History Characters / TrueDetectiveSeasonOne

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Has very little empathy with criminals, no matter how he acts in interrogations. Once he manipulates a confession from [[OffingTheOffspring The Marshland Medea]], he recommends that she kills herself to avoid media and prison persecution.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler: Him executing Ledoux after finding the children he kidnapped and tortured most definitely qualifies. When Cohle learns why he did it, [[SoProudOfYou he approves,]] saying that he is "glad to see you [Hart] commit to something" and immediately helps Hart go about staging the scene to fit their false narrative. [[DidNotThinkThisThrough This later comes to bite them in the ass when they realize years later they did not get all the killers]], [[NiceJobBreakingItHero and that they just offed their only two leads on the subject]].]]

* YouCanyFightFate: Claims to have foreseen his own arrest, [[spoiler: and possibly his own death]]. He offers no resistance while being cuffed and made to kneel, and even smiles while rambling about esoteric happenings.

* PosthumousCharacter: Though he is referred to a number of times in the 1995 investigation and Cohle's investigations from 2002 onwards, he never appears in person. By 2012 [[spoiler:he is dead, and we see his dead body laid out in Errol's shack.]]

* DaChief: A textbook example. Has little patience for shenanigans and resorts to the classic TurnInYourBadge and gun disciplinary method.

* TheAlcoholic: Cohle is a relapsing-remitting. He's mostly sober in 1995, though he briefly falls off the wagon in the first episode. In 2012, he's drunk by noon and demands the interviewing detectives bring him a six-pack if they want him to keep talking. He also chugs a bottle of cough syrup while driving on the way to interview a CI and seems to buy barbiturates from her after the interview is over.

* CondescendingCompassion: He describes how much of a shame it is to see 'so many souls lost down in a bottle' while talking about Theriot's leaving, but it's clear that he knows about Cohle's substance abuse and will take steps to discredit him if he keeps snooping around.

* BadLiar: When he lies he either stumbles and avoids eye contact if improvising or uses unnatural words in a robotic way that makes it obvious he's reciting a rehearsed story. He does surprisingly well hoodwinking an old colleague in 2012 however.

* EntertaininglyWrong: Gilbough notes the inconsistencies in Rust's story, which [[spoiler: makes him think Rust could be the killer.]] While he's wrong on that front, his read on Cohle is only a few degrees off.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: He's suspicious of Cohle, considering that his stories don't always line up. While [[spoiler: he's wrong about Cohle possibly being the killer,]] he's only a few degrees off, deducing that Cohle isn't telling the entire truth about what happened during the investigation.

* TheStoic: As Hart says, Gilbough is very difficult to read. If the two pairs of detectives, old and new, were compared, then Gilbough would be Cohle, though not as dramatic. Marty says that he can't get a read on him.

* OddFriendship: Zig-Zagged with Cohle. They don't always get along, with Marty viewing Cohle as an asshole and Cohle resenting Marty for throwing away something he lost. There are points where the two absolutely detest each other, such as when [[spoiler: Maggie cheats on Marty with Rust]]. But there are also points where the two seem to be getting on as well. Played straight by the end of the series once [[FireForgedFriends they really go through the shit together.]]

* OddFriendship: Maggie, the sweet married mother has a genuine, platonic friendship with alcoholic, stoical Rust.

* * PaperTiger: He and Papania imply that they are sitting on a lot of important information about the Lake Charles killing, and imply later on that they have compelling evidence that [[spoiler:Cohle is the killer.]] In truth, their investigation is going nowhere.

* EvilCounterpart: To Rust. His relationship with Charlie Lange mirrors that of Rust's and Marty's relationship and his "Time is a flat circle" quote is repeated by Rust himself. Hinting that he and Reggie may have had similar philosophies.
* EvilSoundsDeep: He has some notable bass to his voice.
* {{Ghostapo}}: He has several swastika tattoos and associates with a white power biker gang. He also has several Satanic tattoos and associates with a twisted cult.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: He claims to be able to see Cohle's soul, and the corruption in his eyes within minutes of meeting him. Considering just how mentally disturbed Cohle is, Dewall is strikingly convincing.

%%* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the StrawNihilist and MisanthropeSupreme tropes

* HeWhoFightsWithMonsters: PlayedWith in Cohle's case, while he never crosses over the line that causes him to become as evil as the people he goes up against, it's clear that seeing the worst of humanity every day has taken its toll on Cohle's psyche. He also treads the line several times with his tendency to skirt ethical guidelines.

%%* PragmaticHero

%%* WomanScorned

%%* PreacherMan: Although he is actually the minister for a local congregation, his appearance in 1995 is styled like he is a traveling tent-revival preacher. The church building burned down and the outdoor meetings are supposed to be a temporary situation.

* FatBastard: Notably more overweight than his cousin.

%%* LandMineGoesClick: [[spoiler:And boom goes [=DeWall=].]]

%%* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Hart's affair.

%%* MsFanservice

%%* RedOniBlueOni: The blue one.
* TheStoic: As Hart says, Gilbough is very difficult to read. If the two pairs of detectives, old and new, were compared, then Gilbough would be Cohle, though not as dramatic.

%%* RedOniBlueOni: Slightly more emotional than his partner Gilbough.

* CondescendingCompassion: He describes how much of a shame it is to see 'so many souls lost down in a bottle' while talking about Theriot's leaving, but it's clear he doesn't feel bad about it and hints that he knows about Cohle's substance abuse and will take steps to discredit him if he keeps snooping around.

%%* PedophilePriest: [[spoiler:Reverend, but still.]]

%%* LargeHam: His sermons are something to behold.
%%* PreacherMan: Although he is actually the minister for a local congregation, his appearance in 1995 is styled like he is a travelling tent-revival preacher. The church building burned down and the outdoor meetings are supposed to be a temporary situation.