It goes without saying that a conversation about the greatest cop dramas ever made would be incomplete without a mention of in each season, with this heavy focus allowing for some truly excellent storytelling that feels grounded in reality and extremely entertaining to watch, as a result.
A major reason why The Wire has become such an excellent show is mainly due to the main characters of The Wire ranked on the basis of how compelling their character arcs are.
Thomas Hauk
The brawn of the police force doesn't necessarily need to have an interesting story, which is why Herc ultimately suffers as a character.
Apart from a few quips thrown into his character's dialogue, there's literally no other reason to be attached to him.
William Rawls
The despicable and manipulative nature of William Rawls as he tries to dress up the statistics of his police department remains consistent for the majority of The Wire.
While there's a small moment where his character is somewhat redeemed by the end of the series, it's still nearly not enough to gloss over all the horrible things he's done.
Ervin Burrell
Ervin is pretty much similar to William Rawls, in the sense that he was pretty driven by statistics as opposed to actual police work.
However, his obsession in this regard was so immense that he even went so far as to falsifying police records — a move that eventually got him fired.
Clay Davis
Another part of the corruption of Baltimore is Clay Davis, a senator who is more than happy with taking bribes and allowing illegal activities to ruin Baltimore.
Even his comical swearing isn't enough to redeem himself in the eyes of the audience.
Ellis Carver
Initially being nothing more than a copy-pasted character similar to that of Herc's, Ervin quickly distances himself from his partner by displaying solid morals and ethics in his job.
It's this small addition to his character that makes a world of difference indeed.
Avon Barksdale
While Stringer Bell and Avon work in tandem, the former is just way more competent than the latter in every regard.
While that doesn't stop Avon from being a compelling antagonist, he definitely falters in the face of some of the better-written characters on the show.
Tommy Carcetti
A mayor in Baltimore who actually shied away from corruption and tried to make the city a habitable place, Tommy Carcetti is a person people can look up to in The Wire.
His efforts to keep the city clean and appreciate the people who strive to accomplish the same should definitely be lauded.
Marlo Stanfield
A cold-hearted person who strived for respect above everything else, Marlo Stanfield was not someone to be messed with.
Even after his incarceration, Marlo never stops asking for respect, even going so far as to accosting two corner boys and demanding the same from them.
Augustus Haynes
While his introduction might've been a bit too late in The Wire, there's still no denying how impactful Augustus Haynes is to the overall narrative.
It certainly helps that his ethics and morals are pretty sound, making him an easy character to in the final season.
D'Angelo Barksdale
The first season of the show focused heavily on the life of D'Angelo Barksdale — a member of the Barksdale family who gets enamored with the life of crime... only to realize how fallacious and meaningless the entire game really is.
However, the evolution of his moral com puts him at odds with Stringer Bell, who decides to end the man's life in prison out of fear that he would've told on them.