’t a single role Angela Lopez possesses that she doesn’t completely own the hell out of, and not only is that impressive, but it’s, yeah, you know where we’re headed with that.
