The Criminal Minds Character That Fans Think Was The Best Developed

Fans of the popular CBS drama "Criminal Minds" love the well-written cast of fictional FBI criminal profilers as much as watching how the team catches tough-to-find serial criminals. In fact, fans have come to expect the cast of highly skilled analysts – which has changed a bit over the years – to have as good of a personal story arc as a penchant for getting into the minds of the killers that they're tasked with tracking down.

From the time "Criminal Minds" began in 2005 to its recent conclusion (the show was brought back for its final and 15th season in 2020, per Pop Culture), fans have been pretty quick to pick their favorite character, especially in terms of which ones they think are well-developed and which ones could have used some work.

Curious about how fans on Reddit seem to feel about how well-developed the various characters on the hit show have been over the years? Well, we've got the lowdown on the "Criminal Minds" character that fans think was the best developed.

According to a recent Reddit poll titled "who was the best-developed character?," the "Criminal Minds" character fans generally think is the most well-developed is Dr. Spencer "Spence" Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler). Reid, according to Fandom, is a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and is basically the team's go-to genius, thanks to his broad expanse of knowledge and excellent memory through the entirety of the show.

Over the years, fans learn about the hurdles Reid faced in his past, including dealing with his father leaving, his mother's mental illness, and the severe bullying he suffered in his youth. While still somewhat socially awkward, Reid proves his worth time and again as a core member of the profiling team. Seeing how successful Reid has been despite the obstacles of his younger years is no doubt part of why fans think he's the most well-developed character on the show.

Those who have been watching "Criminal Minds" from the beginning have also become familiar with Spencer Reid's various quirks. For instance, the character typically avoids using modern technology and he has a hard time expressing emotion, and there have been hints dropped that he may suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder or some form of minor autism. This attention to detail has undoubtedly endeared Reid to fans.

In fact, Reid blew the competition away on the Reddit poll, receiving 161 out of 264 votes – the most by a wide margin. As one fan wrote, "Definitely Reid. His character was stereotypical at first, but was fleshed out amazingly throughout the series." A different Redditor, however, couldn't decide between Reid and another option as the best-developed "Criminal Minds" character, writing, "Reid and JJ definitely. ... Plus they looked so different season 1 vs 15."

We can't wait to re-watch the whole show for a better appreciation of Matthew Gray Gubler's famous character!