Warning: This article contains a brief mention of sexual assault against adults and children, and extreme racism
Prison Break's "Fox River Eight" committed many crimes while in prison, but they were all in Fox River State Penitentiary for different reasons. The show was a phenomenal success, but the original Prison Break series was canceled after its fourth season. A 2017 reboot and a standalone Prison Break movie were supposed to wrap up the series timeline, but Prison Break is now rumored to be getting a second reboot. As the original is one of the best TV shows about prison, a reboot would need to build on its success, which is largely due to its characters.
While the core characters in Prison Break are not always likable, they are compelling, with complex backstories and talents that serve the group. Though only a few men were supposed to break out of Fox River, Michael soon found that he was in over his head. His escape mission ended up with ten prisoners attempting to break out, with the eight that succeeded being known as Prison Break's Fox River Eight. Some of the men were more dangerous than others, being sent to Fox River for very different crimes that ranged from robbery to murder.
10 Michael Scofield
Scofield Pretended To Rob A Bank To Get Himself Sent To Prison
Michael Scofield is the brains behind the escape, and the only member of Prison Break's Fox River Eight to deliberately get himself arrested and sent to Fox River. Michael's brother is falsely convicted of murder and, as the structural engineer who designed the prison, Michael is the only person who is capable of breaking him out.
Michael gets the blueprints tattooed on him, then loudly and ineptly pretends to rob a bank, resulting in his arrest. While the judge was prepared to be lenient with Michael due to his clean record and out-of-character behavior in the bank, Michael did not put up a fight in court.
When the judge convicts him, he only requests that he get sent to Fox River. While Michael chooses to go to prison, this does not mean he has an easier time there, and he soon finds himself out of his depth when planning the escape, resulting in more people knowing his plans.
9 Lincoln Burrows
Falsely Accused Of Killing The Vice-President's Brother
Lincoln is Michael's brother and the unwitting victim of a massive cover-up, in which he is framed for the murder of the US Vice President's brother. Lincoln ends up on death row after every attempt that he makes to clear his name is thwarted by the FBI and other paid agents. CCTV footage that proves Lincoln couldn't have fired the gun is destroyed, government officials are paid off, and potential witnesses all disappear.
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When Michael and Lincoln break out of Fox River, they go about trying to obtain money while attempting to clear Lincoln's name. Over its first four seasons, Prison Break reveals that the cover-up is much deeper than thought, but viewers finally see Lincoln get justice when he is exonerated in season 4. Of all the Prison Break characters, Lincoln suffered the most, with a false conviction and repeated close calls with the electric chair.
8 John Abruzzi
Two Counts Of Conspiracy To Commit Murder
The groups in Fox River are often divided along racial lines, but one of the core groups in the yard is the mafia. John Abruzzi begins Prison Break with the highest status in this group, and the show sees him regularly getting visits from members of the mafia. Michael needs Abruzzi's private plane to transport him and Lincoln out of the state, which means that he needs Abruzzi on his side.
Michael's leverage is the man who got Abruzzi convicted: Otto Fibonacci. After Fibonacci witnessed Abruzzi order another mobster to kill two men, he reported him. Fibonacci's testimony resulted in Abruzzi being convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
The actor who plays John Abruzzi is likely very familiar to audiences beyond Prison Break : Peter Stormare is a veteran character actor best-known for playing villains and morally complicated characters.
Abruzzi might have celebrity status in Fox River, but he wants revenge against Fibonacci, ordering a hit on him. However, Fibonacci is in witness protection, and Michael uses this to bribe Abruzzi. If Abruzzi uses his resources to help Michael and Lincoln escape, Michael will tell him where Fibonacci is.
7 Fernando Sucre
Armed Robbery
Of all the Prison Break characters, Sucre is the most valuable to Michael because, as Michael's cellmate, Michael had to let Sucre in on the escape plan. Sucre was a hopeless romantic whose habit of not thinking things through is what got him in prison.
Of all the Prison Break characters, Sucre is the most valuable to Michael because, as Michael's cellmate, Michael had to let Sucre in on the escape plan.
When Sucre becomes infatuated with the gullible Maricruz, he believes that she is out of his league and robs a liquor store for just enough money to take her on a date. He gets away with this, but then makes a drastic mistake. Sucre wants to propose to Maricruz, and so he robs the same liquor store for more money so that he can buy a ring.
However, he is betrayed by his cousin, who wants Maricruz for himself. Sucre is convicted of armed robbery and begins Prison Break with just a few months left on his sentence, but when he worries that he is losing Maricruz, he breaks out with the Fox River Eight.
6 Theodore Bagwell (T-Bag)
Six Counts Of Rape, Kidnapping, And Murder (Each)
If Fox River has two main villains, they would surely be the sadistic guard Brad Bellick, and the terrifying rapist and murderer, T-Bag. Robert Knepper was nominated for three awards for his role as T-Bag, who stole every scene he appeared in. T-Bag is creepy enough to start with, as he molests young inmates, and grows more disturbing the more of his backstory is revealed.
T-Bag was sent to an Alabama prison for six counts (each) of kidnapping, rape, and murder, including children. However, he was deemed too dangerous to stay. T-Bag was transferred to Fox River after his white supremacist prison gang grew too powerful, and he continued his racism in his new home in Fox River.
T-Bag became a member of the Fox River Eight after he saw the hole behind Michael's toilet and threatened to tell the guards unless he was allowed to join them. While the character is well-written, T-Bag's redemption arc was unpopular for such a despicable character, and his relatively peaceful ending is a harsh reality of re-watching Prison Break.
5 Benjamin Miles Franklin (C-Note)
Transporting Stolen Goods
C-Note begins Prison Break as an extremely unlikable character, but everything makes sense when his backstory is revealed. C-Note may be the most tragic of all the Prison Break characters, as he turned to crime out of desperation. C-Note was a respected soldier who was dishonorably discharged after he reported the torture of prisoners to his commanding officer.
When he couldn't find work, he helped his brother-in-law transport stolen goods and was sent to Fox River when he refused to give him up. C-Note's Prison Break story grows even sadder when he is shown receiving a stack of blank postcards from Kuwait, and is cagey about what they are for.
He is pretending that he is still deployed as a soldier, and has been sending his family postcards from Kuwait. C-Note is incredibly smart, and when he realizes that the men are digging to escape in the break room, he threatens to tell the guards unless he is allowed to join them.
4 David Apolskis (Tweener)
Grand Larceny
Tweener is not the smartest character in Prison Break. He cannot read a room, is easily bribed, and is ostracized in Fox River, which leads to him feeling scared and vulnerable. Tweener is a true victim of misfortune, as his seemingly minor crime was bigger than he could have imagined.
Tweener demonstrates his skill as a pickpocket by helping Michael get his stolen watch back, but this ability is the reason he is in Fox River in the first place. When Tweener was caught pickpocketing an off-duty police officer, a search of his home revealed his stolen baseball card collection.
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One of the cards in his collection was an extremely valuable baseball card worth around $300,000. The worth of this card increased the charges against Tweener from theft to grand larceny, leading to a five-year sentence in Fox River. Michael let Tweener know about the escape out of pity, but as Tweener was constantly in over his head, he betrayed them, with tragic consequences.
3 Charles Patoshik (Haywire)
The Second-Degree Murder Of His Parents
Haywire is often used as a comedic character whose insomnia, refusal to take his medication, and ability to see the hidden messages in Michael's tattoo threaten to derail the entire escape plan. However, he becomes essential to the escape after Michael has part of his tattoo burned off and relies on Haywire's photographic memory to recreate the map.
Haywire was one of Prison Break's most popular characters, but his crime is shocking. Haywire is a mathematical genius but has a psychiatric disorder that emerged during an intense period of studying, and he cannot remember the crime that got him sent to Fox River.
Haywire shot and killed both of his parents, but Prison Break season 2 hints that the double murder could have been due to abuse. Sadly, the Prison Break fan-favorite never got the happy ending in Holland that he wanted, as Mahone tricks him into jumping from a roof.
2 Charles Westmoreland
Vehicular Manslaughter
Westmoreland is one of the oldest inmates in Fox River, with a pet cat that is a throwback from an early rule stating that inmates could have pets. He is shown to be a gentle and rule-following man, so trusted by the guards that he has earned special privileges. However, Westmoreland has a secret identity which is the key to Michael's escape plan.
Michael knows Westmoreland is D. B. Cooper - the legendary plane hijacker, whose stash of a million dollars was never found. Westmoreland is serving a sentence for vehicular manslaughter because he was driving erratically after jumping from the plane, resulting in a collision.
Westmoreland is D. B. Cooper - the legendary plane hijacker, whose stash of a million dollars was never found.
While Westmoreland spends most of Prison Break denying that he is D. B. Cooper, he proves his identity when he decides to join the Fox River Eight. Westmoreland just wants to see his daughter one more time, but he never makes it out, and Westmoreland's death is one of the most tragic moments in Prison Break.
1 Manche Sanchez
Robbery
Manche is Sucre's cousin and one of the least threatening characters in Prison Break. Manche works in the prison laundry, which makes him useful to Michael when he needs to borrow a guard's uniform.
Unfortunately, the uniform was returned burned, getting Manche into trouble with the guard. Still, he is shown to be loyal to Sucre and Michael, and doesn't rat them out. Manche is in prison for the comparatively minor crime of robbery, and his bad decision leads to a much longer sentence. Manche's position in the prison means that the group has to let him in on the plan to get his help.
IMDB's Highest Rated Episodes of Prison Break | ||
Episode Number | Title | IMDB Score |
S1.E21 | Go | 9.5 |
S1.E22 | Flight | 9.3 |
S1.E6 | Riots, Drills and the Devil: Part 1 | 9.2 |
S1.E7 | Riots, Drills and the Devil: Part 2 | 9.1 |
S1.E20 | Tonight | 9.1 |
However, Manche is not the smartest or most resilient character in Prison Break, and he should have stayed where he was, without trying to escape. Manche was on track to be released from Fox River in a few years, but another ten years were added to his sentence for his part in the escape, even after he gave up the details of the plan.
