Ranking Characters Of The Wire: The Streets
3. Preston 'Bodie' Broadus
An incredibly tragic character, Bodie had been in the drug trade since he was 13 years old. Just a pawn in a larger game and a loyal soldier for the Barksdale organisation, Bodie went through a transformation of maturity during his time on the show.
When first introduced to him in Season One, Bodie is a violent and aggressive young man who eventually kills his close friend Wallace on the orders of Stringer Bell. From that point, Bodie rises through the ranks of the Barksdale organisation before things begin to change. Stringer dies, the Barksdale organisation disintegrates and Marlo Stanfield brings death and mayhem to Baltimore.
In a moment of reflection with Jimmy McNulty, Bodie points out "I feel old". Bodie is a fantastic representation of the stolen youth that this life encapsulates. Bodie grew up too fast and now he's feeling the end come for him after no longer than 20 years of life. Bodie never wanted the kind or power or control that Avon or Marlo coveted, he was just a soldier and knew nothing else.
His dynamics with McNulty and Carver showcased the kind of maturity Bodie experienced as he began to develop a form of mutual respect between he and the officers he previously fought with. Bodie's eventual death was a sad commentary on the youth that are consumed by this world.