The Rookie’s 10 Best Villains, Ranked

One of The Rookie's strengths has always been developing interesting and complex villains (even though the show has had a few misses), with some who clearly stand out from the rest. The ABC police procedural series is, at its core, a typical crime drama. It started with an intriguing premise (a middle-aged rookie facing hardships within the Los Angeles Police Department). But now that Nathan Fillion's John Nolan is an established officer, The Rookie has gone back to the basics. However, a few elements make The Rookie stand out from other cop shows, including its humor, dynamic cast, and well-developed villains.

Of course, ABC's show has had its fair share of antagonists over the course of its six seasons, ranging from criminals who only stick around for one episode to villains with in-depth arcs that taunt the cast of The Rookie for several episodes (and sometimes seasons). The bad guys who appear in multiple episodes are the ones who leave a lasting mark on the series, pushing them ahead of the others. However, the greatest villains are the most sinister and the ones who are the biggest threats to Nolan, Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford, Angela Lopez, Nyla Harper, and the other characters.

10Jason Wyler

Played By Steve Kazee

This Rookie villain is a little more low-key than the others, but Steve Kazee's Jason Wyler's connection to one main character instantly makes his story more interesting. Jason was introduced during the season 4 midseason finale when he approached Nolan and Bailey at a restaurant, making it clear that he knew Bailey. Jason revealed himself to be Bailey's husband, but the truth was more complicated than that. Kazee's character was a con artist who psychologically abused Bailey, and she escaped him when he went to prison. Unfortunately, Jason was set free early, and he put his target on Bailey and Nolan.

Jason planted drugs in Bailey's car, leading to her arrest. However, Nolan later caught Jason, and he was sent back to prison. Kazee only appeared in four episodes (three in season 4 and one in season 6), but his character's story seemingly isn't over yet. During the season 6 finale of The Rookie, Jason and fellow inmate Oscar Hutchinson broke out of prison with the outside help of Monica Stevens. He told Oscar he would head back to Los Angeles, likely to seek revenge. So, Jason's villain arc should continue when The Rookie season 7 premieres.

9Abril Rodas

Played By Gigi Zumbado

Abril Rodas had a lot of potential to be a great villain, and while she was, The Rookie certainly underused her character. Nevertheless, La Fiera's right-hand woman and eventual successor evaded the LAPD for a long while and caused a lot of chaos during her time on the ABC procedural show. The Rookie season 4 introduced Abril as La Fiera's Chief of Security, and when Angela Lopez shot and killed La Fiera during the premiere, Abril assumed her former boss' position as the leader of the cartel. So, just when they got rid of one enemy, the main characters gained another.

Unfortunately, ABC made the mistake of ending Abril's storyline on The Rookie: Feds instead of featuring her death on the parent series. Abril's passing wasn't the most upsetting The Rookie character death, but those who didn't watch the spinoff wouldn't have even known her fate. Despite the writers' mistakes with her villainous arc, Abril was fun to watch, especially when she and Elijah Stone (a rival cartel leader) went head-to-head, with Abril coming out on top (until Elijah ratted her out).

8Doug Stanton

Played By Brandon Routh

Brandon Routh's Officer Doug Stanton is probably the most difficult villain to watch in The Rookie as his story came at a time when police brutality was at the forefront of many conversations. Stanton temporarily became Jackson West's training officer when Angela Lopez was promoted to detective, and Jackson immediately sensed something was off with him. Routh's Rookie character constantly racially profiled people of color and took advantage of his power position to exact his beliefs.

Jackson became determined to strip Routh's role of his badge, and after a few hiccups (like Stanton finding out about Jackson's schemes), the younger officer was finally able to catch him in The Rookie season 3, episode 5. When a group of criminals beat Jackson up badly, Stanton didn't intervene and walked away, waiting until they left Jackson bloody and bruised on the ground to run to him. Stanton's body camera caught the entire thing, though, leading to his suspension. Unfortunately, Stanton was eventually reinstated, but not before Jackson exposed Stanton's true self to his new division.

7Oscar Hutchinson

Played By Matthew Glave

Oscar Hutchinson is, without a doubt, the funniest and most persistent villain in The Rookie. Matthew Glave's character was introduced way back in season 1 when a prisoner transport bus crashed, and Oscar escaped. Angela Lopez and Jackson West later found and apprehended Oscar, and he has been a nuisance (but also a somewhat helpful informant given his extensive inside knowledge) to Nolan and the other LAPD officers ever since. Unlike any of the other major antagonists, Oscar has appeared in all six seasons of The Rookie, and given the season 6 finale, his schemes are far from over.

Oscar has been in prison for decades, serving multiple violent felonies. If he hadn't escaped at the end of The Rookie season 6, Oscar likely would have stayed there until the day he died. As mentioned above, Oscar has helped Nolan and the LAPD on numerous occasions, but he also once stabbed Wesley Evers, so his bad side easily trumps his benevolent one. Only time will tell what Oscar will do with his newfound freedom, and if the police will ever catch him.

6Elijah Stone

Played By Brandon Jay McLaren

Elijah Stone, played by Brandon Jay McLaren, is yet another menacing The Rookie villain who seemingly never goes away for good. Wesley turned to Elijah, a cartel leader, during the season 4 premiere to help find Angela Lopez, and when he pulled through, Wesley was in the criminal's debt. Wesley became Elijah's dirty lawyer, and Elijah often reminded Wesley that if he ever went against him, the drug cartel leader would target his family. Eventually, Wesley came clean about the situation to Angela, and together, they worked to take Elijah down. Unfortunately, it took them longer than expected.

The LAPD arrested Elijah, but the DA's office couldn't present a good enough case to send him to prison. So, Elijah was set free and picked up where he left off. After tireless work to apprehend Elijah, Angela and the LAPD finally do so towards season 5's end. However, Elijah met Oscar Hutchinson when he arrived in prison, and the ABC TV show implied that the two would work together in the future. Oscar later escaped without Elijah, though, so, it's unclear whether the writers are done with the villain or if The Rookie season 7's big story promise includes McLaren's return.

5Caleb Wright

Played By Michael Cassidy

Caleb Wright was only around for a couple of episodes of the police procedural series, but the antagonist made the best of his time. Michael Cassidy portrayed Caleb in two of the best episodes of The Rookie — "The Dark Side" and "Day of Death." At first, Caleb seemed like a normal guy that Lucy Chen met at a bar. But by the end of The Rookie season 2, episode 10, it was clear that he was anything but normal. Caleb drugged and kidnapped Lucy, revealing that he was Rosalind Dyer's protégé (despite himself insisting he was her equal).

Following in his mentor's footsteps, Caleb forced Lucy into a barrel (after tattooing her day of death onto her abdomen), which he closed and buried in the desert in The Rookie season 2, episode 11. The LAPD later found Caleb, and Nolan fatally shot the villain when he pointed a gun at the officer. Thankfully, even with the psychopath dead, Tim and the others were able to find and save Lucy. Although he was regarded as a low-budget version of Rosalind, Caleb was terrifying in his own right, reminding viewers that people with pretty faces can be evil too.

4Monica Stevens

Played By Bridget Regan

Monica Stevens is one of The Rookie's most complicated villains. She works as a lawyer, but her clients are typically guilty criminals, and her harsh exterior and aloof behavior have caused many characters to dislike her. Of course, Monica is also a dirty lawyer (who previously worked for Elijah Stone and was engaged to Wesley Evers), so, that doesn't help her reputation. Since season 5, Monica has been building an empire, slowly building her power as an antagonist in The Rookie.

Monica will likely return as a villain in The Rookie season 7 as she successfully fled from the crime scene in Argentina during the season 6 finale. Bridget Regan's character is in the wind, and the writers must bring her back to give her a satisfying conclusion. Monica's story arc has been a bit disappointing because, while she has the potential to be the best Rookie villain, the writers haven't given her the space to do so. Perhaps that will change in season 7, though.

3La Fiera

Played By Camille Guaty

Sandra de la Cruz, better known as La Fiera, was a complex villain that some viewers couldn't help but root for at times. La Fiera was the leader of a powerful drug cartel from Guatemala introduced in The Rookie season 3. She formed a complicated connection with Angela Lopez as La Fiera's teenage son was the most important thing to her and Angela was pregnant. Nevertheless, La Fiera was a criminal, and her strange bond with Angela couldn't last forever.

A rival cartel killed La Fiera's son, leading to a vicious drug war in Los Angeles. Angela eventually arrested La Fiera during the season 3 finale, but her connections ran too deep. La Fiera's men broke her out of a prison transport van and subsequently kidnapped Angela at her wedding. Sadly, the season 4 premiere of The Rookie revealed that Jackson West was killed by La Fiera's men while trying to save Angela. Heartbroken over his death, the officers rallied to find Angela. Their search led them to Guatemala, where they successfully saved Angela, who shot and killed La Fiera before escaping.

2Nick Armstrong

Played By ‎Harold Perrineau

Nick Armstrong is undoubtedly one of The Rookie's best villains because many didn't know he was an antagonist until season 2's end. ‎Harold Perrineau's detective character first appeared in season 2's second episode when he partnered with John Nolan on a case. The two men bonded during their time together and formed a friendship. Armstrong would pop in and out over the course of The Rookie season 2, and given his friendly demeanor, it was hard to conclude his villain status. However, that would all change in episode 19.

Nolan learned that Armstrong was the mole working for the Derian crime family they had been searching for. This big villain twist in The Rookie devastated Nolan as he felt hurt and betrayed by Armstrong's deceit. To rub salt even deeper into the wound, Armstrong framed Nolan as the mole, resulting in a cliffhanger finale with the police arriving at Nolan's door. The Rookie season 3 began with Armstrong, who had been previously shot by Nolan, accusing Nolan of his own crimes. By the hour's end, though, Armstrong's lies caught up to him, and he was eventually shot and killed.

1Rosalind Dyer

Played By Annie Wersching

It's hard to argue against the fact that Rosalind Dyer is The Rookie's best villain simply because she is. Annie Wersching was terrific as the cold, brutal serial killer who worked hard to satisfy her desire to kill and taunt the LAPD. Rosalind, a convict, was introduced in season 2, episode 10. The characters were tasked with assisting the killer to locate the remains of her other victims, which Rosalind agreed to if they commuted her death sentence to life in prison. However, during their search, Nolan and the others discovered that Rosalind had a protégé carrying out her work after her incarceration.

Although she was in prison, Rosalind haunted Nolan, Lucy Chen, and the other characters as the seasons continued. During The Rookie season 5 premiere, Rosalind escaped custody and wouldn't be found until three episodes later. Rosalind set a trap for Bailey Nune in episode 4, and to save her, Nolan had to meet with Rosalind alone. He did so, and when he arrived, Rosalind gave Nolan a proposition — kill her, or she'd kill Bailey. Not wanting to murder someone in cold blood, Nolan refused, but it didn't matter because a sniper ultimately shot and killed Rosalind in The Rookie season 5.