Twin Peaks: The 10 Most Underrated Characters, Ranked

There’s no question that Twin Peaks is a show filled with interesting characters and compelling mysteries. David Lynch and Mark Frost’s unprecedented mixture of supernatural horror, murder mystery, soap opera and comedy resulted in some of popular culture’s most enduring characters – with the likes of Laura Palmer, Dale Cooper and Killer BOB standing out as instantly recognizable.

While many of the show’s most central characters are extremely well-remembered however, there are others who simply don’t get enough credit – whether that’s for the role they play in the show’s ever-unfolding plotline or their loveable, quirky personalities. In the spirit of that, here are 10 of the most underrated characters that ever appeared in Twin Peaks.

10 Jerry Horne

While Ben and Jerry Horne tend to come as a pair in Twin Peaks, the show’s spotlight was always squarely aimed at the former, with Ben’s story tying into the show’s central mystery far more than Jerry’s.

Nevertheless, Jerry Horne is a fun, underappreciated character in his own right. Providing much of the show’s comic relief, Jerry’s reappearance in Twin Peaks: The Return couldn’t have been more perfect. Becoming something of a hedonistic stoner in the twenty-five years following the second season, Jerry’s ‘hallucination’ in the middle of the woods is bizarre and darkly funny, unaware he’s accidentally stumbled upon the mystical murder of his own grandnephew.

9 Dr. Lawrence Jacoby

Dr. Jacoby was certainly a fun character in the first two seasons of Twin Peaks – with his unique fashion sense and multiple personality quirks being particularly memorable – but the character’s reinvention as the popular online conspiracy theorist Dr. Amp in the show’s third season just felt right.

As it turns out Dr. Amp has quite the following, with the likes of Jerry Horne and Nadine Hurley expressing great interest in his broadcasts – even selling gold spray-painted shovels to his loyal band of fans.

8 Bill Hastings

A new character appearing in Twin Peaks’ third season, poor Bill Hastings really couldn’t catch a break. A high school principal with a profound interest in alternate dimensions, Bill Hastings discovered the existence of the Black Lodge alongside his mistress, Ruth Davenport.

Unfortunately, this resulted in Davenport’s grisly demise, with Hastings subsequently being arrested for murder. He later leads the FBI to the spot he claims houses the Lodge, only to have his head burst like a balloon by one of the sinister Woodsmen.

7 Albert Rosenfield

Perfectly fitting the archetype of the cold, no-nonsense FBI agent, Albert Rosenfield’s detached, heartless treatment of the Laura Palmer case initially sparked the ire of the Twin Peaks community – with Sherriff Truman even punching him in the face.

It’s soon discovered that Albert’s coldness is something of a front however, stating that he truly does care about Laura and the town of Twin Peaks – revealing a heart of gold underneath his tough exterior. Still, there’s no doubt that Rosenfield is one of the finest minds the FBI has to offer – a fact that’s been reiterated by both Agent Cooper and Gordon Cole.

6 Major Garland Briggs

While it was easy to brush off Garland Briggs as an unimportant side character early on in Twin Peaks’ run, he later becomes one of the most pivotal characters in the entire show, tying heavily into its mysterious central mythos.

Heading an operation investigating the supernatural activity in Twin Peaks, Briggs bit off more than he could chew following the murder of Laura Palmer. In fact, Garland Briggs remains the only character in Twin Peaks’ canon who escaped from Lodge completely unscathed – something said to be possible for only those with entirely pure souls. This ultimately made Briggs’ gruesome fate in Twin Peaks’ third season all the more heart-breaking.

5 Bradley & Rodney Mitchum

Against all odds, the Mitchum Brothers turned out to be amongst the most likable characters in all of Twin Peaks. Running the Silver Mustang Casino, the brothers initially wanted to take out Dougie Jones after he won almost half a million dollars at their establishment.

They can’t go through with the act, however, and later find a $30 million cheque addressed to them in Jones’ pocket. They then become firm friends with Dougie, playing a key role in the restoration of Agent Cooper’s mind. Cooper himself later describes the brothers as having ‘hearts of gold’.

4 Deputy Tommy ‘Hawk’ Hill

Stoic, yet undeniably full of heart, Deputy Hawk is one of the most loveable characters in all of Twin Peaks. With that said, he’s damn fine at his job, too. As well as being an extremely valued member of the Twin Peaks Sherriff’s Department, Hawk is also a full-fledged member of the Bookhouse Boys and is incredibly well-versed in mysticism.

This enables him to assist Agent Cooper in his investigation into the Black Lodge and its inhabitants – with Hawk being the first character to describe the Lodge to Cooper. He’s also the man still leading the charge twenty-five years after Cooper’s disappearance, playing a key role in unraveling the mystery of the show’s third season.

3 Pete Martell

Pete Martell really is the heart of Twin Peaks. After all, he’s the man who initially stumbles across the body of Laura Palmer, kicking off the events of the show. Apart from that though, Pete is one of the show’s most unapologetically nice characters.

Friendly and accommodating at every turn, Pete Martell is also amongst the most quotable residents of the fictional town – with actor Jack Nance’s superb delivery taking the character from good to great.

2 Gordon Cole

Agent Cooper’s superior, and later the Deputy Director for the FBI, Gordon Cole – played by David Lynch himself – is an effortlessly endearing character. Providing comic relief – particularly as a result of his partial deafness – in the first two seasons of Twin Peaks, there’s no doubt that Cole is incredibly competent.

He takes on a much more pivotal on-screen role in the show’s third season, tackling the investigation of the Black Lodge and Cooper’s disappearance personally, alongside his protégé, Tamara Preston.

1 Diane Evans

During the first two seasons of Twin Peaks, fans could famously hear Agent Cooper recording tapes addressed to a woman named Diane. While many theories circulated surrounding Diane’s identity, the character eventually appears in the flesh in the show’s third season – kind of.

Despite quickly becoming a fan-favorite character with her brash, standoffish attitude, it turns out this version of Diane was a doppelganger. The real Diane was only restored once Killer BOB was defeated at the Twin Peaks Sherriff’s Department.