The main character on NBC’s new show ‘Grimm’ is Nick Bruckhardt, a detective with the Portland PD. Nick is not just a regular detective. He is also a Grimm, giving him the ability to see the mythical creatures hiding among us. Inspired by ‘Grimm,’ I was curious about other law enforcers who also have a unique ability or feature. To qualify for this list, the character has to be human (at least born human) and be in law enforcement. This is why the Winchester brothers are not on this list; they are hunters who pretend to be FBI agents. Also, Rick Deckard is not on the list; depending on which version of ‘Blade Runner’ you watch, Deckard could be human or replicant. Because his humanity’s in question, I left him off this list. The second qualification, a unique ability or feature, kept Mulder and Scully off the list because they do not have mental powers or a robotic arm. We’ve only met Nick Bruckhardt, so he is not on the list. My top 10 unique law enforcers are:

10. Frank Black – ‘Millennium’

FBI Special Agent Frank Black is noted for his ability to enter the minds of killers, witnessing horrendous events from their perspective. His unique gift of immersing himself in another’s consciousness suggests his talent is psychic in nature. Psychic or not, no other FBI agent could profile killers and solve difficult cases like Black. After leaving the FBI, the Millennium Group recruited him, but he saw through their façade and returned to the bureau to take the mysterious organization down. After being accused of killing Agent Baldwin, Black ended up in an asylum until two FBI agents named Mulder and Scully needed his unique talents for a case.

 

9. John Spartan – ‘Demolition Man’

LAPD’s John Spartan was frozen in 1996, judged to be too violent for the world. In 2032, Spartan is thawed out because the current society is not equipped to handle the mega-violence unleashed by Spartan’s old foe, Simon Phoenix. Although Phoenix has been imprinted with knowledge of the current time, Spartan proves once again that the person who knows you best is sometimes your greatest adversary. Without the presence of the time-displaced Spartan, the people of San Angeles would have had no way to defend themselves.

 

8. Sara Pezzini – ‘Witchblade’

NYPD detective Sara Pezzini was mortally wounded after taking a bullet for her partner. The Witchblade, a mystical and ancient sentient gauntlet, healed Sara and formed a symbiotic relationship with her. As its wielder, the Witchblade gives Sara immense power, but at a price. The Witchblade attracts supernatural opponents and strange cases, changing Sara’s perception of the world. Sara struggles with the tasks of fighting evil in all forms and maintaining her own identity.

 

7. Del Spooner – ‘I, Robot’

Chicago police detective Del Spooner is not a fan of the current technological advancements happening in 2035, especially robots. He despises robots because one saved him over a little girl. Spooner channels his prejudice into his investigation of the suspicious death of Alfred Lanning, the robotics engineer who created Spooner’s robotic arm. Although he does not like his robotic arm, his arm protects him when the VIKI-controlled robots attack. Without his relentless pursuit of the truth and his robotic arm, VIKI would have succeeded in altering the three laws governing robots and taking over human society.

 

6. Francis York Morgan – ‘Deadly Premonition’

FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan goes to Greenvale to investigate the murder of Anna Graham. From the beginning, we know something is unusual about York (“Just call me York; that’s what everyone calls me”). He has conversations with an unknown entity called Zach. York’s odd perception of reality gives him access to the “Other World” of Greenvale populated with zombie-like creatures only he can see and fight. By crossing between the regular and other worlds, York discovers clues about a series of murders connected to red seeds and the Raincoat Killer. After the case is solved, we learn that York is really Francis Zach Morgan, meaning York is actually the unknown entity. Whether Morgan’s condition is a result of possession or a mental disorder is not clear, but the sudden revelation does not change the fact that Agent Morgan has a unique ability, one that enables him, and only him, to solve the mysteries of Greenvale.

 

5. Pete Lattimer – ‘Warehouse 13’

Agent Pete Lattimer of the United States Secret Service used to protect the president, but an odd series of events caused him to be transferred to an unknown Secret Service detail, Warehouse 13. Pete thinks his job at Warehouse 13, recovering and protecting artifacts, is fascinating and enjoys working with his partner, Myka Bering. He is a dedicated agent, but dedication alone does not merit placement on this list. What separates Pete from other agents are his vibes. Pete’s vibes are intense emotional sensations about people and situations. The day his father died is the first time Pete got a bad vibe, but he did not tell his father. After his father’s death, he vowed to pay attention to his vibes. Pete’s vibes have saved him in the field, and after H.G. Wells betrayed her, Myka has come to value and rely on Pete’s unique ability.

 

4. Olivia Dunham – ‘Fringe’

FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham was recruited to be part of the Fringe Division because her intense determination led her to uncover more details about The Pattern. As a child, Olivia was part of Dr. Walter Bishop’s Cortexiphan experiments. Those experiments gave her telekinesis and the ability to travel between two parallel universes. Although she needs a lot of energy and focus to use her talents, she diffused David Jones’s bomb with her mind, and she escaped the altverse after overcoming Walternate’s brainwashing. Yes, Olivia’s keen intellect makes her a valuable FBI agent, but her unique qualities enable her to lead the Fringe Division and protect our universe from threats seen and unseen.

 

3. Audrey Parker – ‘Haven’

FBI agent Audrey Parker came to Haven, Maine because of a routine investigation, but a photograph kept her in town. Wanting to know more about her identity and feeling a connection to the events in Haven, Audrey quit her FBI job and accepted a position with the Haven PD. Haven isn’t an ordinary town. Many of the residents are “afflicted” because of the current outbreak of the Troubles, a supernatural plague that infects certain residents. The Troubled manifest their ability at critical, emotional moments in their lives. Audrey is immune to the Troubles because her presence in Haven coincides with the current outbreak. Whenever the Troubles come to Haven, a version of Audrey appears to help the Troubled. Is she human? At this point in the series, evidence suggests that she is a human with the sole purpose of containing the Troubles; she could be immortal or a supernatural clone, but her humanity has not been questioned.

 

2. Motoko Kusanagi – ‘Ghost in the Shell’

In the near future, the world is equal parts real and virtual, and cybernetic implants and artificial body parts are common. Major Kusanagi is the squad leader of Section 9, a government police force specializing in cybercrimes. At a young age, the Major’s brain was implanted into a cybernetic body to save her life from a medical condition. The Major survived the transformation into a cyborg and became able to pommel multiple foes and hack into sophisticated computer systems. After alluding authorities for years, it was the Major who finally untwisted the riddles around the enigmatic Laughing Man, and no matter how many times she leaves or is forced out of Section 9, the team flounders without her. The Major’s impressive control of her body in combination with her amazing skills in the “truly vast and infinite” net make her an invaluable asset to Section 9.

 

1. Alex J. Murphy – ‘RoboCop’

The first day at a new precinct does not end well for Detroit police officer Alex Murphy. While on patrol with his new partner, Anne Lewis, they get separated as they track members of Boddicker’s gang. Lewis is too late to help Murphy, who is brutally shot multiple times. Clinically dead, OCP, the corporation running the police department, transforms Murphy into RoboCop. Possessing the skills and instincts of a cop, the cyborg is determined to rid the streets of crime. Designed to mindlessly obey OCP’s programming, Murphy’s essence, or soul, breaks through, imbuing RoboCop with a deeper purpose of destroying the source of the crime, the corrupt OCP vice president Dick Jones. Murphy’s influence on RoboCop is evident after the cyborg is almost destroyed. A mere cyborg would have stopped, but powered by Murphy’s will, RoboCop repairs himself so he can continue his mission. One cannot forget the end of the film when RoboCop admits that he does not have Murphy’s memories, but he remembers Murphy’s feelings. In this moment he fully reclaims his identity and resolves to live his life on his terms.

After now seeing my list, who would you add or replace?? Let me know in the comments!