Everything you need to know about Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most iconic characters in all of fiction, with the detective's exploits popping up everywhere you look, from the silver screen to the UK curriculum.
More than 100 years old, the stories of Sherlock Holmes are still going strong, with a brand new TV adaptation of the super sleuth soon on the horizon.
So, with that in mind, we thought we'd take a look into the history of Sherlock Holmes: who created him, how many books there are, who has played him on film and when you can expect the latest interpretation.
Who is Sherlock Holmes?
An indelible figure of British literature, Sherlock Holmes is a 'consulting detective' who uses his heightened powers of deductive reasoning to solve complex crimes and mysteries in Victorian London.
Operating out of 221B Baker Street, Holmes is known to many for his prickly demeanour and iconic deerstalker, featuring in a slew of novels, short stories, plays, films and television programmes since his original inception.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of 12 original Sherlock Holmes short stories, is among the best-selling books of all time, with more than 60 million copies sold.
Who created Sherlock Holmes and when was the first story published?
Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer and physician, and first appeared in print in 1887.
Born in Edinburgh in 1859, Conan Doyle's initial pursuits were in the field of medicine, studying at the University of Edinburgh, before going on to act as a ship's surgeon aboard the SS Mayumba.
Upon returning from his time at sea, Conan Doyle would open a medical practice of his own, though found success in this pursuit limited. Far from a complete failure, however, this lack of success provided Conan Doyle with more time to work on his writing.
Said to have been written in just three weeks, Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes story, 'A Study in Scarlet', was published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887, proving popular with the public and earning favourable reviews from the press.
Conan Doyle would go on to write a number of other Sherlock Holmes stories, with the character's ever-increasing popularity making him one of the wealthiest authors of his time.
In addition to his work on the Sherlock stories, Conan Doyle would produce a number of other works, including non-fiction books about the Boer War. Aside from his written work, Conan Doyle ran twice for parliament, losing on both occasions, and possessed a long-held interest in matters of the supernatural.
Is Sherlock Holmes a real person?
While Sherlock himself is not a real person, he is thought to be based on one, namely Dr. Joseph Bell, a surgeon and professor at the University of Edinburgh.
Conan Doyle met Bell when he was a medical student in Edinburgh, later working for him as a clerk. Bell was well-regarded for his powers of observation and deduction, two of the key characteristics of Sherlock Holmes.
Whilst Bell is widely accepted as the primary inspiration for Holmes, he is not the only figure speculated to have served as an inspiration. Sir Henry Littlejohn of the University of Edinburgh Medical School is also said to have inspired the character, having taught Doyle forensic medicine during his Edinburgh studies.
How many Sherlock Holmes books are there and which is the most famous?
In total, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle produced 4 novels and 56 short stories featuring the character of Sherlock Holmes, beginning with the 1887 novel 'A Study in Scarlet'.
Widely regarded as the best starting point for new readers, 'A Study in Scarlet' sees the first meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, Holmes' best friend and partner in crime-fighting, who narrates the majority of Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories.
Conan Doyle's other Holmes novels include The Sign of the Four, The Hound of The Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear. The Hound of The Baskervilles, a gothic mystery that sees Holmes and Watson investigate a mysterious death on Dartmoor, is arguably the most famous of Conan Doyle's works, and marked the first appearance of the central character since his supposed death in short-story 'The Final Problem'.
Other iconic Holmes stories include 'A Scandal in Bohemia', which featured the first and sole appearance of Irene Adler, 'The Final Problem', in which Sherlock appears to lose his life at the hands of arch-nemesis James Moriarty, and 'The Adventure of The Speckled Band', which Doyle believed to be his finest work.
Who are the most important side characters in Sherlock Holmes books?
Like many great detectives, the story of Sherlock Holmes would not be complete without the presence of his best friend and partner, Dr. John Watson. A wounded war veteran in need of a place to call home, Watson meets Sherlock in Doyle's 'A Study in Scarlet', with the pair moving in together at 221B Baker Street, before forming one of the most iconic detective duos in all of fiction.
Also found in the halls of Baker Street is Mrs Hudson, landlady of the London flat which Holmes and Watson use as a home-base. While only mentioned fleetingly in many of Doyle's stories, Mrs Hudson has often played an expanded role in adaptations on film or TV.
Other iconic figures include Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock's arch-nemesis and most famous foe, and Irene Adler, the closest thing Holmes has to a love interest and one of the few characters to ever outwit the detective. Interestingly, despite serving as two of the most iconic characters in the Holmes canon, Moriarty and Adler actually make very few appearances in Conan Doyle's tales.
Adler makes only the one appearance, in short-story 'A Scandal in Bohemia', whilst Moriarty fares slightly better with two, first in short-story 'The Adventure of the Final Problem', and then once more in the novel 'The Valley of Fear'.
Who has played Sherlock Holmes and how many adaptations are there?
According to Guinness World Records, Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary human character in film and TV, with Holmes being adapted more than 250 times across the two mediums.
Once radio and stage adaptations are factored in, the count of 250+ would be well exceeded, making Holmes one of the most adapted characters in literary history.
Basil Rathbone is perhaps the definitive cinematic Holmes, having starred as the sleuth in 14 films between 1939 and 1946. Jeremy Brett is another famous Holmes, playing the character for almost 10 years on the Granada Television Sherlock Holmes series, which aired from 1984 to 1994.
Benedict Cumberbatch is probably the most famous Holmes of the 21st Century, having played the character across all four series of BBC's Sherlock. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock saw the detective's adventures updated to the modern day, and proved hugely popular throughout its run.
Most recently, Henry Cavill took on the role in the Enola Holmes franchise, which stars Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock's intrepid teenage sister Enola.
When is the new Sherlock Holmes series released?
Young Sherlock, a new TV adaptation based on a series of YA novels by Andy Lane, will premiere on 4 March 2026 on Prime Video.
Penned by showrunner Matthew Parkhill, and helmed by director Guy Ritchie, the series will follow a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes as he studies at Oxford University. Not yet the master detective we know him to become, the show will see Sherlock take on his first murder mystery, which leads him into the path of a global-level conspiracy.
The series will mark Ritchie's first return to the world of Holmes since 2011 film 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows', which starred Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the roles of Holmes and Watson.
Who stars in the new Sherlock Holmes series?
Hero Fiennes Tiffin will star in the title role of Sherlock Holmes, alongside uncle Joseph Fiennes who takes on the role of Sherlock's father, Silas.
Natascha McElhone will feature as Sherlock's mother, Cordelia, with Max Irons (son of famed British actor Jeremy Irons) rounding out the Holmes family as Sherlock's brother Mycroft.
Zine Tseng will play Princess Gulun Shou'an, with Dónal Finn taking on the role of James Moriarty, Sherlock's future nemesis. Iconic British actor Colin Firth will also play a role in the series, as Sir Bucephalus Hodge, alongside a host of other British actors rounding out the cast.
This article was written in February 2026.
