promising a new, dangerous UnSub for the team to face.
Throughout the 15 seasons the show was on the air, there were several characters who had notably brave moments. There were those, such as Derek Morgan, who were loud with their heroic moments, and others, such as Penelope Garcia, who were more quietly brave over the years.
Elle Greenaway
Elle's character was short lived in comparison to some other characters, she only appears for a few seasons until she leaves the show. However, her time on the show was made memorable by her bravery. Elle's specialty was sexual offense crimes, something that takes incredible will power to investigate regularly.
She regularly put herself in the line of danger to protect victims, including an incident where she was shot by an Unsub stalking the team. She also comes face to face with a suspect, confronting him and killing him, making her departure from the show that much more shocking. In the end, her bravery in walking away while she still could was commendable.
Stephen Walker
Stephen ed the BAU in season twelve, specifically to assist in their hunt of Mr. Scratch, the most prolific killer the team had ever faced. He had twenty plus years of experience as a profiler before ing the team.
However, despite Stephen's easy assimilation to the team, he doesn't last long. Mr. Scratch orchestrated a car crash with several of the BAU being caught up, including Stephen. the scariest Criminal Minds episodes, Garcia finds Stephen's body in the SUV, it being revealed he died on impact. Although Stephen was only part of the team for less than a season, it's clear that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to catch the killer, something that takes an incredible amount of bravery. He died trying to do the right thing, a testament to his heroic manner.
Matt Simmons
Matt Simmons, like Luke Alvez, also spent time in the military before ing the BAU. Matt also had a brief stint with the FBI's International Unit, which saw him sent around the world to try and capture serial killers.
By the time his character is made a series regular on Criminal Minds, it's clear that he's not afraid of anything. He finds himself in danger on more than one occasion, but still returns to the team to fight for what's right. His presence on the team brings the rest of the a sense of security, revealing of his heroic behavior.
Tara Lewis
Unlike other of the team, Tara ed the FBI as a forensic psychologist first, not a special agent. She would regularly interview serial killers to determine whether they were fit for trial, something in of itself that takes an incredible amount of bravery.
Tara takes a while to become a permanent member of the team, but once she does she is often the first to volunteer for whatever the team needs, and is often called upon when it comes to talking down a serial killer. Her intelligence and training makes her undeniably brave, and it's her quiet, unrelenting bravery that makes her one of the most important characters.
Luke Alvez
It's revealed that Luke spent years in the U.S. Army before ing the FBI, and comes with several well honed skills. Luke is introduced initially as a replacement for Derek Morgan, meaning he has big shoes to fill.
Luke showed his unwavering bravery several times during his time on the show. He constantly put himself in danger to keep other of the team safe, especially Garcia who he had a love/hate friendship (and maybe more?) with. Even when he was kidnapped alongside Matt, he never bowed to the enemies. Despite living with trauma from his past, Luke always put his best foot forward, which is the bravest thing anyone can do.
Jenifer "JJ" Jareau
Criminal Minds' always quotable JJ started as a press liaison for the BAU, serving as the halfway point between the police, the media and the FBI. As the seasons progress, she starts profiler trainer, and eventually becomes a profiler and agent, like the rest of the team.
Her want to become a profiler early on is a sign of her bravery, profilers are often in dangerous situations, but JJ doesn't let this steer her away. She also had no qualms when it came to demanding answers out of the press, public, or police force, when the team couldn't get an answer themselves. JJ has often had to talk down killers in the moment, using her quick thinking and training to apprehend suspects before they can hurt anyone else, this once again being an indicator of her bravery. She grows fearless throughout the seasons, and by the final scene, it's clear to fans just how much she has grown.
Emily Prentiss
Emily was undoubtedly one of the bravest BAU from the get go. She comes to the team with a long list of recommendations, but her actions speak louder than words.
She's fearless both in the field and interviewing suspects, not letting her guard down. It's also revealed that Emily spent years undercover trying to earn criminal Ian Doyle's trust, something that later comes back to haunt her. Even after her own faked death, she shows no wavering signs of fear. In the end, she becomes the first woman to lead the FBI, once again a true marker of her bravery.
Derek Morgan
A fan favorite from the start, Derek Morgan is the living embodiment of bravery. Fans learn through a devastating couple of episodes that Derek was abused as a child, this changing the trajectory of his life.
Derek gets the chance to confront his ab head on, something that takes an incredible amount of courage and bravery. After this heated confrontation, Derek carries on throughout the seasons as a changed man, one who relentlessly shows his bravery time and time again. He takes on a protector role in the team, taking both Spencer and Garcia under his wing. In fact, his relationship with Garcia is arguably the best friendship in all of Criminal Minds. Even when he leaves the show, it's a moment of bravery, as he chooses to leave for his family and his son and their well-being, a true test of his character.
Spencer Reid
Spencer quickly became a favorite of viewers after his first appearance. Along with Garcia, he's one of the one characters to have credit for every episode (despite missing a few episodes in a handful of seasons).
Spender went through arguably the most trauma out of anyone on the team. He was bullied growing up, kidnapped and drugged, and arrested, to name a few events. However, despite everything life has thrown at Spencer, he always had a positive outlook. He wasn't afraid of serial killers or even death. He faced everything head on with a seemingly bottomless reserve of bravery. He grows to accept his own indifference through the seasons, and he allows the team to love him with his guard down, something that takes an incredible amount of bravery.
Penelope Garcia
Penelope didn't have the greatest childhood. She lost both her parents in a car accident when she was young, and she became one of the most dangerous hackers in the world as a coping mechanism for her grief.
After being recruited by the FBI, she quickly became the BAU's most valued member. Her bright and bubbly personality is in stark contrast to her job: She has an aversion to violence and death yet still does the right thing in her job, even if it scares her. She also survives a murder attempt, something that becomes a turning point for her character. She wasn't trained for a life of hunting serial killers, unlike the other of the team. That's what makes her the bravest: her unwavering loyalty to her team, her friends and her desire to do what's right.
