All 18 Detectives in ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ Ranked
Law & Order: SVU is one of those spin-off series that surprisingly lasted longer than the original. Many actors have started their careers as guest stars on the show and others have made an appearance after their names became well-known in the industry. But just like the audience has seen a long list of guest stars come and go, viewers have also seen many detectives walk in and out of the squad room.
Whether they have left the title of detective behind to go up in their ranks or they are yet to become a detective, everyone who sets foot in that squad room to become part of Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) team will forever be considered an SVU detective by the fans.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Release Date
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September 20, 1999
- Showrunner
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Robert Palm, David J. Bruke, Neal Baer, Warren Leight, Rick Eid, Michael S. Chernuchin, David Graziano
18
Grace Muncy
Portrayed by Molly Burnett
Grace Muncy (Molly Burnett) was part of the SVU squad for one season (18 episodes). She first meets the team when Manhattan has to work a case with the Bronx. It is during that case that Benson sees Muncy’s potential and invites her to join her team. Sadly, it didn’t last long.
Much of Muncy’s storyline was intertwined with Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano). Many believed they were the newer version of Benson and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni), but that partnership didn’t last long as Muncy said goodbye during the Law & Order: SVU Season 24.
17
Chester Lake
Portrayed by Adam Beach
Chester Lake (Adam Beach) joined the show during Season 8 and stayed throughout Season 9, but was gone after 20 episodes. Even though most of the fans will always remember John Munch (Richard Belzer) as Fin Tutuola’s (Ice-T) partner, Lake took that position for the episodes he was around.
While he was on the show, it was revealed that he had been in prison. This made him the only detective who had been imprisoned and convicted of a crime. However, not even this made him popular among fans.
16
Dani Beck
Portrayed by Connie Nielsen
Sadly for Connie Nielsen, she came into Law & Order: SVU to play a character that would end up being hated by the majority of the fandom due to her relationship with Elliot Stabler. Dani Beck showed up during a period of time in which Benson and Stabler weren’t partners, and she took Olivia’s place, which didn’t sit well with some of the viewers.
During Season 8, Beck and Stabler become romantically involved, crossing a line that many wanted to see (and still do) cross between Benson and Stabler. This made Beck one of the most disliked detectives in SVU history. Because she was only on for six episodes, it was also hard for fans to connect with her story.
15
Joe Velasco
Portrayed by Octavio Pisano
After Nick Amaro’s (Danny Pino) departure, Velasco brought back the Latinx essence that the squad room had been missing. He joined during Season 23 per Benson’s boss’s request and has been on the show ever since. However, his journey has been a rocky one, and earning Benson’s trust has proven to be a difficult task.
During Season 24, it was discovered that Velasco was aware of a murder, and Benson made him bring the murderer to justice. This is the only way in which he can prove where his loyalty lies and how he has overcome his past. Hopefully, his storyline will continue to evolve during Season 25.
14
Declan Murphy
Portrayed by Donal Logue
When Declan Murphy (Donal Logue) made his first appearance on Law & Order: SVU, most fans weren’t too happy with him. He was working undercover and before this was revealed, it seemed as if he had it out for Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) after he caught her gambling. However, it is later revealed that he helped her, and thanks to him, she didn’t lose her job.
Murphy has come and gone in and out of the squad room on multiple occasions, always helping Benson’s team on a particular case. But he hasn’t been present much as the father of Rollins’s first daughter, and he is rarely discussed by the team as such.
13
Monique Jeffries
Portrayed by Michelle Hurd
Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd) was on the first two seasons of the show, first floating around with different partners and then becoming Munch’s partner after Brian Cassidy’s (Dean Winters) departure. However, after an incident and a conversation with a therapist, Jeffries is put on desk duty.
Once she realizes that Fin is coming in as her replacement and that there is no chance of getting out of desk duty, she gets extremely upset with Cragen (Dann Florek) and realizes she can no longer work in that squad. Jeffries leaves the show when the character is transferred to Vice.
12
Tonie Churlish
Portrayed by Jasmine Batchelor
Tonie Churlish (Jasmine Batchelor) comes onto the scene during Season 24 when Manhattan SVU has to work with the Bronx to solve a long list of open cases. However, even after Benson and her team return to their usual precinct, Churlish makes another appearance.
At first, fans considered her a snitch because she gave Velasco’s past away, but they understood where she was coming from. Towards the end of the season, Churlish becomes a key participant in several cases, proving that she belongs in SVU and wants to stay.
11
Terry Bruno
Portrayed by Kevin Kane
Just like Churlish, Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) appeared when Benson visited the Bronx SVU. He first paired up with Fin who ended up believing that he would be a great addition to their team back in Manhattan. He made the case to Benson by telling her if she was able to bring a stray (Munch), he should be able to do the same.
Bruno’s sense of humor and attitude are the two things that have stood out the most in the eight episodes he has been a part of. His instincts are usually right, and it seems as if Benson has begun to trust him and his experience.
10
Katriona Tamin
Portrayed by Jamie Gray Hyder
When SVU is working a difficult case that requires a female agent to go undercover, Katriona Tamin (Jamie Gray Hyder) joins the team. As a result of her great work, she joined the squad for 36 episodes between Season 21 and Season 23. However, after having been shot, Kat decides to leave the squad.
Kat made Law & Order: SVU history by becoming the first detective to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She casually mentions to Rollins that she has to choose between a woman and a man for her date that night. Later on, she is seen with a female partner at all events.
9
Brian Cassidy
Portrayed by Dean Winters
Cassidy is one of those characters that has been in and out of the show on multiple occasions. During Season 1, he was Munch’s partner, but his inexperience leads to him leaving the show, but returning in Season 13 and staying through Season 15. He later returned for Season 19 and 20.
At different times throughout the show, Cassidy was Benson’s partner, calling her the love of his life. However, this relationship didn’t work out and things get even more complicated between the two when Cassidy has to investigate Benson for child abuse. His at-times violent personality makes him a not-so-lovable character, but he has grown in the hearts of the audience.
8
Mike Dodds
Portrayed by Andy Karl
Mike Dodds (Andy Karl) joins Benson’s team at his father’s (Peter Gallagher) request. The team wasn’t all too happy to have the chief’s son in the squad room, but Dodds ended up proving he was his own person and an incredible addition to Manhattan SVU. He was on the show for 15 episodes.
Dodds had decided to leave SVU for a different task, but during his final day on the job, he gets shot and is fatally killed by a suspect. For a long time, Benson blamed herself for his death and his father did as well, which caused tension between her and her boss.
7
Dominick Carisi
Portrayed by Peter Scanavino
Even though Dominick Carisi is better known as the current ADA on Law & Order: SVU, he first joined the show during Season 16 as one of the detectives working for Manhattan SVU. While he was finishing his studies to become a lawyer, he partnered with Rollins, who taught him how things worked in SVU, leading to a romantic relationship between the two characters who got married on Season 24 and are expecting a baby.
While he was still a detective, Carisi shadowed ADA Rafael Barba (Raúl Esparza), learning the ropes from him. Even though he might not be everyone’s favorite ADA, Carisi does his best to bring justice to every victim and survivor, and Benson has a lot of faith in him.
6
Nick Amaro
Portrayed by Danny Pino
When Nick Amaro joined Law & Order: SVU in Season 13, he reminded fans of Stabler. The two were married men with children, devoted Catholics, and had anger issues. Just like Stabler, he partnered with Benson and was by her side for four seasons.
During his seasons of the show, it was revealed that Amaro had a son with a woman while he was working undercover. Later on, after an injury on the job, Amaro moves to California with his two children and ends up working for the United States Park Police. Upon his return for the 500th episode of the show, it was revealed that he had gone to graduate school to earn his degree in genetics and forensic science.
5
Amanda Rollins
Portrayed by Kelli Giddish
Amanda Rollins joined the squad shortly after Stabler’s departure, and it took fans a while to adjust to the new dynamics. In the beginning, Rollins seemed to second-guess victims, particularly when a man in a position of power was involved. However, as the seasons went on, she figured out her own personal issues and how that was affecting her perspective on the victims.
During Season 24, fans were surprised to learn Giddish was going to exit Law & Order: SVU after 12 seasons. She had become a fan-favorite detective who the audience had grown to love through all her struggles, becoming a mother, and eventually marrying Carisi. To this day, she is still missed by many and the Season 24 finale gave fans hope for her return.
4
John Munch
Portrayed by Richard Belzer
Munch has always been a fan-favorite character thanks to his humor, his troublesome past with many ex-wives, and his witty comebacks. When Cragen wasn’t around, it was he who was in charge and had to do his best to keep the squad in order. It was also he who mentored Amaro and showed him how things worked in SVU.
What he is mostly known for and remembered for is the fact that he was Fin’s oldest partner. The two worked really well together, and he also helped Fin get adjusted to SVU. His last appearance was in Season 17 when he babysat Olivia’s son and the two of them talked about what it was like to work in SVU.
3
Elliot Stabler
Portrayed by Christopher Meloni
Elliot Stabler’s departure after the Season 12 finale was probably the one the fans struggled with the most. He had been a key player on the show for over a decade and his partnership with Benson was the glue that kept the show going for a very long time. In Season 12, he is last seen after shooting a teenage girl who opened fire in the squad room, and fans find out he is gone when Cragen shares the news with Benson.
However, Meloni returned in Season 22 and the reunion with Hargitay made many fans happy. The death of his wife and the search for the man responsible led to Stabler having his own show: Law & Order: Organized Crime. But even though he has been back for three seasons, fans are still waiting for him and Benson to finally get together.
2
Odafin Tutuola
Portrayed by Ice-T
When Fin joined the show in Season 2, his character brought much of Ice-T’s attitude and persona to the series. As the seasons went by, fans got to learn more about this character’s life, giving him a personality beyond the actor. He had an ex-wife, a dead mother, and a gay son, and Munch was his partner for the longest time.
After Stabler’s departure, Fin becomes Benson’s most loyal friend and partner, having her back at all times. Even when Stabler returned, he was still on Benson’s side, making sure she was okay. Another important partnership in his life was the one with Rollins, whom he took care of as a sister.
1
Olivia Benson
Portrayed by Mariska Hargitay
Olivia Benson is undeniably the heart and soul of Law & Order: SVU. She is the longest-running character on TV and has been on the show since Season 1. Fans have witnessed Benson’s personal and professional growth for over two decades, leading to her being in charge of the squad and adopting a son (making her dream of becoming a mom a reality).
She is the voice of reason and empathy that the victims need during the worst days of their lives and has remained consistent in trying to give them justice and closure. Benson has even stood up to her bosses, making it very clear that she is only there for the victims, and she won’t let anyone get in her way. It is this attitude that has made her the fan-favorite character.
