This show follows an anti-corruption unit hunting down corrupt cops. It dives into murky waters of police work and moral dilemmas. Plus it spills the tea on personal lives of characters. With its wild plot twists and intense performances, Line of Duty has won hearts and critical acclaim.

Meet the characters from Line of Duty

DS Steve Arnott

Okay, Steve is the quietly stubborn backbone type — deadpan, principled, and the kind of mate who will quietly dismantle your nonsense in a meeting and then nod like nothing happened. He’s practical, boots-on-the-ground, fights the system without screaming about it (usually), and has this weird habit of keeping receipts for everything — literally, even for sandwiches. Honestly he’s the friend you want watching your back in a dodgy pub car park but also probably forgets birthdays because he’s decompressing. He’s low-key funny too, not in a loud way, more like a dry one-liner when you least expect it — sometimes he cries at ads, sometimes he pretends he’s allergic to sentimental music (I can’t tell if that’s real or performative).

DI Kate Fleming

Kate is all razor-sharp intuition and undercover patience, the person who reads a room and three hidden agendas before you’ve finished your sentence. She moves like she’s always got a plan (which she does), calm but deadly precise, and she’s the human equivalent of a chess engine with a coffee addiction. Also, she’ll drive you nuts because she never fills in her diary properly but somehow knows exactly when you’ll need help — bit mysterious like she keeps a secret playlist of 90s power ballads. There’s a warmth under the professional polish though, like she’ll show you a rare, exhausted smile and then immediately go back to being unbeatable.

Superintendent Ted Hastings

Ted is the old-school, incorruptible bulldog of the force — pompous in the best way, horribly principled, and absolutely certain of procedural righteousness (with an accent that could be a weapon). He’s endlessly principled and slightly theatrical, the sort who quotes regulations in his sleep and will defend the rule book like it’s a close friend — but also gives pep talks that sound like they belong in wartime films. He has this soft spot for strong tea and moralizing about “standards” and yet, weirdly, will occasionally hum show tunes in his office when he’s alone (don’t tell anyone). Basically he’s reliability personified, and also secretly very proud of his puns.

DCI Joanne Davidson

Joanne is the kind of cold, precise force that makes you check your pockets — brilliant, terrifying, and always three steps ahead in a very unsettling way. She smiles like a knife and plays the long game with a patience that reads as total control; you feel watched in the best/worst possible sense. There’s this unnerving stillness about her, like she remembers everything and forgives nothing, but then she’ll do something unexpectedly mundane — like collect novelty fridge magnets? — which makes her even more creepily human. She’s the person you suspect is writing the script while everyone else is improvising, and honestly, she owns that vibe.

DC Chloe Bishop

Chloe is sharp as a tack and hungry for answers, kind of the new-school investigator who lives on caffeine and clipped observations. She’s energetic, a little sarcastic, and has this tendency to take risks that are equal parts bravery and stubbornness — spills coffee on her notes sometimes (true life) and then boos herself for it. She’s compassionate when she needs to be but won’t sugarcoat the truth, and there’s a fierce loyalty under all that skepticism that makes her unexpectedly soft with people she trusts. Also, she hums TV theme songs when nervous — don’t judge, it helps her focus.

DCC Andrea Wise

Andrea is polished, strategic, and quietly ambitious, the bureaucratic chessmaster who knows which pieces to move and when to call them in. She’s pragmatic to the bone, speaks fluent committee-ese, and can smile while planning an entirely inconvenient schedule for you (not malicious, just efficient). Part of her is glass-and-steel professionalism and part of her is a person who keeps a drawer of novelty stationery for “mood management” — yes really, she has sticky notes shaped like llamas. She’s the kind of leader who prefers paper trails and excellent coffee, and will absolutely outlast you in any meeting.

Gail Vella

Gail is sharp, eloquent, and forty steps ahead in any legal corner she steps into — like someone who can win an argument before it’s started and then feel slightly guilty about it (maybe). She radiates competence and calm, the kind of lawyer who makes you feel both judged and strangely comforted simultaneously, and she has a knack for small, pointed truths — also collects fountain pens for reasons she’ll never explain. Sometimes she seems warm, sometimes she’s ice, but always professional, which is her public face and the one that does damage when needed. She’s the character you’d want in your corner but maybe not on a blind date (or maybe absolutely on a blind date — depends on the mood).

PC Farida Jatri

Farida is earnest and tenacious, the street-level cop with heart and a surprising stubborn streak that makes her stick to cases like gum on a shoe. She’s compassionate in a way that trips people up — tough when she needs to be, but also the one bringing flasks of tea to long stakeouts (real tea, not that office stuff). She’s learning fast, sometimes makes rookie leaps that turn out brilliant (and sometimes bruise her ego), and is just very, very human — like she’ll cry at goodbyes and then immediately put on her professional face. Also definitely has a playlist of motivational anthems she swears by.

Ian Buckells

Oh Buckells, the smug little wormy type who tries so hard to look important and mostly just looks like a man who enjoyed a seminar once. He’s oily, ambitious in a hilarious small way, loves power without really wanting responsibility, and will smile at you while plotting to protect his own backside. He’s a bit of a comic relief but also genuinely dangerous because he’s slippery and knows how to file a form correctly — terrifying, right? He keeps a drawer of biscuits in his desk (suspiciously specific), which somehow fits his whole vibe.

PCC Rohan Sindwhani

Rohan is polished, media-savvy, and anxious about optics in the most relatable way — very into branding and the art of a good speech, but also genuinely trying to do the right thing (ish). He’s lovely, a bit of a soft touch, and occasionally out of his depth when the real grit starts — yet somehow he manages with charm and a likely impressive collection of ties. He has a bemused sort of optimism and a tendency to over-apologize, which is endearing and slightly maddening at the same time. Also, he probably has a playlist called “inspirational elevator music” and yes I’m judging but also nodding.

DS Chris Lomax

Chris is the anxious, slightly battered-sounding copper who wants to be taken seriously and sometimes makes mistakes trying to be liked. He’s hardworking and nervous, has that guilty-but-still-loyal energy, and will crack a joke to diffuse tension even when it’s not the right moment (classic coping mechanism). There’s this feel of someone who has tried to do the right thing but got dragged by circumstance, and he wears that regret like a shabby coat — warm but patched. Also, he claims to love classical music but will inexplicably know all the words to a dreadful pop song, which is both charming and suspicious.