The Criminal Minds Main Character Who Would Make The Best Unsub

Over the course of the show's 15 seasons, "Criminal Minds" has featured quite a few unique and capable criminals that have kept the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit on their toes. A couple of the most memorable are Tobias Hankel (James Van Der Beek), who kidnaps and tortures Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) leading to PTSD and drug addiction, and Ian Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy), who has a personal history with Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) that drives his need for revenge, but there are certainly more. But no matter how skilled or adaptable the killers may be, the BAU always catches them in the end, showing that even the most intelligent criminals out there can't outsmart this FBI team. But what if the roles were reversed?

While events in "Criminal Minds" drive the agents to do commit some violent acts over the years, no one ever goes completely dark and becomes a criminal themselves. But consider if the BAU team were the killers being hunted by a talented team of FBI agents. Who would be the most capable unsub, able to evade capture for many years? It's a good question, and one person decided to bring it to the fans, asking them "Who would make the best unsub?" While there are many names mentioned along with great reasoning, there is one FBI agent who is definitely the top choice, and you might be able to guess who it is. 

Maybe you saw this one coming, but in the poll on Reddit asking "Criminal Minds" fans to pick which character would be the best unsub, Reid is the clear winner with over 500 votes. While fans could reference how easy it was for Cat Adams (Aubrey Plaza) and Lindsey Vaughn (Gia Mantegna) to frame Reid and have some FBI agents thinking that he's capable of murder, it's Reid's intelligence and analytical thinking that proves how successful he would be if he decided to leave the FBI behind for life of crime. One fan, u/sammysummer, said that "If Reid went full unsub, with his intelligence and areas of expertise, he would be difficult to catch." Other's referenced his knowledge of killer psychology and the concept of an MO (Modus Operandi), and how he could easily orchestrate a scheme that other members of the team would be unable to figure out. 

Besides Reid, the other character who "Criminal Minds" fans seem to agree would be a talented criminal is Prentiss. U/GlitchingGecko said, "I feel Emily's the only one detached enough who could successfully do it long term. I could see her as a hitman or assassin for hire." Many other fans had similar comments, focusing on how she "just has this calm about her as well as many connections" from her time at Interpol, which would allow her to control her emotions and dodge the FBI and other authorities with ease. Other agents like Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) are also mentioned and got quite a few votes, but Reid and Prentiss are the obvious winners.