In 2003, CBS premiered NCIS and quickly enamored fans with interesting mysteries and captivating characters. The series follows the agents of NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, who solve murders affecting Navy service people. Over the 20-plus year run of the series, audiences have been introduced to countless characters, including the long-term lead, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), who led the team through countless investigations.
While the original team of agents has all departed, new characters have replaced the beloved NCIS agents with ease. From the strong leadership of Agent Cole (Gary Cole) to the bookworm smarts of Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), the men and women of NCIS work together to solve the Navy's most difficult cases.
8Nick Torres
Joining Gibbs and the team after attempting to save his sister, Special Agent Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) left behind a career of undercover work to join the team. By season 20, Nick Torres has become one of the team's most tenured agents and has saved the team countless times.
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Having spent the last eight years as a part of the team, Torres provides his wit and undercover skills to the team. With his wit, however, comes cockiness, and at times his personality clashes with his fellow agents.
7Alden Parker
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Introduced in the series' 19th season, Alden Parker was an FBI agent tasked with capturing Agent Gibbs. Despite his job, Agent Parker had a change of heart and refused to arrest Gibbs. After Gibbs decided not to return to NCIS, he recommended Parker to take his place. As the supervisory agent, Parker oversees cases and uses his vast intellect to help bring victims to justice.
First introduced to audiences in 2021, Cole's Agent Parker shares many similarities to Harmon's Gibbs. His relative newness to the team has made for some interesting stories, but at times he comes off as distant and occasionally unlikeable.
6Jessica Knight
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Spending years as a part of an elite team known as a REACT Unit, Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) joined the team after her REACT Unit was disbanded following the death of several of her squad mates. First serving under McGee, Knight joined the team full-time to help find Agent Gibbs and ultimately stayed on after Agent Parker took the helm.
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Agent Knight is strong and can carry herself in a fight, but in addition to that she also cares for those closest to her. At times, she has a sibling rivalry with fellow agent, Torres and has also become romantically linked to Chief Medical Examiner, Jimmy Palmer.
5Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard
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Serving as Chief Medical Examiner and close ally to Agent Gibbs, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) was instrumental in solving hundreds of cases for the US Navy. Later in his career, he stepped down as medical examiner and took on the position of NCIS Historian.
No matter the capacity, Ducky has served his friends and allies with his vast knowledge of the human body and cases. While Agent Gibbs worked for NCIS, there was no closer ally to him and everyone on the team has always looked up to him.
4Kasie Hines
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First joining the team to assist in Doctor Mallard's absence, Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) quickly became a valuable member of the team as a forensic scientist. Over the years, she has worked closely with both Mallard and Jimmy Palmer as well as other members of the team.
In addition to being known for her smile and upbeat personality, Hines has used her hand-to-hand combat skills to save the day and apprehend suspects. The character of Hines had big shoes to fill as she replaced a long-time character, but over the years, her personality has entertained audiences.
3Leon Vance
Following the death of Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly), Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll)was promoted from his position of Assistant NCIS Director and was put in charge of Agent Gibbs and his team. In his position, Vance often finds himself providing aid to his teams, including Agent Parker and protecting them from other government agencies.
Early on, Vance would occasionally be antagonist with Gibbs and the team, but over time he became an integral part and an ally to Gibbs and McGee. Despite sacrificing a lot, and experiencing the loss of a loved one, Vance has remained a strong pillar of the team and of NCIS in general.
2Timothy McGee
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First assisting agents Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) on an assignment, Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) eventually joined the team as a probationary agent. After years of working alongside the team, McGee has become the longest tenured member, but passed on the opportunity to become the supervisory agent.
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McGee's long tenure on the team has led him to grow and mature. Early on, he was often hazed by more tenured agents but despite that, he never grew callous. While he is always focused on catching the criminals, he never lets that get in the way of caring for his friends.
1Jimmy Palmer
Joining Doctor Mallard as his new assistant in the first season, James "Jimmy" Palmer spent nearly two decades serving as Ducky's assistant. Following his mentor's resignation, Palmer took his position and has continued to help the team solve some of the Navy's toughest cases.
James has a notable work ethic, and was noted for overachieving in school, but got passed up for prestigious positions. Despite that, Palmer never let that slow him down and worked for NCIS in the highest capacity. In addition to that, he is caring and kind and while that has sometimes caused him to be stepped over, his strong morals put him above the rest.
