Dexter: Every Main Character Ranked Worst To Best
7. María LaGuerta
![Dexter Hannah McKay](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2019/07/a27489783202f747-600x338.jpeg)
The series' most professionally ambitious figure, LaGuerta is an ingenious political player. Sadly, her mastery of the game doesn't apply to actual police work. Ferocious in her drive to land every promotion on offer, she even sleeps with rival, Esme Pascal's fiancé in order to emotionally break the new lieutenant. Considering LaGuerta's demise, it's safe to say she probably regretted her treatment of Debra, something that was consistently unpleasant throughout the series.
LaGuerta's investigation of Dexter is one of the more thrilling components of the later seasons. In a nice callback to her friendship with Doakes, LaGuerta finally takes the investigative side of her work seriously. There's several sharp, dramatic moments between her and Dexter (a guy she once had a little thing for no less). It's in many ways the creative peak of the character with her death being the last good shock of the series.
While LaGuerta's character development was mostly consistent, there were a few scattershot moments. Her sudden relationship with Batista is only matched by the sudden nature of their divorce. Ultimately rather pointless for both characters, it appeared the writers didn't know what to do with either character. Played with a suitable dose of venom by Lauren Vélez, the actress manages to inject the often unsympathetic character with humanity and poise.