The 11 Best Law & Order: SVU Characters of All Time

Dogged detectives, razor-sharp prosecutors, and the squad members who held it all together across decades of cases, heavy hitters and unsung favorites alike. Who gets your vote?

1

Olivia Benson

Mariska Hargitay's empathetic, iron-willed detective-turned-captain at the heart of the series.

1000pts

2

John Munch

Richard Belzer's wry, conspiracy-theorizing veteran detective who crossed over from Homicide.

503pts

3

Fin Tutuola

Ice-T's streetwise, deadpan detective and the show's longest-running cast member after Benson.

503pts

4

Donald Cragen

Dann Florek's steady, principled captain who led the squad for over a decade.

435pts

5

George Huang

BD Wong's insightful FBI forensic psychiatrist who profiled the unit's hardest cases.

435pts

6

Sonny Carisi

Peter Scanavino's affable detective-turned-prosecutor who became an ADA.

356pts

7

Alexandra Cabot

Stephanie March's poised, formidable ADA in the squad's early seasons.

356pts

8

Amanda Rollins

Kelli Giddish's resilient Southern detective navigating personal demons and the job.

261pts

9

Casey Novak

Diane Neal's tenacious ADA widely regarded as one of the unit's best prosecutors.

145pts

10

Elliot Stabler

Christopher Meloni's hard-nosed, hot-tempered detective and Benson's longtime partner.

145pts

11

Rafael Barba

Raul Esparza's sharp, eloquent ADA known for his courtroom theatrics.

145pts