Emily Prentiss is a level-headed FBI agent who sometimes lets her emotions get the better of her. She also has a sarcastic sense of humor and is willing to put herself at risk for the safety of others.

Emily grew up with her family moving around a lot, which made her childhood difficult and lonely. She was always trying to find a place to fit in. She felt like she was never going to make it in life.

During her adolescence, she had no friends and wanted to be promiscuous. She became pregnant at the age of 15 and later had an abortion with her closest friend, Matthew Benton.

She later moved to Rome with her parents. The family is devoted but fanatically religious. She also had to fight for her right to get an abortion.

Her parents are embassy workers, so they often traveled to different countries. She speaks several languages, including Arabic, Spanish and Italian.

She identifies with the victims of her cases and feels a strong sense of empathy for them. She is also highly intelligent and driven, which makes her an excellent profiler.

When she first joined the BAU, she hated politics and was very unsupportive of Erin Strauss (Section Chief). She resigned from the agency in season seven because she did not want to help Strauss ("In Birth and Death") to end her career.

In "It Takes a Village," she reunites with the team when they are forced to work with Doyle in an effort to save Declan from a trio of international criminals seeking revenge on Doyle. When Doyle is shot and mortally wounded by the trio's leader, Prentiss watches in shock as he dies.