Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med all feature strong female characters who have won over One Chicago audiences for various reasons.
Dick Wolf’s One Chicago franchise features many female protagonists. Each one is a dynamic character that brings something different to the table and drives the story with their triumphs and mistakes. None of them feel like a duplicate of another character, nor do they stand in other people’s shadows. They all represent the franchise’s central theme of good people doing anything to help their community, no matter how hard the decision.
Many of the characters are even progressive. The female characters in Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med break stereotypes, subvert expectations and do things that female characters typically don’t. They’re not perfect by any means, but these women are at the center of many of One Chicago’s most important and inspiring moments.
10. Erin Lindsay (Chicago P.D.)
Erin Lindsay is like a surrogate daughter to Hank Voight, and that shows in her personality. She can be ruthless and openly subscribes to his philosophy of bending the rules when necessary. But Lindsay can also be very kind, with some of Chicago P.D.’s best episodes featuring her showing the same care and compassion that Voight gave her.
And despite their closeness, Lindsay is not a carbon copy of her mentor; she has a life of her own. She isn’t afraid to voice her disagreements, and for every time she’s rescued, she rescues someone else. Furthermore, she and Voight are equally supportive and protective of each other. She doesn’t exist simply to prop up his character; they uplift one another.
9. Hailey Upton (Chicago P.D.)
When Lindsay was replaced by Hailey Upton, there were some big shoes to fill. Thankfully, the showrunners allowed Hailey to grow out of Lindsay’s shadow and prove herself a worthy member of the team. In Chicago P.D. Season 7, Episode 4, “Infection, Part III,” she makes a perfect sniper shot and saves her future husband Jay Halstead from a bio-terrorist.
Upton is one of the few Chicago P.D. characters who struggles with the morality of their choices. Most of her colleagues staunchly believe that the ends justify the means. But after Upton and Voight cover up their illegal actions in the Season 8 finale, “The Other Side,” Upton’s inner conflict eventually results in her suffering a panic attack. Her characterization is different from any other character on the show.
8. Trudy Platt (Chicago P.D.)
Trudy Platt started Chicago P.D. as the show’s strict comic relief. She was tough on the other officers, particularly the patrol cops. She was also never short of a well-placed sarcastic comment. However, the series quickly added more layers to her personality — even if she still gets far less screen time than she deserves.
Everyone else respects Platt’s expertise and the way she keeps the precinct running. She also gets her own love story with Chicago Fire’s Mouch, which doesn’t often happen for older female TV characters in procedurals. Platt’s best spotlight comes in Chicago P.D.’s milestone episode “Profiles,” when she keeps herself and her friend alive long enough for the paramedics to arrive, and has a heartwarming moment with Mouch afterward. There isn’t anything she can’t do.
7. Kim Burgess (Chicago P.D.)
Kim Burgess is the heart of Chicago P.D. and the most idealistic person on the team. Throughout the show, she evolved from an inexperienced patrol officer to an important part of Intelligence. She’s the kindest person on the team, and she’s mostly able to maintain her optimism and compassion — even though Burgess has been involved in some of Chicago P.D.’s most harrowing cases.
Her arc isn’t perfect. Burgess’ love life has mostly been a mess and her promotion to Intelligence was long overdue. Even so, she’s a compelling character whom the writers allowed to grow naturally. She became one of the toughest cops on the beat without losing her heart, and she brings warmth to the series.
6. Sylvie Brett (Chicago Fire)
Sylvia Brett is one of the most mature characters in the One Chicago franchise. She doesn’t stop being sweet and compassionate despite the demands of her job, no matter how difficult the patient or whatever the challenge in front of her. She’s a great friend, mentors several new paramedics at Firehouse 51 and goes the extra mile for the people in her care.
She’s also one of the few TV characters who handles their love life with grace and level-headedness. The care and understanding that she displays during her breakup with Matthew Casey is a far cry from the usual drama that plagues romantic relationships in other shows. Brett always gives her best and then some on and off the job, even if it doesn’t necessarily work out.
5. Stella Kidd (Chicago Fire)
Stella Kidd is one of the best characters in Chicago Fire because she’s incredibly brave. She goes through some of the most harrowing dangers in the entire One Chicago franchise and pulls through. In Chicago Med Season 4, Episode 2, “When To Let Go,” she suffers severe injuries after fighting a huge fire in a 25-story apartment building, and nearly loses a lung. However, she has never once hesitated when it comes to taking a risk — sometimes some of the biggest ones in One Chicago history.
Stella has also stepped up to be a leader around Firehouse 51 and in the Chicago Fire Department overall. The writing for her has been more expansive than other characters, showing not only the development of Stella’s relationship with Kelly Severide but her growth as an officer. She has been promoted to Lieutenant, as well as launched the “Girls on Fire” program to mentor young women interested in careers with the CFD.
4. Violet Mikami (Chicago Fire)
Violet Mikami started as a recurring character before permanently joining Chicago Fire. She’s highly intelligent but also hugely competitive, and many of the show’s recent funnier moments have involved Violet trying to one-up her friend/love interest, Blake Gallo. Violet and Sylvie Brett not only have great chemistry as friends, but they work together as an excellent team on Ambulance 61.
Violet experiences one of the worst losses in the show. Her boyfriend Evan Hawkins is killed in Season 11, and her trying to save him is heartbreaking to watch. One of One Chicago’s greatest strengths is its respectful portrayal of grief and loss; Violet’s story is one of the best examples of that in the entire franchise. She has truly flourished since becoming a main character.
3. Maggie Campbell (Chicago Med)
Maggie Campbell — formerly known as Maggie Lockwood — is a One Chicago fan-favorite. She’s warm, competent and always acts in her patients’ best interest, no matter what. In Chicago Med Season 1, Episode 12, “Guilty,” Maggie is arrested after refusing to draw blood from a patient in critical condition. In Season 8, Episode 13, “It’s An Ill Wind That Blows Nobody Good,” she comforts a distressed patient — despite that patient having stabbed her.
Most notably, in Season 5, Episode 1, “Never Going Back to Normal”, Maggie was diagnosed with cancer. These kinds of stories are easy to get wrong and can be insensitive. However, Chicago Med’s writers struck a balance between realism and hope. They’ve also fully developed Maggie’s love life with the introduction of her now-husband Ben, whom she met during her cancer battle.
2. Sharon Goodwin (Chicago Med)
Sharon Goodwin is forced to make some tough calls as hospital director. The Chicago Med writers consistently do an excellent job of showing how difficult her position is. In Season 7, Episode 1, “You Can’t Always Trust What You See,” she coerces now-former employee Will Halstead into spying on a corrupt co-worker in exchange for his job back. No one likes it, but after seeing the results of the co-worker’s actions, people understand why Goodwin did what she did.
Furthermore, Goodwin is willing to go the extra mile for both her staff and her patients. In Season 4, Episode 19, “Never Let You Go,” Goodwin protects a young mother and her baby from a shooter until the authorities can apprehend him. Sharon Goodwin may be a morally grey character, but she’s a true leader, and her ethical dilemmas are among Chicago Med’s most thought-provoking scenes.
1. Natalie Manning (Chicago Med)
Natalie Manning is the most talked-about character in One Chicago — and that is what makes her the franchise most-well written female lead. Part of the audience loves her willingness to do whatever it takes for her patients, while the other part often becomes frustrated with her. But everything she does generates discussion, and she’s been involved in some of Chicago Med’s most surprising and emotional storylines.
In Season 5, Episode 6, “It’s All in the Family,” she administers antibiotics to an underage patient against the parents’ wishes, and that’s just one example of how far she’ll go to save lives. What’s more is that the writers were consistent with that quality in her character up to the very end. Even her final storyline — stealing medication from Halstead’s clinical trial to give to her sick mother — showcased how Natalie would do anything for the greater good. She may not be the most popular or most realistic character, but she’s always been one of the most watchable.
