The brilliant buddy detective comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of the most diverse police shows to date. Each of the detectives, along with their sergeant, precinct secretary, and captain captivated fans with current events balanced with comedy, personal growth, and good old-fashioned police work each week. Every member of the squad has a trademark that becomes a running joke throughout the show. Whether it’s Michael Hitchcock taking his shirt off at any given moment or Amy Santiago getting the team back to New York from the Midwest with 19 hours to spare, the quirks that may drive others crazy sometimes have redeeming and positive outcomes, especially in a heist situation.



Some of the best Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes were during the elaborate Halloween/Holiday Heists. Created by Detective Jake Peralta, played by Andy Samberg, as a means to quickly get through the squad’s Halloween shift, the heists evolved into a diabolical plot to be crowned “The Most Amazing Genius/Human” for the year. One of the running jokes throughout the show is the highly debated winner of the most heists, though it’s usually Amy and Holt passionately debating this. Considering the aforementioned trademarks, here’s how we determine which detective on the squad is the most amazing genius/human.

9 Michael Hitchcock

One of the more seasoned detectives, he is one of the resident desk jockeys at the stations. With six ex-wives and two lovers, Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker), is one of the worst humans. He makes a variety of inappropriate comments to Rosa and Amy, more so to Amy than anyone else. Whenever the squad has their briefings, he is either making an inappropriate comment or referring to Jake as his best friend. Despite his consistent need to take off his shirt, he has several redeeming qualities. First, in an old case, he and Scully helped keep track of a former crime witness by eating at the restaurant where she worked once a week. He is also a fierce friend to partner Scully, often defending and supporting him.

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8 Norm Scully

Scully, played by Joel McKinnon Miller, is possibly the sweetest human of the squad. He has been on the force as long as his partner, Hitchcock, and is also a desk jockey, though he differs from his partner in many ways. First, he is always ready to go home, but is not looking to retire. Second, he actually enjoys police work and has helped solve more cases than Hitchcock. Finally, he is appropriate for every occasion, even singing opera at several private and public gatherings. He is the sweetest of the squad due to his ability to find any unused space and turn it into a comfortable sleeping area. When Gina, Captain Holt’s assistant, returns from maternity leave, Scully gives up his nap room for Gina to pump privately and rest.

7 Charles Boyle

The resident foodie and best friend to Jake, Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) is the most unique of the squad. His love of food transcends the French and Italian cuisines popular among American foodies. In fact, Charles’ food takes and opinions are not only unique but contribute to his overall charm. Not only does he have interesting culinary opinions, his family is just as peculiar. He is also super close to his father and makes questionable remarks about their relationship. While he isn’t the best or brightest detective on the squad, he has a heart of gold and always brings his A-game to solving crimes. At one point, he even begins to outperform Jake on cases they work together.

6 Sergeant Terry Jeffords

One of the most dedicated fathers and husbands, Sgt. Terry Jeffords, portrayed by Terry Crews, is the most lovable of the squad. Despite his super-human exterior, he is the station’s resident dad. He often cleans up Jake’s messes on cases and is even in charge of him for an episode as a punishment for Jake. While Jake calls Captain Holt “dad” on several occasions, Terry often acts like the dad figure to Jake throughout the series, yelling “WHY?” at many of Jake’s antics. Terry also is the most vulnerable of the squad, confronting many issues within policing. During the annual heists, he tells the squad he is not participating, only to be part of the heist the entire time. The reason Terry is the most lovable is due to all the things he loves, but what Terry loves most of all, more than even yogurt, is his wife and their three beautiful daughters.

5 Amy Santiago

Detective turned sergeant turned captain, Amy Santiago (played by Melissa Fumero) is the most organized in the squad. As the nerdiest detective, Amy tends to get overexcited about anything pertaining to binders, procedures, seminars, and Captain Holt. She has the worst dancing skills, but has the most personality shifts when drinking. In addition to her superior organizing skills, she is just as competitive as Jake, often betting him and others on the squad that she can win. Sgt. Jeffords tells Captain Holt that her competitiveness comes from having six brothers in the pilot episode, something she herself admits to in later episodes.

Related: Here’s What Makes Brooklyn Nine-Nine a Groundbreaking Comedy Series

4 Jake Peralta

Undeniably the best Andy Samberg comedy role, Jake Peralta is one of the top contenders for being the most amazing genius/human of the squad. As the squad’s golden boy, Jake solves the most cases and is also the most reliable when on a case. He is a dedicated public servant and fierce friend to Boyle, his academy partner Rosa, and childhood friend Gina. Though he takes a while to admit to his underlying feelings, he eventually comes around to confessing. Jake also has a difficult relationship with his father and on many occasions refers to Captain Holt and his husband Kevin Cozner as his two dads. On one occasion, Jake witnesses Kevin admitting that he may want to leave his marriage, which causes Jake to wedge himself into their marriage and solve the problem. While Jake isn’t the most amazing genius/human on the squad, he is the most immature and fun-loving.

3 Captain Raymond Holt

The first openly gay police captain in NYC, Raymond Hold (Andre Braugher), is well deserved of being in the top three of most amazing genius/humans. As the first openly gay police captain, he is direct but firm with his rules, something that irks Jake. He is married to a Classics professor at Columbia University named Kevin Cozner, portrayed by Marc Evan Jackson, with whom he owns a corgi named Cheddar. Both Kevin and Cheddar make a variety of appearances, especially in heist episodes. Holt also has the most epic rivalry with a fellow police Captain Madeline Wuntch. Throughout their rivalry, Holt rarely refers to her by her name but as a creature of some kind. He also has the incredible talent for making balloon arches. Yet one of the reasons he is in the top three for most amazing genius/human is due to his ability to see each of his squad’s strengths and pushes them to be better detectives and sergeants.

2 Gina Linetti

The human form of the 100 emoji ranks number two of the most amazing geniuses/humans on Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Ms. Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti). She isn’t a cop, but she is one of the most vital teammates. While she does have a mean streak, she is vastly aware of who she is and what she wants. She doesn’t do her initial job well, but with a little push from Holt, she is able to reach for the stars and become an influencer. Gina speaks the truth even if it makes people angry or uncomfortable. This is one reason she is the second contender of the squad. Additionally, she has some of the best entrances and exits. She may seem dramatic, but she is one of the most confident members of the squad. One of her most redeeming qualities, even though she doesn’t like to show it, is that once she cares about you, she is fiercely loyal.

1 Rosa Diaz

Possibly the most badass amazing genius/human of the squad is Detective Rosa Diaz, portrayed by Stephanie Beatriz. She is cooler than cool and tougher than tough. She often keeps a straight face and is revered as the scariest of the squad. Her love of weapons and threats of violence towards others only cements her tough exterior. Of course, she begins to soften up and becomes more vulnerable, especially with Charles Boyle who once had a massive crush on her. Perhaps her most significant arc is when she comes out at bisexual. Eventually, Rosa leaves the police force and becomes a private investigator, fighting against the corruption of the police force with the entirety of the Nine-Nine behind her, as outlined by Vanity Fair. Should any detective deserve the ultimate title of most amazing genius/human, it is Private Investigator Rosa Diaz.