Irene Adler

Irene Adler is a brilliant former opera singer and one of Sherlock Holmes' most significant intellectual rivals. Although she first appeared in the 1891 short story "A Scandal in Bohemia," her influence on the franchise persists. While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle originally portrayed her as someone Holmes merely admired for her cunning, modern adaptations frequently recast her as a romantic interest, establishing her as a central figure in detective fiction.