The Syfy channel is one of the unsung heroes of genre television, and a lot of their original TV shows have been the best science fiction shows on air at the time. They've had some smash hits on the level of Battlestar Galactica, but one of their criminally under-appreciated gems is definitely 12 Monkeys. The show drew its inspiration from the Terry Gilliam film of the same name, but it managed to surpass the original offering with an extraordinarily thrilling and complex four seasons.
A lot of the characters on 12 Monkeys are easy to love or easy to love to hate, but regardless of how anyone feels about them, they're all pretty extraordinary. They all bring different qualities to the table that make them power players in the war against a world-ending plague, and those qualities also distinguish them as people who would all belong in different Hogwarts houses in the world of Harry Potter. So, here are all of the major 12 Monkeys players, as we think the Sorting Hat would've placed them. Watch out for spoilers for the show along the way!
Max - Gryffindor
West VII was probably the most formidable group of scavengers in the 12 Monkeys world, and Deacon was their cunning and fearless leader. Max managed to distinguish herself as one of Deacon's most important soldiers, despite the fact that she was just a young girl.
Since Max wound up betraying Deacon, it clearly wasn't trust that earned her a higher spot among West VII. Max was undeniably brave and strong, though, which is probably why she both managed to earn Deacon's admiration and why she ultimately decided to betray him, even though it was a dangerous choice to make.
Athan Cole - Slytherin
One of the best fake-outs in the history of 12 Monkeys was that (warning, spoilers ahead) Athan Cole was the witness, when in fact it was Olivia Kirschner the entire time. Despite the fact that Athan wasn't exactly the most evil guy to ever be evil, that doesn't mean that he didn't do a lot of seriously sketchy things for his own benefit.
Athan was raised basically believing that he was the messiah, and that elitism is right up the Slytherin alley. He also seems to care more for his own ends over pretty much anything else, which is also in line with the typical Slytherin attitude.
Hannah Jones - Gryffindor
Hannah Jones is the daughter of two extraordinarily brilliant minds, but it's her bravery and courage that really sets her apart from the pack. She's undoubtedly a pretty brainy girl (she'd have to be just considering who her parents are), but she has become one of the natural leaders of the Daughters and she doesn't seem to ever be afraid to face any challenge.
The Daughters are a squad of warriors, but Hannah has distinguished herself as one of the strongest and most powerful, and she is always at the front lines when it comes to facing even the most dangerous challenges.
Olivia Kirschner - Slytherin
Oh, poor little Olivia. She may be the main villain of 12 Monkeys, but she always wanted to be just a little bit more than she was, and that's kind of why she belongs in Slytherin. She definitely thinks very highly of herself, but her actions and accomplishments never quite match up to the person she sees herself as, and she would likely find herself falling short in some way in any other Hogwarts house.
Her arrogance and elitism would fit right in with the house of the snake though, and she'd feel right at home among a bunch of other students who think they're extraordinary.
Katarina Jones - Ravenclaw
Katarina Jones isn't just the kind of lady who would have wound up in Ravenclaw, she would have been the prefect. She would have been head girl. She would have dethroned Rowena Ravenclaw as the most brilliant genius in the history of Ravenclaw. This doctor legitimately invented time travel!
Katarina really had her work cut out for her when she decided that she didn't just want to cure the plague, she wanted to completely undo the plague and everything else that came along with it. Not only did Jones shoot for the stars, she actually managed to reach them in the end.
Jennifer Goines - Hufflepuff
Let's be real, Jennifer Goines has done more than enough to earn her stripes and fit in with any possible Hogwarts house, but ultimately she seems like a better fit for Hufflepuff. Jennifer's family life wasn't the best when she was a child, but after experiencing some horrifying traumas she decided to create her own, better family instead of becoming cold or mean.
Jennifer was loving and kind enough to create a legitimate family with her Daughters, which is exceptional in the dog-eat-dog world that exists after the plague. She also has the whole time travel crew and will do almost anything to protect them.
Theodore Deacon - Slytherin
Few characters wind up being a perfect match for any particular Hogwarts house, but Theodore Deacon is undoubtedly a perfect match for Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin's philosophies about self preservation and the acquisition of power is straight out of Deacon's playbook. For both men, self interest always takes precedence over morality.
Deacon isn't even a particularly evil person, he is just more than willing to do what most would consider evil if it means he can survive or thrive. He is also quite the elitist, and he always thinks that his way is the right way, which would probably make him quite popular with the rest of the Slytherin students.
José Ramse - Hufflepuff
José Ramse is easily the most down to earth character on the show. He doesn't always do the right thing (some things that he's done might seem downright evil), but his moral code and his confidence in his own abilities is downright unshakable.
Ramsé is a very calming force, but he is not one to bow down or kowtow to anyone, even if he's in a very disadvantaged position. It's no surprise that he and Deacon butted heads so much, because their general attitudes towards life couldn't be more different.
Cassandra Railly - Ravenclaw
Some characters are a bit of a toss up, some are even hatstalls, but Cassandra Railly is a Ravenclaw through and through. Cassie was already one of the most brilliant virologists in the world before she was pulled into the time traveling drama of James Cole and Katarina Jones.
Although she learned a lot of new traits that would be better fits for different Hogwarts houses (like bravery and cunning), Cassie is just the kind of girl that would become a superstar of Ravenclaw. Few people could outsmart an actual army, and Cassie is lucky to count herself among those few.
James Cole - Gryffindor
The war against the plague required a lot of different soldiers, but no-one was a greater or more important warrior in that war than James Cole. Cole grew up in the kind of post-apocalyptic world that required a whole lot of fearlessness, but he didn't let the horrors that he had to endure change him as a person.
He was brave without being cruel, and knew how to stick to his guns even in the face of strong or frightening opposition. If he had attended Hogwarts, he definitely would have been one of the Gryffindors who would have been granted use of the fabled Sword of Gryffindor.