Every ‘Bones’ Main Character, Ranked by Likability

It’s very impressive that Bones was able to maintain a consistent level of quality throughout its ten-season run. It’s rare to find a show, especially one as popular as Bones, that managed to be on the air for such an extended amount of time without experiencing a significant quality dip. That challenge is even greater for procedural shows like Bones; after a while, the same “case of the week” style mysteries are bound to get stale. However, Bones did a great job at spacing out its major storylines as it introduced some of its main villains. This made Bones feel unique among procedurals, particularly due to how genuinely creepy some of the show’s serial killers could be.

There are many reasons for Bones’ popularity, but above anything else, it’s the characters that made the series so successful. Even in the show’s weaker seasons, the strong performances from Bones’ ensemble made the viewers feel like the employees of the Jeffersonian Institute lived next door. The cast was not consistent throughout the series; it took a few changes to the core lineup of characters for Bones to find its groove. However, the team of characters that the series eventually did assemble were unrivaled by other procedural mysteries. Here is every main character in Bones, ranked.

8 Camille Saroyan

Played by Tamara Taylor

Introduced in the second season as a replacement for Daniel Goodman (Jonathan Adams), Camille served as the head of the forensic division at Jeffersonian Institute. She is essentially the boss of the other characters, even though she develops personal friendships with many of them. Camille’s aura of authority gives her credibility as a pathologist, and commands respect. This means that the other Bones characters look up to her, even though they’re slightly fearful of her position of power.

Camille’s seniority means that she sometimes has to make difficult decisions that other characters don’t have control over. While dealing with this added responsibility is obviously a challenge, it does occasionally cause some friction with characters like Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel). Additionally, Camille’s late insertion into the core cast meant that she missed out on some of the show’s better episodes; she is completely absent from the holiday-themed installment “The Man In The Fallout Shelter,” which provided some interesting insights into other characters.

7 Lance Sweets

Played by John Francis Daley

The psychologist Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) became a series regular after the intern Zack Addy (Eric Millegan) was removed from the core cast. At first, inserting Sweets at the expense of Zack felt like a betrayal, as both characters fulfilled a similar function of adding humor to the series. However, Sweets proved over time to be an invaluable addition to the team. Although his silly sense-of-humor occasionally rubbed Booth the wrong way, the two ended up becoming very close as the series continued. The only issue was that in many instances, Sweets’ role on the frontline of the investigation felt slightly unusual. While his knowledge of psychology helped solve some cases, he wasn’t necessarily needed when Bones and Brennan were analyzing dead bodies.

Sweets was killed off in the show’s tenth season in a move that took many fans off guard; it was sad to see such a beloved character taken away. However, Daley has done pretty well for himself in the aftermath of Bones. He later co-wrote the hit comedy Horrible Bosses with his writing partner Johnathan Goldstein; the pair also directed several comedy films together, including the 2015 legacy sequel Vacation and the underrated fantasy adventure Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

6 Seeley Booth

Played by David Boreanaz

David Boreanaz has had pretty good gigs; he’s been a regular cast member on major primetime series ever since 1997. Following Boreanaz’s run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he starred in its darker spinoff series Angel, which ran for five successful seasons of its own. After Bones’ series finale aired in 2017, Boreanaz began starring in the hit CBS action drama series SEAL Team. Boreanaz has been a staple of heroism for over 25 years!

It’s easy to understand why Boreanaz has been so successful. While Booth is at times a bit of a goofball, he takes his loyalties to the FBI and his relationship with Brennan very seriously. Booth grows a lot over the course of Bones. Initially, he didn’t have much respect for the role of scientists in criminal investigations, as he felt that catching criminals was a more important job. Booth’s romantic relationship with Brennan allows him to see the error in his thinking.

5 Angela Montenegro

Played by Michaela Conlin

Angela Montenegro has a unique position on the team that could be relatable for many audiences. Unlike Booth or Brennan, Angela didn’t have any special training; she was a street artist who only started her position at the Jeffersonian Institute after a request from Brennan. Although Angela doesn’t possess the same knowledge of science and crime that her companions do, her artistic background gives her unique skills.

It’s due to Angela’s background that she is able to relate to some of the victims on an emotional level. She’s also unflinchingly loyal to Brennan, and never gives up on her best friend. Angela has a revolving set of interests, and in earlier seasons of Bones, she had a hard time finding herself. However, Angela’s romantic bond with the entomologist Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) allows her to “settle down” and find a future that she can invest in.

4 James Aubrey

Played by John Boyd

John Boyd’s John Aubrey was introduced in the tenth season of Bones as a regular cast member after the death of Sweets. Similar to Sweets before him, Aubrey faced supersized expectations from viewers, as he was meant to take the place of a fan favorite character. Thankfully, Aubrey’s insertion into the Jeffersonian team never felt inauthentic.

Although he lacks the field experience of some of his companions, Aubrey’s knowledge of FBI field work made him a valuable member of the team. Although Aubrey has done enough assignments to grant him legitimacy as an agent, he is still learning about his job. This allowed the show to make Booth his mentor in the later seasons; this story arc satisfied both characters’ development.

3 Jack Hodgins

Played by T.J. Thyne

The self-described “bug guy” and entomologist on the team, Jack Hodgins is easily one of the most likable characters. Although Hodgins shows just as much dedication as the rest of the team when it comes to solving cases, he finds his research into obscure insects, plants, and microorganisms satisfying in its own right. Joy is a strange thing to find on a crime scene; however, Hodgins is able to satisfy his own personal interests as he uses his scientific knowledge to help Brennan and Booth analyze the victims that they find.

Hodgins’ story takes a dramatic detour in later seasons of Bones; he has to deal with the loss of Zack, and begins a romantic relationship with Angela. Hodgins’ unique skills would theoretically make him the perfect character to star in a spinoff series. However, FOX decided to go in a different direction when they launched the Bones spinoff The Finder, which failed to last more than a single season.

2 Zack Addy

Played by Eric Millegan

Zack is the most tragic character in Bones. He is initially introduced as a bright, charming young intern that gets field experience by working with Brennan. Zack reminds Brennan of herself in many ways; although his knowledge of science is without question, Zack struggles to relate to other characters. His social awkwardness added a generous amount of humor to the series.

Unfortunately, Zack was removed from the show during the third season after he became manipulated by a serial killer known as “Gormogon.” This was a shocking storyline that caught many fans off guard, and it was sad to see Zack make such an early exit from the show. Although he would appear in a few guest roles throughout the rest of the series, Zack missed out on seeing his friends grow older and more mature. However, Zack’s absence did allow Bones to introduce a group of “squintern” characters as his potential replacement, many of whom became fan favorites in their own right.

1 Temperance Brennan

Played by Emily Deschanel

Dr. Temperance Brennan, nicknamed “Bones,” is the namesake of the series. She’s a much different protagonist than the types of male crime solvers that so often appear in procedural shows. Brennan doesn’t seek personal glory when she is solving cases, and doesn’t really consider herself to be a “hero.”

Although Brennan knows more about the human body than any other character in the series, the specificity of human emotions often confuses her. Bones was able to shed more light on the environment that Brennan was raised in through the guest appearances by her father, Max (Ryan O’Neal), a convicted criminal on the run from the authorities.

Bones is streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

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