Chicago PD: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability

Does one character define a team? Hank Voight may be the main character on Chicago PD but is he the most likable one? While Jay Halsted and Antonio Dawson are given respect for challenging Voight, does that earn them the title as most likable from the loyal viewers?

Not too many women in the police force have done the things that Erin, Hailey, or Kim Burgess did and still be alive to tell about it. So, where does that have them ranked as far as likable characters? What about the great storylines that include Adam Ruzek, Kevin Atwater, Trudy Platt, and Alvin Olinsky?

10 Hailey Upton

After the departure of Erin, Hailey Upton took center stage as the supposedly next hard-nosed female officer in the Intelligence Unit. But something was always off regarding Hailey. She was more like Halstead and Antonio but without the conformation with leadership. Hailey is by-the-book and for fans of the Intelligence Unit, that just didn’t work for her character.

Towards the end of Season 7, Hailey was sent to New York as a bit of a punishment for crossing the line. For a character who has always given others the third degree about that invisible line, Hailey came across as a hypocrite and almost lost her spot on the team.

9 Adam Ruzek

Adam Ruzek has cop blood flowing through his veins. He entered the Intelligence Unit as if he was crowned Prince of the team before even going on his first assignment. Ruzek is cocky and for that, often tends to make mistakes. He’s not as confrontational with Voight like Halstead and Antonio but Ruzek has surely stuck the knife into the back of Voight before.

Ruzek is a good cop but puts himself in situations where viewers often find themselves asking why they may like him just a little? He does entirely too much when the situation calls for very little to be done. His treatment of women is the worst of any main character on Chicago PD.

8 Kim Burgess

Kim Burgess wanted nothing more than to take off her uniform and make it to plain clothes with the Intelligence Unit. She paid her dues and then some since joining. Taking a bullet set her back but once Kim found her groove again, she has not looked back.

Her rollercoaster of a relationship with Adam has sparked a bit of controversy regarding her pregnancy and some viewers were turned off her character by that. Kim is a good cop but it still appears as if she out to impress everyone when she already has their approval.

7 Alvin Olinsky

If you were to look up loyalty in the dictionary, Alvin Olinsky would be the definition. Years of being friends and partners with Hank Voight, Olinsky could be just as ruthless as Hank. Separated from his wife, Alvin never left home as a compromise of helping to raise their daughter. But his character was lost after her death and from there, Olinsky was just on burrowed time.

When the walls started closing in on Hank, it was Olinsky who stood tall and took the weight. In the end, it cost him his life and for that fans have held a special place for Alvin in their hearts. He’s missed on Chicago PD.

6 Jay Halstead

Jay Halsted, the ex-soldier has the ability to get under the skin of Hank Voight with just one look. Halstead is a good guy who just lets his emotions get the best of him from time to time. He’s loyal despite his run-ins with Voight but Jay can escalate a situation quickly.

His relationship with Erin Lindsay almost broke the team up and her departure almost broke him. Halstead has shown no fear of busting down doors and has proved that he’s as good as they come when required to go undercover.

5 Erin Lindsay

Erin Lindsay is the original female member of the Intelligence Unit well before Burgess and Hailey come on board. What made Lindsay so special was her close relationship with Voight. Voight and his wife took Erin in when she was young as her mother Bunny was struggling. From there, Erin was destined to be what her father figure was.

Lindsay was the first main character to depart the show as she took another job in NYC. She was another character who walked that fine line but was also the voice of reason for Hank when he went overboard. Lindsay had her own demons that were just too much for her to overcome.

4 Antonio Dawson

Much like Voight, Antonio Dawson cut his teeth on the set of Chicago Fire after Voight’s run-in with Matt Casey. It was Antonio who was sent in to investigate Voight’s dirty dealings and that happened more than once. While their relationship was rocky at best, there was still mutual respect between the two officers.

Antonio’s personal life was a complete mess. His son was kidnapped, his sister left, his wife divorced him then he became hooked on drugs. He was always the first through the door and continually put his life on the life every time out for the team and the City of Chicago.

3 Hank Voight

Chicago PD doesn’t work without its fearless leader Hank Voight. No matter how you may perceive him to be, either dirty or not, Voight is all about the protection of Chicago. In the early goings during his appearance on Chicago Fire, Voight was easily labeled a bad guy. He was not a likable character and that was done by design.

But once Chicago PD aired, those feelings about him were changed in a single episode. He’s tough and that’s because he has to be. The streets of Chicago doesn’t play fair so why should Voight?

2 Kevin Atwater

Kevin Atwater is the only Black member of the team. Much like Burgess, joining the Intelligence Unit has always been a goal of his. He was brought on before Burgess which caused a bit of a strain in their relationship early on. His days of proving himself have passed but he does tend to take after Adam with his cockiness.

Atwater, at one point, was raising his little brother and sister after the death of their parents. A very likable character who has had an inner conflict regarding the right and wrong side of the law.

1 Trudy Platt

Trudy has earned the respect of every Police Department in the city. When she says move, everyone moves, including Hank Voight. No longer out in the streets, Trudy still has her fingers on all the actions. When a favor is needed from the higher-ups, it’s normally Trudy who involved making sure things go smoothly.

She a hard-nosed old school cop who comes from the same era as Voight. While not as violent as Voight and Olinsky, Trudy still has a reputation as a no-nonsense cop. There has not been a member of the Intelligence Unit who has not come to Trudy for advice regarding a case or their personal life.

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