The 12 Best TV Detectives, Ranked (2024)

Detectives are often among the most compelling characters on TV, and the best ones are worth rewatching even after their cases are closed. Detective shows are reliable sources of drama because of the inherent high stakes of police work and the intriguing mysteries that often come with the crime genre. Great TV detectives shouldn't just be good at their jobs, they should have an interesting way of working that makes them fun to watch. In fact, a detective with some flaw that hinders their investigation can be just as fascinating.

TV detectives have developed into a broad range of styles, but many of them fulfill similar tropes in a lot of ways. Jaded old detectives and rule-breaking renegades are two of the most common character archetypes, but subverting these or approaching them from slightly different angles can make a detective much more interesting to watch. Overall, a compelling TV detective, like any character, needs great writing and an actor who connects with the character. Sleuthing skills are important, but not as important as basic character development.

12 Veronica Mars

Played by Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars

Kristen Bell's breakout role produced an unforgettable new kind of detective. Veronica assists her father in his work as a private investigator, but she regularly outshines him and solves cases before he even has a chance. She also works on minor crimes and scandals at her school, which often act as a lighter distraction from the investigation into her best friend's murder. Veronica Mars has many of the hallmarks of a witty noir detective, but her high school setting gives her a new social dynamic.

11 Jake Peralta

Played by Andy Samberg in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Detective/genius Jake Peralta is the wild child Captain Holt has to deal with as soon as he is assigned to his new post with the Nine-Nine. Initially, his idea of detective work is based on Die Hard and Bad Boys, rather than anything he learned in the police academy, but this all changes. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's best episodes often focus on Jake's push-and-pull relationship with Captain Holt, or his love interest, Amy Santiago. These two people help guide him to becoming a more mature person and a better detective.

10 Velma Dinkley

Originally played by Nicole Jaffe in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Velma Dinkley is just one part of the super team which makes up Mystery Inc. Fred is the leader, Daphne is the beauty, and Velma is the brains behind the operation. Scooby and Shaggy are the comic relief who eat sandwiches. Velma is the most valuable member and the most interesting character. Her commitment to the facts is what helps the team uncover so many custodians and small business owners masquerading as ghosts. Every Scooby-Doo TV show must understand her place within the group, and this is partly why Velma was such a disappointment.

9 John Luther

Played by Idris Elba in Luther

Idris Elba is superb as John Luther, the jaded London detective who operates based solely on his own moral compass. Luther's past traumas are central to his character. The things he has seen in his line of work have convinced him that all the red tape is a hindrance to his ultimate goal of cleaning the streets. In the grim criminal underworld of Luther, he sees himself as the last bastion of justice. The audience does not always agree with him. Elba returned as Luther for the Netflix movie Luther: The Fallen Sun.

8 Sarah Lund

Played by Sofie Gråbøl in The Killing

The Killing was vital in the Nordic noir genre's march toward global domination. Along with shows like The Bridge and Borgen, The Killing fed the growing desire for audiences to see detectives solve obscure mysteries in comfortable knitwear. Sarah Lund is an experienced Danish detective, and she has learned not to suffer fools. Her commitment to her work is paramount, but her investigation is always tinged with a personal sorrow and loneliness that can be hard to place.

7 Olivia Benson

Played by Mariska Hargitay in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Law and Order: SVU is a rare case of a spinoff which surpassed the original in both quality and longevity, and this was largely thanks to a brilliant cast. SVU was always about a whole team of detectives working together, but special attention was paid to Olivia Benson and her partner Eliot Stabler. While Stabler is explosive and volatile, Benson is a shoulder for victims to cry on. Law and Order: SVU season 25 is currently underway, with Benson now the Captain and unrivaled star of the show.

6 Sherlock Holmes

Played by Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes set the bar for detective fiction when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first introduced the character in 1887, and he once again became the gold standard after the BBC adaptation. Sherlock made bringing a Victorian character into the 21st century look simple, and Benedict Cumberbatch immediately took to the role. His version of Holmes captures the character's most important traits (his unparalleled deductive reasoning skills, his self-imposed solitude, his impatience) and seamlessly places them into a new context.

5 Jessica Fletcher

Played by Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote depicts the fantasy of many crime fiction fans. Jessica Fletcher is a crime novelist who happens to stumble upon countless homicide investigations, and she solves them while simultaneously working them into her books. She isn't a typical hard-boiled detective, so suspects often let their guard down around her. It's then that she reveals her sharp intelligence, pinpointing the one detail they overlooked. Her biggest asset is her curiosity, which often sees her best the professional investigators who are happy to chalk things up to accidental death and be done with it.

4 Dale Cooper

Played by Kyle MacLachlan in Twin Peaks

Dale Cooper is the FBI Special Agent who is sent to the town of Twin Peaks to solve the murder of Laura Palmer, but what begins as a perplexing case becomes even stranger than he could have imagined. Kyle MacLachlan says that he based some of Dale Cooper's quirks and mannerisms on David Lynch, which explains some of his personality. He manages to disarm the townsfolk and work his way into the tapestry of everyday life there, but then his dark odyssey truly begins.

3 Rust Cohle

Played by Matthew McConaughey in True Detective

True Detective has so far struggled to recapture the magic of its first season. The case was interesting, but the real magic was the dynamic between the solipsistic, philosophical Rust Cohle and his grounded, world-weary partner Martin Hart. Rust is the thinker and Marty is the doer. Their main problem is that they are rarely on the same wavelength, and they are always thinking or doing things which aren't entirely useful. True Detective season 4 references Rust Cohle, showing how his shadow still hangs over the show.

2 Hercule Poirot

Played by David Suchet in Poirot

Despite the success of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot movies, many fans will always identify the Belgian detective with David Suchet alone. With his iconic mustache and his cosmopolitan quirks, Poirot never quite fits into his often bucolic English surroundings, yet his forensic examination of the details allows him to untangle any nefarious web. Poirot eventually adapted every one of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories featuring the detective, bolstering Suchet's claim as the definitive TV version of Poirot.

1 Frank Columbo

Played by Peter Falk in Columbo

Known only by his last name, Columbo is the deceptively intelligent detective who always gets to the bottom of things. The episodes may be formulaic, but Columbo's schtick never gets old. Unkempt hair, puzzled look, comically massive trenchcoat. These are the keys to Columbo's success, because the upper crust instantly dismiss him as a bumbling quack. Columbo shows who the killer is at the beginning of the episode. This means the audience isn't busy trying to solve the crime, and the detective takes center stage.