Ziva David (/ˈziːvə dəˈviːd/; Hebrew: זיוה דוד, pronounced [ˈziva daˈvid], feminine form of Ziv: "Radiance"; birth date November 12, 1982, Beersheba in the Negev desert of southern Israel)[2][3] is a fictional character from the CBS television series NCIS, portrayed by actress Cote de Pablo.

[11] The role made de Pablo the second most popular actress on U.S. primetime television in 2013, according to Q Score,[12] and a 2013 study by E-Poll Market Research listed her among the top 10 most appealing celebrities in America.

"[18] Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson remarked that de Pablo won the role of Ziva for her reaction to Weatherly's departure from the script, saying, "When you get actors who really listen and respond organically in the moment to what they're hearing, sometimes magic happens.

So I interpreted Ziva as a cool, competent woman, not the usual Hollywood sex symbol with big boobs, but [someone] who was comfortable in her own sexuality and used to working with men on an equal footing.

[25] Born in Be'er Sheva, Israel on November 12, 1982,[2] Ziva is one of three children fathered by the fictional Mossad Director Eli David, the other two being Ari,[4][20] an older half brother, and Tali, a younger sister who was killed in a Hamas suicide bombing at the age of 16.

[26][27] Her mother, Rivka (Weronika Rosati),[24] is infrequently mentioned throughout the series; she is referred to as having taught Ziva how to drive and preferring that she play with dolls instead of "boy games" like Battleship and G.I.

[39] According to one critic, "the first time we really see Ziva's soft side is during season 4", when she develops a short but intense friendship with Lt. Roy Sanders (Matthew Marsden), who had been intentionally exposed to radiation by a coworker, in "Dead Man Walking".

Executive producer Gary Glasberg divulged that the plot was designed to draw out aspects of the character's personality that had been dormant for several years, saying, "People are going to see a Ziva David that they haven't seen in a long time.

"[51] Ziva is often portrayed as calmly aggressive and does not shy away from physical altercations with suspects, though it has been acknowledged that she has become "a little bit softer" and "more inclined to listen before acting out" since her arrival at NCIS.

[54] Ziva is sometimes considered a "haunted" figure;[55] she is a skilled assassin and is able to take life without hesitation or remorse when the situation requires,[56] something that has not changed with her new affiliation with NCIS.

In spite of this, Ziva is capable of displaying playfulness,[51] nearly childishness at times, such as in "Heartland" when she gleefully races McGee to be the first to tell Tony and Abby about meeting Gibbs' father.

[4] She tends to drive very fast in an erratic manner, which she claims is the best way to avoid ambushes and roadside bombs, though her coworkers point out that neither are likely in the U.S.[31] NCIS costume designers initially had Ziva's clothing style fluctuate; she is introduced wearing an IDF uniform jacket, cargo pants, and combat boots to illustrate "the Israeli military influence" on the character[59] but afterwards is frequently dressed in high heels and skirts in a manner similar to her predecessor, Kate Todd.

[53][65] In July 2013, NCIS received an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries, or Movie" for the tenth season episode "Revenge".

The interactions of the NCIS team are often perceived as familial among viewers, and Cote de Pablo has commented, "I've always thought of Ziva as the adopted kid who comes in and has this really funny thing with one of the siblings, which is Tony.

Gibbs' relationship with Ziva has been called that of a surrogate father figure by executive producer Gary Glasberg,[80] a tendency that intensified after she severed contact with Eli David following her return from Somalia.

Though she often finds it difficult to follow his orders due to the autonomy she had as a Mossad control officer, Ziva looks up to Gibbs as a leader and often restrains herself from resorting to her assassin background in situations where he would not approve.

Mark Harmon later disclosed that he had improvised the final moments of the scene, and when questioned about what Gibbs said, replied, "[De Pablo]'s not gonna tell you any more than I am—I don't think.

[88] When Ari Haswari, her older half brother by her father, is accused of murdering Special Agent Caitlin Todd, she acts as his control officer and adamantly defends him.

Her choice to fatally shoot Ari after his guilt becomes apparent in order to prevent him from killing Gibbs is often regarded as a pivotal moment for the character and a recurring subject within the show.

Before Eli's departure back to Israel in the following episode, his relationship with Ziva appears to have somewhat improved, as he is shown to have given her a small Israeli flag and kissed her goodbye.

[101] Mary Edwards from the Reasons to be Beautiful Magazine published a list of "5 Great Female TV Characters of 2011" and wrote, "If any woman could have ended up a cold, emotionless killing machine, [Ziva]'d be a top candidate.

[73] Shortly after Ziva joined the series, Noel Holston from Sun Sentinel described her as "an exotically beautiful Israeli whose tendency toward malaprop English belies her investigative and interrogative experience".

"[104] C. Coville from Cracked magazine questioned the choice to script her as "an espionage expert who knows nine languages ... all at age 28", describing excessive multilingualism as a common problem in television dramas.

[111] Entertainment Weekly described them as a "power couple" in 2013[112] and contributor Sandra Gonzalez noted that "it's tough to deny the chemistry the two actors (Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo) share" after "Housekeeping" aired.

[114] Many tucked paperclips into their letters, as they had become commonly associated with the character of Ziva following a Season 4 episode that featured her telling Tony, "I will kill you 18 different ways with this paper clip.

"[116] CBS chief executive Les Moonves attempted to pacify fan outrage by claiming that de Pablo was offered "a lot of money" to stay on the show and that "the cast and the producers were aware with what was going on".

That selfless, endearing act is representative of the kind of behavior that Ziva later exhibits over the seasons as she bends over backward to defend her teammates amid, and in spite of, the jokes her foreigner status frequently elicits.

"[89] Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel agreed that Ziva's sympathetic portrayal allowed the series to fairly show the security concerns of the Israeli government and the measures it takes to defend its citizens while still maintaining its role as a "good and helpful ally" to the United States.

[119] Alex Joffe, a writer for Jewish Ideas Daily, added that when Mossad agents do appear on the American screen, it is often as "more extreme pictures of the general types and dilemmas", using The Debt as a primary example.

[56] Rabbi Gertel and Harvard preceptor Eitan Kensky agreed that Ziva affected viewers' opinions of Israel, with the latter stating that she helped to increase understanding of Israeli culture.