24 Of 24's Most Memorable Characters - Ranked

Sit back, strap in and indulge by reminiscing a selection of 24's most memorable characters.

24 David Palmer
Fox

With the countdown clock having already started ticking on 24: Legacy - but alas without the heroically indefatigable Jack Bauer (although you never know) - it's the perfect opportunity to reminisce about some of the characters that made the high-octane, groundbreaking original series such a global hit.

These are the ones who either featured most prominently in the main cast, or as intriguing recurring characters that stay ingrained in the memory during its nine seasons and 24: Redemption.

There's a mixture of the all-action heroes and villains; the quiet, resolute good guys and mysterious Machiavellian baddies; those who left us gobsmacked with their unforeseen treachery; those who left us infuriated by their clearly foreseen calamities; the ones that popped up now and again to steal an episode; and those we mourned at the appearance of the silent clock.

All of this was made possible thanks to the wonderfully-gifted and versatile actors who produced tour de force performances, and exemplifies the acting calibre that 24 attracted.

Oh and spoiler alert for those of you who haven't even watched a single second of this magnificent show.

24. Teri Bauer (Day 1)

24 David Palmer
Fox

Google the name of Jack’s wife and it doesn’t take too much scrolling before getting to the Teri Bauer-bashing forums. The word “annoying” - sometimes with the F-word expletive before it - is a common description of this particular character. So the less said about her dissociative amnesia storyline - which got us all reaching for the smelling salts - the better.

Conversely, however, Teri confounded us by, with astonishing calmness, sacrificing herself sexually - for the loving sake of her daughter Kim - to a grubby, deserves-to-die guard who was keeping them hostage in season one.

Her death at the hands of Nina Myers is made more powerfully poignant because she’s pregnant with Jack’s second child. His grief is tangible thereafter throughout the subsequent seasons, which is perhaps why he continues to dish out his own unique brand of justice as a means to forget that terrible day.

Contributor

The name's Colbourn, James - yeah, doesn't quite have the same ring to it.