Let's type the characters in "Criminal Minds"

[NegativeZero]

I've wanted to discuss this for SO long! Let's get it going, shall we? I'm not even going to preface anything!

Aaron Hotchner - INTJ. He has a lot of Te and it's often used to express what his Ni has noticed. He is also very goal-oriented and constantly has a plan. He is cold and not much fun. Seems very INTJ-ish to me.

David Rossi - ExTJ. I can't decide if he's an intuitive or a sensor, but the rest is all fairly obvious to me. Prentiss describes him as a "fussy, anal retentive neat feak," and describes how organized and specific his notes are. The Te is very clear, and his strong Te is why he is frequently seen cooperating with Hotch. I lean toward him being a sensor. He is clearly an extrovert.

Derek Morgan - ESTP. The badass of the group! He's hands on, suave, talkative, genuine, and great with people. He's observant and witty. Morgan is one of my favorite members of the team because he is so charming. I will not accept him as an ENTP; if you have him typed as such, I'd be interested in hearing why.

Dr. Spencer Reid - INTP. The most blatant INTP in existence. I don't even need to make an argument for this. I've seen him typed as INTJ before and it simply isn't so! He is definitely TiNe, not the inverse opposite.

Emily Prentiss - ExFJ. I literally have no clue on this one. I want to type her as an ESFJ, but I can't imagine an ESFJ doing her sort of job. Whatever she is, the Fe is pretty apparent to me. She wants desperately to be liked and accepted... that screams of Fe. She's also very loyal.

Penelope Garcia - INFJ. Another blatant one. She strives to be unique and an individual. She is sensitive. Her Fe shines through often. She is weird and appreciates weirdness. She's very smart. I don't think much of an argument needs to be made here. Obvious INFJ is obvious.

Jennifer Jareau - ESFJ. Could her character get ANYMORE boring? I have no idea what to type her. I remember in the first two episodes I watched I was thinking she was an INFP. How wrong I was! Maybe JJ fans can help me out here. Out of all the people in the group, she is definitely the strongest sensor, so I don't think I'd accept an intuitive typing.

 

[Hive]

I always saw Hotchner as ISTJ; Gideon was the INTJ.

Morgan - Not much logic here, more of a humanistic empath, comforting and urge people to do what is "right", not to mention temperamental. ESFJ.
Garcia - Not INFJ. Try ENFP. Obvious extravert.

 

[colourscientist]

i think i've been compared to emily as an INTP... maybe it's more to do with e-types.

 

[NegativeZero]

I always saw Hotchner as ISTJ; Gideon was the INTJ.

Morgan - Not much logic here, more of a humanistic empath, comforting and urge people to do what is "right", not to mention temperamental. ESFJ.
Garcia - Not INFJ. Try ENFP. Obvious extravert.

Not an extrovert. INFJs are quite frequently mistaken for extroverts since Fe is a distinct and common social quality. If you ask me, she prefers to be by herself and her job alone tells me that. Also, where did you get perceiver from? She seems very organized and specific about how she has her computer systems set up. I'm also curious about where you get Fi from... I've always seen Fe in her behavior.

I would accept Hotch as an ISTJ, but his openness to go a little bit outside of the barriers of the rules makes me stray away from an SJ typing. When it comes down to it, we're really just debating Si or Ni; his Te seems obvious to me. He's a "play by the rules" kind of guy until it threatens his loved ones or impedes upon his team.

I don't know how you got Morgan as an ESFJ! He is frequently using Se, rapidly taking in information and then using it to find the bad guy or to add crucial information to a profile. I have a hard time believing he's FeSi when the show seems to say SeTi. I think being humanistic or empathetic does not make you an F. We're all human and we all have emotions. Believing things are right or wrong does also not make you a feeler. The guy is pretty laid-back for a J.

 

[10blackroses]

I'm about halfway through season 2, so I can only type the characters I've seen so far (no Rossi), but here are my guesses:

Gideon: INFJ. I can understand why people would type him as an INTJ, as he seems to be the mastermind of the group, but all in all I think he's too empathetic. Unlike Hotch, he considers the unsubs to be people with completely warped senses of right and wrong, and not simply as a problem or a challenge. xNFJs are driven by a desire to make the world a better place, as is Gideon.

Hotch: ISTJ. Serious and business-oriented, always making sure things are on track. I don't think he's an N, as he seems driven by his sense of order and the application of systems to everything rather than a theoretical fascination for each case.

Greenaway: ENTJ. Elle is a tough-minded person, always up for new challenges and preferring something to happen rather than being idle. I could also see her as ENTP; however, she seems just a little too neat for it.

Prentiss: ENFJ. A softer version of Elle, basically. I haven't seen many episodes with her, but I still think it's safe to type her as a Judging Extravert, probably an N because she appears to be looking for the "whole" of things instead of every detail concerned, and most likely a Feeler because she is, as I said, softer than the thinkers of the show.

Reid: I agree that there is absolutely no way that he could be an INTJ; however, he seems to me as the team member who gets the most emotionally involved with the cases. I've chosen to attribute his alienation to being more than one third smarter than his colleagues. Anybody on a very different IQ level than others, either much higher or much lower, would seem clueless to "normal" people because their brains are just programmed differently. Intelligence doesn't make anyone a Thinker, even if, statistically, more Thinkers are exceptionally intelligent than Feelers. Don't shoot me, but I've chosen to type him as INFP.

Morgan: ESTP. He is the muscle of the team, probably the most socially intelligent of the men (JJ might surpass him), and usually the one with the most "hands on" approach.

Garcia: ENFP. She is not an Introvert, she's simply a computer wiz whose talents require her to be solitary most of the time; however, she enjoys socializing with her colleagues and appears to welcome every chance to chat with people.

JJ: This is a tough one, but she strikes me as a social butterfly, so I'm going to go with ESFP.

Will be back with my thoughts on Rossi when he shows up

 

[Amargith]

I like your lists, except for the following:

Garcia is so ENFP it hurts. Yes, she spends her time on the internet, but the internet is a mighty chatty place and it is ideally suited to her specialty: digging up information and patterns. Aka Ne galore! Her Fi is what makes her so close to Morgan, and so worried about everyone. She feels safe, at home and cared for by those few individuals in her team and loves and treasures them in return. Her happy go lucky behavior, coupled with her quirky clothes and her sensitivity to the reality of what the team faces on a daily basis are classic ENFP. While her skills are invaluable, it is her nature, her innocence, her fragility and her bleeding heart that serves as an anchor for the team to not lose touch with their humanity in their line of work, as she acts like a mirror, a conduit to their own buried feelings in the line of professional duty. In her very own innocent way, she (along with JJ) keeps the team emotionally afloat, undoing the numbing which otherwise would take place.

Oh and her organization is tertiary Te! Computers are her homeworld, those have got to be maximized in efficiency
Check her desk though...cluttered in nic-nacs and papers everywhere! Also, compare to JJ: she organizes the lives of people around her, Garcia sticks to her tools, not the team. In fact, she often, with her bleeding heart, causes chaos there (for their own good )

JJ i think is ISFJ. Subdued in energy, take charge when need be, sometimes annoyingly logical, always accommodating and ready to mommy everyone who needs it. She does the stuff (especially in the beginning of the series) that ties up loose ends, and that other people dont take note of, to keep the operation running smoothly. Her people skills and calming influence make her perfect for the job of press liaison and the sensitive nature of their job. I'd say say Prentiss is indeed ESFJ and the difference between her and JJ is subtle but clear. JJ is less on the foreground, less assuming as such which also is due to their job descriptions as Prentiss goes after the bad guys while JJ soothes those involved in the situation: bystanders, the press, victim family members, effectively clearing the way for the team to do their job.

Prentiss I would say is ESFJ. The reason she does this job is coz she is a modern woman who is raised on the values of ambition, contribution to society and righting wrongs in the world, and wants to prove herself as a competent woman who can do a tough job. A tough cookie on the outside, with a nurturing heart, adept at her job and a definite team player.

Elle The woman Prentiss was meant to sub for. And, I think she is the same type with the same role in the show as Prentiss. A bit harsher perhaps, but with the same values and the same drives. I dont see the N or the TJ in her though I did consider briefly ESTP for her. She aint a bulldozer, or impersonal enough in her approach to be NTJ, I feel. She is ambitious, driven, out to right wrongs and professional. But when I compare her to Prentiss and Morgan, I'd say she is trying to be like Morgan (tough!) but is ESFJ like Prentiss.

 

[10blackroses]

Agreed, my typing of JJ can clearly be reconsidered. She is very organized, so I can agree to switch my P with a J; however, I don't really agree with your typing her as an introvert. One can argue that she is less outgoing when working hands on with a case - but after all, her field (initially, at least) is how to deal with the press, which seems to me as a very E thing to specialize in.

When it comes to Elle, I can perhaps agree that she might be a Sensor. I can't really see the F in her though; she deliberately taunts suspects, like Morgan does and which I can't see a Feeler doing, and she appears to be in the game to catch the bad guys, instead of helping the victims. Her skills at questioning victims come from the fact that she is perceived as less threatening than her male colleagues, not that she actually is less threatening. All in all, she could be ESTJ.

 

[Frosty]

Hotch: INTJ
Reid: ISFJ
Garcia: INFJ
Prentis: ESTJ
Morgan: ISFP----- Hard! Seems to have Fi, but not dominant. Help!
I could see ISTJ... Maybe ESFP. No overall seems to exactly fit tho
The blonde: INFJ
The old guy: ENFP

Sorry if these are wrong, this show confuses me its like all the characters are mashed up into one superhero character.

 

[Poppy0098]

I always saw Hotchner as ISTJ; Gideon was the INTJ.

Morgan - Not much logic here, more of a humanistic empath, comforting and urge people to do what is "right", not to mention temperamental. ESFJ.
Garcia - Not INFJ. Try ENFP. Obvious extravert.

INFJs often times will appear extroverted. Focus more on the entire type rather than each letter and keep in mind everyone these are FICTIONAL characters therefore their types could very well be skewed by their actors. Such as Dr. Reid, the INTP who appears to show quite a bit of emotion due to Matthew Gubbler the INFP who plays Dr. Reid putting himself into his character.

 

[Ghost]

Gideon – ISFJ?
Hotch – ISTJ
Rossi - ENFP? Te-Fi user, anyway.
Morgan – eSTP. I could see an argument for any SP, though.
Reid – INTP
Garcia – ENFP
JJ – dunno! Fe-Ti user, although I've considered SFP.
Prentiss – INFJ
Blake – INTP
Strauss – EntJ?

I dunno about Greenaway, Todd, or Seaver.

I relate to Reid so much! And Matthew Gray Gubler, also.

Such as Dr. Reid, the INTP who appears to show quite a bit of emotion due to Matthew Gubbler the INFP who plays Dr. Reid putting himself into his character.

Ah, yeah. I'd agree with that.

 

[justwhelmed]

Reid- INTP. All of his rants about facts and theories are super Ti-Ne. He suppresses his feelings and has trouble in social situations which strikes me as inferior Fe.
Gideon- INFJ. He has some penetrating Ni that allows him to notice patterns in cases. His Fe is subtle but he gets emotionally involved in cases and is good at reading people and appealing to their emotions.
Elle- ESTJ. She had that Te toughness and I didn't pick up on too much Si but I got some from her like how her dad was in law-enforcement and she followed in his footsteps, etc.
Hotch- ISTJ. His Te is pretty clear, he likes to be in charge, goes off of facts, etc. But he's too withdrawn to be an EXTJ and he has no real Ni. I see more Si like his loyalty to the team and his want for family, etc.
Prentiss- ESFJ. I would say her Fe is very clear. She cares about everyone on the team pretty quickly, wants to be liked, and is sometimes too prying. I don't get all that much Si from her but I don't get any Ni either. She could possibly be an ENFJ but seems more ESFJ.
Rossi- ENTJ? I would say that fits. He gets attached to only cases he personally relates to and even then, very rarely. He has the Te-Ni particular-ness and he's good at being in charge. He also has the pattern-noticing skill that often comes with Ni.
JJ- ESFJ. She likes a bit of gossip (shown in that episode where Garcia is sleeping with a co-worker) and she is very good with people. She also has pretty distinct memories of her small town, etc.
Morgan- ESFP. I definitely thought ESTP at first but that was more based on stereotypes. He clearly uses Se (good in the moment, knows his surroundings) but I think he uses more Fi-Te than Ti-Fe. He relies more on facts and results than logic and curiosity and he's actually quite feeler-y. He's got Fi-style loyalty and compassion for people like Garcia and his mom. He also has a certain self-awareness and distinct sense of self.
Garcia- ENFP. She could be an INFP, technically but she seems to have more Ne than Fi. She likes a variety of things, all of which stimulate imagination (graphic novels, online role-playing games, etc.) and she has a need for individuality (Fi) which is expressed through how she dresses, and decorates her workspace and apartment.

 

[justwhelmed]

I'm actually rethinking Prentiss... she might be a T.

 

[IntoThereMinds]

I really love your theroy on Reid, i've been thinking alot about him being an INTP but, i just never really saw it.
I was thinking more towards ISFJ or INFP. Deffinetly not INTJ, he's to nice. He is deffinetly extremely smart but doesn't like to rule over people because of it, you know what im sayin'?

 

[Diggitydawginnit]

I'm watching the show late in 2020 lmao but I think Reid in an autistic INFJ and Gideon is an INTJ tbh

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I also think Morgan is an ENFP