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3%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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5%%
6
7[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lastepisode.jpg]]
8 [[caption-width-right:350:The entire cast of ''Degrassi High'', on the last day of shooting]]
9''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'' and ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' are '''''rife''''' with characters. While an ensemble cast is a standard part of most dramas, the way in which ''Degrassi'' handled its own was, to say the least, unconventional. Playing With Time, ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}''s original production company, had its own repertory company, which employed around 50 child actors. Productions by Playing With Time, including ''Degrassi'', drew from this same roster.
10
11In addition, ''Degrassi'' did away with your typical cast billing at this stage; instead, the opening credits are a montage of random scenes from the show, and the ending credits change each episode to list the actors in order of relevance to that particular episode.
12
13The following list is just of the characters who at least have a name and a line at some point; there are many background characters and extras that never get ADayInTheLimelight.
14
15'''''WARNING! Spoilers abound!'''''
16
17...but if that's not spoilerrific enough, here's [[Characters/DegrassiProminentAdultsAndDegrassiFaculty this Next Generation character sheet has info on Snake, Spike, Joey, and Caitlin as adults]].
18----
19
20[[foldercontrol]]
21
22!!Students
23[[folder:Michelle Accette]]
24->[-Played by Maureen [=McKay=]-]
25
26[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Michelle02_7584.jpg]]
27
28Originally a background student, but slowly evolving into a major character in later seasons, Michelle is a sweet and shy girl who later starts a relationship with a black guy, getting in trouble with her racist parents. In ''Degrassi High'', she has a major story arc where she tires of her father and moves out.
29----
30* AscendedExtra: She is a background student in season 1, has just one ADayInTheLimelight in season 2, and gets her own romantic subplot in season 3 of DJH. She eventually becomes a major character in DH.
31* BewareTheNiceOnes: She's meek and shy, but as BLT finds out, she ''can'' get really mad.
32* BreakTheCutie: She has to deal with her father's racism, the divorce of her parents, moving out of her parents's house, and her boyfriend cheating on her.
33* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Her parents don't approve of her relationship with B.L.T., because he is black.
34* IconicSequelCharacter: Downplayed. In the first season, she's only seen in the background, but she has no lines and no name. She becomes an actual character in season 2, and grows more and more prominent in the series, especially in DH.
35%%* TheIngenue
36* NaiveEverygirl: She is a naive, innocent, and romantic girl. In early episodes she was picked on because of her lack of confidence.
37%%* ThePollyanna
38* PluckyGirl: Becomes more strong-willed and less insecure over the years.
39* ProneToTears: According to BLT, she "cries like Niagara Falls".
40* PutOnABus: In ''Degrassi High'', she's probably the most prominent female character along with Caitlin and Lucy, and ends up with one of the male leads in the last episode. However, she doesn't appear in the final movie, with Snake mentioning they have broken up, and she's oddly absent even at Simon and Alexa's wedding, despite being Alexa's best friend.
41%%* RavenHairIvorySkin
42* ShrinkingViolet: Her first ADayInTheLimelight episode deals with her shyness.
43[[/folder]]
44
45[[folder:Melanie Brodie]]
46->[-Played by Sara Ballingall-]
47
48[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MelanieBrodie_1597.jpg]]
49A quirky boy-crazy girl who is best friends with Kathleen Mead, the cranky academic Alpha Bitch. The two remain best friends until ''Degrassi High'', when she tries marijuana for the first time and reveals many of Kathleen's struggles.
50
51Melanie was in grade 7 for DJH seasons 1 and 2, grade 8 for DJH season 3, grade 9 for DH season 1, and grade 10 for DH season 2.
52----
53!!Kathleen, you have anorexia, your boyfriend beat you up and your mom's a tropeholic!:
54
55* ACupAngst: A plot point in "The Great Race", where she's insecure about being flat-chested.
56* BewareTheNiceOnes: Don't make her angry. There are even moments when she snaps at Kathleen.
57* CharacterizationMarchesOn: A very early episode of season 1 focuses on her being a talented swimmer and a close friend of LD. After that episode, she never mentions swimming anymore and never talks to LD again.
58* TheCutie: Especially in DJH, where she's often cheerful and innocent comic relief, in contrast to her cranky best friend Kathleen.
59* DrugsAreBad: "Did you ever look at Kathleen's diary?"
60* EndearinglyDorky: She's insecure and awkward but still a likable NaiveEverygirl. She attracts both Yick and Snake in DJH, though they are both as awkward as her.
61* GenkiGirl: Not always, but she can be very chipper and upbeat, especially in her GleefulAndGrumpyPairing duo with Kathleen.
62* HeterosexualLifePartners: She's best friends with Kathleen in both DJH and DH.
63* InnocentBetaBitch: The closest friend to snooty AcademicAlphaBitch Kathleen, and much more sympathetic than her.
64* IntoxicationEnsues: She takes marijuana brought to a party by Kathleen. She ends up being the one most effected by it.
65* NaiveEverygirl: A textbook example. She's very gullible, insecure about typical teenage things, has a hopeless crush on an older guy, but she means means well and always keeps her positive attitude.
66* NiceGirl: Despite being naive and awkward, she's one of the nicest characters on the show, even if ironically her best friend is one of the meanest.
67* OutOfFocus: She gets quite a few storylines in DJH, also about her WillTheyOrWontThey with Snake. In ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' she becomes a SatelliteCharacter who does nothing other than hanging out with Kathleen.
68* StarCrossedLovers: Despite really liking each other, every attempt she and Snake make to date ends up in a disaster in multiple episodes. They actually go the school dance together in the last episode of DJH...and then in DH they forget about each other's existence and never interact.
69* ThoseTwoGirls: With Kathleen. Even when their friendship is not the focus of the episode, they often make cameo appearances as a duo or are seen together in the background. Later with Diana, but mostly in DH where she's more OutOfFocus.
70* VitriolicBestBuds: Again, with Kathleen, though much more so in DJH than DH.
71* YouGoGirl: In "The Great Race" she proved to be the best school swimmer, beating Jason, the resident JerkJock.
72[[/folder]]
73
74[[folder:Tessa Campanelli]]
75->[-Played by Kirsten Bourne-]
76
77[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Pig_nose_girl_9629.jpg]]
78Probably the most infamous character of the original ''Degrassi'' era. Originating as a minor character in ''Degrassi Junior High'', she [[AscendedExtra ascends]] to recurring status in ''Degrassi High'' and eventually becomes a main character in Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut, where Joey cheats on Caitlin with her.
79
80Tessa was in grade 7 in DJH season 3, grade 9 (thanks to a random retcon by the writers) in DH season 1, and grade 10 in DH season 2.
81----
82!!You were fucking Tessa Tropeanelli?:
83
84* AscendedExtra: An extra in ''Degrassi Junior High'', ascended that status to become a recurring character in ''Degrassi High'', and then eventually became a major character in TheMovie.
85* GoodBadGirl: She actually seemed like a decent person until it came to relationships and sex.
86* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Averted. She never tells Joey she was pregnant.
87* IconicSequelCharacter: She's introduced in season 3 of DJH, then becomes a recurring character in DH, and eventually one of the main protagonists in the final movie. Her role in the movie is so prominent that she's still mentioned a few times in ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration''.
88* ShesAllGrownUp: In season 3 of DJH, she's sometimes seen as a background little girl hanging out with other kids. As she gets older, she attracts several boys in DH and the movie.
89* SmallRoleBigImpact: Zig-zagged. She's a minor character of the series as a whole, and only becomes a major character in the movie. However, her RomanticFalseLead role in the movie is the reason why the main couple of the series breaks up.
90[[/folder]]
91
92[[folder:Clutch]]
93->[-Played by Steve Bedernjak-]
94
95[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Clutch_3684.png]]
96A minor character who first appears in ''Degrassi Junior High'' season 3, as one of the students of Borden High School, where the Degrassi grade nines attend for science class. While he is dismissive of the "niners", he falls in love with Lucy after his best friend Paul begins to date her. When that relationship falls through, he begins to date Lucy, but she begins to distance herself from him because of his drinking. After an intoxicated Clutch tries to put the moves on Lucy at one of her parties, she ends it completely with him, but the two sort of make amends in ''Degrassi High'', when they are both involved in the making of the Zit Remedy's music video.
97
98Clutch was likely in grade 10 in DJH season 3, grade 11 in DH season 1, and grade 12 in DH season 2.
99----
100!!Tropes about Clutch:
101
102%%* AlcoholHic
103* TheAllegedCar: Despite attempts to make it seem like a CoolCar, his [[WhatAPieceOfJunk car really was a piece of junk]].
104* GroinAttack: Suffers one from Lucy.
105* {{Jerkass}}: Most of it can be blamed on his drinking.
106* OnlyOneName: "Clutch" is all we know about his name, and we can assume it's a nickname.
107* OutOfFocus: In the last season of Degrassi High, he is only seen in the background.
108* WhatTheHellHero: He does not believe in Bro Code since he dates Lucy who was his best friend's ex-girlfriend.
109[[/folder]]
110
111[[folder:Lorraine "L.D." Delacorte]]
112->[-Played by Amanda Cook -]
113
114[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LD-1_2721.jpg]]
115A tomboy StrawFeminist, LD is best friends with Lucy. In ''Degrassi High'', she is diagnosed with leukemia, and disappears, although she is mentioned several times.
116
117LD is in grade 8 in DJH seasons 1 and 2, grade 9 in DJH season 3, and grade 10 in DH season 1.
118----
119!!Tropes of LD:
120
121* DaddysGirl: Since her mother is deceased, she grew up really close to her father.
122* OnlyKnownByInitials: LD for Lorraine Delacorte.
123* PutOnABus: Her last appearance is during the first season of DH, and after that it's said that she's off adventuring with her dad after her brush with Leukemia. Lucy makes several video diaries for her, up until the very last episode of DH. However, none of this is present, nor is she in fact ''anywhere'' to be seen in ''School's Out''.
124* MakeoverMontage: Lucy gives her one and it makes her look much worse.
125* StrawFeminist: In season 1 she is angry when she learns that the boys' soccer team is getting more attention then the girls' swim team. In season 2 she gets mad when when Joey puts posters of underdressed women in his locker.
126* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: She's the tomboy to Lucy and most of her friends.
127* TomboyishBaseballCap: She occasionally wears one in early seasons, fitting her tomboy status.
128* WrenchWench: She is mechanically-inclined and interested in fixing cars with his father, who is a car mechanic.
129* YouGoGirl: She's athletic and part of the swim team, and challenges JerkJock Jason for a match.
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Simon Dexter]]
133->[-Played by Michael Carry-]
134[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Simonitcreeps_5549.png]]
135
136Introduced in season 2, Simon is an airheaded pretty boy who is mainly known for being Alexa's eternal boyfriend, although AlphaBitch Stephanie also used to have a crush on him
137----
138* BetaCouple: He and Alexa are the most stable couple of the show, and both are usually satellite characters, especially Simon himself.
139* BigApplesauce: He was said to be from New York, but the actor had as strong a Canadian accent as the other cast members.
140* ChickMagnet: Initially, because he was a teen model and had a few fangirls, including AlphaBitch Stephanie.
141* TheDitz: He's dimwitted just like his girlfriend Alexa.
142* DumbBlonde: He's blonde but easily confused and not very bright.
143* HappilyMarried: With Alexa, after the movie. They are apparently still a couple in TNG.
144* PrettyBoy: Both the character and the actor playing him were models.
145* SatelliteLoveInterest: Unlike every other character in DJH and DH, he never gets a plot built around his character. He basically exists to hover around Alexa.
146* UnwantedHarem: After appearing in a commercial/magazine, he quickly (and only temporarily) gains a group of [[{{Fangirl}} fangirls]] which follow him around.
147[[/folder]]
148
149[[folder:Diana Economopoulos]]
150->[-Chrissa Erodotou-]
151
152A geeky but secretly rebellious girl who is one of Melanie's closest friends in ''Degrassi High''.
153----
154* AscendedExtra: In DJH, she's mostly in the background. In DH, she's part of Melanie and Kathleen's circle and gets a few spotlight episodes along with her friends.
155* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Yick, [[TookALevelInJerkass of all people]].
156* {{Fangirl}}: Of S.E Hinton's Literature/TheOutsiders.
157* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: the foolish sibling to her strict older brother's responsible sibling.
158* PracticallyDifferentGenerations: her older brother is a good decade older than her, and has been PromotedToParent after her father's death.
159* SmokingIsCool: She has a smoking addiction in one episode.
160* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: She resembles Voula. A Greek black-haired girl who has strict parents and serves as a geeky sidekick.
161[[/folder]]
162
163[[folder:Heather and Erica Farrell]]
164->[-Played by Angela and Maureen Deiseach-]
165[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Heather_erica_220x130_556.jpg]]
166
167Two twins who are almost always seen together, usually hanging out with Stephanie in early seasons, or with Lucy and L.D. in later seasons. Erica is very boy-crazy, while Heather tends to be the voice of reason.
168----
169* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Erica is slightly more rebellious and Heather is responsible.
170* GirlPosse: To AlphaBitch Stephanie in the first two seasons. They are usually seen following her around.
171* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Averted. Although it haunts Erica for the rest of the series.
172* InnocentBetaBitch: Both serve as the GirlPosse to Stephanie in early seasons, but they are nicer than her, especially Heather who disapproves of Stephanie's OperationJealousy plan in "Revolution!".
173* SatelliteCharacter: They get a few ADayInTheLimelight but most of the time they are just the twins who hang out with Stephanie in early episodes, or with Lucy in later episodes. They are sometimes also seen around Spike.
174* SiblingYinYang: Erica was the wild one while Heather was the good girl.
175* ThoseTwoGirls: As seen in SatelliteCharacter, most of the time, they are "those two twins".
176* TwinSwitch: They pull one off during a date with Clutch. It backfires when Clutch ignores them and falls for Lucy.
177[[/folder]]
178
179[[folder:Lucy Fernandez]]
180->[-Played by Anais Granofsky-]
181
182[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucy_8326.jpg]]
183
184A popular girl whose parents are never around, and is known for giving a lot of parties. She starts off as a rebellious underachiever, though later seasons portray her as a smart and outspoken GoGetterGirl.
185----
186* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: She dated Paul, who was only interested in sex, and then the typical "bad boy" Clutch who was an alcoholic.
187* BrokenBird: Initially, in the first 2 seasons of ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh''.
188* CharacterDevelopment: Originally a moody, troubled and rebellious BrokenBird, she turns into a charismatic and confident overachiever in DH. She also goes from BookDumb in the first season to class valedictorian in the final movie.
189* DefrostingIceQueen: Starts of kind of bitchy (though not without good reason), but is pretty mellowed out by the time Degrassi High rolls around.
190* DudeMagnet: She attracts Paul, Clutch, Bronco, and her creepy teacher in season 2. There's also Luke, according to the episode "The All Nighter".
191* HugeSchoolgirl: She is at least a foot taller than the other girls.
192* LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Paul and Clutch were wrong for her but eventually ends up finding a stable boyfriend in Bronco during the final season.
193* LonelyRichKid: It's sad when she all but begs Voula to stay with her when her parents leave her alone again.
194* LovableAlphaBitch: She's a popular party girl who initially has spoiled RichBitch tendencies, but becomes more sympathetic and likable over the years.
195* SheIsAllGrownUp: She becomes quite attractive when she gets older.
196* SoapboxSadie: In later years, she gets a few plots that revolve around some cause.
197* StatuesqueStunner: She's much taller than all the other girls in the series, and also a DudeMagnet who is considered very attractive by the boys at Degrassi. In later seasons, she's possibly the most popular girl in the school.
198* StrawFeminist: Again, she became this in ''Series/DegrassiHigh'', particularly in the episode where she takes a stand on behalf of the girls' volleyball team.
199* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Girly girl to LD's tomboy. She's the rich party girl, while her best friend LD is probably the most openly tomboyish girl in the school. In one episode Lucy tries to give her a makeover.
200* {{Troperiffic}}: Her horror film.
201[[/folder]]
202
203[[folder:Maya Goldberg]]
204->[-Played by Kyra Levy-]
205
206Caitlin's best friend in ''Degrassi High'' who uses a wheelchair. While she doesn't get much development, she does get a focus novel that explains her character much more.
207----
208* AscendedExtra: In DJH, she's often seen in the background but never really has any significant lines. In DH, she is Caitlin's best friend.
209* TheConscience: Sometimes acts as the voice of reason for Caitlin.
210* DisabledMeansHelpless: At some point she's excluded by her friends because she is in a wheelchair and they can't take care of her. She doesn't take it well and tells them that just because she is in a wheelchair doesn't mean she's incapable.
211* NiceGirl: She's a very sweet and good friend.
212* SatelliteCharacter: "Just Friends" is her only ADayInTheLimelight episode where she's seen without Caitlin.
213[[/folder]]
214
215[[folder:Voula Grivogiannis]]
216->[-Played by Niki Kemeny-]
217
218A nerdy girl with strict parents who was Stephanie's best friend in the pilot. She later starts hanging out with Lucy, but is PutOnABus after she moves to another school after the first season.
219----
220* BespectacledCutie: She looks cute and is rarely seen without glasses.
221* BrainyBrunette: A dark-haired girl who is also organized and book smart.
222* InnocentBetaBitch: She was this to [[AlphaBitch Stephanie]] in the first episode. As a wholesome and reasonable girl, she's the opposite of manipulative AttentionWhore Stephanie, and in fact she ends their friendship at the end of the pilot.
223* PutOnABus: Despite her relatively prominent role in season 1, she leaves the show in season 2 to move out to the suburbs.
224* TookALevelInJerkass: After the pilot, she becomes increasingly resentful towards Stephanie. However she doesn't become this to everyone.
225* WeUsedToBeFriends: She was Stephanie's best friend but they had a falling out in the pilot. She refuses to forgive her for the rest of the season.
226[[/folder]]
227
228[[folder:Amy Holmes & Alison Hunter]]
229->[-Jacy Hunter & Sara Holmes-]
230
231Two attractive, shallow, one-dimensional girls who are best friends. They hardly ever get a major storyline or interactions with other characters.
232----
233* AlphaBitch: Both are pretty, stuck-up, and snobby {{Valley Girl}}s.
234* TheDividual: never seen apart.
235* EightiesHair: Amy's. Alison's is a lot more reasonable.
236* FlatCharacter: We hardly know anything about them and they never get any significant storyline.
237* ThoseTwoGirls: Two minor characters who almost always appear together.
238[[/folder]]
239
240[[folder:Joey Jeremiah]]
241->[-Played by Creator/PatMastroianni-]
242
243[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1_1.jpeg]]
244 [[caption-width-right:350:"Trust me!"]]
245
246The closest thing to a main character of the series, playing a major role in most episodes of DJH, DH, and the movie. He's an egotistical schemer and slacker who dreams of becoming a famous musician with his band, but is a very obvious case of SmallNameBigEgo. Behind his obnoxiouness, he has a good heart and is very close to his friends.
247----
248* AlliterativeName: '''J'''oey '''J'''eremiah
249* BookDumb: Mostly because he's a slacker who doesn't care about his studies. He ends up being HeldBackInSchool.
250* BreakoutCharacter: The most well known character from early Degrassi.
251* BreakTheHaughty: When he failed grade eight in ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'' and again when he's diagnosed with dysgraphia in high school and is placed in a special education class.
252* TheBully: A non-violent version of this in season 1, mostly to younger kids like Arthur, Yick, and Melanie. Averted afterwards, except in a season 2 episode where he picks on a classmate just because she's shy.
253* CasanovaWannabe: He tries to get with everyone and fails before Caitlin takes an interest.
254* CharacterCatchphrase:
255** He always says "Trust me" when he's trying to convince his friends to do something stupid. In one episode, [[TitleDrop he says it so much that that's the title!]] This is finally [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the series finale when Joey is worried about his date with Caitlin.
256--->'''Wheels''': Relax, everything will be fine. Trust me.\
257'''Joey''': Don't say that! Every time we say that it's a disaster!
258** In the first season, he has the MadLibsCatchphrase of repeating his full name, changing middle initial every time, and adding a MetaphorIsMyMiddleName joke to explain the meaning of the middle initial.
259** Almost every time he meets Caitlin in DJH (in the season 2 finale and then in season 3), they greet each other like this:
260--->'''Caitlin''': Hi, Joey.
261---> '''Joey''': Caitlin... Hi!
262* CharacterDevelopment: He's introduced in season 1 as an obnoxious, immature, egotistical jerk. While still keeping these traits, he becomes a more likable and good person as the seasons went on. This is sadly subverted in TheMovie where he TookALevelInJerkass again and he's actually worse than he ever was. Even in his early days, he was a good friend while in the film, he treats Snake like crap.
263* ClassClown: Acts like a goof all the time, especially in DJH.
264* GiftedlyBad: He really believes his band is great and destined for stardom, when they only had one song which is mediocre at best and ridiculous at worst.
265* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Wheels since the beginning. Snake starts hanging out with them towards the end of season 1 and they are seen as an inseparable trio for the rest of the show.
266* HighSchoolHustler: Tries to be one, but his schemes usually ends up blowing up in his face.
267* HopelessSuitor: To Stephanie, in season 1. To Liz, in season 2. The latter was initially slightly interested in him, until Joey starts hitting on her in a creepy way.
268* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: When push comes to shove, Joey usually lets his better nature win out. ''Usually''. Liz said it best: "Joey's okay. He just doesn't think sometimes."
269* {{Keet}}: Especially in DJH, he is usally upbeat and fun-loving.
270* LadykillerInLove: He's a CasanovaWannabe but develops genuine feelings for Caitlin. His early interest in Liz also has shades of this, when he realizes he really likes her.
271* LaserGuidedKarma: Very often. In the movie he ends up losing his girlfriend and his friends.
272* LIsForDyslexia: Well, not exactly. He has Dys''graphia''.
273* ObliviousToLove: Had no clue that Caitlin liked him. Also, to Tessa in the episode "A Tangled Web", he doesn't even seem to notice her until the movie.
274* OppositesAttract: Him and Caitlin. He's an immature slacker while Caitlin is a serious GoGetterGirl.
275%%* OutGambitted: Constantly.
276* PluckyComicRelief: Interestingly, since he also seems the main character.
277* SecretKeeper: When his bully Dwayne discovers he is HIV-positive, he agrees to keep his secret.
278* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Manly man to Snake's sensitive guy. Ironically, he's short and skinny and Snake is a big GentleGiant.
279* TheSlacker: He's shown to be this when it comes to his schoolwork.
280* SmallNameBigEgo: He thinks of himself as a ladies man and the coolest guy around, when he's just an egotistical goofball and little else.
281* ThirdPersonPerson: In season 1. Occasionally, later on as well.
282%%* TheTrickster
283%%* UnlikelyHero: In Rick's storyline.
284%%* ZanyScheme: His specialty.
285[[/folder]]
286
287[[folder:Stephanie Kaye]]
288->[-Played by Nicole Stoffman-]
289
290[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_4_f_1527.jpg]]
291 [[caption-width-right:350:"''All the way with Stephanie Kaye!''"]]
292
293Arguably the main character in the first season, and quite unusually since she is the school's popular and ruthless AlphaBitch. Due to character focus, Stephanie often shows her HiddenDepths and insecurities, making her quite different from the usual one-dimensional AlphaBitch character, though she's hardly ever [[LovableAlphaBitch lovable]]. She's PutOnABus after the second season.
294----
295* AlphaBitch: Although a much more vulnerable one.
296* AttentionWhore: Wears a lot of makeup and provocative outfits to get noticed.
297* BeAWhoreToGetYourMan: The way she seeks value, in the first season at least, is by dressing provocatively and letting any boy kiss her that asks to. It is also implied that she's ready to sleep with Wheels just because their last date didn't go well and she wants him to like her.
298* BigSisterBully: A female example with the way she treats her brother Arthur.
299* BreakTheHaughty:
300** When everyone turns against her by the end of the first season.
301** In season 2, her parents divorce and her lack of self worth [[DrivenToSuicide leads her to consider suicide]]. She gets better.
302* DateRapeAverted: Avoided this from an older soap star with a horrible mullet.
303* DecoyProtagonist: She's clearly supposed to be the protagonist of the first season, but later the focus shifts to other characters, and there's not a real protagonist. The Zit Remedy trio, Caitlin, Lucy, and Spike are probably the most consistently prominent characters throughout both DJH and DH.
304* DudeMagnet: In season 1, she's seen as the "hot" girl and becomes the school president by attracting all the boys.
305* EightiesHair: Her hair might be the most dated element of the show.
306* {{Expy}}: She was the first Degrassi girl to change into more revealing clothing in the girls' washroom beofre class, a trick later used by Manny Santos and Alli Bhandari.
307* FunetikAksent: Since her parents separated before season 1 began, she uses her mother's maiden name Kaye, and spells it out, K-A-Y-E. Calling her by her father's surname Kobalawski is just a BerserkButton.
308* IJustWantToBeSpecial: At her core, this is pretty much how she feels.
309* InformedAttractiveness: Once she cakes on the makeup, trashes up her clothes, and teases up her hair, she becomes the hottest 14-year-old in Canada. Or so we are told.
310* LaserGuidedKarma: She pisses off everyone by the end of first season.
311* LovableAlphaBitch: She has her moments of being decent and she was never as bad as Kathleen.
312* MsFanservice: Even InUniverse she and her provocative outfits get HeadTurningBeauty reactions.
313* OutOfFocus: She is the most prominent character during the first season of ''Degrassi Junior High'' and her story arc bookends the season. She's much less prominent in season 2. Afterwards she is...
314* PutOnABus: To a private school at the start of ''Junior High'' season 3.
315* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Stoffman left the show and went on to star in the sitcom ''Learning The Ropes'' with former football star Lyle Alzado. This forced the writers to bring spotlight to other characters.
316* SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy: Her crush on teen model ChickMagnet Simon, in season 2.
317* WeUsedToBeFriends: Her best friend was originally Voula but they had a falling out in the pilot.
318[[/folder]]
319
320[[folder:Arthur Kobalowski]]
321->[-Played by Duncan Waugh-]
322[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/147694_2818.jpg]]
323
324Stephanie's younger brother. One of the main characters in the early episodes, he's better known for his numerous subplots with his inseparable friend Yick, who is just as dorky as him. His character loses importance as he grows up in ''Degrassi High'', save for a couple of ADayInTheLimelight episodes.
325----
326* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: He's seen this way by Stephanie, who tries to avoid him.
327* TheArtifact: Once Stephanie left, his character moved into the background. By ''Degrassi High'', he was DemotedToExtra. Ironically this would also happen to Ashley and her brother Toby in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''. Their characters were very much based on Steph and Arthur.
328* ButtMonkey: He's often picked on, even in the pilot.
329%%* ComedicHero
330* DemotedToExtra: Along with Joey and Steph, he and Yick were the stars of ''Degrassi Junior High''. But by ''Degrassi High'', he is relegated to more of a background character.
331* DoggedNiceGuy: He has a major crush on Caitlin, but she makes it clear she is not interested. Other than that the poor guy gets no other romantic subplot. Which is saying something for Degrassi.
332* HeightAngst: He hates being short initially. He gets much bigger in DH.
333* HeterosexualLifePartners: He's best friends with Yick in DJH, but their friendship is strained in DH when Yick starts hanging out with other friends.
334* OutOfFocus: Along with Stephanie and Joey, he and his best friend Yick were the most prominent characters in DJH, and involved in a subplot in almost every episode. But by DH, he was no longer a cute little kid, and he was relegated to a minor background player.
335* RealLifeWritesThePlot: He was suppose to be part of a bullying plot during ''Degrassi High''. But the actor had grown so large that it wasn't believable.
336* SatelliteLoveInterest: Despite being a major character in DJH, his only major storyline in DH, was one episode dealing with his crush on Caitlin Ryan. Not even the end of his bromance with Yick was given much attention.
337* ThoseTwoGuys: With Yick, they usually get subplots together in DJH. They were the original Toby and JT.
338* TwoLinesNoWaiting: Arthur and Yick were usually part of the B-plot in every episode during ''Degrassi Junior High''.
339[[/folder]]
340
341[[folder:Nancy Kramer]]
342->[-Played by Arlene Lott-]
343
344A background character who is still active in Degrassi's school life. Known to the fandom for being one of the few drama-less characters.
345----
346* GoGetterGirl: One of Degrassi's ''Quest for the Best'' team members along with Caitlin and [[AcademicAlphaBitch Kathleen]], an editor of the school newspaper, and later President of the Student Council.
347* HugeSchoolgirl: She's unusually huge compared to the other girls of the school.
348* RecurringExtra: Despite appearing from the first season (where she was just a LivingProp) to the final movie, she never has her own ADayInTheLimelight or any significant interaction with other characters.
349[[/folder]]
350
351[[folder:Luke Matthews]]
352->[-Played by Andy Chambers-]
353
354[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Luke2_7713.png]]
355A minor character who rose to prominence briefly as the guy who gave Shane [=McKay=] acid, leading to the latter's fall off a bridge and subsequent brain damage. Following this plot, he appears occasionally in the background throughout the rest of ''Junior High'' and ''High'', as if nothing happened.
356
357Luke is in grade 8 in DJH season 3, grade 9 in DH season 1, and grade 10 in DH season 2.
358----
359!!Tropes about Luke:
360
361* TheAggressiveDrugDealer: Although not a dealer, he was responsible for making Shane try acid through peer pressure. It was the 80s.
362* FunctionalAddict: Somewhat. He never really seems to act like a stereotypical drug addict.
363* KarmaHoudini: He escapes all the trouble he caused for Shane and pretty much spends ''Degrassi High'' like nothing ever happened.
364%%* {{Jerkass}}
365* SmallRoleBigImpact: He never plays a major role but he is the one who provided the drugs the caused Shane to have an accident and become brain-damaged.
366* ToxicFriendInfluence: To both Shane and later Yick.
367* VillainByDefault: The closest thing ''Degrassi'' had to a true villain.
368[[/folder]]
369
370[[folder:Shane [=McKay=]]]
371->[-Played by Bill Parrott (DJH, DH), Jonathan Torrens (DTNG)-]
372
373[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d9282b83_d903_4e1a_b66b_ebb8450761dc.jpeg]]
374 [[caption-width-right:350:"Dumb jerk! You should be kicked in the head!"]]
375
376Spike's boyfriend who becomes the father of their baby after having unprotected sex with her at Lucy's party in DJH season 1. Although he tries to make some sort of effort to be supportive, he is ultimately hindered by his fundamentalist parents, and loses Spike's trust. In DJH season 3, [[ToxicFriendInfluence Luke Matthews]] gives him some acid, causing him to fall ([[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation or jump]]) off a bridge, leaving him permanently disabled.
377
378Shane is in grade 8 in DJH seasons 1 and 2 and grade 9 in DJH season 3. He would have been in grade 10 in DH season 1, but he was likely in outpatient therapy.
379----
380!!You should be troped in the head!:
381
382* TheBusCameBack: He went to visit Spike for the last time in DH, the year after the accident who left him mentally disabled. He seemed to be far higher-functioning in DH (when he was receiving intensive outpatient therapy while living at home with his family) than in TNG (after he had been warehoused in an institution his entire adult life).
383* CatchPhrase: Post-accident. "You should be kicked in the head!"
384* DisabledLoveInterest: He was the love interest of Spike prior to the accident that resulted in his traumatic brain injury and mental disability. Although Shane wasn't exactly around her to be a love interest by that point.
385* DrugsAreBad: This trope was taken up to 110% in the two-part episode "Taking Off" in which in a side-plot, after taking LSD at a concert, Shane immediately faces a TraumaCongaLine, falling off a bridge and being missing for days, being in a coma, only to return with a traumatic brain injury and mental handicap.
386* LetsJustBeFriends: Spike and him attempt this after the pregnancy, but it doesn't work.
387* PreachersKid: his father is a minister, which is a problem when he impregnates Spike.
388* PutOnABusToHell: After his accident.
389* TeenPregnancy: Most of his plot deals with the problems he faces as a teenage dad. It ends after his drugged induced accident.
390[[/folder]]
391
392[[folder:Kathleen Mead]]
393->[-Played by Rebecca Haines-]
394
395[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9ce2e4e1_b53c_444f_b416_3526dda4727e.jpeg]]
396
397Described by Caitlin as the "Wicked Witch of Degrassi", Kathleen is Melanie's best friend, despite being haughty, rude, and generally unpleasant. One of the most villainous characters in early episodes, but eventually gets a TraumaCongaLine and redemption arc, and finally becomes a bit more likable in high school.
398----
399* AcademicAlphaBitch: She's a smart student and very arrogant and condescending. She's remembered as the original "mean girl" of this series.
400* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: She went from disliking Rick to developing a crush on him.
401* BreakTheHaughty: You can feel sorry for everything that happens to her on the show. She has a DomesticAbuse boyfriend in ''Degrassi High''. While she could be a major {{Jerkass}}, this pushed her into sympathetic territory.
402* DefrostingIceQueen: Like Lucy, she's considerably less snooty and bitchy by the time ''Degrassi High'' comes around.
403* EvilCounterpart: She's a foil to Caitlin. Both are outspoken ExtracurricularEnthusiast overachievers, they are rivals, and even have similar names. However Caitlin is more well-meaning and kind, Kathleen is more bitchy, spiteful, and hypocritical.
404* FreudianExcuse: Her mother is an alcoholic, and in DJH she was also dealing with a physically abusive boyfriend.
405* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Melanie is the only one who cares for her, but even she has her limits. All the other kids she hangs out with barely tolerate her, especially Caitlin who describe her as "the wicked witch of Degrassi".
406* HeteronormativeCrusader: is very homophobic in "Rumor Has It."
407* HeterosexualLifePartners: She's best friends with Melanie in both DJH and DH.
408* {{Jerkass}}: In ''Degrassi Junior High'' more so. She only gets to PetTheDog once, and one episode later, it turns out she's expecting a favor in return. She's much less mean in DH.
409* KnowNothingKnowItAll: She really does know more than the rest of the cast, but she's such a ControlFreak that this knowledge is rarely relevant to anything. She drives Mr. Raditch crazy at the science fair by reciting every stack of facts she knows, never giving her partner Melanie a chance to talk, and is shocked when that doesn't earn her first prize.
410* TheRival: Caitlin's rival, when it comes to academics.
411* SourOutsideSadInside: She's rude and harsh, but her life is such a wreck - alcoholic mom, absentee dad, abusive boyfriend, anorexia, which leaves her deeply hurt inside.
412* ThoseTwoGirls: With Melanie. Even when their friendship is not the focus of the episode, they often make cameo appearances as a duo or are seen together in the background.
413* TookALevelInKindness: In DH, she's not nearly as bitchy as she was in DJH.
414* {{Tsundere}}: To Rick. She hates him in season 1, but in a season 2 episode it's implied she has a crush on him.
415* VitriolicBestBuds: With Melanie. They are best friends but fight often.
416[[/folder]]
417
418[[folder:Rick Munro]]
419->[-Played by Craig Driscoll-]
420[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Picture9-2_6381.png]]
421
422A brooding loner with a bad home life and a HiddenHeartOfGold, as well as Caitlin's potential LoveInterest in early episodes. He disappears in season 3.
423----
424* AbusiveParents: His abusive father.
425* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Abruptly disappears after season two of DJH with only a passing mention by Caitlin in season three.
426* DisproportionateRetribution: His father beats him for giving Joey a soda.
427* PerpetualFrowner: One episode's subplot has Caitlin and Susie trying to make him laugh because he never smiles.
428* SmarterThanYouLook: Caitlin finds this out during the episode ''Smokescreen''.
429* TroubledButCute: The first of Degrassi's troubled cute boys that would continue with his {{Expy}} Sean Cameron in TNG.
430[[/folder]]
431
432[[folder:Dwayne Myers]]
433->[-Played by Darrin Brown-]
434
435[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_1_f_0251.jpg]]
436
437Originally a OneShotCharacter in ''Degrassi Junior High'', before becoming a recurring character in ''Degrassi High'', Dwayne is introduced as a violent bully. Later on, he gets his own TraumaCongaLine after he's diagnosed as HIV-positive, which starts his gradual HeelFaceTurn.
438----
439* ArchEnemy: To Joey, but they reconcile after Dwayne discovers he is HIV-positive and Joey agrees to keep his secret.
440* AscendedExtra: Is a seemingly one-shot character in DJH, only to get full blown main character status in ''Degrassi High''.
441* BreakTheHaughty: His entire plot took over season two of ''Degrassi High''. It was the early 90s and AIDS was just starting to be talked about.
442* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Deconstructed in ''Fight!'' Transfer student Scooter befriends Dwayne after he gets Scooter's locker open and lifts him up off the ground to get snacks just out of reach. Scooter and Dwayne become fast friends until Scooter learns about the fight between his new friend and Joey. In spite of trying to reason with Dwayne, the fight goes ahead and Scooter breaks off his friendship with Dwayne the following day.
443* TheBully: THE bully, starting from the ''Junior High'' season 2 episode ''Fight!'', and then recurring from the beginning of ''Degrassi High'', although he and his cronies usually look down on the grades below them (as they are seen friendly or indifferent to the grade 10s or grade 11s).
444* FatBastard: As a big, overweight bully.
445* FireForgedFriends: He started an OddFriendship with Joey in the second season of ''Series/DegrassiHigh''.
446* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. He becomes nicer after his VerySpecialEpisode about AIDS.
447* IconicSequelCharacter: Has only one appearance in season 2 of DJH, but he's one of the protagonists of DH and even the final episode is about him.
448* PetTheDog: Even in his bully days, he shows a nice side around Scooter. Post-HIV, he helps fix Joey's car.
449* TerribleTrio: Tabi, Nick, and Dwayne. The least threatening trio of bullies ever.
450* TookALevelInKindness: after his AIDS diagnosis.
451[[/folder]]
452
453[[folder:Christine "Spike" Nelson]]
454->[-Played by Creator/AmandaStepto-]
455
456[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_1_f_0407.jpg]]
457
458One of the better-known characters, Spike is an eighth grade student at the beginning of ''Degrassi Junior High'', who is infamous for getting [[TeenPregnancy pregnant at fourteen years old]], after doing it with Shane at Lucy's party. Her storylines mostly focus on the trials and tribulations of being a teen mother, and as a result, she doesn't get much plot or development outside of this, save for a few episodes in ''Degrassi High'' in which she tries to pursue another relationship, but ultimately can't because of the baby. Personality-wise, Spike is polite and well-mannered and also very non-judgmental, although she has difficulty trusting boys, especially Shane.
459----
460!!Tropes about a girl named Spike:
461
462* EightiesHair: Probably one of the wildest examples to ever grace prime-time television.
463* AMFMCharacterization: Apart from her hairstyle, Spike's punk tastes are often displayed via, her clothing, wearing shirts of bands like the Music/SexPistols, Music/BillyIdol, Music/TheSmiths, Corrosion Of Confirmity and other punk/alternative bands, as well as her locker and bedroom walls.
464* AscendedExtra: Spike was a background character with no speaking lines until eight episodes into Season 1. Three episodes after that [[Recap/DegrassiJuniorHighSeason1Ep11ItsLate she becomes a major character.]]
465* BreakoutCharacter: While not the most prominent character in the show and while Joey, Caitlin and Snake are usually the more "canonized" in the show's legacy, it's worth noting that the character and her actress generated quite a bit of buzz in the media while the show was on the air, getting multiple feature stories in newspapers as well as a decent amount of coverage of a sex education tour Amanda did after the show ended. As of recent she has become increasingly seen as one of the most important, if not THE most important character in ''Degrassi'' history for being the mother of Emma.
466* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Gets pregnant from her first time having sex. Gets swiftly kicked out by the school board. In the book centered around her character, there is a 300-signature petition to have her removed.
467* DisappearedDad: Her father is never seen and some of the comments her mother makes seem to hint at possible abandonment, which would also probably explain her unreceptive attitude to Shane.
468** This is confirmed outright in the novel.
469* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: The way she spikes her hair changes from season to season. In season 1, the hair is brown and spiked completely in all directions. In season 2, she spikes it in a way that sort of resembles a mohawk, but isn't. In season 3, it is dyed bleach blonde with black underneath. By ''Degrassi High'', she adopts the "mall hair" style popular in the late 80s.
470* FreakyFashionMildMind: She has an excessive punk look and wears shirts of various bands but there's nothing really punk about her behavior. She's a normal girl.
471* FreudianExcuse: Her DisappearedDad, as noted above. Fans consider her this to be one for her anger toward Shane.
472* GenerationXerox: Gets pregnant and raises a baby as a teenager, copes with the stigma, and ([[Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration as an adult]]) runs a hairdressing business. Just like her mother.
473* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Sort of subverted. Spike is pro-choice, and doesn't believe in judging others for their decision.
474* HeterosexualLifePartners: Liz. They become inseparable friends from season 2 onwards.
475* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Only her mother and Patrick call her Christine. Raditch calls her Christine once in ''It's Late'' before calling her Spike the rest of the time.
476* OpenMindedParent: Her mom was surprisingly accepting of her situation given she went through the same thing with Spike. Spike became this herself with Emma in the succeeding series.
477* PerkyGoth: While more punk than goth, her appearance belied what a polite and sweet girl she could be.
478* PerpetualFrowner: Not to the extent of Liz, but Spike's seemingly constant unhappiness was such that her actress even mentioned it in press interviews. [[https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-dec-15-1988-2384489/ She once expressed desire for an episode in which Spike smiles]].
479* PersonaNonGrata: In season 2 of ''Junior High'', the PTA decides to boot her out of Degrassi because of her pregnancy.
480* PluckyGirl: Tries to remain strong-willed during her TeenPregnancy despite nearly the entire universe being seemingly against her.
481* PromBaby: Went into labor during the prom.
482* RuleAbidingRebel: Despite her spiked hair and punk fashion, we never ever see Spike indulge in any outwardly rebellious behavior. In fact, she's quite softly-spoken and even says a polite little "soary" when she arrives late in "It's Late".
483* SpikyHair: Where her nickname likely comes from.
484* SugarAndIcePersonality: She can be moody and resentful of her situation but also very polite and soft-spoken.
485* TeenPregnancy: She became pregnant at 14. With Emma, future quasi-protagonist of ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration''
486* TookALevelInKindness: Whether you think Spike was a Jerkass in ''Junior High'' is a point of contention, but she does get visibly happier and less bitter by ''Degrassi High''. She is also the one to approach Shane in ''Degrassi High'' when he briefly returns after his injury, despite Liz trying to push her away from him.
487* {{Tsundere}}: Runs on a near constant "tsun" with Shane after the pregnancy. She is mostly angry at him because of his behavior early on, and the idea he could run away and sweep it under the rug, while she is stuck dealing with the baby inside her while facing scrutiny and humiliation over it, something which Shane (and his parents) inadvertently proved.
488[[/folder]]
489
490[[folder:Liz O'Rourke]]
491->[-Played by Cathy Keenan-]
492
493[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lizdegrassi_8083.jpg]]
494Spike's best friend, introduced in season 2. She is known for her aloof personality, and her extreme social beliefs, including being [[GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion hardcore pro-life]] and [[AnimalWrongsGroup staunchly anti-animal testing]]. Her actions in expressing these beliefs has gained her [[TheScrappy Scrappy]] status amongst an overwhelming majority of the fandom, making her one of the most despised characters in the entire franchise's history.
495----
496!!Tropes of Liz:
497
498* AnimalWrongsGroup: Hates Caitlin because she uses medicine tested on chimps for her seizures.
499* BrokenBird: She was abused by her mother's boyfriend as a child.
500* EarlyBirdCameo: Despite the fact she is meant to be introduced in Season 2, she can be clearly seen in the background during Season 1, including standing with Spike outside the school watching Stephanie's campaign speech during the first episode.
501* FreakyFashionMildMind: Although she has the look and attitude, she cares about issues like abortion and animal rights.
502* FreudianExcuse: She adopted her pro-life views because when her mother was pregnant with her, her mother's abusive boyfriend beat her and tried to force her into an abortion.
503* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: That being said, many of the viewers think that while her backstory was horrible on it's own, it doesn't give Liz an excuse for her antagonistic, extreme opinions.
504* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Taken to an extreme when Liz harasses Erica in season 1 of Degrassi High when the latter has an abortion. This results in the show's first catfight.
505* HeterosexualLifePartners: She befriends Spike in her debut episode and remain best friends for the rest of the show.
506* IconicSequelCharacter: She's introduced in season 2. While not a popular character with viewers, she's still remembered for being Spike's best friend from season 2 onwards and having controversial looks and opinions.
507* {{Jerkass}}: She is widely regarded to be one, with examples ranging from her harassment of Erica, to telling epileptic Caitlin that she'd rather have seizures then take medication that was tested on animals.
508* PerpetualFrowner: Almost never seen smiling.
509* RapeAsBackstory: She was molested by her mother's ex-boyfriend as a young girl.
510* SatelliteCharacter: To Spike, most of the time. She has only a few storylines on her own but, most of the time, she is just Spike's best friend.
511%%* TheSnarkKnight
512* ThoseTwoGuys: With Spike occasionally.
513* SoapBoxSadie: Anti-abortion and pro animal rights. She is one of the few characters on television who is portrayed as pro-life, but not for religious reasons. She abhors abortion because her mother nearly aborted her.
514* {{Tsundere}}: To Joey early on, but after he tries to put the moves on her, goes to constant "tsun".
515[[/folder]]
516
517[[folder:Alexa Pappodopoulos]]
518->[-Played by Irene Courakos-]
519[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alexa305_4665.png]]
520
521A ditzy girl who is mainly known for being Simon's girlfriend and Michelle's best friend.
522----
523* AscendedExtra: Sometimes in season 1, you can see her in the background but she didn't have a real part until season 2.
524* BeAWhoreToGetYourMan: Wore Stephanie's "sexy" clothes to go after Simon. Her mom made her give them back since it made her look like a hooker.
525* BetaCouple: She and Simon are the most stable couple of the show, and both are usually satellite characters.
526* ClingyJealousGirl: ''Constantly'' believes her relationship with Simon to be on the verge of implosion.
527* TheDitz: To go along with Simon to form a Ditz Couple.
528* GenkiGirl: She has a bubbly personality, much more than Simon.
529* HappilyMarried: With Simon, after TheMovie. They are still married in TNG and Alexa is expecting a third child.
530* PluckyComicRelief: A lot of her focus scenes showcase her ditzy tendencies to comedic effect.
531* SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy: And Simon actually picked her over AlphaBitch Stephanie.
532* {{Tsundere}}: More "dere" than "tsun", but because of her ClingyJealousGirl nature, it zig-zags.
533[[/folder]]
534
535[[folder:Patrick]]
536->[-Played by Vincent Walsh-]
537
538Spike's LoveInterest in ''Degrassi High''. Portrayed as a NiceGuy with an acoustic guitar, he appears in a bunch of episodes in season one, and one in season two, when they break up off-screen and [[TheBroCode he begins to date Liz, Spike's best friend]], angering Spike, in turn causing Liz to dump him, and in turn causing Patrick to confront her in the library with a [[HeelFaceTurn significantly different demeanor]] to what he exhibited prior.
539----
540* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Is never seen again after "Body Politics"; his final appearance being to argue with Spike over him dating Liz which is [[LeftHanging never ever mentioned or given closure]].
541* MagicalNegro: An Irishman variant. He comes off as a mild SpearCounterpart of the ManicPixieDreamGirl, encouraging Spike to enjoy life and writing a OneWomanSong about her. However, when Spike gets angry at him dating Liz after they break up, he pulls a HeelFaceTurn and acts almost threateningly towards her.
542* OnlyOneName: His last name is never revealed.
543* SatelliteLoveInterest: His only purpose is to serve as a LoveInterest for Spike. When she breaks up with him, he only appears in one episode afterwards before disappearing forever.
544* SingerSongwriter: Writes a OneWomanSong about Spike. (not [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahIrTy4WDGM THAT song]]).
545[[/folder]]
546
547[[folder:Paul]]
548->[-Played by Michael Blake-]
549
550Clutch's friend and Lucy's first boyfriend.
551----
552* BitchInSheepsClothing: He acts nice to Lucy at first, but it turns out he is only interested in having sex, and gets mad at her after being rejected.
553* InformedAttractiveness: He looks like a clone of [[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]], but Lucy and her friends find him hot.
554* SatelliteLoveInterest: Has no role outside of briefly dating Lucy. Unlike his friend Clutch, he disappears in DH.
555[[/folder]]
556
557[[folder:Susie Rivera]]
558->[-Played by Sarah Charlesworth-]
559
560Caitlin's best friend in the first two seasons.
561----
562* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Disappears without explanation in the third season of DJH.
563* SatelliteCharacter: Most of the time she only serves as Caitlin's friend. She only gets a spotlight episode where she was being harassed by a pervert teacher.
564* TokenBlackFriend: A black SatelliteCharacter to Caitlin in the first two seasons before disappearing entirely.
565[[/folder]]
566
567[[folder:Caitlin Ryan]]
568->[-Played by Stacie Mistysyn-]
569
570[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_1_f_0082.jpg]]
571
572Arguably the most well-known female character on the show, Caitlin is pretty, smart, and a strong social activist. Most of her storylines revolve around her being a SoapboxSadie, though she also struggles with epilepsy in some episodes. Starting in season 3, she becomes the LoveInterest to Joey Jeremiah, with whom she shares the most (in)famous WillTheyOrWontThey relationship on the show.
573----
574* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Her attraction to TroubledButCute Rick and immature jerk Joey.
575%%* BewareTheNiceOnes
576* BrainyBrunette: For most of the show she has brown hair, and is very intelligent and good at school.
577* DisabledLoveInterest: Cailtin is the love interest of Joey in DJH, and later to Claude for a brief time in DH. And it just so happens that Cailtin is Epileptic.
578* DudeMagnet: In a DH episode, Joey, Claude, and Arthur were all interested in her. Rick, her potential love interent in early seasons, liked her as well.
579* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Has BoyishShortHair in the first two seasons, longer hair from season 3 onwards, and goes blonde towards the end, including the movie.
580* {{Expy}}: The same basic character as Mystysyn's in ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'' (Lisa).
581* GoGetterGirl: She is a very driven overachiever and aspiring journalist.
582* GranolaGirl: She is passionate about environment and animal rights.
583* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Susie in the first two seasons of DJH, and with Maya in DH. Oddly enough in the movie, she's seen hanging out and being best friends with Lucy, even if they almost never interact on the show. Similarly, in TNG she appears to be Spike's best friend, even if they almost never talked in the original series (and their only interaction wasn't friendly at all).
584* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Tries to call attention to how the parents are treating Spike's pregnancy. She ends up hurting Spike.
585* IceQueen: Her portrayal after dumping Joey for Claude in ''Degrassi High''. Joey even calls her an "Ice Maiden" at one point.
586* ICanChangeMyBeloved: She sometimes sees boys as projects to fix. Rick and Joey call her out on this.
587* OppositesAttract: With Joey. He's an immature BookDumb slacker while Caitlin is a serious GoGetterGirl.
588* TheRival: With Kathleen, when it comes to academics.
589%%* TheSmartGirl
590* SoapboxSadie: Before Emma, there was Caitlin. Most of her plots revolved around her and some cause. One time, when protesting Spike's removal, the latter calls her out for making her a charity case.
591* StarCrossedLovers: With Joey. Even though they are madly in love, no matter how hard they try, it never seems to work.
592* SugarAndIcePersonality: She's a serious girl at heart, to the point of being an IceQueen sometimes, but she's also very sweet and loving towards the people she cares about.
593* {{Tsundere}}: To Joey. While she likes him, she's not above getting angry when he does someting stupid.
594* UptightLovesWild: A possible reason why uptight Caitlin starts liking ClassClown Joey.
595[[/folder]]
596
597[[folder:Archibald "Snake" Simpson]]
598->[-Played by Stefan Brogren-]
599[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/degrassi.jpg]]
600
601Best friend of Joey and Wheels, he's the adorkable GentleGiant of the Zit Remedy trio. Despite being far more reasonable than both his friends, he's often caught in the middle of their schemes.
602----
603%%* BewareTheNiceOnes
604* BadassBaritone: Even in the earliest days of Junior High, Snake spoke in a resonant baritone voice, a standout among the other male cast who still spoke with high, piping little-kid voices.
605* BadBadActing: Snake cannot act to save his life. He can't even convincingly lie to his parents. His poor skills are mostly on display when he takes a roll in Lucy's film in "It Creeps".
606* BreakoutCharacter: In a way. Snake has been the most consistent character in the entire franchise, culminating in becoming the principal in ''Next Class''.
607* ChickMagnet: He has many girls crushing on him in both DJH ''and'' DH (Melanie, Spike, Michelle, Amy, Allison). Subverted in TheMovie where, for some reason, he is unable to get any girl and even made fun of because of this.
608* EndearinglyDorky: He's awkwardly tall and borders on LovableCoward. Especially in his interactions with Melanie, as they are both equally awkward when it comes to their feelings for each other, making them a cute, dorky pairing. Besides Melanie, many other girls find him cute on the show.
609* {{Foreshadowing}}:
610** In his very first appearance, running for student council against Stephanie, we see him standing on the steps of the school talking about what he'd change if he were in charge. Almost certainly nobody in 1987 knew what his being on the show would lead to, but the "..you won't recognize this school at all" scene at the end of ''The Boiling Point'' might be a deliberate CallBack.
611** Spike's crush on him in the penultimate episode, though it comes out of nowhere and they hardly ever interacted before, is foreshadowing of what would become of the two in ''Next Generation''.
612* GentleGiant: Extremely tall and an all-around friendly, good guy.
613* HeroicBSOD: He is, unfortunately, the one to discover Claude's body in the bathroom. Though he bravely reports it, he is still very traumatized by it and drops out of school for a week or two to recover.
614* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Joey and Wheels. He starts hanging out with them towards the end of season 1 and they are seen as an inseparable trio for the rest of the show.
615* IronicNickname: Snake isn't the nickname you would expect from a dorky and lovable nice guy.
616* NiceGuy: The nicest of his trio of friends, and the most morally conscious.
617* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Is almost never called Archibald or Archie.
618* OnlySaneMan: When he is with Joey and Wheels. He's much more mature and reasonable than Joey, while Wheels TookALevelInJerkass in later seasons.
619%%* PrecisionFStrike: The infamous quote from the movie...
620* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Sensitive guy to Joey's manly man.
621* StarCrossedLovers: With Melanie in DJH. Despite really liking each other, every attempt they make to date ends up in a disaster. By DH, they have stopped trying.
622[[/folder]]
623
624[[folder:Claude Tanner]]
625->[-Played by David Armin-Parcells-]
626
627[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_2_f_0475.jpg]]
628
629A social activist who dates Caitlin in ''Degrassi High'', but their relationship doesn't last. He is DrivenToSuicide in the following year.
630----
631%%* BackForTheDead
632* BoomHeadshot: though we don't actually see it, Snake mentions that upon discovering Claude's body, only half of his face was left.
633* ADeathInTheLimelight: He only appeared in a few episodes in season one, before committing suicide near the end of season two.
634* DirtyCoward: He doesn't even bother to help Caitlin when she's about to be caught by the police after spray painting a nuke building factory.
635%%* DrivenToSuicide:
636* EmoTeen: An over the top 80s version.
637* HeWhoFightsMonsters: "Hey Caitlin! I have a great idea for a date. Let's go ''spray paint slogans'' on a nuclear weapon parts making facility! And then I'll run away when I might get caught, leaving you out to dry!"
638%%* {{Hypocrite}}
639* IconicSequelCharacter: He never appears in DJH, but he has two of the most famous storylines of DH: his LoveTriangle with Caitlin and Joey, and later his shocking suicide.
640* RomanticFalseLead: Dates Caitlin for a while, but is very soon reaveled to be a DirtyCoward and break up after a few episodes.
641[[/folder]]
642
643[[folder:Bryant Lester "B.L.T." Thomas]]
644->[-Played by Dayo Ade-]
645
646[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/153309989_184500016781859_6291310785897888097_n.jpg]]
647
648Michelle's LoveInterest for most of the show, until he breaks up with her in the final season.
649----
650* AscendedExtra: Starts out as a background character in the first two seasons of DJH. Along with his girlfriend Michelle, he has a more prominent role in season 3 and DH.
651* FirstNameBasis: Only Michelle ever calls him "Bryant".
652* OnlyKnownByInitials: His rarely used full name is Bryant Lester Thomas.
653* SatelliteLoveInterest: Mostly exists for Michelle to date and have to deal with ''her'' parents's racism. [[TokenMinorityCouple Then he dumps her for a black girl]].
654* TokenBlackFriend: The only black guy in his circle of friends. Michelle's parents didn't like that.
655* TookALevelInJerkass: In season 3 and 4, he's a nice boyfriend who genuinely cares for Michelle. In season 5, he suddenly becomes a cheating jerk.
656[[/folder]]
657
658[[folder:Scott "Scooter" Webster]]
659->[-Played by Christopher Charlesworth-]
660
661A younger student introduced in season 2 and usually a minor character.
662----
663* CousinOliver: With Arthur and Yick getting older, Scooter and his friend Bartholomew Bond seemed cast to be DJH's new "cute kids" who get featured in B Plots. While they got a couple of background subplots, they were never prominently featured like Arthur and Yick. Ironically in DH, they also faded into the background like Arthur and Yick and were barely seen.
664[[/folder]]
665
666[[folder:Derek "Wheels" Wheeler]]
667->[-Played by Neil Hope-]
668[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Wheels_220x130_5043.jpg]]
669
670Best friend of Joey and Snake, who arguably suffers the most tragic TraumaCongaLine out of all the characters on the show. All his troubles start in season 3, after his parents die which leads his character to go from lovable friend to selfish AntiHero. Aside from Shane, he also got the worst DownerEnding of everyone.
671----
672* TheAlcoholic: In TheMovie, to the point he becomes a drunk driver at the end.
673%%* AntiHero
674* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: ''School's Out!'' features a big one.
675* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He has issues with his adoptive parents, and then they die.
676* BookDumb: Not as much as Joey, but he struggles academically in both DJH and DH.
677* BreakTheCutie: He starts out as a fun loving and all around good guy (in the first 2 seasons of ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh''), then both his adoptive parents die and he gradually becomes more selfish and destructive. Then he is nearly molested by a traveling salesman, and his biological father rejects him and sends him back to his grandparents. His behavior only gets worse in ''Series/DegrassiHigh'', to the point that even his best friends couldn't stand him anymore and his grandparents kicked him out of the house. In ''School's Out'', he becomes a DrunkDriver, [[spoiler: kills a child and ends up in jail.]]
678* CatchPhrase: "My parents are dead."
679* CelibateHero: He never has a girlfriend on the show. Despite some ShipTease with Stephanie and Heather, he eventually ends up rejecting both. The movie vaguely implies he lost his virginity to some unseen girl, but he is never seen dating anyone.
680* CerebusSyndrome: In fact, the guy who kills his parents could be considered a full-blown KnightOfCerebus.
681%%* DateRapeAverted
682* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: While his troubled behavior is understandable, he likes to remind the others about his freudian excuse (dead parents) every time he does something bad and is the reason of his NeverMyFault tendencies in later seasons.
683* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Becomes this to Joey and Snake in later seasons. This is PlayedForDrama, as they both eventually start avoiding him after he TookALevelInJerkass.
684* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Joey and Snake. Joey was his friend since the beginning, Snake starts hanging out with them towards the end of season 1 and they are seen as an inseparable trio for the rest of the show.
685* InformedAttractiveness: Stephanie's belief that Wheels is the sexiest boy at ''Degrassi Junior High'' perplexed Albert of Website/TheAgonyBooth. And probably everyone else.
686* IronicNickname: "Wheels" becomes tragically ironic after his parents are killed by a drunk driver.
687* ItsAllAboutMe: Becomes much more selfish after his parents's death.
688* LaserGuidedKarma: ''School's Out'' ends with him in jail.
689* NeverMyFault: Blames all his bad behavior on the death of his parents. Wheels' inability to accept culpability angers and disgusts Snake who refuses to forgive him for twelve years.
690* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: No one at school call him Derek, he's only called Derek by his family.
691* RaisedByGrandparents: After the death of his parents. Sadly, he ends up having a horrible attitude towards them and doesn't care about all his grandmother's efforts.
692* ThrowTheDogABone: After his horrible DownerEnding in ''School's Out'', he appears ten years later in one episode of TNG, where he reconnects with his friends and even Snake forgives him.
693* TookALevelInJerkass: Started ''very'' slowly after his parents died. He went full {{Jerkass}} in ''Degrassi High'', but seemed to get better near the end. Only to have it horribly subverted in ''School's Out''.
694* TroubledButCute: One of the students with the most troubled life, and Heather and LD find him attractive in DH. So does Stephanie in season 1 of DJH, but he wasn't particularly troubled at that time.
695[[/folder]]
696
697[[folder:Alex Yankou]]
698->[-Played by John Ioannou-]
699[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alexdegrassi1_3325.jpg]]
700
701A background nerd for most of the show, until he gets some CharacterFocus in the final season of ''Degrassi High''.
702----
703* AscendedExtra: He is a SatelliteCharacter in DJH, but finally got some plots of his own in DH. The actor had been part of the Degrassi cast since ''The Kids of Degrassi Street''.
704* DoggedNiceGuy: He actually succeeds in landing a girlfriend in Tessa. Before she dumps him for Yick.
705%%* {{Geek}}
706%%* NerdGlasses
707[[/folder]]
708
709[[folder:Yick Yu]]
710->[-Played by Siluck Saysanasy-]
711
712[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_2562_2_f_0517.jpg]]
713
714Arthur's original best friend, they are the most common male duo in early seasons. They drift apart a bit as they get older in ''Degrassi High'' and Yick starts hanging out with Luke.
715----
716* AlliterativeName: '''Y'''ick '''Y'''u
717* AsianAndNerdy: He's a dorky kid with glasses who's also Chinese. But not too nerdy, since he is an athlete and an average student.
718%%* ComedicHero
719* DemotedToExtra: No longer a cute kid, he find himself OutOfFocus during ''Degrassi High''.
720* HeightAngst: There's a subplot about him and Arthur who hate being short.
721* HeterosexualLifePartners: He's best friends with Arthur in DJH, but their friendship is strained in DH when Yick starts hanging out with other friends.
722* HormoneAddledTeenager: He has dreams where he, you know, kinda, "leaks".
723* PassFail: Though from Laos, he tries to pass as being from the Chinese upper class in order to make his family history "interesting".
724* ThoseTwoGuys: With Arthur, they usually get subplots together in DJH. In DH, he starts hanging out with Luke.
725* TookALevelInJerkass: He turns into a total jerk in ''Degrassi High''. It coincides right with the breakup of the Arthur and Yick bromance.
726[[/folder]]
727
728!!Teachers
729
730[[folder:Daniel Raditch]]
731* CruelToBeKind: His reasoning for holding Joey back a year. Joey ''technically'' passed, but Raditch does it anyway because he thinks it's in Joey's long term interest.
732* NonGivingUpSchoolGuy
733* PetTheDog
734* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Usually subverted. He tends to show how unreasonable adults can be, given how frequently he focuses on rules and regulations rather than care what his students are going through.
735* RunningGag: him removing Joey's fedora. Eventually, Joey starts doing it himself.
736* SadisticTeacher: It's rare when Raditch isn't shown getting angry with a student over something, and usually becoming angry with the wrong student. For example, when a guy snap's Melanie's bra-strap in class and she reacts in pain, it is ''she'' that he gets angry at, when she's clearly the one in distress. He's also not above assigning insulting nicknames to his students, but at least he owns up to it when confronted, and tries to change.
737* SternTeacher
738[[/folder]]
739
740[[folder:Karen Avery]]
741* CoolTeacher
742* FiredTeacher: Subverted. Caitlin ''thinks'' this has happened and kicks up a stink about it. [[spoiler:Turns out she was offered another position at the school, but rejected it on principle.]]
743* HippieTeacher: Downplayed. She has long, hippie-ish hair and some left-wing political views, but that's about it. Unsurprisingly [[GranolaGirl Caitlin]] adores her.
744* MistakenForGay: "Rumor Has It" revolves around the rumour that she's a lesbian. She isn't.
745* StupidSexyFlanders: Caitlin has a series of homoerotic dreams about her that cause her to question her sexuality.
746* ShipTease: the ending to "Rumor Has It" implies there may be something going on between her and Raditch. Nothing ever comes of this.

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