15. Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillan)
Carcetti is a key figure in the show’s final three series, as he rises from the city council to become the city’s mayor. He constantly swings between serving his own self-interest and (apparently) genuinely trying to change the city for the better. Carcetti is both ruthlessly ambitious yet idealistic and the audience is never truly sure for most of his time on screen whether he truly serves himself or the city of Baltimore. However, by Season 5 it is clear that Carcetti is ultimately willing to sacrifice the good of the city for his own long-term political ambitions. The ‘new day’ he repeatedly promises in his election campaign never comes to fruition.
14. Wallace (Michael B. Jordan)
The 14 year-old Wallace works under D’Angelo in the low rises as a drug dealer. Despite the poverty of his surroundings and hard life he is a relative innocent- at one point found playing with toys when he should have been on lookout duty. He is badly hit when he is partly involved in the death of Brandon- whose mutilated body is left rotting outside Wallace’s home (by coincidence) by the Barksdale crew.
13. Bunny Colvin (Robert Wisdom)
A Baltimore police major close to retirement, Colvin becomes disillusioned with the futility of the war on drugs. Knowing that he can effectively do what he wants now his career is coming to to an end, Colvin sets up a secret drug ‘free zone’ where dealers can work without fear of arrest. The aim of this is to clear the corners of drugs and the scheme is highly successful but is brought to a close by political pressure.
Colvin is perhaps the closest thing to a purely heroic figure. Throughout the show he strives to do the right thing and is a greatly influential figure in several other characters lives- from Dectective Carver to street-kid Naimond. But his good intentions are constantly underminded by the political and social systems in which he is forced to operate.
12. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick)
Daniels is one of the few career-driven characters in the show who is willing to sacrifice his ambition to do the right thing. He begins Season One as the man in charge of the Barksdale investigation, initially keen to do Commissioner Burrell’s bidding and make a quick, simple case that generates good headlines for a minimum of fuss. But as he gets drawn deeper into the case Daniels stands by his officers work at the cost of a promised promotion.
Daniels career ambitions resurface once again after Season Three as he impresses Tommy Carcetti with his candour about the state of the BPD when the two men meet. He rises quickly through the ranks while remaining determined to be good at policework rather than police politics.
11. Frank Sobotka (Chris Bauer)
Sobotka is one of the most tragic figures in the show. The gruff docks union leader is trapped in a mire of corruption as he attempts to influence local politicians in order to keep the dying docks alive. He is trapped in a life he has had no real choice over and his attempts to do the right thing by his stevedores as well as his feckless son Ziggy are doomed to failure.
I’d have definitely put Frank higher, but havent seen the rest of the list yet, so cant argue yet.
id have put dangelo higher than any of these great characters, well maybe not above frank