Chicago Med Characters Ranked By Likability

"Chicago Med" tells the turbulent story of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center — the city's busiest hospital — and the tireless team of doctors and nurses who hold it together while simultaneously juggling the drama and relationships in their own lives. Since debuting in 2015, the series has continuously gained audience momentum, ranking it among the most beloved Dick Wolf/Matt Olmstead series that include "Chicago Fire," "Chicago PD," and "Chicago Justice."

With well over a hundred episodes in the can, audiences have lived, loved, cried and died alongside their favorite "Med" residents. Some were built to last, others shocking in how quickly they disappeared — but the fan favorites, well, if they have one thing in common it's that viewers have become as attached to them as the Velcro on a hospital gown. They're likable enough to almost make you want to go visit a hospital — almost.

With that in mind, and spoilers ahead, here is a list of the most likable characters roaming the halls of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. You might just be surprised at who the top resident is at club "Med."

Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo) was a psychiatrist at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Despite having been abandoned by her father at the age of six and raised only by her mother, Sarah was successful in finishing med school, landing a job at Chicago Med during her fourth year of studies. 

For a while, Sarah worked in the Emergency Department, but eventually left after finishing her studies. Having found employment at a coffee shop, she later made a comeback after Dr. Charles invited her to work at Gaffney under his guidance. 

In Season 4, the character left the hospital, transferring to Baylor after a fallout with Dr. Charles — who had stumbled upon details about her father being a suspected serial killer. 

It is in Sarah's departure that her likability rating sinks like a stone. Although she wasn't ever an immensely popular character, her sudden exit came as a surprise to fans, who still see DiPillo leaving the show as something of a betrayal. "I hated her and was so glad to see her gone," says one commenter on a reddit "Chicago Med" message board. Agrees another: "They gave her no redemption arc and just made her an emotional cry baby the entire time."

Growing up with a midwife mother, nurse Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) has always been a natural born life-saver. As a young teen, Maggie gave up her child, thinking she was too immature to be a good parent — a decision she'd come to regret as an adult. 

Known for a deeply caring personality and dedication to her patients and loved ones, Maggie nonetheless can be quite strict when she needs to flip the switch. But that also means she's very good at running her department — a likable trait for viewers who appreciate professionalism. After all, if you were a visitor at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, wouldn't you want Maggie Lockwood involved with your care.

Maggie has show herself over the years to be a dependable friend, one of the reasons she is well-respected by staff, especially those people who have found mentorship under her wing. 

The character may be at her best, however, when she is paired with Ben Campbell (Charles Malik Whitfield), another immensely likable "Med" regular. Two cancer survivors who met while undergoing chemotherapy? How could you not root for that?

Born to unknown parents in South Africa, Dr. Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling) worked at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital before moving to the United States, where she found employment as a cardiothoracic surgery physician at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. 

After a period of rivalry with co-fellow Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell), competing for Dr. Isidore Latham's (Ato Essandoh) approval, the two eventually developed an intense romantic relationship. With Rhodes being one of the most beloved characters on the show, fans quickly fell in love with Ava as well. 

Sure, she has a dark and manipulative side. During the premiere of Season 5, memorably, Ava was on the verge of being found guilty of taking the life of Connor's father, who had died of an insulin overdose. After initially denying it, Ava came clean in front of Connor, admitting she'd killed the man in order to rescue their relationship — and then she took her own life in front of him. Ava was a well-rounded, multi-dimensional character who had great potential at times. Sadly, fans of "Chicago Med" won't be seeing her again.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

A Chicago boy born and raised, Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) specializes in cardiothoracic and trauma surgery — if you come to meet him, suffice it to say you're having one of the worst days of your life. 

Connor comes from a family with some money, as his grandfather established the Dolan Rhodes Department Store, which the family still owns. But that isn't to say they aren't without tragedy: When he was ten, his mother — who suffered from depression — committed suicide.

After losing his father at the hands of Ava Bekker, whose sole aim was to win her lover back, Connor left the state. In real life, actor Donnell departed the show over "creative" reasons along with Norma Kuhling. 

"Sorry to say that this is true," the actor tweeted upon the 2019 announcement. "A special thank you to all the fans that have made these last four seasons so amazing."

Despite his absence, Connor remains one of the most popular characters in the history of the series. With likability like that, fans will probably be hoping for Donnell to come walking back into the hospital again, right up until the end of "Med."

During her time on the show, April Layton Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) worked as an Emergency Department nurse at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The child of Brazilian immigrants of Catholic faith, she has a younger brother her parents always wanted to become a doctor – which is why April helped him go through med school while putting her own future on hold. 

She was romantically involved with firefighter Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) of "Chicago Fire." Sadly, April left the emergency department in Season 6 in order to work on developing her skills as a Nurse Practitioner. Fans loved April for her toughness and honesty, and her deep friendships with colleagues made her a key figure who was hard to not root for. While some fans on reddit praised Da Costa for her dedication to acting, one said the character was likable "because she pushed things and got into interesting situations."

Only one character can reign supreme as the most likable in all of "Chicago Med," and he is Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss), one of the show's main characters since its first episode.

An Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine, Will and his brother Jay (Jesse Lee Soffer) were also born and raised in Chicago. Although viewed as a disappointment by his overbearing father, Will showed enough tenacity to put himself through college. He then worked as a doctor in Sudan and a plastic surgeon in New York before making his way to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

Why do "Chicago Med" fans love Will so much? Perhaps it's because of his intense, rollercoaster relationship with Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto). Then again, the good looks and charm of Gehlfuss probably don't hurt. Look no further than the occasional "Will Halstead appreciation tweet" to see how much love there is for this character. To paraphrase Sally Field: They like him; they really like him.