NCIS has been around for more than 20 years, and during that time many of its cast members have come and gone. The show has become legendary over the years, expanding into a successful franchise that features several satellite offices and a prequel series. The NCIS spinoffs have even brought all along their own iconic characters that have blended in well with the success of the franchise.
As with any show that has been on the air for more than two decades, a key to making the show so likable is the character development that comes with it. While the NCIS team may only have one original team member left, every old and new NCIS character has undergone extensive stress and tension. Some have experienced more change than others, so it’s fun to look back on the actors and characters then and compare them to now.
11. Sean Murray – Timothy “Tim” McGee
Seasons 1-22
Tim McGee is probably one of the NCIS characters that have changed the most. In his first appearance on the show as a recurring character in season 1, McGee was shy and unsure of his capabilities. He was able to hold his own, but he was also intimidated by his superiors, Tony and Gibbs, because of his lack of experience.
By contrast, McGee is a confident, skillful agent in NCIS season 22. He has also risen in the ranks quite extensively, since he started off as a “probie” in the early NCIS seasons and is now the second-in-command of the MCRT just after Parker. His skills as a special agent are especially noteworthy in how he uncovered Gabriel LaRoche’s undercover operation in NCIS season 22.
10. Brian Dietzen – Jimmy Palmer
Seasons 1-22
Jimmy Palmer also shares similar experiences of growth to his co-worker McGee. When Palmer first started out, he was only a Medical Examiner Assistant to the show’s ME, Ducky. While Palmer was highly intelligent and skilled, he also doubted his abilities as he kept comparing himself to his mentor.
However, this changed over time. Palmer grew more confident and, ever since Ducky’s blessing and retirement, he has remained a competent Medical Examiner and team member. Palmer’s personal life has also grown as his confidence has. Between the first and most recent NCIS seasons, Palmer has pursued several romantic relationships, something that he would not have felt comfortable doing in season 1.
9. David McCallum – Donald “Ducky” Mallard
Seasons 1-20
In contrast to some of his colleagues, David McCallum’s Ducky Mallard had a slower rate of change throughout of his time on the show. In his first appearance in season 1, Ducky was a very kind and confident character, with eclectic facts and stories. He was also always the lead in medical examinations.
This change was more so a professional decision than a personal one, reflecting Ducky’s desire to maintain high medical standards and support his friends all in one.
While Ducky’s personality did not necessarily change, he developed a tendency to let others take the lead as he got older. As he neared his retirement, Ducky used Palmer’s help more because he knew that Palmer would be the one to replace him eventually. This change was more so a professional decision than a personal one, reflecting Ducky’s desire to maintain high medical standards and support his friends all in one.
8. Mark Harmon – Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Seasons 1-19
It is without a doubt that Mark Harmon’s Gibbs changed the most throughout his time on the show. In the early seasons of NCIS, he was cold and reserved. While he respected his team and considered them to be like family, he struggled with letting people in, a result of the losses he had experienced over the years.
In NCIS: Origins, modern day Gibbs even begins journaling about the days following the loss of his family, implying more emotional growth has happened since his last appearance on NCIS.
By the later NCIS seasons, however, Gibbs was a changed man. While he still struggled with being vulnerable, Gibbs had learned to open up and share his struggles with others. He even started attending therapy and expressing his feelings, something a young Gibbs could rarely do.
7. Rocky Carroll – Leon Vance
Seasons 5-22
Appearing for the first time as the temporary NCIS director in season 5 before becoming the official one in season 6, Rocky Carroll’s Leon Vance experienced some significant changes throughout of his time on NCIS. For one thing, when we first joined NCIS, he was a boss but nothing else. It took time for him to get to know his team and learn how they work together.
By now, he has become possibly the best director that the MCRT could have. He is competent, intelligent, and knows when he has to protect the team. The biggest instance of this happened in NCIS season 22 when both McGee and Vance suspected LaRoche. To help McGee, Vance left LaRoche’s file open for McGee to see, which gave Vance plausible deniability and McGee the support he needed.
6. Pauley Perrette – Abigail “Abby” Sciuto
Seasons 1-15
Abby Sciuto also had noticeable changes over the course of her time on the show. While she was always a sort of eclectic character with niche hobbies and interests when compared to the other members of her team, she softened a bit as a character as the seasons went on. In season 1, she was more of a flat character, but she became much more rounded in later seasons.
The types of jokes she made also changed. In the earlier seasons, she had made a few sexual jokes, but this changed the longer that Abby was on the team. Perrette revealed in an interview with HELLO! that she did not like Abby’s sexual side and, as a result, she became more involved in the character development to move Abby’s character growth in a different direction.
5. Michael Weatherly – Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo Jr
Seasons 1-13
Tony DiNozzo had some of the best character growth of all the NCIS characters. Throughout most of his time on the show, Tony was immature and showed a lack of respect towards his female colleagues. His conduct resulted in a lot of jokes, but underneath it all, it showed his lack of maturity. This changed in the years leading up to his departure.
Following the news of Ziva’s departure, Tony quietly began changing into a more mature and responsible man. He had always been an excellent agent, but his personal life did not mirror that same level of responsibility. However, it was Ziva’s death and the news that he had a daughter that caused Tony to quickly grow up and take responsibility for his and his daughter’s future.
4. Cote de Pablo – Ziva David
Seasons 3-11
Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David started off as a private woman when she first joined NCIS. However, as the team got to know her and learned to see past her relation to Ari, Ziva started to slowly open up to the rest of her team. She became not only a great agent but a great friend too.
Her openness and vulnerability are also highlighted in her relationship with Tony. In the beginning, it seemed shallow, but it became something deeper with time. While Ziva began as an outsider, she slowly earned the team’s trust, making her departure extremely shocking.
3. Wilmer Valderrama – Nicholas “Nick” Torres
Seasons 14-22
Similar to many of his colleagues, Nick Torres also struggled to open up to others when he first joined NCIS in season 14. He began as an arrogant character who offered little to no explanation for his behavior. Over time, however, his story unfolded and so did his character.
Overall, Torres has followed the path of his colleagues, learning to be vulnerable after experiencing a difficult past.
With the reveal of Torres’ traumatic childhood, his character has started to fit in more with the rest of his team, since his personality now has a deeper explanation. He has also grown particularly close with his colleagues and has learned to be vulnerable again after his failed relationship with Ellie Bishop. Overall, Torres has followed the path of his colleagues, learning to be vulnerable after experiencing a difficult past.
2. Diona Reasonover – Kasie Hines
Seasons 15-22
As one of the newer characters on NCIS, Kasie has not had as much room for character growth as some of the others. She also has not experienced nearly the same level of stressful storylines that have impacted her colleagues. However, she has experienced some changes, and it has to do with her work.
As a forensic scientist, Kasie does not leave the lab often, but recent NCIS seasons have shown her interacting outside more often. This shows her professional growth as she learns the rules of doing fieldwork alongside her work in the lab. It also shows how the team has learned to see her as more than just a lab technician, since she can offer help in many different ways.
1. Emily Wickersham – Ellie Bishop
Seasons 11-18
Ellie Bishop also experienced several major changes during her time on NCIS. Like most NCIS characters, she also took a while to warm up to her team. However, she also began as a very intelligent brainiac, and this aspect of her personality faded as time went on.
While Ellie remained a fantastic analyst during her time on the show, she slowly transformed into a tougher character. After Ziva’s departure, NCIS was missing a character like her, which might explain Ellie’s transformation. However, the change could have also been used as foreshadowing for her eventual undercover work with the CIA.
