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The following is a list of character summaries from the FX Networks television series, The Shield. Template:Spoiler

Strike Team

• Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) - Leader of the Strike Team.
• Detective Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins) - Vic's friend, and member of the Strike Team. His short temper and racism often lead to trouble as does his intense need for Vic's approval.
• Detective Ronnie Gardocki (David Rees Snell) - The Strike Team's surveillance and electronics expert.
• Detective Curtis "Lem" Lemansky (Kenny Johnson) (Seasons 1-5) - Member of the strike team and the group's conscience, Lem (or "Lemonhead" as he is referred to in the first couple of episodes of the first season) is a good natured detective whose sense of ethics often put him at odds with his fellow teammates, especially Shane.
• Detective Terry Crowley (Reed Diamond) (Season 1 episodes 1 - 2, Season 2 episode 22) - Placed in Vic's unit by Aceveda to find out if they are illegaly smuggling drugs. Vic murders him in the pilot episode.
• Detective Tavon Garris (Brian White) (Season 2-3) - A late addition to the Strike Team, Tavon is well-liked by Vic who begins grooming him as a possible protege, much to Shane's horror. Shane and Tavon develop a rivalry mainly based on Shane's jealousy and racism. Their feud ends in a fight in Shane's apartment, with his wife Mara sneaking up behind Tavon, and hitting him in the back of the head with an iron. Tavon leaves in his van, but his impaired condition causes him to crash his van into a parked car, leaving him in a coma. To protect Shane, Vic and Lem convince Tavon (who can't remember what happened) that he nearly killed the then-pregnant Mara in a furious rage. The character's fate is unknown, though it is hinted at by Vic that Tavon's injuries were severe enough to have him removed from active duty.
• Armando "Army" Renta (Michael Peña) (Season 4) - A Marine reservist returned from Iraq, Army becomes Shane's partner when Shane leaves the Strike Team at the end of season three. Army allows himself to be drawn into an alliance between Shane and drug kingpin Antwon Mitchell. Eventually, both Army and Shane are framed for the murder of a young girl. Vic helps Army and Shane get out of trouble, but Army refuses to take a lie detector test that would exonorate the two. While Shane and Captain Rawling are livid at Army's refusal to take the test, Vic and Lem both separately tell Army that they agree with his decision and allow Army to walk away from the Strike Team.

Administration

• David Aceveda (Benito Martinez) - Politically ambitious former police captain. Gives up his position as captain for a seat on the City Council at the beginning of Season 4, although he remains a regular character.
• Ben Gilroy (John Diehl) (Season 1 episodes 2, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13; Season 2 episodes 22, 23; Season 4 episode 43) - Vic's longtime friend and supporter, Gilroy is found to be using his political influence to facilitate an illegal real estate scam, as well as running over a Hispanic gang member and murdering the only witness who could link him to the hit and run. Stripped of his power and facing indictment, pressure and alcoholism lead Gilroy to become mentally unstable. When it appears that Gilroy will offer to testify against the Strike Team in exchange for a reduced sentence, Vic arranges both a new identity for him in Mexico and a hit man in California who will kill him if he ever returns. Gilroy dies in Mexico, homeless and destitute, dying of uncertain—but internal—causes, possibly cirrhosis of the liver.
• Monica Rawling (Glenn Close) - Succeeds Aceveda as captain of the Farmington precinct. A morally strong woman, she tries to redeem Vic and Ronnie by involving them in a controversial asset forfeiture program designed to clean up Farmington. The program, however, is extremely unpopular with the citizens of Farmington. Rawling is later fired from her job for invalidating a plea bargain between the federal police and drug kingpin Antwon Mitchell.
• Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) - A veteran detective, Claudette is the self-appointed voice of morality at the Barn and often butts heads with Vic over his tactics. At the start of the third season, Claudette is supposed to take over as captain of The Barn, but Aceveda stays throughout the rest of the season, and even steals some of Claudette's new ideas. At the end of season three, Claudette is being groomed to take over running the Barn as the new Captain. She loses the promotion when she charges a public defender with negligence, resulting in countless convictions being overturned. In season 5, Claudette admits to Dutch that she has had lupus for fifteen years and that it has been flaring up recently. Claudette collapses at the end of the seventh episode of season five, following a particularly harrowing interrogation. She returns to the Barn shortly thereafter, and is soon appointed to Captain after bringing Billings' shortcomings to the attention of the Assistant Chief.

Other police

• Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach (Jay Karnes) - Claudette's former partner, Dutch is an intellectual and highly-effective detective with few people skills, a rather large ego, and an obsession with serial killers and psychological profiling of serial killers and rapists. His relationship with Claudette, once ironclad, is now noticeably strained due to her later unfounded belief that Dutch betrayed her confidence and reported her lupus to the police brass. He sought a transfer from the Barn, but this transfer was denied in the wake of Lemansky's murder. Dutch will now head the investigation for the killer.
• Detective Steve Billings (David Marciano) (as of Season 5) - Wishy-washy detective who routinely takes credit for Dutch and Claudette's detective work in season four, when the two are blacklisted by the DA's office. When Dutch discovers that Billings stood by and watched a murder take place out of cowardice, he blackmails Billings to discover who is behind a series of mean-spirited pranks being pulled against him. When he discovers that Billings isn't hunting for the culprit and has even started pulling similar pranks on Dutch, the two detectives attack each other in the Barn's parking lot while the rest of the police officers look on. Billings is promoted to Acting Captain after Rawling is fired, and he becomes a puppet for his superiors in terms of carrying out their budget-cutting policies. However, despite being a powerless figurehead, Billings has been able to keep a decent working relationship with Vic. In the Season 5 opener, it is implied that Billings has given Vic free reign to do as he pleases in order to get immediate results to various crises the Barn might face. In exchange, Vic assumes responsibility for maintaining morale at the Barn—in the wake of Rawling being fired and the budget cutbacks to the station—and to keep his fellow officers from revolting against Billings. Near the end of season 5, Billings is removed as Captain by the Chief of Police and is replaced by Claudette Wyms. He becomes a detective once again, and is partnered with Dutch. It is also revealed in Episode 11 of Season 5 that Billings is the owner of the vandalized vending machines, a direct violation of department rules.
• Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer (Catherine Dent) - Patrol officer who aspires to become a detective. She's also Vic's mistress, carrying on an on-again, off-again sexual relationship with him. Danny also has a rather complicated relationship with Dutch; during season one Dutch openly pined for Danny's love and Danny used that love to manipulate Dutch into helping her attempt to pass an exam that would have resulted in her being promoted. Dutch ultimately called her out on her manipulation in front of the rest of the Barn, forcing Danny to apologize to him later and the two deciding to stay friends. She also has a mentoring relationship with Aceveda, who helped get Danny reinstated after she was fired as part of a round of budget-related firings and arranged for her to be reassigned to Lowe when Lowe began using excessive force against suspects, in hopes that Danny's influence would solve the problem. Sofer has become a mentor for Lowe, though the two don't see eye to eye on certain things such as Lowe's decision to undergo "deprogramming" for his homosexuality. In season 5, she is pregnant and assigned desk duty as a result. The identity of the father is unknown and is the subject of an office pool among her co-workers. However, it should be noted that Danny and Vic did have a fling during a stakeout, and while Vic had been the favorite in the office pool behind the 'happy turkey baster,' she all but admits that Vic is the father. In her hospital bed after giving birth, she tells Vic that she will let the baby know --- "When he is old enough."
• Officer Julien Lowe (Michael Jace) - Begins the series as Officer Sofer's trainee but quickly goes on to be her best friend, despite their constant bickering over moral issues regarding Julien's conservative views. A closet homosexual who had his sexuality used by Vic to blackmail him when Julien saw Vic and the Strike Team steal drugs from a crime scene; the deeply religious Julien underwent sexual reorientation therapy at his church and is now living as a heterosexual (and is even married), in spite of Danny's doubts. After being outed by a former lover, Julien is brutally beaten by a group of homophobic cops who were fired due to budget cutbacks and are bitter that Julien kept his job. After undergoing several surgeries for his injuries, Julian seeks revenge against his attackers, breaking the arm of one of them after being told by Vic that he needed to stand up for himself if he wanted people to leave him alone about his past gay relationships. Becoming more aggressive, he is ultimately reassigned as Danny's partner. During season four, he grows more confident as a police officer and begins openly opposing the policies of Captain Monica Rawling during her tenure as Captain. In season five, Julian has now become a training officer himself.
• Officer Tina Hanlon (Paula Garcés) (as of Season 5) - Julien's officer in training. A young attractive female hispanic police officer, Tina's refusal to take her job seriously has led to her making countless mistakes on-duty that have created tension amongst the other officers and Julien. She speaks Spanish fluently, and as such is sometimes utilized as a translator. She went undercover posing as a prostitute in order to help the Strike Team take down a sex ring, proving to her fellow police officers that she could hold her own. However, her career is thrown into jeopardy she mistakenly thinks an Undercover Officer is a criminal, allowing the real criminal to escape. She was to be fired, with both Julian and Danny supporting the move. However, when photos of her undressing in the locker room begin circulating the barn, thanks to a hidden camera placed by Billings, she is offered a deal to remain on the force. She is now placed with Dutch for further training. Tina also discovered that Julien is privately homosexual, a claim that he unconvincingly denied.
• Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Forest Whitaker) (as of Season 5) - Internal affairs officer determined to take down the Strike Team using any means at his disposal. Has degrees in both criminology and psychology, and frequently plays mind games with people under surveillance to find out what their motivations are.

Criminals

• Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson) (Seasons 4-5) - A drug kingpin who, having been released from jail after a lengthy prison sentence, tries to reinvent himself as an upstanding black community leader out to aid the black citizens of Farmington, while secretly securing power as the main drug boss in the district.
• Margos Dezerian (Kurt Sutter) (Season 1 episode 5, Season 3 episodes 40-41) - The Armenian Mob Hitman who escapes after dealing drugs. He is sent by the Armenian Mob later to decimate the Strike Team for their involvement in the Money Train robbery. Dezerian comes face to face with Vic Mackey after a chain of gruesome murders Dezerian had left behind, only to result in his demise at the hands of Mackey.
• Armando "Armadillo" Quintero (Daniel Pino) (Season 2 episodes 14-15, 18, and 21) - Armadillo seeks the wholesale slaughter of all possible rival gangs in Farmington so as to gain complete control over the city's streets. His use of rape and burning his enemies at the stake horrifies Vic, especially after Armadillo uses these techniques to kill a drug dealer who the Strike Team is protecting in exchange for a vow to keep his drug activities at a tolerable level.
• Kleavon Gardner (Ray Campbell) (Season 4 episodes 6, Season 5 episode 6 & 7) - A suspected serial killer from San Antonio, notorious with the police there for leaving absolutely no evidence at the scene, he is suspected of murdering a young accounting clerk named Raine. Though he is later exonerated, the brutal murder of a young black girl leads Dutch and Claudette back to him. In order to pin the murder on him, Dutch and Claudette create false evidence and witness testimony until he's about to crack. However, when Dutch goes in for the kill, he botches a key fact about the victim and Kleavon catches them in their lie, allowing him to walk away. However, Kleavon's previously protective sister is finally convinced she may be living with a serial killer. In season 5, Kleavon's sister goes to Dutch carrying a very bloody piece of clothing found in his room. Dutch goes to her home to investigate, and finds a small shaving kit complete with knife and duct tape which Dutch refers to as a "Death Kit". Kleavon returns home early, resulting in Dutch having to escape empty handed. Hours later, Kleavon heads to the Barn to report his sister missing. Upon searching the home (and humorously hearing a report about a prowler in a cheap suit), suspicion falls on Kleavon again. Though Claudette interrogates Kleavon and feels that she has failed to crack him, the discovery of a murdered black woman, her appearance altered to strongly resemble Claudette, proves otherwise. Kleavon finally admits to committing the murders when it appears that his sister was murdered, and the crime is being pinned on him, only to discover afterward that she is very much alive, having been found fear stricken for her life and convinced to help convict her brother. Kleavon's confession is apparently motivated by guilt over failure to protect his sister, as she was the only person he considered worth not killing.

Other

• Corrine Mackey (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) - Vic's estranged wife, and mother to his children. Vic's job and other stressful events puts a strain on their marriage, eventually causing them to separate. Corrine now must balance the challenges of being a single mother to three children (two of them autistic) as she is unwittingly brought into an IAD investigation against their father. She also has a relationship with Dutch Wagenbach in the fourth season. Though she and Vic had a civil relationship, this may be in jeopardy thanks to Kavanaugh's investigation. When Kavanaugh interrogates her she tells him about the bag of $65,000.00 Vic gave her for their autistic children. Kavanaugh then asks her to turn over the remainder of the money as evidence in his investigation. On Vic's suggestion, Corrine hires an attorney, but Kavanaugh does not offer her a deal for cooperating and later freezes her assets to prevent Vic from using her for money to bail out Lem. She later confronts Danny about her child and angrily tells her that the child will not be cared for if Vic is indeed the father.
• Becca Doyle (Laura Harring) (as of Season 5) - Defense attorney who convinces Claudette to take a second look at a case she had closed with Dutch. She is initially distrustful of Vic after his testimony caused one of her clients to be convicted, but he convinces her to help bring down a sex slave ring. Vic later enlists her to help defend the Strike Team from an IAD investigation, which she later accepts under the impression that Aceveda and IAD are seeking scapegoats for their own misdeeds. When it is revealed that they are under investigation for murder, Becca confronts Vic, who admits to certain aspects of his wrong doing, including embezzlement, but insists that he wants to change and have a fresh start. Becca believes him and continues to work for the team. Vic and Becca get involved romantically but she eventually discovers through Lemansky that the Strike Team was indeed involved in the Armenian Money train and that people were killed by the strike team because of it. She no longer trusts or wants Vic in her life.
• Emolia Melendez (Onahoua Rodriguez) (Season 4, Episodes 10, 11 & 13, Season 5, Episodes 1, 2, 5, 8, 11) - A informant for Vic Mackey, Emolia witnessed Curtis Lemansky take the kilo of heroin and reported it to Internal Affairs. She remained his informant for six months, giving him information and accepting his favors for her son. Vic became somewhat attached to her, even expressing a wish for her to leave the informant business and to find her work elsewhere. Vic would soon discover that she was also serving as an informant on the Team for Kavanaugh and instructed her to not reveal any more information, under threat of violence. She was nearly killed in a Salvadorian grenade manufacturing plant during a string and would later express regret to Vic for reporting Lem. When Kavanaugh's investigation disintegrated because of Lem accepting a deal, Emolia tried to convince Vic to accept her as an informant once again. Vic would not be pursuaded by her and after using her services one last time to obtain information of the Salvadorian Mob's current operations, he cut off ties with her.