Det. Kevin Corcoran
- Above the Influence: Turned down Annie, who is 10 years-old, when she snuck over to his house and wanted to "thank" him. Also turns down Eva after finding his wife.
- Anti-Hero:
- Berserk Button: Corcoran accepts that Eva is a prostitute and if you belittle her in any way, he will put your head through a table.
- Chick Magnet: By the third episode he had Eva, Molly, Elizabeth and
Annie either in his bed or trying to get there. - Combat Pragmatist: He will use any means he has in a fight.
- Corrupt Cop: Although a bit less so than the rest of the New York police force. At least he tries to solve crimes instead of sweeping them under the rug.
- Fighting Irish
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Morehouse and Freeman.
- Good Is Not Nice: He's fundamentally a decent man and detective, but that doesn't mean he isn't as ruthless as his fellow coppers.
- Made of Iron
- Papa Wolf: To Annie.
- Pulling the Thread: Once he finds an inconsistency while investigating a crime, he will keep at it until he unravels the mystery. It makes him a good detective and a major pain in the ass for his superiors who like cases to be solved fast and neatly.
- Sergeant Rock: Corcoran was a corporal in the Union Army. Morehouse credits him with making their unit an effective fighting force.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Francis
Madame Eva Heissen
With a saloon and brothel located in the center of Five Points, Madame Eva Heissen is a force in the world of vice. As her Uptown business falters, she attempts to reassert herself as the number one businesswoman in the slum, pouring her energy and resources into Eva’s Paradise in Five Points. While catalysts both violent and political create new business opportunities, Eva must tread lightly to avoid the increasing risk of a misstep in the changing political landscape of The Points.
- Frame-Up: She stabs a well-to-do man in her club who was being violent towards one of her girls, and is promptly arrested. The man survives but he's murdered in hospital on the orders of General Donovan.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: While she claims General Donovan is the father of her unborn child, it's left ambiguous if Eva is telling the truth or if she chose Donovan because he has the means to get her out of prison.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Slit Molly's throat when she found out about her pleasuring Kevin.
Robert Morehouse
A part of the Manhattan aristocracy, and a true friend to Kevin Corcoran and Doctor Matthew Freeman, Robert Morehouse was raised in a life of privilege.
- An Arm and a Leg: Lost his leg in the war.
- Anti-Hero: Type II
- Deadpan Snarker: Has a quip for many occasions, even around his father.
- Exact Words: In exchange for not bringing Elizabeth's part in Kennedy's plot to light, Morehouse agrees he will not testify at his trial. So he gets his father to do it instead, guaranteeing a guilty verdict.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Corcoran and Freeman.
- Guile Hero: When robbers try to steal a charity fund, he hides the money in his fake leg while the robbers grab the case they think holds it.
- Honest Corporate Executive: When a business venture goes sour, he refuses to offset his losses by defrauding his investors.
- Improbable Weapon User: Used his own wooden leg as a weapon in a bar brawl.
- The Lancer: Shares this role with Francis
- Non-Idle Rich: Like his father, he invests in real estate.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: He acts like an Upper-Class Twit but has a cunning mind underneath.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Robert seems to really want to earn his father's respect but his goals appear to be more ambitious.
Elizabeth Haverford
- Costume Porn: Being the wife (and then widow) of a rich man, she affords the fanciest clothes, including several Pimped Out Dresses, fancy hats, High-Class Gloves, etc.
- Dark Secret: She wasn't born into nobility or wealth. When confronting her, Norbert mentions she grew up in coal mine country and offers her money to leave Robert and 'reinvent herself again'.
- Descent into Addiction: She quickly becomes addicted to opium.
- Genre Blind: She is easily fooled by John Reilly and handed Annie back over to the man who stole her innocence in the first place. In contrast Corcoran and Francis can tell right away that there is something really fishy about the man. Later on she is fooled by Kennedy into thinking that the Confederate attack on New York would only destroy property and not actually try to burn the city to the ground.
- Non-Idle Rich: She gets involved in business plans, and works to help the lot of minorities in the city.
- Pretty in Mink: One of her outfits is a fur-trimmed jacket, with matching hat and muff. This really shows off her wealth, as she seems to wear it even when the weather is moderate.
- Widow's Weeds: She wears black only for a short time after her husband is murdered (which she has little reason to wear longer, given he was an Asshole Victim).
Dr. Matthew Freeman
Doctor Matthew Freeman is an African-American physician who served in the war with Robert Morehouse and Detective Kevin Corcoran. Devoted to his wife Sara, Freeman is forced to make a difficult decision between his calling as a physician and his concern for Sara’s well-being.
- The Coroner: He acts as one for Corcoran on cases where Corcoran can not involve the official coroner. He will also do forensic work for Corcoran. He usually charges Corcoran $5.
- Fire-Forged Friends: With Morehouse and Corcoran.
- Papa Wolf: He rarely takes up violence but twice it was because of children. First to scare off some bigots plotting to burn an orphanage. Later when a snake-oil salesman sells his pregnant wife Sarah a bad tonic to cover morning sickness and Sarah is worse off than she was before.
- Token Good Teammate: So far at least he appears to be the only genuinely decent person in the show.
Det. Francis Maguire
Detective Kevin Corcoran’s closest friend and partner in the Sixth Precinct.
- Angsty Surviving Twin: His brother died on the voyage to America when they were nine.
- Cartwright Curse: Every woman he's been with in the series has met an untimely end.
- Corrupt Cop: Like his fellow men, he won't be above taking certain perks with his badge. He also covered up several of his murders to keep his dark secret from coming to light.
- Death Seeker: He clearly feels guilty about betraying Corcoran and even let him have the chance to kill him as punishment. But...
- Even Evil Has Standards: He does some horrible things for Donovan but refuses to kill Teresa Trembley for him.
- The Lancer: Shares this role with Robert. Make that used to
- Love Makes You Crazy / Love Makes You Evil
- Not Worth Killing: ...Corcoran decides that he'd suffer more living with the guilt.
- Sixth Ranger Traitor: Had an affair with Corcoran's wife, got her pregnant, had the child aborted and covered up both the accidental death of Maggie and his wife's following insanity.
- Token Evil Teammate: Once he rejoins the police force and Corcoran has to partner with him again.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Corcoran.
- Why Did It Have To Be Cats: Is terrified of them, especially black ones.
Andrew O'Brian
Detective Andrew O’Brien is a colleague and companion to Corcoran and Maguire. Often teased about his acquiescence to his overbearing wife, he is fiercely loyal to his family and friends. Leaving a trail of tobacco spit in his wake, O’Brien never turns down the opportunity to have a drink or a laugh. Faithful to – and slightly afraid of – his wife, O’Brien will visit Eva’s for a drink, but never goes upstairs.
- Amazon Chaser: Claims that you are more of a man to want to be with a strong woman.
- The Big Guy
- Corrupt Cop
- Genius Bruiser: While perhaps not a genius, he is a fan of political satirist Petroleum Nasby
.
Hattie Lemaster
Hattie Lemaster, a former slave, recently arrived to Five Points to start anew with her daughter Sara Freeman. Jarred by raucous city life, Hattie must learn what the true meaning of “freedom” is in the North.
Brendan Donovan
General Brendan Donovan immigrated to America from Ireland as a teenager and rose from the streets of New York City to become the single most powerful man in Five Points. Once a policeman and an entrepreneur with a contracting company, Donovan traded his law enforcement career for one in politics and came to power through Tammany Hall – becoming one of Boss Tweed’s most trusted lieutenants. Now, having returned from serving in the Union Army as a brigadier general, Donovan seeks to re-establish his dominion as well as bolster his mostly Irish and immigrant constituents in an effort to gain political power. He is beloved by much of the Sixth Ward’s poor who see him as a Robin Hood figure. Though his intentions are noble, his means know no bounds.
- Big Bad: He is behind the murders Corcoran is investigating and plans to level Five Points to make way for his aqueduct.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: He runs a large construction company and has no qualms about using bribery, extortion and murder to get what he wants.
- Corrupt Politician: He is the Tammany Hall ward boss for Five Points
- Faux Affably Evil: The more we get to know him, the less affable he becomes. Out of the public eye he is a very nasty man.
- Four-Star Badass: He served as a general in the Union Army
- Self-Made Man: He was one of fourteen children of poor Irish immigrants and worked as a patrol cop for a while. He then worked his way up the political and business ladder and is now an important Tammany Hall politician and owns a large construction company.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He cultivates the public image of a respected politician and businessman who is always willing to help the people of Five Points.
Annie Riley
A young runaway who is growing up quickly, Annie Reilly is forced into prostitution to survive. After a memorable encounter with Corcoran, she becomes deeply attached as he endeavors to protect her from danger. Whip-smart with a predilection for mischief, Annie reminds Corcoran of his own daughter, and he goes out of his way to introduce her to a better life. But Annie dislikes the mannered world of Uptown New York City and feels at home in the gritty underbelly of Five Points.
- Angsty Surviving Twin: Part of her trauma is having to deal with the murder and rape of her sister.
- Arranged Marriage
- Broken Bird: She's had to kill twice, had her sister murdered, betrayed by two people she trusted, forced into prostitution, and was chained up in a barn.
- Fille Fatale: She's gone so far as to try and intimidate other women for Corcoran.
- Freudian Excuse: She was "married" to her step-father at the age of ten after her mother apparently abandoned her and her twin sister (who was subsequently murdered and raped (in that order!). See Broken Bird for more detail.
- Frying Pan of Doom: Uses one to take down Buzzy when he's holding Ellen Hostage and Corcoran at gunpoint
- Put on a Bus: Is adopted by a nice family in New Jersey
- Replacement Goldfish: To Corcoran for his daughter although she would rather be one for his wife.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Having been married at the age of ten and being forced into a life of prostitution the only way she knows how to relate to men is sexually. This makes thigs really awkward between her and men who aren't sexual predators, especially Corcoran.
Molly Stuart
Molly Stuart is an ambitious courtesan at Eva’s Paradise. Flirtatious and beautiful, Molly entertains several gentlemen from both Uptown and Five Points in her quest to rise to the top of her profession. Adored by Maguire, and seeking to gain favor with Corcoran, Molly’s big heart and free-spirited nature can embroil her in others’ affairs. Despite her taboo career choice, Molly possesses a deep sense of right and wrong.
Sara Freeman
As Sara Freeman strives to leave behind the demons of her brother’s untimely deaths during the draft riots and carve a new future, the worlds of both Five Points and Uptown infiltrate her life – forcing an accelerated transition. As she glimpses her place in the broader world, Sara realizes she may need to resort to drastic action to reclaim her strength.
- Broken Bird: The constant threat of rape and racially motivated violence leaves her afraid to leave her house.
- Took a Level in Badass: She spent most of the first season so afraid she became a recluse. However, in the second season, after a conversation with Eva, she finally decides she's had enough and begins taking her life back. She shows this by storming out and (with the help of a few bystanders) knocking over the lamppost her brothers were lynched from.
Capt. Ciaran Joseph Sullivan
Captain of the Sixth Precinct, Sullivan is more concerned about his reputation in the public eye than seeking justice for victims. Sullivan questions how the kingpins of New York society will be affected by the results of the tenacious Corcoran’s investigations.
Sgt. Padraic Byrnes
Sergeant Padraic Byrnes is a corrupt cop within the ranks of the Sixth Precinct. Contemptuous of Corcoran, he plays both sides of the law by manipulating Captain Sullivan as well as victims and criminals. Byrnes goes out of his way to threaten, undermine and thwart Corcoran at every opportunity.
- Corrupt Cop: In contrast to Kevin he's pretty bad even by the standards of the NYPD.
- Foil: To Kevin and his men.
- Too Dumb to Live: See a dead body with no obvious sign for the man's death and a half eaten fruit cake by him? What does he do? Eat the cake. Shame the thing was laced with poison.
Ellen Corcoran
Ellen Corcoran is the troubled wife of Detective Kevin Corcoran, who went mysteriously missing from her Five Points home while Kevin served as a Union soldier in the Civil War.
- Accidental Murder: She killed her own daughter by pushing her into the door frame after she witnessed her affair with Francis.
- Despair Event Horizon: The first time, after she accidentally killed her daughter. The second time, when she sees Kevin and a heavily pregnant Eva and assumes he's the father of her baby. She doesn't survive the second one.
- Driven to Suicide: She hangs herself midway through season two.
