The characters from the American police procedural television series The Mentalist were created by Bruno Heller. The Mentalist debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS and follows Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based in Sacramento, California. He has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his refined skills of observation. Jane also makes frequent use of his mentalist abilities and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium using the paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. He abandoned his pretense out of remorse when his attention-seeking behavior attracted the attention of a serial killer, Red John, who murdered Jane's wife and daughter. Main characters Name Portrayed by Position Assignment Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Patrick Jane Simon Baker Consultant former member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit;member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="7" Teresa Lisbon Robin Tunney CBI special agent former leader of the Serious Crime Unit;member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="7" Kimball Cho Tim Kang CBI supervisory special agent former member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit;member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="7" Wayne Rigsby Owain Yeoman CBI special agent former member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit colspan="6" colspan="1" Grace Van Pelt Amanda Righetti CBI special agent former member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit colspan="6" colspan="1" Dennis Abbott Rockmond Dunbar FBI supervisory special agent leader of FBI Austin Office colspan="5" colspan="2" Kim Fischer Emily Swallow FBI senior special agent member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="5" Jason Wylie Joe Adler FBI special agent member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="5" colspan="1" colspan="1" Michelle Vega Josie Loren FBI special agent member of Abbott's team in FBI Austin office colspan="6"
Simon Baker as consultant Patrick Jane—the show's protagonist and the titular mentalist. Jane spent his childhood in traveling carnivals with his mean-spirited con-man father who taught him to see all outsiders as marks. After meeting his wife, Angela Ruskin, who was also a carny, the pair left carnival life. Honing the skills his father taught him, Jane became a successful psychic and medium. After using his "psychic" skills to demeaningly describe serial killer Red John on television, which resulted in the murders of Angela and their daughter Charlotte Jane, Patrick works as a criminal consultant for CBI and later (season 6) for the FBI. He has developed close friendships with his colleagues, especially his boss, Senior Special Agent Teresa Lisbon. He is driven by inconsolable remorse over the deaths of his wife and daughter, and while he usually presents a jocular, teasing face, he shows his darker side when dealing with his nemesis. At those times, Jane becomes intense, focused, and willing to go to great lengths to capture and even kill him. He owns a classic French car, a robin's egg blue Citroën DS, and is an avid tea drinker. He marries Teresa Lisbon in the series finale, "White Orchids". Robin Tunney as Special Agent in Charge/Special Agent Teresa Lisbon—formerly special agent in charge with the CBI and leader of the Serious Crime Unit, now (as of season 6) a special agent with the FBI. Though Jane often annoys her with his unusual behavior, she views him as a valuable member of the team. Likewise, she is the only member of the team Jane trusts with details of his past. Lisbon's mother was killed in a drunk driving crash, leaving her to care for her brothers and her abusive, alcoholic father. Her team was responsible for the Red John case, although the responsibility for catching Red John was taken over briefly by Sam Bosco, her mentor when she was a junior agent, until he and his team were murdered by one of Red John's operatives. She marries Patrick Jane in the series finale, "White Orchids" and it's revealed they are expecting their first child. Tim Kang as Special Agent Kimball Cho—formerly a special agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit, now (as of season 6) a Special Agent with the FBI. Cho has a dry, deadpan sense of humor and is good friends with his partner on Lisbon's team, Special Agent Wayne Rigsby. He is often the one who sees through Patrick's parlor tricks. Although he was secretly called Ernie by the Bosco team (who also refer to Rigsby as Bert), Cho claims not to mind as "Ernie's the clever, handsome one". He was a member of a street gang, the Avon Park Playboys, which garnered him a juvenile, though sealed, record and time in juvenile hall. He enlisted in the Army, serving in Special Forces, before becoming a police officer. Because of his difficult childhood, Cho often tries to befriend young people who have committed crimes but are not yet lost causes. In Season 7, Cho is promoted to supervisory agent due to Abbott's transfer to Washington with his wife. In the following episode, he holds a dying Vega in his arms as she dies from a bullet wound. Cho is devastated, showing a rare moment he breaks down in tears Owain Yeoman as Special Agent Wayne Rigsby—formerly a special agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit, now (as of season 6) co-head of a private security firm with Van Pelt. Rigsby serves as the team's arson specialist, leaning on his two years as a San Diego arson investigator. Rigsby is good friends with his partner Cho and has developed romantic feelings for another team member, Grace Van Pelt. Although against regulations, the two began seeing each other secretly. Although the pair later ended the relationship, after it became public, to protect both of their careers, they remain close friends. Rigsby has had to endure various professional and personal difficulties as a result of the actions of his father, a former career criminal involved in a notorious biker gang. At the end of season 4, Rigsby has a son, Benjamin, with ex-girlfriend Sarah Harrigan. In season 5, he reignites his relationship with Van Pelt and marries her in season 6. He returns in the series finale to attend Jane and Lisbon's wedding. Amanda Righetti as Special Agent Grace Van Pelt—formerly a special agent with the CBI and a member of Lisbon's Serious Crime Unit, now (as of season 6) co-head of a private security firm with Rigsby. She was Lisbon's team's newest member. She has a deep belief in spirituality and mysticism, and will butt heads with Patrick when he dismisses supposedly psychic phenomena or otherwise does or says something offensive or inappropriate. She continues to be close to Rigsby despite their relationship coming to an end. She has a subdued personality and is very organized, which leads Jane to deduce during the first season that this is because she is hiding some deep emotional trauma. She was engaged to FBI Agent Craig O'Laughlin, whom she was forced to kill after he was revealed to be a Red John operative intent on killing Teresa Lisbon and Madeline Hightower. In season 5, she rekindles her relationship with Rigsby and marries him in season 6. She returns in the series finale to witness Jane and Lisbon's marriage. Rockmond Dunbar as Special Agent Dennis Abbott—a supervisory agent with the FBI in the field office in Austin, Texas. He persuades Jane to join his FBI team in exchange for dropping all charges against Jane for killing Red John. He initially has a strict, no-nonsense attitude towards Jane, but later warms to him. Abbott's career is threatened in season 7 when his former boss, Bill Peterson, recovers evidence against Abbott during his Rio Bravo operation. Jane formulates a plan to save Abbott and Peterson is arrested instead. He transfers to Washington with his wife Lena. Emily Swallow as Special Agent Kim Fischer—an FBI special agent in the field office in Austin, Texas. Driven and ambitious, she is Abbott's second-in-command. She goes undercover to persuade Jane to return to America after two years abroad as a fugitive, and is given the task of supervising Jane in the field. It was mentioned in the season 7 premiere episode "Nothing But Blue Skies" that she transferred to the Seattle FBI office to be with her mother who had a stroke. Joe Adler as Jason Wylie—a young, quirky analyst at the FBI who quickly gains a name within Abbott's team with his technological expertise. Wylie is an enthusiastic computer expert for the team who usually handles tasks on the surveillance end, occasionally helping Jane with small favors as well. Josie Loren as Special Agent Michelle Vega—a rookie FBI agent recently graduated from Quantico and new in Abbott's team. She is killed in action in the season 7 episode "Nothing Gold Can Stay".
Recurring characters Xander Berkeley as Red John—the show's leading antagonist (real name Thomas McAllister), a serial killer known to have murdered at least 28 people, including Patrick Jane's wife and daughter. The character first appeared (as McAllister) in the second episode of Season 1. Red John appears to enjoy toying with and taunting Jane, but saves his life when Jane is about to be killed by a Red John copycat. Although Red John's crimes and "associates" are portrayed in every season of the series, the character was only seen on-screen twice (in the Season 2 Finale, "Red Sky in the Morning" and Season 4 episode "Red Is the New Black"), in disguise or with his face hidden, until the revelation of his true identity in the Season 6 episode "Red John". McAllister is the sheriff of Napa County and heads the Blake Association, a clandestine criminal organization of corrupt California law enforcement officials. He is killed by Jane in "Red John" Season 6, Episode 8. Gregory Itzin as CBI Director Virgil Minelli—the former CBI Director of the CBI until the Season 2 episode "His Red Right Hand". Minelli was an effective team leader, but is exhausted by years of political battles with his subordinates and superiors. Minelli is finally pushed to his breaking point following the murders of Bosco and his team by Rebecca, their secretary and a member of Red John's network, as these were the first agents ever to die under his command. Minelli then retired to a quiet life as a fisherman and was replaced by Madeleine Hightower. In the Season 3 episode "Jolly Red Elf", Minelli agrees to help Jane investigate Red John's network. Minelli returns in the 100th episode of the show, a flashback episode when he was still the special agent in charge of Lisbon's team. It is revealed that he agreed to give information about Jane to the FBI. Aunjanue Ellis as Supervising Agent Madeleine Hightower—the former special agent in charge of the CBI. In the Season 2 episode "The Red Box", Hightower arrives to take command, replacing Virgil Minelli. Despite adopting a hard-nosed, by-the-book approach to managing both the CBI and Jane, she maintains an efficient and friendly relationship with the team, particularly with Jane, who is prodigious at closing cases. A divorcee, she has two children. In Season 3, Hightower is among Agent J.J. LaRoche's five suspects in the Todd Johnson murder, and is considered a prime suspect owing to her previous relationship with one of Johnson's victims. After planted evidence is found at the murder scene of Johnson's accomplice, Hightower becomes a wanted fugitive. After hiding her in the trunk of LaRoche's personal car and helping her escape, Jane works throughout Season 3 to identify the true CBI mole. The season culminates with FBI Agent O'Laughlin revealing himself as a Red John mole and being shot dead by Hightower and Van Pelt after he shoots Lisbon. Hightower makes an appearance in the season 6 episode "Red Listed", briefly coming out of hiding to help Jane as he attempts to learn more about Bob Kirkland and his link to Red John.