Characters in The Chosen:
Jesus & Friends
- Ministry of Jesus: The Twelve Disciples Click to expand, Other Followers Click to expand
John the Baptizer

Portrayed by: David Amito
An eccentric traveling preacher who carries out baptisms in the river Jordan. He is also a relative of Jesus.
- Actually Pretty Funny: He's quite amused by Simon's nickname for him.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: Is mentioned in the show to have taught Andrew and Philip, which is only implied in the Gospel of John for Andrew (1:40) and even less clearly for Philip.
- Armor-Piercing Question: The quote above.
- Big "YES!": John's response to finally witnessing Jesus perform a miracle.
- Brutal Honesty: Let's just say he's not one to be intimidated when it comes to speaking his mind.
- Clashing Cousins: Averted with John and Jesus. While they disagree on things, they are very close and have an easy bantering dynamic.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Fondly nicknamed "Creepy John" by some. Portrayed as dressed in rags, having an unkempt beard, a generally crazy appearance and attitude to boot.
- Fatal Flaw: His blunt honesty and his tendency to speak his mind without fear of the consequences. He knows it'll get him in trouble, but ultimately he doesn't care.
- Go Out with a Smile: Before his execution, he sees a lamb grazing and smiles, knowing he has fulfilled his mission and he's going to heaven.
- Gory Discretion Shot: When he's executed by Herod's soldiers, the executioner raises his axe, and a striking sound is heard, but the camera cuts away before the blow lands.
- In-Series Nickname: Simon calls him "Creepy John."
- So Proud of You: His reaction to Jesus when they finally reunite.
- To Make a Long Story Short: John's rather tactful summary of King David's life.
- Virtuous Vegetarianism: Downplayed. John abstains from eating meat, but others mention that he'll still eat bugs.
Zebedee

Portrayed by: Nick Shakoour
A Capernaum fisherman and the father of Big James and John.
- Good Parents: Is clearly shown as a loving husband and father.
- Hidden Depths: Season 3 reveals that he only fished because it provided security for his family and is interested in other pursuits now that John and James have left to follow Jesus, with Zeb starting an olive garden.
- Nice Guy: He's one of the more genial characters in the show, and loves his sons dearly. Even when Simon acts amok, he still shows patience towards him and helps to steer him in the right path.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He is a leader of the fishermen and refuses to give Simon fish that other men have worked hard for to help pay his debt to the Romans after Simon nearly betrayed them for fishing on Shabbat, but he does help Simon fish to try and make up the difference more honestly out of respect for how Simon changed his mind about collaborating.
- Team Dad: He offers practical everyday guidance to all members of Jesus's ministry in concert with Jesus's spiritual teachings. It helps that he's also Big James and John's actual dad.
Eden

Portrayed by: Lara Silva
Simon Peter's wife.
- Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife: Simon is impetuous and doesn't manage money well, and without Jesus's miraculous intervention, they would have lost their house. Eden is shown to be more practical.
- Happily Married: Their marriage isn't free from conflict, but it is clear that Eden and Simon love one another deeply.
- This gets turned on its ear in season three: When Simon returns from the trip Jesus sent him on, Eden is distant and upset. Simon is desperate to figure out what he has done wrong. He had no idea that he'd gotten Eden pregnant before leaving, and that she had a miscarriage while he was gone.
- Informed Attribute: Eden calls herself the red oni to Simon's blue, but all evidence points to Simon being the wilder one.
- Leaving You to Find Myself: Of a sort. Jesus calls Simon to follow Him, which obliges him to leave for a long time. Eden believes that Simon has found his calling and is happy, although she knows that his absence will be difficult for her.
- My Girl Back Home: Eden is left behind when Simon goes to follow Jesus.
- Named by the Adaptation: The Bible mentions Simon's wife but never names her.
- Nice Gal: Eden is a genuine sweetheart, and supportive of Simon. Most of the people who know her wonder why she ended up with Simon.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Simon is impetuous and somewhat reckless, while Eden comes across as the more responsible one. Bizarrely, in one scene, Eden refers to herself as the red oni and Simon as the blue oni.
- Suppressed Rage: She is upset with Simon for a good portion of season three for not being aware enough to notice she had a miscarriage while he was gone on his preaching mission, but tries to hide her anger. Simon eventually realizes she's acting cold and distant and tries to find out what he did and apologize, but she refuses to tell him for some time.
Joseph

Portrayed by: Raj Bond
Mary's husband and Jesus' stepfather.- Good Parents: He's shown to be loving and kind to Jesus.
- A Hero to His Hometown: Season 3 reveals that Joseph is still well-respected in Nazareth well after his death, and people criticize Jesus for not living up to His stepfather's just reputation.
- It Has Been an Honor: Joseph tells a young Jesus in a flashback that being His earthly stepfather is the greatest honor he ever could've had in his life.
- One-Steve Limit: Downplayed as he shares with his same with the Pharisee Yussif, since the latter has the Semitic form of his name. It also helps they don’t share any scenes together since he is already dead.
- Posthumous Character: He's dead by the time the series proper begins. He's only seen alive in the Pilot, the Christmas Special Episode, in a flashback in Season 3 as well as Season 1, but Mary talks about him frequently and Season 5 when he consoles Jesus before He leaves Gethsemane.
- Prank Injuries: While teaching Jesus how to hammer in a nail, and holding the nail in place, Joseph pretends that Jesus accidentally smashed his hand before laughing and revealing it to be a joke.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Joseph speaks with an accent that's completely unique to him, not matching that used by other Jews in the series, the mostly American accents used by Roman characters, or the accents used by people of other nationalities (like Tamar). Among other things, he pronounces his w's as v's like a stereotypical German accent.
- Face Death with Dignity: Shows no fear or regret at the process of being worked to death in slavery. He even smiles at the man whose arrest makes this happen.
- Famous Ancestor: Before he is arrested, he explained how his tribe's ancestor Benjamin, and how he was named.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. He shares the same given name as the apostle Matthew, whom he meets with to settle his debt.
- Thanatos Gambit: He exploited a loophole in the Roman tax system to take on all his relatives' debts, condemning himself to be enslaved and worked to death. He fully knows this, and considers it a small price to pay for securing his children's financial future.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Just before being arrested for his debt, he gifts his prayer tassels to Matthew and expresses the hope that the tax collector will someday have use for them. Other than Jesus, he's the only Jew shown not to condemn Matthew for being a tax collector.
Telemachus

- Portrayed by: Kace Winifeld
- Adorably Precocious Child: He is a bright and helpful young boy who is eager to help both his father and Jesus, is the only person to volunteer food for the crowd hearing Jesus prophesize, and earnestly corrects Andrew misdescribing the kind of bread he is carrying.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He only has a few scenes across the last two episodes of season 3, but he supplies the bread and fish for the famous feeding of the multitude.
Hadad

- Portrayed by: Josh Zagoren
- Affably Evil: He is very avaricious and not above tricking people into disadvantageous deals. He has some piety but says he would rather devote himself to God in his old age, while retired in luxury, than in the present. However, he is very polite, wants to see an end to the Roman tyranny, and helps the Disciples negotiate the rental of the land they need for the Sermon on the Mount due to a good-natured whim.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: He buys land for a fraction of its value (albeit for far more money than the owner was getting out of it in its present state) while falsely claiming that he wants to buy it for a less profitable reason than his actual motive (mining).
- Manipulative Bastard: He is good at manipulating people or making them look at a subject from angles they hadn't considered before.
- Parental Substitute: He comments on how Judas is an orphan, and he views himself as filling in a parental role in his life. When Judas leaves the company to follow Jesus, Hadad's reaction is more akin to losing a son than losing an employee.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When Judas comes to visit him in season four, Hadad tells him that if he believes that Jesus is the Messiah, then he (Judas) should start thinking about securing a position in Jesus's new kingdom and using his financial talents to do so. This inspires Judas to start stealing from the money bag shared between the Apostles.
Lazarus

- Portrayed by: Demetrios Troy
- Adaptation Origin Connection: The Bible never mentions how long he has known Jesus but here, they played together as toddlers.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He is a humble, goofy, caring guy, but he is prepared to physically defend Jesus from a large mob until Jesus convinces him it is unnecessary.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: He convinces the local rabbi to let Jesus make a public sermon about his teachings, which nearly gets Jesus killed by people who assume he is a false prophet.
- Secretly Dying: Well, not a secret to us, but when Jesus and the Twelve come to visit him during the Feast of Dedication, Jesus notices him ducking away from the singing and celebration to brace himself against a wall, clearly in pain, before rejoining the festivities with a forced grin.
Martha and Mary

Portrayed by: Sophia Blum and Catherine Lidstone
The sisters of Lazarus, two of Jesus's later devotees.- Nice Girl: Both of them are very compassionate and helpful.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Downplayed but, while both of them are kind people, Martha focuses more on providing service and Mary seems more fixated on learning and enlightenment.
- Sixth Ranger: They don't appear until season 3 and don't travel away from home with the Apostles, but they believe strongly in Jesus and do a lot to help him and his friends.
Jesse

Portrayed by: Dennis Apergis, Benjamin Bottani, and Chris Edward Garcia
Simon the Zealot's homeless, paraplegic brother.- The Fettered: Decades of crawling to a pool in a vain effort to be healed by its supposed powers have left him physically and emotionally worn down.
- Nice Guy: He is a humble, amiable man, except at his very lowest.
- Related in the Adaptation: The Bible never suggests that he and Zee are brothers.
Devorah
Portrayed by: Marlaina Smith
- Big Sister Instinct: She seeks to be older than Judas, having daughters old enough to join b in crowds with the family, and is afraid he may be executed when he first joins the Ministry.
- Skeptic No Longer: She worries her brother Judas is foolish for following Jesus when she first heard of him but is convinced within a few years that it was a good decision as she learns more about Jesus and his deeds.
Portrayed by: Michael Steger
- Hero of Another Story: He spends all of the time the Ministry is spreading engaging in his own more martial defiance of dictatorship and false Gods (although his decision not to follow Jesus on a more pacifistic route arguably makes him double a downplayed Villain of Another Story, or at least an Anti-Hero).
- Pet the Dog: While a stern Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters figure not yet ready to accept Jesus, he lets Zee join him.
Naomi
Portrayed by: Anna Khaja
- Women Are Wiser: After the initial grieving, she has a more far-seeing and forgiving reaction to Ramah's death than her husband does.
Barnaby
Portrayed by: Aalok Mehta
An early beneficiary of Jesus’s healing who continues showing up to listen to a lot of Jesus’s preachings.- Plucky Comic Relief: He is an animated man often used for lighter moments, such as making jabs at the Romans and Pharisees.
Pharisees and Sadducees
Nicodemus

Portrayed by: Erick Avari
A Pharisee whose investigation of Mary Magdalene's possession leads to him crossing paths with Jesus.
- Ascended Extra: In the Gospel of John, Nicodemus gets one chapter talking with Jesus and two short mentions afterward. Here, he's practically the Deuteragonist of Season 1, and his character arc of searching for Jesus but ultimately failing to follow Him take up a large chunk of screentime.
- Call-Forward: When he begs Mary Magdalene to arrange for him to meet Jesus, he says that Jesus can choose the location - "even a tomb". His last biblical appearance is to provide customary embalming spices during Jesus' burial.
- Fatal Flaw: Nicodemus believes Jesus, but ultimately is too attached to his position and reputation to commit to following Him.
- God Before Dogma: He cares much more about honoring God and seeking to do His will than about his own importance or societal rules and expectations.
- When his wife tells Nicodemus that for people to be his guests at Shabbat dinner, "it will be like sharing loaves with God Himself," he mutters, "Am I the only one hearing this?"
- He reassures Mary that he is "not here to enforce Jewish law," as he is concerned with learning about her redemption, not the fact that her head is uncovered.
- His Pharisee colleagues bristle at John the Baptizer's condemnation of them. Nicodemus doesn't care because it's a potential lead in his investigation into who cured Mary, which is much more important than their bruised egos.
- Put on a Bus: He disappears after Season 1, though it's mentioned in Season 2 that he blocked Shmuel's attempt to report Jesus. Four seasons later, he returns at the end of part two of season five.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Even before his encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus is shown to be different from other Jewish leaders. He is disenchanted with the focus on rituals and rules over genuine piety, and seems largely unimpressed with the importance with which people regard him.
- Uncle Pennybags: A mildly tragic example. In the first season he wimps out on actually following Jesus, but does leave them a bunch of money to help them on their journey.
Shmuel

Portrayed by: Shaan Sharma
A Pharisee who studied under Nicodemus.
- Beneath the Mask: Implied. When he gets up to preach in one episode, he seems very nervous. Additionally, while he's not on Nicodemus' good side at the moment, he also seems reluctant to turn on his mentor.
- Culture Police/Moral Guardian: In fairness, it's literally his job to be this. Special mention goes to when he gets a report about Jesus' teaching in Decapolis—the first lead he's gotten in a while—and keeps interrupting the man to criticize his lack of tassels and the vest he's wearing.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Much like many other Jews, Shmuel thinks the Messiah will be a great king who will push out the Romans and bring heaven on earth and fundamentally misunderstands Jesus' purpose in coming to Earth. Instead of listening to Jesus and considering what He has to say, he's too busy being offended by Mary anointing Jesus' feet and her disregard for traditions. Much like his mentor Nicodemus, Shmuel came so close to believing, but was unable to take the necessary step. Though the difference is that Nicodemus grew to truly believe Jesus was the Messiah, but was unable to let go of his old life. Shmuel is too concerned with the rules and tradition to hear what Jesus has to say.
- Everyone Has Standards: He's disgusted by the Pharisees who want to use his reports for political gain, rather than for the moral reasons that Shmuel has.
- He is horrified once he realizes that it was his efforts and reports that caused John The Baptizer to be arrested and eventually executed. He may not have liked John, but he didn't want the man dead.
- He's deeply concerned once he learns the Pharisees are hoping to kill Jesus. He may not like Jesus or agree with his message, but he doesn't want the man dead. This is slightly dampened when he rejects Jesus for good. But still.
- Fatal Flaw: Pride. It's why he calls the Roman soldiers to Jesus when He heals the crippled man, and why he turns against his mentor Nicodemus.
- Green-Eyed Monster: It's implied at the very end of Season Three that part of his obsession with finding and arresting Jesus is that he's jealous (or at least confused) that Jesus is getting more admiration for breaking tradition than Shmuel is for following it.
- Knight Templar: Unlike some of the Pharisees who want Jesus out of the way for political reasons, Shmuel genuinely believes he's following God's law by stopping Jesus, and sincerely wants to follow God's will. Unfortunately, he's too caught up in tradition to see what God truly wants and rejects Jesus completely.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Once he's told it was his reports that caused John The Baptizer to be arrested and eventually executed, he's horrified.
- Redemption Rejection: He spends much of Season 4 seeming to come around after praying with Jesus and spending time with Yussif, only to completely reject Jesus after he watches Mary anoint his feet.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: While his motives are self-serving to a fault, he genuinely believes that he's following the law of God by stopping Jesus and is concerned about seeing the law be followed.
Yussif

Portrayed by: Ivan Jasso
A Pharisee and a contemporary of Shmuel.
- Internal Reformist: He eventually uses his rich father to get a seat on the Sanhedrin, but only to try to protect and get support for the ministry from a higher position.
- Nice Guy: He's by far the least picky and least proud Pharisee. Season Three takes this even further when Eden comes to him for advice about various problems; he is awkward, but gentle, sincere, and doesn't talk down to her.
- One-Steve Limit: Downplayed as he shares the same name with Jesus’ father Joseph, which is the anglicised form of his name. It also helps that they don’t share any scenes together since Joseph is dead by the time the series proper begins. As a Pharisaic councillor and secret follower of Jesus, he's heavily implied to be Joseph of Arimathea.
- Positive Friend Influence: He becomes closer to Shmuel and he tries to lead him on the path to becoming a believer in Jesus and let go of the traditions that he holds in high esteem. Sadly, it doesn't take.
- Token Good Teammate: For the Pharisees, especially once he secretly becomes a believer in Season Three. It puts him in contrast to Shmuel.
Dunash

Portrayed by: Richard Tanner
The secretary of Shemone, a high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin whose aid Shmuel sought in bring charges against Jesus. By season 5, he has apparently undergone a Rank Up and seems more like an equal to Shemone in the centrist bloc.
- Get Out!: When Shmuel tries suggesting Shemone could get a political advantage, Dunash ends the meeting on the spot.
- Internal Reformist: He and Shemone are most concerned with reforming the Jewish laws to be more compassionate, such as by allowing women to remarry if their husbands die without witnesses to watch.
- Mouth of Sauron: Dunash is the secretary of Shemone (who takes two more seasons to appear in person) and makes his superior's goals and philosophies clear to anyone who approaches Dunash to see Shemone personally and gain his support.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: His final reason for dismissing Shmuel's claims are quite simple; the very code of laws Shmuel accuses Jesus of violating require more witnesses than Shmuel has produced.
Shammai
Portrayed by: Ric Sarabia
A high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin who aids Shmuel in bringing charges against Jesus.
- The Chessmaster: His introduction shows him carefully scheming on how to use the charge against Jesus to turn both the public and the Sanhedrin against Jesus. Shammai also calculates when and how to make revelations about those of his political opponents who have failed to act against Jesus to maximize the backlash against them.
- Evil Reactionary: He is a stern man with little sympathy for the view that Jewish law should be interpreted or practiced differently than it has been regardless of what common sense, compassion, or the teachings of Jesus might dictate. However, this is also played with in that he is decades younger than his late contemporary (the father of Shimon), who started the movement focused on such changes and thus got an earlier start than the average reactionary.
- Knight Templar: While he senses a political opportunity in bringing charges against Jesus, Shammai is genuinely outraged by the reports he heard.
- Papa Wolf: In the past, his daughter and newborn grandson were unable to leave home during a holy time that required Jews to stay in temporary dwellings rather than permanent ones. His desire to help his family observe this rule was so great that he climbed onto a roof and knocked a hole in it so that the building would fit the technical definition of a temporary dwelling.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: He hates the idea of working with Herod against Jesus when Caiaphas first suggests it.
Yanni

- Portrayed by: Wasim No’mani (season 2, 4-present), Cameron Nichols (season 3)
- Almighty Janitor: He has no Sanhedrin seat himself, but his connections among those with seats can quickly accomplish impressive and sometimes alarming things.
- The Chessmaster: After deciding to bring charges against Jesus, he calmly analyzes how he and Shmuel may be able to get the less reactionary Shemone to side with them so he can show the fence-straddlers that he can be stern like his rival Shammai. And if Shemone rejects their petition, then Shammai will be more eager to take up a cause that his nemesis dismissed.
- Deadpan Snarker: He has a dry sense of humor and likes to quip about things like how hard it is to keep track of all the Pharisees who have names beginning with "Sh-".
- Et Tu, Brute?: He has an Odd Friendship with Internal Reformist Dunash, and is upset when Dunash refuses to support his investigation of Jesus.
- Hidden Depths: He often acts like a politician first and a holy man second. However, he is visibly upset by his superior Ozem's hypocrisy in denouncing false prophecy but complaining about the inconvenience of personally enforcing its ban, and suggesting that sin matters less when it happens outside Jerusalem, shows some brief shock when Lahad first discusses his plan to execute Jesus for political gain (although he does agree that it would be justified from their point by the end of the talk), and is the first Pharisee to understand (although by no means agree with or appreciate) the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.
- Mr. Exposition: He tells Shmuel (and the audience) a lot about the factions and procedures of the Sanhedrin and also talks about the political dynamics between Caiaphas and his in-laws in season 5.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He helps get the Pharisees to issue an edict against Jesus and his alleged false prophecy but doesn't venture out to enforce it afterward, reasoning that people will start coming in with reports about Jesus if he is truly dangerous, and if they don't, then that will mean Jesus isn't causing enough of a stir to warrant their attention after all.
- Sink-or-Swim Mentor: He is quite polite to his new student Shmuel, but in his first scene, Yanni takes Shmuel to a rough part of town to build a following and practice his oratory skills by preaching to the crowds. Yanni then leaves after half-seriously commenting about how dangerous it is to be in the area alone.
Jairus

Portrayed by: Alessandro Colla
A synagogue ruler in Caperneum who befriends Yussif.- Almighty Janitor: Despite being outranked by the Pharisees, he has keen insights and keeps a lot of sensitive writings in his basement while waiting to see if the time is right for them to be read to the world.
- I Regret Nothing: When his daughter gets sick, he is worried and questions if this is divine retribution for believing in Jesus, but after weighing what he knows about Jesus and feels in his heart, he says he can’t regret his faith, and Jesus soon cures his daughter.
- Nice Guy: He's one of the nicest characters in the show. While initially shown in a somewhat sinister light, Jairus proves to be a good hearted man who wants to follow God, and realizes Jesus is the Messiah.
Ozem

Portrayed by: Ethan Flower
A lieutenant of Shammai in the Sanhedrin.- Family-Values Villain: He is close to his large family and fondly talks about how being there for them is something God approves of, and is a financial conservative about Sanhedrin funds but capable of finding jokes about his cautiousness with money Actually Pretty Funny.
- Last Episode, New Character: He debuts in the season 3 finale.
- Mouth of Sauron: He represents Shammai on matters Shammai is too busy to attend to personally.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He initially seems like a lazy, good-humored old man who feels unthreatened by Jesus, but he becomes vicious in his intolerance and hostility once he sees how many people Jesus is preaching to and what messages they get from that preaching.
- Witch Hunter: He talks about being involved in investigations into witchcraft in the past, although whether this makes him a Hero of Another Story (as the series does feature demonic possession and other such forces) or a Villain of Another Story (more likely considering his enthusiasm at the idea of killing Jesusnand his followers) has yet to be confirmed.
Madai and Lamech
Portrayed by: Tony Sears and Sergio Lanza
Two Pharisees in the isolated hamlet of Wadi Kelt, who are offended by everything about Jesus and seek to see his supposed misdeeds brought to the attention to Shmuel and the Sanhedrin.- Hidden Depths: They show a sense of humility behind closed doors, albeit in the twisted sense of being honored that God sent a supposed false prophet to their meaningless village for them to punish. They also show enough political insight to understand that writing a report about Jesus will be less effective than telling someone in person and lament about how the Sanhedrin often forgets to tell Rabbis in their region about changes in religious laws and practices.
- Sinister Minister: They are angry men who preach vengeful verses and insult Jesus for healing a man with a maimed arm, saying that God could heal the man himself if he wanted to, that the man deserves no sympathy, and that traditions are more important than helping people.
Benjamin
Portrayed by: Gys de Villiers
The rabbi of Nazareth. He is open to the idea of Jesus being a prophet of the Messiah but firmly opposed to the idea he could be the Messiah himself.- Apologetic Attacker: He is the first Pharisee to outright try to kill Jesus, although he is uncomfortable about it (albeit more due to his friendship with Joseph and Mary than sympathy for Jesus himself). In the end, he can’t go through with it, although whether this is out of guilt, cowardice, or God intervening in unseen ways is treated as an Ambiguous Situation.
Caiaphas

Portrayed by: Richard Fancy
- Evil Old Folks: He is about eighty and quick to see Jesus as a threat that must be destroyed.
- Faux Affably Evil: He has a thin politeness that he shows outwardly, but it doesn't take long to reveal just how much of a nasty person he truly is.
- May–December Romance: His advanced age and how his father-in-law and predecessor Annas is still alive and of sound enough mind and body that Pilate accuses Caiaphas of being his puppet suggests that Caiaphas is significantly older than his current wife.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He wants to pit Jesus against the Romans rather than have the Pharisees go after him themselves and look weak or unworthy of respect in front of the occupation force.
- Unseen No More: He is mentioned as early as season 1, as a friend and superior of Nicodemus, before appearing in season 4.
Akiva

Portrayed by: Phillip Shabhaz
An opinionated Capernum Pharisee with an Evil Reactionary I Reject Your Reality view towards anything Jesus says.- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: For all of his seemingly boundless wisdom and compassion, Jesus has no problem admitting that he views the callous and close-minded Akiva as an awful person who is Beyond Redemption.
- Lean and Mean: He is equal parts gaunt and aggressive.
- Perpetual Frowner: His visage is consistently angry.
Josiah

Portrayed by: Steve Shermett
- Bait the Dog: He may seem like a dedicated worker and silently observes Jesus preach for several minutes while having a neutral expression, but he ultimately summons Akiva to accuse Jesus of false prophecy.
- Older Sidekick: He acts subordinately toward the younger Akiva.
Gedera
Portrayed by: Liche Ariva
The leader of the Sadducees, wealthy Pharisees who claim that God rewards his greatest followers (supposedly themselves) not with a peaceful afterlife but with earthly prosperity.- Conspicuous Consumption: He has many jewels in order to display his wealth.
- Faux Affably Evil: He rarely drops his genial manner, but (save in his interactions with Caiaphas) his words are usually full of condescension and corruption and Jesus's contradicting his worldview quickly makes Gedera go from saying this doesn't sound like the wise man he has heard about to angrily throwing stones.
- Hiding Behind Religion: He tries to use holy texts to justify his hedonism, although he does argue that many of his rivals are too focused on the next world to properly consider many important concerns of the earthly one and sometimes have their own Not So Above It All indulgencies or luxuries.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He talks about how Jesus must be purged because he is a disrespectful blasphemer who could trigger a bloody revolt, but he openly admits that preserving his status is another consideration.
- Opportunistic Bastard: He can tell when pressure from Rome might make Pilate more pliable to certain requests.
Lehad
Portrayed by: Demian Castro
- Affably Evil: He is a charming conversationalist who is passionate and articulate about his sincerely held and relatively sympathetic beliefs that Israel should be restored to its original boundaries, but he is also OK with bragging about his plan to have a man executed as a political ploy.
- Big Bad Wannabe: His intricate plan to have Jesus arrested, tried, and executed as a publicity stunt for his pet cause doesn't account for how Jesus will soon have several far more powerful Pharisees out to bring their own charges against him for more personal reasons.
- Opportunistic Bastard: He is always on the lookout for causes or prosecutions he can step into in exchange for support for his own goals.
- Uniformity Exception: As of season 5, he is the only clean-shaven Pharisee besides maybe a few background characters.
Zebediah
Portrayed by: Brad Culver
- Bait the Dog: He is introduced arguing for the position more in line with Jesus's teachings during a Sanhedrin debate about the afterlife and is then mentioned as heading a prophecy committee that intrigues Yussif. However, he quickly shows himself to be an aloof, Holier Than Thou classist and sometimes violent Evil Reactionary.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Evil may be the wrong word, but he is one of the more violent, stubborn, and aggressive Pharisees, but lights up while talking about his wife and seems to consider Nicodemus a good friend.
- Harbinger of Impending Doom: At the beginning of season 5, he is at the head of a procession to warn and/or threaten Jesus that he will probably die if he comes into Jerusalem during the Holy Week.
- Pet the Dog: Despite being quick to stone Jesus, he condemns the Sadducees for ignoring the strugglings of lower-class Jews, gives Nicodemus a friendly update on what was going on during his Long Bus Trip, and opposes a proposal to execute Lazarus (who Zebediah calls a devout man) as a blasphemer for saying he was resurrected.
Shimon
Portrayed by: Juri Henley Cohn
The son and successor of Shammai's rival Hillal. The father and later the son lead a progressive school of thought and interpretation of Jewish laws.- "Not So Different" Remark: He views Jesus as a disturbing source of questionable doctrine at the start of the Holy Week but soon hesitates to condemn him too harshly after reflecting that he also controversially argues against treating the understanding of God's will as bound by the Old Testament in a changing world.
- Series Continuity Error: His name is given as both Shimon and Shemone at times.
- Unseen No More: He is mentioned throughout season 2, cameos in season 4, then gets more prominence in season 5.
Portrayed by: Naith Lakli
- Obnoxious In-Laws: There is some mutual jealousy and rivalry between him and his brother-in-law from the moment they enter the same room, and his sister has to order them to be nice and cooperate.
- Passed-Over Promotion: He was expected to succeed his father Annas as high priest before his brother-in-law Caiaphas got the job, partially do to the controversial nature of Annas’s removal. Annas has poorly concealed jealousy over this, and random people are willing to mock him about it on the street.
Romans
Gaius

Portrayed by: Kirk B. R. Woller
A Roman centurion and close associate of Matthew.
- Adopt-a-Servant: Gaius reveals that, apart from his legal son, he is also raising the son of a slave who died in childbirth. While the child is legally his property, it seems that Gaius doesn't treat him as such. It's later revealed this is because the boy is his illegitimate child.
- Benevolent Boss: We don't see much of it, but it's clear his men respect him and unlike Quintus, Gaius treats his underlings well and fairly.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Implied. When Jesus asks to say goodbye to His mother, Gaius allows it.
- Canon Character All Along: While it's heavily implied throughout Season 3, Season 4 confirms without a doubt that he is the Centurion of strong faith mentioned in Matthew and Luke's Gospels. He converts to become a follower of Jesus and asks Jesus to heal his servant/son, which Jesus does.
- Crazy Cultural Comparison: He finds it rather ridiculous that Simon refuses to share his alcohol or even give him a handshake for fear of becoming ritually unclean, which leads the two to discuss the differences between their religions.
- Everyone Has Standards: In episode 6, while he and Matthew are guarding a chest containing two years' worth of taxes, he tells Matthew to act like "a normal person". He only meant for Matthew to be inconspicuous, but when he saw a hurt look on Matthew's face, he immediately retracted this statement.
- Good Is Not Soft: He is willing to threaten a Pharisee at swordpoint to keep him from going after Jesus.
- Immigrant Patriotism: Gauis is of Germanic ancestry, possibly very recent, yet he insists that he is loyal first to Rome.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gaius is gruff, and can be insensitive at times. But he proves that he's a decent man at heart and eventually becomes a believer.
- Only Friend: To Matthew, at the beginning of the series. Even when they no longer are working together, he expresses concern for his health and wellbeing when they happen to run into one another.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Gaius reveals in season 3 that he cheated on his wife with a slave in his household, and that he only came to regret it after hearing the sermon on the mount.
- Nerves of Steel: Well, that's a given since he's a centurion. But Gaius is not a man who scares easily, even when an increasingly unhinged Quintus threatens him into doing his work, he doesn't flinch.
- Not So Stoic: When he asks Matthew and Peter for Jesus' help healing his son, he betrays a rare moment of emotion when talking about his servant's boy (who's also his son), begging them to have Jesus help him and that he believes. When they agree, he embraces them happily.
- Pet the Dog:
- He'd be mortified if it were generally known that he's friends with his Jewish publicanus, but he'll occasionally let his gruff façade slip a bit.
- When Gaius detained Jesus, he granted Jesus a moment to say goodbye to Mary and assure her that it'll be okay.
- In season three, he strikes up a sort of uneasy friendship with Simon, giving him marriage advice, helping him rebuild a cistern, and keeping him from being arrested.
- He starts helping the refugees outside the city, despite Quintus' orders to get rid of them.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: While Gaius is strict and gruff, he is not a bad man at heart. Especially after some Character Development, he takes a more caring, tolerant attitude toward the non-Romans in Galilee.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: In Season 3 he is seen outside of his armor while talking with Simon, showing he is becoming less of a stern Roman officer and instead more approachable and human.
- Token Good Cop: Most members of the Roman garrisons enforce harsh rules and tax levies, but he gradually develops an Odd Friendship with Jesus's ministry, and (as of early season 4) he tends to observe them and their believers with interest rather than hostility.
- Token Good Teammate: Has shades of this. He is the Roman who has the most positive interactions with Jews and seems the most moral of them in general.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He seems visibly affected by listening to Jesus preach, and in Season 3 starts to ease up a bit in his duties.
- He tells a junior officer not to get after the refugees for breaking city code and, later still, helps the refugees with their homes.
- He takes off his armor to strike up a conversation with Simon and help him with both his marriage and a broken cistern.
- He protects Jesus in his preaching, and eventually becomes a believer.
- Tough Love: Toward Matthew. He's usually pretty gruff toward him, but his occasional Pet the Dog moments show that it's because he genuinely cares for his well-being.
- You Are in Command Now: Is promoted to praetor after Quintus kills Ramah in Season 4.
Quintus Benedictus Dio

Portrayed by: Brandon Potter
The Praetor of Galilee. in season 4 he loses his position after accidentally killing Ramah
- Actually Pretty Funny: Tends to get amused rather than offended at Matthew's complete lack of tact.
- Affably Evil: He has nearly unfettered power in Capernaum and others expect him to execute people on the spot for even mild offenses, but he usually responds with a laugh. He manages to be friendly even while he's threatening you.
- Season three tones down the "affable" part a bit, but it's still there.
- Bald of Evil: He's a major antagonistic figure on the show who just happens to be bald.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He offhandedly mentions having a wife who enjoys gardening.
- Even Evil Has Standards: While Quintus isn't shy about violently suppressing unrest, he says that he isn't conditioned to the screams of people being crucified the same way Pilate is.
- Freudian Excuse: In episode 6, while asking Matthew for advice on how to shame a childhood rival, Quintus reveals that his father "gave me nothing".
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Despite, or probably because of his goofy personality, nobody can stand Quintus. Gaius treats him civilly, but is clearly irritated by him. Atticus hates him and has no patience for his shenanigans.
- Giggling Villain: His impish personality often expresses itself this way. This, combined with his distinctive voice, has drawn comparisons to John de Lancie's portrayal of Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation among the fandom.
- Greed: He's impressed when Simon manages to repay an extensive tax debt, and immediately begins to muse about how he could force or trick Simon into accomplishing this again.
- In season three, he wants to expel the pilgrim camp outside Capernaum until Atticus points out that he could tax them instead.
- Large Ham: Brandon Potter is having the time of his life with the role and it shows.
- My God, What Have I Done?: When he kills Ramah, he's absolutely horrified.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: He is stripped of his position of Praetor and sent to a different district after accidentally killing Ramah
- Sanity Slippage: With the pressure of keeping the peace and raising the appropriate taxes from the Jews, he becomes more unhinged and erratic. He finally snaps and inadvertently kills Ramah.
Atticus Aemilius Pulcher

Portrayed by: Elijah Alexander
A Cohortes Urbanae, acting essentially as a Roman special operator.
- Affably Evil: Downplayed, as he's not necessarily an evil person, yet he can certainly be amoral and opportunistic in the pursuit of his goals. Generally though, he's a reasonable and friendly person, he seems like a guy you could get a drink with.
- Assassin Outclassin': Atticus figured out Simon the Zealot's assassination plan, and intended to intercept and kill him in the act to deny the Zealots even a martyr for their cause. The only reason he fails is that Simon the Zealot doesn't play his part, instead choosing to follow Jesus.
- Brutal Honesty: Atticus has little patience for beating around the bush and will expressly tell people what he thinks without filter, particularly with Pilate and Kafni.
- Cape Swish: He wears a cape to help blend in, but he's fond of dramatically flinging it back to reveal his sword and rank to people when they aren't cooperative.
- The Dreaded: Is this to other members of the Roman government in Judea, because of the authority he has. Even Pontius Pilate is afraid of him.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: He can walk in and see Quintus and Pilate without an appointment.
- Everyone Has Standards: He seems genuinely horrified when Quintus kills Ramah, while this could be a case of Pragmatic Villainy, his reaction to the deed suggests it may be genuine outrage.
- The Gadfly: Enjoys messing with people with big egos, whether it's Quintus or Pharisees. Pilate seems to enjoy this part of his character.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: Pontius says that Atticus is loyal to no one but himself and Emperor Tiberius. At the end of the conversation, Atticus tells Pontius that he's close, but wrong. Atticus claims to be loyal not to Tiberius, but to "Mother Rome".
- No Sympathy: He bluntly tells Kafni he's a pathetic, vindictive little man taking out his guilt and anger on a person who really had nothing to do with his daughter's death. That said, that doesn't mean he can't use it for his own purposes.
- Oral Fixation: Many scenes in which he appears have him eating something.
- Pet the Dog:
- He uses his rank and diplomatic skills to protect a slave, Gaius, and the pilgrims from Quintus' wrath, all in the same scene.
- He realizes Simon the Zealot is no longer a threat to Rome, warns him the Order is after him, and lets him go peacefully.
- He helps out a man trying to sell a lamb to some snooty Pharisees.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: All things considered he comes off as more moral and savvy than many people he interacts with, whether that's Quintus, Pilate, or the Pharisees.
- The Snark Knight: He seems an intelligent, highly-experienced, and well-traveled person. Because of this, he isn't impressed by the egos of people like Quintus or the Jewish rulers and enjoys poking at them or trying to take their pride down a notch. He seems more tolerant of or patient with genuine people, like Gaius, the poor, or Jesus' disciples.
- Villainous Friendship: He and Pilate get along very well, with Pilate even saying he's one of the few that he completely trusts.
- Villain Respect: Atticus admits to being intrigued by Jesus and His miracles on the way to arrest him. When he hears Jesus is in Decapolis, he immediately leaves to go find Him and may have witnessed Jesus walking on water.
Pontius Pilate

Portrayed by: Andrew James Allen
The governor of Judea.
- Affably Evil: He's friendly enough to his wife and to Atticus, and he believes he's a good governor who will bring the people of Judea prosperity. He also crucifies rebels on a daily basis, waking up in the morning to their screams, and enjoys trolling Jews by eating the foods forbidden to them.
- Family-Values Villain: When Atticus asks why he doesn't have wine and women with him, Pilate states that he doesn't drink to excess and that he's married. In other words, he's faithful to his wife even when Roman society wouldn't penalize him for not being so.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: In the episode where he's introduced, he confides in Atticus that he wants peace and for the people to get what they want.
- Young and in Charge: He is considerably younger than most of the other Roman characters, particularly the ones under his authority (Quintus and Gaius), almost to the point of Improbable Age.
Claudia

Portrayed by: Sarah J. Bartholomew
Pilate's wife, who is concerned by her husband's methods of governing and plagued by troubling dreams.
- Boyish Short Hair: Rather surprisingly for a Roman noblewoman, her hair is cut very short.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: She specifically dreams of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded by the sleeping disciples and being confronted with Satan in the form of a snake.
- Everyone Has Standards: She's disturbed by crucifixion, and gets after Pilate for having them conduct it early in the morning when she wakes up.
- Nice Gal: Claudia is a genuinely kind and thoughtful person, she sincerely sympathizes with Johanna and her marriage troubles and offers her some kind words and advice. Though with that said, she misses what Johanna is truly bothered about.
Other Hostile or Indifferent Jewish Citizens

- Big Bad Wannabe: He rallies a crowd of Jews around him with the intent to reject Jesus as the Messiah and drag him through the mud after Ramah's death. But Atticus and a squad of Roman soldiers capture him and his group effortlessly before he even gets near Jesus and Atticus makes it clear to him that they are only sparing his life and letting him continue his preachings because it serves the bigger interests of the Roman Empire he hates and that is more responsible than Jesus for Ramah’s death.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He starts out just adding some personal color to Thomas and Ramah's backstories and tension to their decision to follow Jesus, but, by mid-season 4, grief over his daughter's loss has led to him rallying crowds of ordinary Jews to reject Jesus as the Messiah and seek his downfall, while not realizing that this is part of God's plan to set the stage for the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
- Despair Event Horizon: While he was never a particularly pleasant person by any stretch, once Ramah dies, he loses all hope and any of his redeeming qualities and is twisted into a spiteful, vindictive snake of a man.
- Enemy Mine: Even though Atticus makes it clear he despises Kafni and rightfully calls him out for the vindictive snake he is, he realizes that he can still use Kafni and his group for his own purposes and offers a partnership.
- Evil Is Petty: Well, he's not evil per se. But he spitefully attempts to discredit Jesus after Ramah died while following him. Atticus even lambasts him for his pettiness.
- Hypocrite: He blames Jesus for Ramah's death and decides to spend his every waking moment attempting to discredit Jesus out of spite. But he ends up allying himself with The Romans, who were truly responsible. He even has the audacity to say it's a sign from God. His wife, completely disgusted by this, abandons him after giving him a crippling “The Reason You Suck” Speech, telling him she will not be dragged down into his vengeful crusade.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He was a grumpy, unpleasant man. But he loves Ramah and genuinely saw Thomas as a son figure. This ends once Ramah dies and whatever sympathetic traits he may have had dies alongside her. His wife even grows disgusted with him and abandons him.
- Like a Son to Me: Before Ramah's death, he was genuinely fond of Thomas and thought of him as the son he never had, even hoping that he would one day marry Ramah. Sadly, this ends after Ramah's death and he cruelly tells Thomas he should have taught her to look for a 'better' class of man.
- Never My Fault: Instead of acknowledging that he allowed Ramah to go with Jesus, he instead blames Jesus and Thomas and tries to discredit Jesus out of spite. Atticus even admonishes Kafni for his self-righteousness and his inability to take responsibility for his actions.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His beloved daughter dies in Season 4, although a passing comment she made in early season 2 as the Apostles discuss their past views of Jesus implies she has a brother.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: He was never a pleasant man by any stretch, but he sincerely loved his daughter and viewed Thomas as a surrogate son. Once Ramah dies, he goes completely off the rails with rage and grief. He cruelly denounces Jesus and Thomas and is twisted into a bitter, vindictive man who wants to make Jesus 'pay.' He even teams up with The Romans to achieve his goals, even though they were responsible for Ramah's death.
Herod Antipas

Portrayed by: Paul Ben-Victor
The Tetrarch of Galilee.
- Bald of Evil: He is a bald Roman ally at least willing to order the occasional murder.
- Cultural Rebel: He enjoys Greco-Roman poetry over Jewish writings.
- Hypocrite: He chides Caiaphas for allegedly wanting to kill Jesus for his wife and her family rather than out of valid reasons when he killed John the Baptist for his wife and her family.
- It's All About Me: He does regret killing John the Baptist, but largely because of how it hurt his own popularity.
- A Lighter Shade of Black: He is a corrupt man with blood on his hands, but people acknowledge that things were far worse under his father and predecessor for both society as a whole and Jesus in particular. His father tried to kill baby Jesus, while Herod Antipas views the ministry with bemusement and is reluctant to take action against Jesus or John the Baptist (albeit partially because of their devoted followings).
- Minor Major Character: Despite being the head of state (albeit in a Puppet King way), he only has 3-5 appearances across the first five seasons.
- Too Important to Walk: He travels through the city in a litter.
Malchus
Portrayed by: Jonathan Togo
- Punch-Clock Villain: He acts as The Spymaster, business manager, bodyguard, and enforcer for Caiaphas but is a Servile Snarker who seems reasonable and idealistic enough in the right setting and has a Go-Karting with Bowser conversation with John as they wait outside the temple together after being deemed ritually impure to enter.
Demons
- Demonic Possession: She inflicted this on Mary Magdeline, along with several other demons.
- Sadist: She seemingly only possessed Mary to make her suffer.
- No-Sell: Lilith reacts this way when Nicodemus attempts to drive her out with a Hollywood Exorcism.
- Voice of the Legion: She speaks in this manner.
- Demonic Possession: He inflicted this on a man named Caleb.
- Detect Evil: Inverted. Belial is able to smell holiness. He declares that it smells putrid to him, and that all the apostles' reek of it.
- Evil Gloating: He recognizes Mary Magdeline, either from having possessed her alongside Lilith or from having met with said demons after they were cast out. He uses this to taunt her about her sins.
- I Am X, Son of Y: When Mary asks for a name, he introduces himself in this manner.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: On the recieving end of this. Mary Magdeline attempts to help his host, Caleb, regain control over his body. This attempt fails, though not from a lack of effort on Caleb's part.
- Sadist: He seemingly only possessed Caleb to make him suffer. Belial also used the opportunity to twist the knife in Mary Magdeline's shame over her past, and to try and murder Simon the Zealot.
- The Worf Effect: On both ends of this trope.
- He easily disarms Simon the Zealot, the only apostle with any real combat experience, and almost strangles him to death.
- All Jesus has to do to defeat Belial is say "Out of him".

