A generation of crime drama fans found their bliss in Criminal Minds. It combined the psychological aspects of a drama with the mystery of a crime procedural that allowed it to keep people interested for over 15 years. During that time, a lot of FBI agents came and went in the Behavioral Analysis Unit's team. They didn't all take the same approach to their cases, and their different personalities were part of what made the team dynamics so interesting.
In examining those agents over the course of 15 years on screen, fans can profile them – though not against criminals, but against zodiac signs. When comparing the agents in the series with the signs of the zodiac, fans can see just which agent they might have the most in common with, and figure out their Criminal Minds zodiac signs.
Updated on October 1st, 2021 by Amanda Bruce: Criminal Minds might be off the air, but the love fans have for the show never dies. Thanks to its availability on streaming sites, fans can rewatch the series as much as they want - even if their hopes of a revival series have been repeatedly dashed. Even if the audience can't see what happens after the original series with their favorite FBI profilers, they can see which profilers match up best with their own personality.
Aries: Elle Greenaway
Elle only appears in the first two seasons of the series, but she has a big place in the show's legacy. As one of the first female characters on the team, Elle has to be able to fit in with the male agents who have climbed the ladder of success before her.
She fits in with Aries thanks to her impulsive nature when on cases. Elle is the first person to jump in with both feet to chase down a suspect, even if it puts her in danger. She's also the first to pursue a lead that the others might not think they should. Eventually, her hot-headedness leads her away from the team altogether.
Taurus: Jason Gideon
Taurus might be known for their stubbornness, but there's another quality they have in droves: patience. A Taurus can wait out circumstances for just the right conditions, and Jason Gideon is certainly a master at that, making his one of the easiest Criminal Minds characters' zodiac signs to pinpoint.
He knows how to listen and prod even the most terrifying of Criminal Minds suspects, content to sit in a room with them, just observing and waiting for them to slip up. Even a Taurus has their limits, however, as Gideon leaves the team when he feels that too many of his decisions put the others in harm's way.
Gemini: Emily Prentiss
Most of the members of the team at the center of the series have experience specifically in psychological profiling, not always in other areas of law enforcement. Emily Prentiss, however, is different, and the reason makes her a perfect Gemini.
While working with Interpol in Europe before joining the BAU, Prentiss was a master at undercover work. She's able to confidently blend in and adapt to new situations with ease, something reflected in her surprising addition to the team in the second season.
Cancer: Jennifer Jareau
Known by the team as JJ, Agent Jennifer Jareau begins her time on the show as a Communication Liaison, meaning she's the member of the team that deals primarily with the public and media. That's because JJ is able to stay composed under pressure and her keen sense of empathy allows her to coach parents and survivors with how to speak on camera. Even some of the most heroic moments in Criminal Minds are a result of JJ using her empathy to allow herself to be vulnerable, like when she first has to make an appeal to an unsub on her own.
Like any Cancer, JJ is incredibly in tune with people's emotions and able to pick up on what they might be hiding from everyone else. She's also very protective of her team, stepping into a more active role when they need her.
Leo: Luke Alvez
Though he was initially only on the team temporarily to help with a specific case, Alvez becomes a team staple in season 12.
While Leos are usually seen as someone who loves to be the center of attention, they're also immensely loyal. Alvez, with his experience in the military, other branches of law enforcement, and then, the BAU, knows a thing or two about remaining loyal to the team. He doesn't allow his own feelings to complicate anything for the team, waiting until Penelope Garcia is no longer part of it before asking her out.
Virgo: Spencer Reid
Virgos are meticulous planners and incredibly detail-oriented. That is a perfect description of Criminal Minds fan-favorite Spencer Reid.
When it comes to recognizing patterns in either behavior or geography, Reid is who the team turns to. He's able to organize vast amounts of information and bring it down to digestible pieces for the rest of his team, providing them with the needed details and omitting the fluff.
Libra: Derek Morgan
Libras are all about fairness. Derek's sense of fairness and justice is shaped by his childhood in which he loses his father (a member of law enforcement) and is taken advantage of by a local community leader. As a result of those experiences, he is committed to making sure that suspects are brought to justice for the things they do. Though sometimes, that means Derek crosses the line to get it done, despite his usual sense of fair play. That's especially true for cases involving children.
Libras can also be charmers, much like Geminis. It's Derek's charm that allows him to form fast friendships in Criminal Minds, like his with Penelope Garcia that relies on their unique brand of banter.
Scorpio: Aaron Hotchner
Called Hotch by his team, the team leader is actually the person whose home life the audience explores most in the early seasons of the series. Despite that, Hotch keeps a lot of his background and his own interests mysterious, just like a Scoprio would.
As much as Scorpios love to remain a mystery, they also love unraveling them. That's why Hotch is so focused on the most complicated of cases.
Ophiuchus: Ashley Seaver
Not everyone recognizes Ophiuchus as part of the zodiac lineup, but Spencer Reid could probably give a captive audience the full history of the "lost" sign. Zodiac enthusiasts see Ophiuchus as having traits of both the Scorpio and Sagittarius. There's a slight air of mystery and a strong approach to goals (Scorpio) as well as a love of learning and adventure (Sagittarius).
When Ashley Seaver first joins the team as a student from Quantico with a personal history with serial killers, she doesn't seem all that adventurous. It does take her some time to open up to the team, but once she does, it's clear how invested she is in their job, in helping people, and in learning more outside of her own personal history with her father.
Sagittarius: David Rossi
Rossi is portrayed as one of the original members of the BAU who semi-retired in the '90s to teach and write. The Sagittarius in him is a born storyteller with a love for learning.
Though he prefers to do things "old school," he's open to understanding the way the new generation of profilers like Reid has built on the foundation his generation laid. There's also never a case he doesn't have an anecdote for.
Capricorn: Erin Strauss
For a short time, Strauss is the section chief for the team, making her outrank Hotch when it comes to power within the office.
Though she's not in the field much, she does exemplify the Capricorn traits of being ambitious and hard-working. There's always paperwork for her to file and meetings for her to attend. Her ambition even clouds her judgment at times, like when she lets a colleague take the fall for a mutual mistake.
Aquarius: Penelope Garcia
To be an Aquarius is to often be labeled a rebel. They like to go against the grain, break the rules, and make their own way in the world.
Garcia does this by finding her niche in hacking as a kid. As an adult, that means working for the BAU without the standard cookie-cutter uniform of an agent, allowing her own style to become present in her office. She's also willing to break all of the rules if it means catching the most twisted suspects in Criminal Minds.
Pisces: Tara Lewis
Before joining the BAU, Lewis is part of the more academic side of the job. As a psychologist she studies the criminals the BAU goes after, even interviewing them in prison.
Her ability to find common ground with the people she interviews shows the empathic nature of a Pisces. Lewis' tendency to want to overthink a problem is also par for the course as a Pisces can spend a lot of time in their own head. Amongst the zodiac signs of Criminal Minds characters, hers is one of the most creative, as she demonstrates by perfectly mimicking speech patterns of suspects in interviews.