Believe it or not, this is my first time watching through Degrassi in its entirety lmao, so this is STRICTLY my thoughts after S1 and will def prob change as I continue
#Degrassi
0 CalebDaBoss, Apr 8, 2019
When that street guy ripped off Goldi’s hijab
#degrassi
Sean Cameron (1-7)
Emma and Sean were meant to be together and tbh I don't even acknowledge her shotgun wedding w/ Spinner, but in any case, Sean belonged with Emma. He was basically a member f her family! They went through so much, and I honestly teared up when he came back to say goodbye to her before being shipped out, because they balanced each other out so well. Other than their relationship (which might be my favorite Degrassi relationship ever), I just enjoyed seeing his dual personality, from being "bad" to a caring, sympathetic guy. The episode when he reconciled with his parents also made me cry, and he grew into one of the most admirable characters.
#Degrassi
PYN to be tagged!
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25. KC Guthrie (8-12)
One of the most underrated characters! KC had so many interesting storylines, from his creepy coach one, to his baby daddy one, to his estranged father coming back and being the reason that he abruptly left </3 I loved his relationship with his mom, and how real it felt to see him go from living in a boys home to with his mother again. When he cheated on Jenna with Marisol, it obviously made me annoyed with him, but he really embodied a great, humanly flawed character in my opinion. He grew so much from his initial season and it made me so sad to see his fall out with Jenna and their giving up of the baby... I honestly thought that they could've made it work, but I guess that title is only reserved for Mia Jones. Either way, he was kind of robbed and I think people are way too hard on him.
24. Winston Chu (13-18)
Another unpopular opinion is that I really like Winston, and he and Miles are my favs in Next Class. Their friendship is great. He was kind of irrelevant, but he was super funny and underdeveloped. I'm barely through Next Class, but from what I've seen, he's lovable, cute, and awkward-funny. Hope he gets a good endgame!
23. Jimmy Brooks (1-8)
I think its important to acknowledge that Drake is an amazing actor, first off. Also, Jimmy was just a really cool guy. After being shot (most intense scene EVER on the show) he went from star athlete to multifaceted, artsy/creative guy. He's just so interesting, real, and layered. I actually enjoyed him with all of his relationships, but I'm happy that he got a happy endgame with Trina. I love his friendship with Spinner, too, and all of their ups and downs. It truly was one of the most developed relationships on the show. Even when Jimmy was an asshole, he was super likable at the same time. One of the most well-rounded and interesting characters on the show, ever.
22. Alli Bhandari (8-14)
Alli is so problematic at times, but she's also one of the staple newer generation Degrassi characters. She made Clare way more bearable, but she also had some great storylines. Her "good girl gone bad" with the nudes scandal was super interesting, and her conflicting boy-crazy/super smart/rebellious qualities made her dynamic af. Her boiler room fallout with Drew and and her sib relationship with Sav, and just her dynamic with other characters in general was always interesting to watch, because she's such an outgoing person who cared about her friends, always ending up in other peoples' situations. I think her OG squad with KC, Clare, and Connor (+ Jenna) was my favorite time period of her storylines. Once she got with Dave and had the Adderall pill-popping addiction, her storylines got a little stale, but she's definitely one of the most iconic characters from the show.
21. Liberty Van Zandt (1-9 + guest starring on Next Class)
I feel like she should be in Top 20 at least, but I personally love the others more...
30. Shay Powers (14-)
I still haven't watched past season 1 of Next Class, but I really enjoy Shay. She's realistic, against so many other unrealistic characters on the show right now. Also, her intelligence and relationship with Tiny are great. I haven't seen enough of her to rank her any higher (or lower, if she gets worse), but she's my favorite girl on Next Class. She also makes Lola more bearable for me.
29. Eli Goldsworthy (10-14)
Eli is super popular, and for good reason. He definitely got some of the best scenes and the most screentime compared to almost every other character on the show. I think post-grad Eli was a lot more bearable for me than season 10 Eli, because his bad boy archetype was originally very excessive. Still, he has always been more nuanced and layered than some other bad boys, like Jonah in Next Class. His relationship with Clare is where I got irritated, because it became a high school Romeo and Juliet that made me want to vomit (most fans would completely disagree with me). It was interesting to see him deal with bipolar disorder and his overall antics. I think, when he was more calm and relaxed, I liked him. When it came to his writing, he was annoying af, and I would personal hate to be in a play with him directing it lol. Considering all he's been through, I think he's an admirable character, overall.
28. Declan Coyne (9-10)
The only parts of Declan's character that I didn't like were similar to Eli's-- he could just be so cringeworthy extra. But, in general, I liked him and I thought he was a great balance between arrogant fuckboy and interesting, caring person to Fiona and Holly J. He belonged with Holly J and I'm still upset that it wasn't endgame. I also liked him with Jane, but I liked Jane with Spinner more, and I was mad that he ruined their relationship. He and Holly J totally had a fairy tale romance that I was in love with.
27. Bianca DeSousa (10-13)
Its just personal preference that I'm placing Bianca right here, because I know for lots of people she's a top 10 character. She's one of the most developed, complex characters on the show, and her transformation from ignorant, slutty bitch to badass, caring, and successful was awesome. When she was a typical bully, I kind of hated her. Seeing her deal with her rape was a turning point, and I think that's when I started to care about her. I hated her relationship with Drew at first, but I grew to enjoy them together, and I'm still pissed that they aren't endgame. I think she was at her peak in the middle of her story arc, when she was confrontational and independent, but still working on getting her life together. By the end of her time on the show, I kind of lost interest, but she's definitely a great character IMO.
Bianca at her best:
26. Imogen Moreno (11-14)
I think one reason that Imogen stands out is that she's unique in comparison to other characters-- the only one that's also like her..
35. Zoe Rivas (13-)
Zoe is fierce, savage, and strong-minded. She's one of the most dynamic characters on Next Class, and I really do enjoy her. Sometimes, however, her reactions to situations are SO unrealistic and extra that I can't take anything she does seriously. Major plusses for her, though, are her relationship with Grace, her friendship with Tristan (she makes him *barely* tolerable), her rape (and ability to overcome it), her coming out, and her attempt to reconnect with her dad. She provides lots of entertainment and keeps the show from being dull, and she's probably the closest thing that we'll ever get to another Paige Michalchuk. Kudos to her for not being afraid of conflict, and knowing how to get what she wants!
34. Mia Jones (6-9)
When I think of Degrassi, the face that pops up is "Mia Jones." She definitely wasn't a super major character in the long run, but she was so enjoyable while she lasted, even though I know not everyone feels the same way. She came onto the show as JT's new girlfriend, and even then, while she was kind of annoying, I loved her portrayal of teenage motherhood. She honestly is probably the best one that Degrassi has had, even if her daughter can't act to save her life lol. She was a working model + on the power squad + moved to Paris + a mom, and managed to juggle it all, albeit with struggles. I sympathized with her so much, and when she dropped out of Degrassi, I felt for her. Even when she left for Paris, she was a supportive, caring person to Peter, who was her best relationship by far. People loved to judge and ridicule her, but she rose above it all, and became a successful, amazing woman. I just wish she stayed at Degrassi for her senior year! Nina Dobrev plays her, so that might add to my love for Mia Jones, as she's one of the best actresses to come from Degrassi. Her friendship with Jane was the best. I feel like she's grossly underrated. She had her flaws, like when she fucked her way into a job and cheated on Danny, but that was to PAY THOSE BILLS! A great overall character.
33. Frankie Hollingsworth (13-)
I adore Frankie's independent, isolated, depressed self because I feel like so many people can relate to that, especially as a teenager. She also has her cute group of friends, Lola and Shay, but her struggles seem like some of the most real ones for a person growing up, and I love her self-image insecurities, because they make her all the more endearing. I haven't seen it yet, but I know she gets accused of being racist, and I read spoilers about what happens and it lowkey seems super extra and unnecessary to me... Next Class is kind of super preachy on social issues to the extreme and less of a show with substance in my opinion, but anyways.... I like her a lot, she's one of the sweetest, most genuine people on the show, and I feel like she's very misunderstood. She's the most level-headed in her family and she's under lots of pressure, but, like Mia, she still..
40. Grace Cardinal (13-)
Grace is such a badass, and she's one of the most unique characters that are currently on the show. She's dealt with more shit than most of the other characters on the show ever go through during their whole stay on the series. She's always there for other people when they need help the most (aka Maya's cyberbullying situation and Zoe's rape) while she goes through so much alone, in addition to her cystic fibrosis. She's not afraid to confront people and stand up for who/what she thinks is right, and she's a savage when she does it, unlike Maya. I also like her friendship with Zoe a lot.
39. Adam Torres (10-13)
Adam was such a good guy. His character was the first transgender male character on a scripted teen TV show and he was one of my first exposures to trans people in general. He was funny and had a great taste in friends. His music talent, radio show, and relationships with Drew, Bianca, Fiona, and Dave were all really neat. He just brought out the best in people. His death almost took away from his character because of how forced/overdone it seemed to me but whatever... the show likes to be overdramatic as we all know. I didn't really care about him and Becky, but it was nice that she made him happy. I just wish his death didn't overshadow his character on the show as much.
38. Campbell Saunders (12)
I loved Campbell and his story was so tragic. His loneliness and self-hatred was heartbreaking, and I really loved him with Maya. His actor was amazing, and I loved the pacing/development of both his character and his suicidal tendencies throughout his time on the show. It's unfortunate that he died, but I'm glad that Degrassi pulled off the topic of suicide well instead of making it overdone or implausible. I hated Zig for the longest after Cam died. I wish there'd be more lovable, timid, shy characters like him instead of hellspawns like Hunter. A perfectly tragic character.
37. Christine "Spike" Nelson (1-9, also in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High)
Mom of the year/series! Her mom moments with Emma were perfectly real and inspiring, her marriage to Snake was a grand rollercoaster ride, and even her relationship with Manny and advice to her during her teen pregnancy was sweet. Despite being a teen mom, she clearly turned out well and used her past mistakes to help her daughter and friends learn from theirs. I also liked her friendship with Caitlin so much! Emma honestly did some crazy things, and Spike was so chill and loving, but parental throughout it. Who else would be cool with walking their daughter down the aisle to marry Spinner Mason?! She was a fierce, class act, and a model for what other future adults should be in the series.
36. Dave Turner (9-13)
He has his haters, but I love Dave. While he was such a flake sometimes, and ditched his friends/conformed to be popular, as well as cheated on Alli and ran over his ex with a car (it was an accident!) he was one of the..
GET READY FOR SOME CONTROVERSIAL RANKINGS, I LOVE EVERYONE LEFT.
45. Daphne Hatzilakos (2-9)
Best principal to ever roam Degrassi's halls! I loved her motherly relationship to Peter, her friendship to Snake, and her general loveliness/bad-assness in general. She dealt with the aftermath of a school shooting, the Degrassi/Lakehurst merge, and the aftermath of the Shep's disaster and kept Degrassi great. Originally she was just a hot science teacher, but she evolved into one of the most positive and hip adults on the show.
44. Zane Park (9-11)
Apart from being such a hottie, Zane was Riley's supportive and perfect boyfriend. He honestly made them relationship goals, as he never gave up on Riley and was such an angel to him throughout his coming out process. He also had a neat friendship with Anya. Because he had such a small role, this is the highest I can rank him, but he was such a good guy and I love him so much! Kudos to him for sticking by Riley while he dealt with all of his shit.
43. Maya Matlin (11-)
Arguably the main character of the new generation of Degrassi, it may seem shocking that I'm putting her here. I definitely really like Maya and I'm happy she's on the show! I do have some issues with her. I, 1) Am getting bored with her musician/performing storyline, as it's super overdone and a little forced in my opinion. She also was super annoying when she called out a person at her show for heckling and her dialogue is just becoming so cringeworthy. 2) Prefer her old character (not because she used to be happy and bubbly) but because she seemed more complex and she had more variety in her storylines. I like her less over-the-top storylines about her music, though, and I loved her storyline with Cam, before and after his death. She's definitely one of the most complex characters, but I'm also kind of ready for her to graduate. I just don't relate to her/love her as much as the ones after her on this list.
42. Caitlin Ryan (1-5, 7, also in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High)
Caitlin was such a cool adult that was wonderful in a number of ways. She was a mentor to students, especially Ellie, as well as Emma, and helped her contact her birth father. She was a loyal friend to Spike, and her relationship with Joey was so cute. I especially love that, while being a caring, kickass person, she also decided to follow her own dreams and take opportunities to become an even more successful journalist-- I just wish Joey and her didn't break up because of it. She also had some flaws that made her even more endearing-- she didn't always know what she wanted, she slept with Ellie's college boyfriend, and I can't help but sympathize with her lack of finding any successful relationships. She's super driven and passionate about the world around her, but she's not the best at being committed to others. All in all, she's a well-fleshed, compelling character that fills me with nostalgia.
41. Craig Manning (2-7)
Craig had some..
50.5 Wesley Betenkamp (10-11)
I messed up on numbering and there's 88 main characters. I also forgot Wesley existed. He was a cute nerd that had cute storylines, a cute relationship with a redhead, and hilariously touched Clare's breasts on accidents in one of the funniest moments in the series. Then he disappeared. (I would've ranked him below Peter if I remembered him).
50. Lola Pacini (14-)
Problematic fav of Next Class, emphasis on problematic. Lola says things very unrealistic and over-the-top, but at least she makes the show interesting. I love her lack of a filter and the fact that she's so reckless. Despite being a flake, she means well, and honestly, she's not a great friend to Frankie OR Shay, but she OWNS her selfishness, unlike some others. While she's kind of a recycled Alli/Manny, she has her own flair that hasn't been seen yet, and I hope we see more of in the future. I sense lots of character development coming her way!
49. Chantay Black (4-11)
She was on the show for SO FUCKING LONG, she put a new name to high school never ends. Honestly, I liked her because she was super extra and funny and random at all times. She was a token minority character, and didn't get many storylines as a result. Running the Anti-Grapevine was the coolest thing she ever did, and she had some iconic moments with it, exposing many students, including her own date, Danny, calling him "cheap" for not paying the bill on her blog. Literally, LIVETWEETING HER DATE! I'm living. She also was always there for her friends, especially Anya. She brought a voice to the students throughout the series, and was the known school gossiper. The deepest her storyline got was when she brought the Power Squad back to Degrassi lol but she was a nice addition to the cast, and unproblematic always.
48. Archie "Snake" Simpson (1-, also in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High)
Mr. Simpson is the only character to be in EVERY season, so snaps to that. Before he became the character of "school principal" that he's regressed to now, he was a media immersions teacher that fell in love with Emma's mom, Spike, and had a rocky relationship with her before they got married and gave Emma a brother, Jack. The adult storylines in the early seasons were awesome, and his wedding episode with Spike was the best. He made out with Ms. Hatzilakos, but that was just a... minor error in judgement? After his fiasco with almost being fired because of Darcy's false rape claim, he came back and has always been a pleasant, constant face on the show. He's this low because he's such a background character now and all of his development took place in seasons 1-7. Great step-dad to Emma, too! Loved him w/ Joey, Caitlin, and Spike together.
47. Esme Song (15-)
I really like her, and she is one of the bearable Next Class characters for me. Hopefully her crazy, manic ways fuck shit up for the better. But right now, she's not shown nearly enough to be..
Starting here, I pretty much like all the characters.
55. Peter Stone (5-10, 16)
Peter is pretty cool. I never liked him with Emma, but his exposing Manny when she showed him her breasts was both terrible and iconic. However, I LOVED him with Darcy. He was okay with Mia, and I loved them by the end of their relationship. Honestly, he was so shitty to end things with Darcy the way he did. He grew on me from being someone that was just annoyingly douchey to being complex and fun. His stint with the Studz was cool. Being addicted to coke made him kind of a trainwreck for a hot sec (or maybe longer, he was always kind of a mess IMO). At the end of the day, however, he was significantly overshadowed by the people he dated or his other friends. It's neat that he returns later in the series, but I think they should've had someone better return lol but he's fine...
54. Becky Baker (12-14)
Originally, Becky was kind of like a Darcy on steroids, and her super-conservative, sweet-as-pie persona was needed and welcome on the show. I never was a huge fan of her, but I have the unpopular opinion of liking her in her earlier seasons. She definitely became less one-dimensional over time, but she lost her defining characteristics that made her interesting-- she became less bubbly, faithful, and naive, and instead became a pretty Basic Becky. I liked her friendship with Jenna and her relationship with Adam. HATED her with Drew and Jonah. Basically, she just had relationship plots after Adam died and became less memorable than she was initially. Props to her for defending Zoe, though, and turning in her brother-- that was a highlight for me.
53. Riley Stavros (8-11)
Riley had super complex, interesting, intricate scenes that were awesome and realistic in regards to being a gay, closeted, hyper-masculine athlete. His whole character plot surrounded his homosexuality, so it got a little stale sometimes, but I love his growth and development. He was an asshole and cringeworthy at times, but he ended up being a great, lovable guy by the end of his run. He and Zane are the best gay couple in Degrassi of all time in my opinion, and he's only this low because I was always a little "meh" about him personally, but I appreciate him as a character for sure, and I'm so happy that his mother accepted him and he accepted himself!
52. Hazel Aden (1-5)
Hazel was very underrated and underutilized as a character, but she is still one that I love. Her ONE storyline that was given to her over the course of 5 seasons was realistic and it made me cry (the one about her Muslim heritage). Other than that, she seemed to be written in as "Paige's sidekick" and while she was great in a group setting, she was never focused on again as a character in her own rite. Her relationship with Jimmy was nice, but it was a typical high school one. I LOVE her friendship with Terri, too. While she seemed catty on the surface, she really cared for her friends,..
60. Owen Milligan (10-12)
Originally, I hated Owen. He was homophobic and a typical jock douchebag, but he got much better after his gay brother, Tristan, joined the show, and he started dating Anya (who was always still too good for him). Honestly, though, his big brother arc with Tristan made me really like him, and I appreciate him much more as a character, despite him not being super memorable, verging on boring.
59. Marisol Lewis (10-12)
Marisol never really seemed like someone worth much of a plot whenever the story centered around her-- it's almost like she was meant to just be a supporting character. She was also a hypocritical homewrecker, as she helped KC cheat on Jenna (his baby mama and girlfriend), tried to get between Katie (her "best friend") and Drew, and exposed Katie's bulimia to the school. If anything, she was fake as hell, but definitely added to the drama. She got a little less flakey when she dated Mo, but their relationship was kind of a snoozefest.
58. Johnny DiMarco (6-10)
He was a great guy. Originally hated by many (including me) as his best friend killed JT and he stood by and watched when it happened, he had one of the best redemption arcs of the series. His relationship with Alli was really sweet, even if she was a little too immature for him. Contrary to what others thought, he was super smart and driven, and he helped the Bhandaris find Alli when she ran away from home. I wish they did more with him, but I'm happy with what they did do with him.
57. Joey Jeremiah (1-5, also in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High)
Joey was probably one of my favorite adult main characters in the series, but he wasn't in too many episodes after the first few seasons. I loved his fatherly relationship w/ Craig, and his on-and-off relationship with Caitlin (which I'm super bummed wasn't endgame), as well as his relationship with Spike and Snake throughout the beginning seasons. Angie was also cute and he was a great dad. Basically, his character was never super significant, but it'll always fill me with nostalgia of the old, first few seasons of Degrassi when I see him. He was definitely a more funny and spontaneous counterpart to the rest of the adults, though.
56. Tristan Milligan (11-)
It crossed my mind to rank Tristan higher than this, but I had to go back and put him here beforehand because it would be a total lie to say that I prefer him to most of the other characters. Honestly, I don't like Tristan, and he'd be even lower if he weren't such a significant character on the show. I appreciate his development and dedication to self-betterment, but ever since Next Class began, I can't stand him. He's entitled, rude, and straight up bitchy-- not even in a fun way. He treats Miles like shit and every time he opens his mouth I just have to roll my eyes! They've ruined his character and his likability has gone down the drain IMO, but at least he's dynamic. I'm so over his Miles stuff...
65. Tiny Bell (13-)
I actually really like Tiny and think he has some of the most potential out of all the newbies, I just haven't seen enough of him yet. He's way more believable than some of the other characters, and I love him with Shay. Clever and a good person. I also liked his gang storyline.
64. Leia Chang (8-10)
This is probably the only rankdown where Leia makes it this high, and I'm okay with it. Sure, she was super invisible for most of the show, but her randomness and irrelevance made her HILARIOUS. I loved her first appearance as Mia's initial friend that was too uncomfortable for her modeling highlife, her relationship with Danny where she got caught in a lie about never seeing LOST, and her friendship with Anya and their LARPING together. Her last scene on the show was her attempt to comfort Anya, who just discovered her mom had cancer-- Leia said that her aunt recently died from it after getting better from chemo, making Anya more worried! She was just such a random, underused character that had way more potential to be a likable queen, as she was also super realistic and, at least to me, compelling. Instead she was just awkwardly there, and then left without an explanation. ILY Princess Leia.
63. Tori Santamaria (11-12)
She was so awesome! I wish that her actress didn't have to leave (fun fact: her actress is Cassie Steele's sister (aka Manny Santos) and also played Angie Jeremiah in the first few seasons). I loved that she was somewhat of a snobby pageant queen, but she had a good heart and cared for her friends. Her friendship with Maya and Tristan was way more iconic that her seemingly replacement, Zoe. While I like Zoe, I think Tori had way more potential to be interesting/complex/real. She brought out the best in both Tristan and Maya, who I sadly think peaked in their freshman year.
62. Danny Van Zandt (4-9)
I liked that Danny was something we haven't really seen or gotten on the show before or after his appearance. He was a genuinely nice, funny, attractive guy that wasn't super athletic or popular. He evolved from being Liberty's annoying younger brother to being a stand-up guy that actually managed to have a cute relationship with Chantay. His relationships with Mia and Leia were LOL hilarious and failures. His friendship with Derek brought him down a bit, but he was always the more tolerable of the two.
61. Goldi Nahir (15-)
I love Goldi, but she hasn't gotten much screentime yet (from what I've seen) so I can't rank her higher than this yet. She deserved to win the election with Miles and Tristan, who were completely awful and unwatchable during it. She's socially "with-it" and an educated, informed citizen that packs some punch with her words. I love that she's passionate about her beliefs and I feel like we're going to *hopefully* see great things from this activist after she was ROBBED of her election win. Also hoping the writers give her more substance than simply making her a..
70. Damian Hayes (6-7)
He was barely on the show, but managed to date all three OG queens (Emma, Manny & Liberty) and drive a wedge between Emma and Liberty (after he cheated on Emma with Liberty), all while being on the show for 9 episodes. Other than being a player, he was a decent guy, honestly just on the show to fuck shit up, but I enjoyed his brief appearance while it lasted.
69. Zig Novak (11-)
Zig is a cutie, but he's so CLINGY and annoying! I originally liked his "badboy with a good side" archetype, but he's just so unnecessarily jealous and extra when it comes to Maya that I'm over him. Now that he's dating Esme it will probably get better with him, but we'll just have to see. I really hope he's done with Maya, because their relationship was exhausting to watch.
68. Winnie Oh (10-13)
Ms. Oh was under-utilized. Her teacher-student relationship with Sav was cool and atypical, and I like that the writers let it escalate to the point that it did without over-doing it. She was hip and fun. At the end of the day, though, she was just a teacher that everyone loved, and didn't get plots of her own.
67. Toby Isaacs (1-7)
So this is probably the most controversial placement on my list, because Toby is part of the OG friend group that most people know/love. His storylines were important and most of them were good: his male eating disorder, his great friendship with JT, getting with Liberty, etc., but at the end of the day, I thought he was kind of annoying and he was more of a character that was used to propel the plot than one that was a super compelling one himself. I love that he grew as a person as the show went on, and he was one of the super real characters. I also liked his step-sibling relationship with Ashley, but he just wasn't a super compelling character for me, and I was irritated with his whining/boringness a lot of the time.
66. Jake Martin (11-12)
He was one of the most attractive men on the show. Like Toby, a very realistic character. If I were at Degrassi, I'd be his friend! I liked the family drama that he had when moving in with Clare, as well as their weird step-sibling relationship that was doomed from the start. I never cared for him and Katie, and I liked his friendship with Mo. Other than that, he had okay storylines and wasn't super memorable.
#Degrassi
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