With 11 seasons and over 200 episodes under its belt, “Chicago Fire” has become one of network television’s most reliably impressive shows. First premiering in October 2012, the series has enjoyed more than a decade of programming and launched the “One Chicago” universe, which includes four Chicago-themed series; “Chicago Justice” was canceled after one season, but the other three have remained favorites among viewers.
While much of the success can be attributed to creator Dick Wolf, who is also the mind behind “Law & Order,” the cast of lovable characters in “Chicago Fire” is what keep audiences coming back each week. Over its entire run, many characters have cycled in and out of the main cast, including Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer), who was originally built to be the show’s lead character, but the rest of the ensemble cast has more than made up for his absence.
“Chicago Fire” consistently writes strong and nuanced parts, giving even the tougher characters many redeeming factors. Still, some are definitely more lovable than others. Here are the main characters in “Chicago Fire” ranked worst to best.
14. Gabriela Dawson
Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund) was one of the main characters for the first 6 seasons of “Chicago Fire,” and has returned for a few guest appearances since then. Working as the Paramedic in Charge at Firehouse 61, Dawson is regularly forced to make tough calls in the field, and she excels under pressure. Later in the show, she marries Matt Casey, until she leaves him to go work in Puerto Rico.
While Dawson’s impressive drive to better herself and her firehouse is admirable, it often comes at the cost of those around her. She is constantly pushing rules and boundaries, such as secretly stalking the troubled teenager, Bria (Quinn Cooke), and entering her place of residence without permission in Season 6. In addition, while the loss of her and Casey’s foster son Louie is hard on the couple, Dawson’s decision to run away and leave Casey solidified why she had “Chicago Fire” fans conflicted from the very beginning.
13. Stella Kidd
Miranda Rae Mayo doesn’t join the cast of “Chicago Fire” until Season 4, but she has quickly become one of the show’s most important mainstays. Stella Kidd became an instant favorite after her introduction to the team, which famously had her declaring that she does what she wants when she wants and if they have a problem with that, too bad. She also quickly proves herself a worthy firefighter and starts a romance with Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) which is as fun as it is steamy. Time and again, Stella proves herself a powerful addition to the team, and it is hard not to root for her, especially during a storyline where she has to deal with a superior’s sexism.
Unfortunately, the later seasons haven’t been kind to Stella. In Season 10, Stella mysteriously disappears for a large chunk of the season after having a fight with Kelly. While it is later explained she left to help build her Girls on Fire program, ghosting her fiancé for months was a bad move. In addition, her mistreatment of teammate Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) in Season 11 has been a point of contention, with an incident of her threatening to kick him out of the truck unless he talked about his scar being a particularly glaring highlight.
12. Randall Mouch McHolland
Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) is one of the longest-serving members at Firehouse 51, alongside Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) and Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and is often looked at as a reliable friend and colleague. He earned the nickname “Mouch,” an anagram of man and couch, as he loves watching TV at the fire station. He also has a wonderful relationship with his wife, “Chicago P.D.” Seargent Trudy Platt, and his connection to her can sometimes get his coworkers the help they need from the police department that they might not otherwise get.
Unfortunately, Mouch’s selfishness can get in the way of his role as a firefighter, as well as a friend and mentor. In Season 9, Episode 9 (“Double Red”), Mouch is assigned to attend training he was too lazy to finish years prior. During the class, he chooses to showboat to the younger firefighters rather than respect the program or its trainer, leading him to fail. The same goes for his childish rivalry with Chuck Rutledge (Patrick Blashill), which leads to him dragging other members of Firehouse 51 into his damaging pranks.
11. Blake Gallo
Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) joins Firehouse 51 as a replacement following the tragic death of Brian “Otis” Zvonecek (Yuriy Sardarov). Gallo is young and headstrong, but proves to be a capable firefighter and captures the attention of Matt Casey, who finds him a spot on the team. Gallo struggles with a complicated past, as his parents and sister were killed in a house fire when he was young. This trauma results in him occasionally defying orders from superiors to make dangerous rescues, especially when kids are involved. While his actions are undeniably heroic, they can cause problems as they can at times be very unsafe.
Gallo also has issues when it comes to his longtime on-and-off romance with Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith). While they start as rivals, their attraction for each other eventually leads to the two having a relationship, but when Violet breaks things off and begins dating Evan Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas), Gallo’s jealousy gets the better of him and he texts Violet relentlessly. With time, however, he moves on and becomes a supportive friend to Violet, and the rest of his team.
