The Best 'Criminal Minds' Seasons, Ranked

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Updated April 26, 2024 163.1K views 15 items

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8.9K votes

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Vote up the best seasons of Criminal Minds.

Criminal Minds transports audiences into the world of criminal profilers. This show focuses on the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) within the FBI whose members delve into the minds of notorious criminals to anticipate their next moves. With intricate plotlines and unforgettable characters, each season offers a fresh perspective on the world of serial killers and psychopaths. Today's focus is on identifying some of the best Criminal Minds seasons that have contributed to the show's enduring success.

A closer look at the best seasons of Criminal Minds reveals the roles these seasons played in the overall show. Throughout its run, Criminal Minds has captivated viewers with its wide range of villains and law enforcement officers. The show's ability to balance dark, twisted narratives with moments of triumph underscores its importance within the crime procedural genre.

For instance, Criminal Minds Season 3 stands out as a representation of what makes this series so compelling. It showcases BAU agents' tenacity in pursuing justice despite personal losses. Similarly, Season 5 grips viewers with chilling episodes like "100," featuring one of TV's most notorious antagonists - The Reaper. Furthermore, Season 4 is a fan favorite for its plot twists that keep audiences guessing until the very end. These seasons are just a few examples highlighting why Criminal Minds remains an engrossing television powerhouse.

Reviewing these Criminal Minds seasons allows viewers to recognize and appreciate this series' brilliance. Each season explores different facets of criminal psychology while delivering powerful performances. Though specific seasons might stand out as particularly outstanding examples, the entire body of work contributes to making Criminal Minds a television phenomenon.

Photo: CBS
1
776 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 3
The third season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 26, 2007 and contains 20 episodes. This season introduces the character of David Rossi, played by Joe Mantegna.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "Doubt," "About Face" and "Lo-Fi."

Memorable moments from Season 3 include:
- Gideon quits the BAU.
- Reid and Prentiss are held hostage.
- An SUV explodes carrying a member of the BAU team.
776 votes
Photo: CBS
2
932 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 5
The fifth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 23, 2009 and contains 23 episodes. This season finds the team dealing with a serial killer known as the Reaper.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "Nameless, Faceless," "The Uncanny Valley" and "Our Darkest Hour."

Memorable moments from Season 5 include:
- Hotch steps down as Unit Chief.
- The team face "The Prince of Darkness."
- Hotch beats Foyet to death.
932 votes
Photo: CBS
3
624 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 4
The fourth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 24, 2008 and contains 26 episodes. This season finds the team developing their trust in one another to solve various crimes.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "Mayhem," "Cold Comfort" and "…And Back (Part 2)."

Memorable moments from Season 4 include:
- J.J. has a baby.
- The team investigates a pair of sadistic brothers.
- Jason Alexander plays an obsessive psychopath.
624 votes
Photo: CBS
4
573 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 7
The seventh season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 21, 2011 and contains 24 episodes. This season dives deeper into the team's personal lives.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "It Takes a Village," "Foundation" and "Run."

Memorable moments from Season 7 include:
- Hotch starts dating Beth.
- JJ and Will get married.
- Prentiss takes a job at Interpol.
573 votes
Photo: CBS
5
405 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 9
The ninth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 25, 2013 and contains 24 episodes. This season primarily focuses on the past of Jennifer "JJ" Jareau.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Inspiration," "200" and "Demons."

Memorable moments from Season 9 include:
- Hotch has a near death experience.
- JJ is held captive and tortured.
- Blake resigns from the FBI.
405 votes
Photo: CBS
6
720 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 2
The second season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 20, 2006 and contains 23 episodes. This season introduces the character of Emily Prentiss, played by Paget Brewster.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Fisher King (Part II)," "Revelations" and "No Way Out II: The Evilution of Frank."

Memorable moments from Season 2 include:
- Elle shoots a rape suspect.
- Frank Breitkopf kills Gideon's girlfriend.
- Emily Prentiss reports on Hotch to Strauss.
720 votes
Photo: CBS
7
460 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 8
The eighth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 26, 2012 and contains 24 episodes. This season introduces the character of Alex Blake, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Silencer," "The Lesson" and "The Replicator."

Memorable moments from Season 8 include:
- JJ is held at gunpoint.
- The BAU is the target of The Replicator.
- Maeve Donovan dies.
460 votes
Photo: CBS
8
572 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 1
The first season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 22, 2005 and contains 22 episodes. This season introduces viewers to the profilers of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

This season features several unforgettable episodes "Extreme Aggressor," "Unfinished Business" and "The Fisher King (Part I)."

Memorable moments from Season 1 include:
- Gideon returns from leave to profile a killer.
- Gideon arrests Bruno Hawks.
- Hawks is presumed dead.
572 votes
Photo: CBS
9
474 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 6
The sixth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 22, 2010 and contains 24 episodes. This season focuses on the the personal lives of the BAU team.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Longest Night," "Sense Memory" and "Supply & Demand."

Memorable moments from Season 6 include:
- JJ takes a new job.
- Prentiss fakes her own death.
- The team investigates human trafficking.
474 votes
Photo: CBS
10
178 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 13
The thirteenth season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 27, 2017 and contains 22 episodes. This season follows Reid's reinstatement.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "Wheels Up," "Last Gasp" and "Believer."

Memorable moments from Season 13 include:
- Mr. Scratch launches a final assault.
- Alvez goes on a blind date.
- The team takes on the Messiah.
178 votes

Photo: CBS
11
163 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 15
The fifteenth, and final, season of Criminal Minds premiered on January 8, 2020 and contains 10 episodes. This season wraps up several character threads as the episodes draw to a close.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "Ghost," "Under the Skin" and "Face Off."

Memorable moments from Season 15 include:
- Reid is forced into another confrontation with hitwoman Cat Adams.
- The team enjoys a Saturday off.
- Garcia makes a life-changing decision that will alter the course of the BAU's future.
163 votes
Photo: CBS
12
306 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 11
The eleventh season of Criminal Minds premiered on September 30, 2015 and contains 22 episodes. This season welcomed the new cast member Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Job," "Future Perfect," and "Entropy."

Memorable moments from Season 11 include:
- JJ struggles to balance her job and her new baby.
- Morgan leaves the BAU.
- Hotch is accused of conspiracy.
306 votes
Photo: CBS
13
320 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 10
The tenth season of Criminal Minds premiered on March 13, 2014 and contains 23 episodes. This season introduces the undercover agent Kate Callahan, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "A Thousand Suns," "Fate," and "Nelson's Sparrow."

Memorable moments from Season 10 include:
- Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the cast as an undercover agent.
- Gary Sinise works with the BAU.
- Kate's niece gets abducted.
320 votes
Photo: CBS
14
331 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 12
The twelfth season of Criminal Minds premiered on May 6, 2016 and contains 22 episodes. Reid's attempt to protect his mother is a focus of this season.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "The Crimson King," "Taboo," and "Scarecrow."

Memorable moments from Season 12 include:
- Lewis meet her estranged brother.
- Reid receives a shocking phone call.
- The BAU works with IRT members Clara and Matt.
331 votes
Photo: CBS
15
168 VOTES
Criminal Minds - Season 14
The fourteenth season of Criminal Minds premiered on October 3, 2018 and contains 15 episodes. This season features the series' milestone 300th episode.

This season features several unforgettable episodes including "300," "Twenty Seven" and "Truth or Dare."

Memorable moments from Season 14 include:
- BAU takes on The Strangler.
- Rossi and Krystall get married.
- JJ makes a declaration of love.
168 votes