Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO crime drama series The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams.

He is legendary around the inner city for his characteristic duster, under which he hides his shotgun, large caliber handgun, and bulletproof vest, as well as for his facial scar and his whistling of "The Farmer in the Dell"[1] when stalking targets.

Omar has a strict moral code, which involves refusal to harm innocent "civilians" and distaste (usually) for profanity, setting him apart from other street-level characters.

His homosexuality and privately tender nature starkly contrast with typical notions of machismo attached to violent criminals.

He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his grandmother Josephine, who was largely responsible for his strict moral code, despite his criminal occupation.

He repeatedly demonstrated exceptional skill at surveillance, and as a stick-up man and shooter, further contributing to his feared status as an efficient professional.

Omar is highly intelligent and cunning, and consistently executes well-laid plans, anticipating his adversaries' moves and outsmarting them.

While meeting with the police, he observes information which he uses to exact further revenge against the Barksdale Organization, killing Stinkum and wounding Wee-Bey Brice.

McNulty and Bunk are forced to mislead Cole, the detective assigned to Stinkum's murder, in order to protect Omar.

Omar, who has been wired up by McNulty for the meeting, realizes Stringer's duplicity and leaves town, temporarily relocating to New York City.

He returns to his old business, targeting the Barksdales exclusively, and connects with Tosha and Kimmy, stick-up artists who join his crew.

Levy works intimately with the Barksdale organization as its corrupt attorney, often providing legal guidance and sensitive information.

Around this time, as Stringer Bell starts making business decisions on his own for the Barksdale operation, Avon hires Brother Mouzone from New York as new muscle.

With the threat to his secret dealings apparent, Stringer arranges a meeting with Omar and tells him that Mouzone was the one who had tortured and killed Brandon.

[9][10] Omar and his crew continued robbing the Barksdale stashing houses, even though they are more difficult and risky than other potential targets.

Bunk, investigating the deaths, makes Omar feel further guilt over the incident, giving a speech about how the neighborhood used to be closer-knit and with less violence.

He and new boyfriend Renaldo pull a robbery of one of Marlo Stanfield's dealers, Old Face Andre, who runs a westside corner convenience store that was actually a drug front.

While imprisoned in Baltimore City's Central Booking, Omar is recognized by other inmates he'd previously robbed, a number of whom want to kill him for the bounty placed on his head.

After having Omar transferred to a safer prison in Harford County (calling in the favor from Ilene Nathan), Bunk and Vernon Holley revisit the crime scene and get Old Face Andre to recant his original statement.

He continues his mission around the city in search of Marlo, limping and supporting his weight on a makeshift crutch improvised from a broom.

He terrorizes and robs many of Marlo's corners and shoots or kills several members of Stanfield's crew including Savino Bratton.

This is a reference to some of the foreshadowing in Season 3 when Kenard is witnessed by Bunk imitating Omar at the Barksdale stash house shootout.

McNulty and Lester Freamon react with mere curious interest and instead focus on a list of names found on Omar's body.

[12] In the series finale, Michael Lee is seen wielding a shotgun, carrying on with Omar's legacy, while robbing Vinson and shooting him in the leg.

Williams has stated that he pursued the role because he felt it would make him stand out from other African Americans from Brooklyn with acting talent because of its contradictory nature.

[16] David Simon has said that Omar is based on Shorty Boyd, Donnie Andrews, Ferdinand Harvin, Billy Outlaw, and Anthony Hollie, Baltimore stickup men who robbed drug dealers in the 1980s through early 2000s.

[20] Omar's nascent love of Greek mythology has some truth in real life; according to a passage in David Simon and Ed Burns' non-fiction book, The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, children in Baltimore schools pay little attention to most classes or stories (as seen in season 4 of The Wire), but are often interested in and appreciative of Greek mythology.

[21] An earlier version of the Omar Little character appears in a season 3 episode of NYPD Blue, entitled "Hollie and the Blowfish".

The character was praised for his uniqueness in the stale landscape of TV crime dramas and for the wit and humor that Williams brought to the portrayal.

Omar was named as one of the first season's richest characters, not unlike the Robin Hood of Baltimore's west side projects, although his contradictory nature was questioned as a little too strange.