5. Wallace Boden
Chief Wallace Boden (Walker) is a natural-born leader. He commands the love and respect of the firefighters under him in Firehouse 51 through his kindness and understanding, but he’s also not afraid to make tough calls or be the bad guy when it’s what’s required of him. Finding that perfect balance might be hard for most people, but Chief Boden has mastered it during his long tenure as a first responder.
Boden’s decision-making can at times get him in trouble, though he will hold firm to his beliefs. In Season 1, Episode 4 (“One Minute”), Boden is criticized after he makes the call to leave a civilian behind in a warehouse fire. Boden makes this decision knowing the man can’t be saved, and that his team will likely die trying. Although this opens up a lawsuit against him and puts him under investigation, Boden holds fast to his beliefs, knowing he saved lives that day.
4. Christopher Herrmann
Firehouse 51’s ultimate family man, Christopher Herrmann (Eigenberg), is easily one of the most lovable cast members on “Chicago Fire.” A veteran of both Firehouse 51 and the show, Herrmann is a master at not only splitting his time between the firehouse and his wife and five children but also as a co-owner of a bar, Molly’s, which he takes over after Otis’ death. Herrmann is also very protective of his teammates, such as in Season 10, Episode 4( “The Right Thing”) when he kicks a customer out of Molly’s for making homophobic remarks toward Darren.
Herrmann is also considered to be extremely trustworthy and understanding by his colleagues. In Season 2, Episode 22 (“Real Never Waits”), Herrmann happily accepts the offer to be Chief Boden’s best man. He is also the first person that Matt Casey trusts with the information that he may be leaving Chicago to become the guardian of Darden’s children, which Herrmann is very supportive of, despite knowing that he will miss having Casey on the team.
3. Sylvie Brett
Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) joins Firehouse 51 in Season 3 of “Chicago Fire,” and is brought in to replace paramedic Leslie Shay following her death in Season 2. It doesn’t take long for Brett to prove that she is both a formidable paramedic and a true friend, and becomes one of the firehouse’s most reliable presences. She eventually moves in with Otis and Cruz (Joe Minoso) and forms one part of the best trio that the show has.
Brett is also a terrific mentor to several new paramedics that cycle in and out of Firehouse 51 after Gabriela Dawson’s departure from the team, especially Gianna Mackey, who she bonds with after the two destroy a drone together in Season 9, Episode 3 (“Smash Therapy”). Brett and Matt Casey also form one of the most popular romantic couples in “Chicago Fire.” While she eventually breaks up with him following his departure for Oregon, her encouragement and understanding of the situation help prove that she is one of the show’s most likable characters.
2. Joe Cruz
Joe Cruz (Minoso) is one of the kindest firefighters in Firehouse 51 and is almost impossible not to like. Having grown up in a rough neighborhood, where many of his childhood friends grew up in gangs, Cruz is always looking to help those who are less fortunate than himself. This includes his younger brother Leon (Jeff Lima), who briefly joins a gang. In order to get him out, Cruz refuses to save the gang leader during a fire, risking his own personal freedom and turning himself in, though Matt Casey never reports the incident.
Cruz also has a fantastic friendship with fellow firefighter Otis and stays by his side during his passing in Season 8, Episode 11 (“Sacred Ground”). Cruz ultimately names his son after his friend. He and his wife also take in a foster son, Javi, who he rescues on the job. Despite complications, Cruz fights to adopt Javi as the boy feels safe with his family, and the adoption is finally approved in Season 11, Episode 7 (“Angry is Easier”).
1. Brian Otis Zvonecek
Brian Zvonecek (Sardarov), who is nicknamed “Otis” because he specializes in elevators, is one of the firehouse’s most beloved members, both in-universe and out, despite departing “Chicago Fire” in Season 8. As somewhat of a jokester, Otis is always trying to make his friends and colleagues laugh and lift their spirits, even in the hardest moments.
His relationship with his roommate Joe Cruz also formed the show’s greatest friendship. The two always have each other’s backs, even at the very end of Otis’ life. Despite being one of the most upbeat members of the team, Otis is often one of its unluckiest. In Season 4, Episode 19 (“I Will Be Walking”), he learns that he suffers from immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and he barely survives a shot to the neck in Season 6, Episode 15 (“The Chance to Forgive”), which is considered the ultimate Otis episode of “Chicago Fire.”
Sadly, his luck finally runs out in Season 8, Episode 11 (“Sacred Ground”), when he is killed following a selfless act that saves his entire team and brings fans to tears. Otis spends his last moments with his best friend Joe, telling him “brother, I will be with you always,” in Russian.
