Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Every Character Ranked Worst To Best

It's a close call between Jake and Captain Holt, but in the end it's the captain who takes the cake. Now, on paper, Holt shouldn't really work: An emotionless, by the books cop who gets caught up in the chaos of the 99 precinct, he sounds almost too pure and rule-following to fit in with the bigger personalities on the show.

But that's exactly what makes Holt so great. Andre Braugher brings class, strength and impeccable comic timing to the role, which under any other actor threatened to fall painfully flat. Holt is incredibly intelligent and strong, having grown to the rank of captain despite the racism and homophobia in his way, and Braugher captures his struggles and idiosyncracies beautifully.

Jake may be the protagonist of the show, but Holt is the character who set Brooklyn Nine-Nine apart from the competition. Between his progressive role as a Black, gay police captain in an interracial marriage (a groundbreaking TV romance) and his hilariously expressionless responses to those around him, Ray Holt is the best character of them all without fault.

Here's to hoping his story gets a well-drawn conclusion.