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Main Characters
Amy Hughes
Amy Hughes
Played by: Elizabeth Lail
The "good girl" among the counselors, Amy Hughes is a newcomer to the area trying to fit in. She is wracked with guilt at the death of Margot Tate, the first real friend she made upon arriving in her new town.
- Betty and Veronica: She plays the role of Betty to Garrett while Jessie plays Veronica.
- Break the Cutie: She comes into contact with a corpse in the first episode and is dealing with the guilt of failing to save her friend Margo, then everything at the camp happens.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her family, namely her parents and older brother, were emotionally abusive and neglectful toward her. They all died in a housing accident when she was little.
- Death by Origin Story: She moved to a new town because of the deaths of her parents and brother.
- Demonic Possession: She gets possessed by Holyoke and Malphas.
- Dude Magnet: Amy's had the attention of both Alex and Garrett.
- Fish out of Water: Amy initially finds herself out of her league at the camp though she does catch on.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has the sweet and friendly nature and the blonde hair to match.
- The Heart: Being naturally friendly and earnest, and new to the area of Camp Stillwater.
- Hidden Depths: Amy catches on to the fact that Jessie lied about her grandmother dying, and plays along to get on better terms with her.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Her reason for becoming a counselor.
- It's All My Fault: Blames herself for the death of her school friend Margo, whom she convinced to go to a party with her.
- New Transfer Student: At her school in Episode 1's backstory.
- Nice Girl: She behaves in a very sweet and friendly manner to everyone.
- Walking Spoiler: After The Reveal of "Home Sweet Home", there's no way to talk about her without spoiling a major plot twist.
Carolina "Cricket" Diaz
Carolina "Cricket" Diaz
Played by: Amber Coney
A counselor at Camp Stillwater, Cricket is insecure about her weight and her lack of sexual experience. Her parents' marriage is on the rocks, with her father cheating on her mother with their neighbor, and her mother only staying because she has nowhere else to go.
- Character Development: Initially appearing as a deeply insecure teenage girl with self-esteem issues regarding her looks and everyone's perceptions of her. Eventually grows more confident.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Blair. Formerly with Jessie.
- I Am Not Pretty: At first she's quite insecure about her weight and thinks she isn't pretty. In reality Cricket's slightly heavier than average at most, looking cute and voluptuous, which is especially shown when she dons a red bikini. Despite her anxiety, she gets the attention of Alex, a boy she likes, very readily. Cricket's putting on the bikini in public (to Alex's stunned appreciation) signifies she's begun to get out of her negative self-image and recognize herself as good-looking.
- Killed Off for Real: When the killer pushes her and she falls head first onto a bear trap.
- Morality Pet: For Jessie and Alex.
- Ms. Fanservice: In a red bikini, being rather well-endowed.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: She's always called Cricket instead of her real name Carolina, except by her parents.
- Really Gets Around: Averted. She's still a virgin, she only wants to put herself out as this because of her self-image issues.
- Troubled, but Cute: She's rather cute, but aspires to write promiscuous comments on bathroom walls about herself so people will notice her.
Blair Ramos
Blair Ramos
Played by: Mark Indelicato
A longtime attendee at Camp Stillwater who's starting his first year as a counselor, Blair is openly gay, artsy, and can't wait to party with his old friends.
- Action Survivor: Survives with Drew and Jessie.
- Camp Gay: Blair's openly gay. He's also pretty effeminate, with vocal fry and stereotypical mannerisms, but doesn't care what anyone thinks of this.
- Hypocrite: States that he was scared no one would accept him when he came out as gay, but then blows off Drew when he tells him he's transgender.
Garrett Sykes
Garrett Sykes
Played by: Alberto Frezza
A local "townie", Garrett is a Former Teen Rebel turned police deputy who has a past with Damon Crowley and Camp Stillwater.
- Betty and Veronica: With Jessie and Amy, respectively.
- Dead All Along: It's revealed that after he told Jessie to run so he could hold off Amy, he was killed by her, but his spirit was the one who helped them kill her in the end.
- Disappeared Dad: His dad was killed in the line of duty in '82.
- Former Teen Rebel: He used to be friends with Damon, the two of them getting into trouble together before his father pushed him onto the straight and narrow.
- Together in Death: With his father.
- You Killed My Father: He shoots Heelan dead after discovering he was the cult leader known as "The Teacher", and the one who killed his father.
Jessie Tyler
Jessie Tyler
Played by: Paulina Singer
An attractive but fairly conceited counselor, Jessie arrived at camp frustrated that her attempts to get into college may well have been thwarted by her incompetent, absentee mother.
- Action Survivor: One of three people to survive, along with Blair and Drew.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: She gets into college (presumably the one she wanted to get into), suggesting she turned her mother in and got her name cleared.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Subverted. Her attempt at one of these made her pure-hearted enough to survive the effort.
- Hidden Depths: Of the two people Drew chooses to tell about being transgender, she isn't the one you'd think would be cool with it, but she handles the news far better than Blair.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: While she seems to be the more conventionally contemptable type at first glance, she turns out to have a bit more of a conscience than it appears.
Alex Powell
Alexi Fayvinov / Alex Powell
Played by: Ronen Rubinstein
An immigrant from Soviet Ukraine, Alexi Fayvinov, aka Alex Powell, is obsessed with living out The American Dream, especially after seeing his father get beaten down by it.
- Heroic Sacrifice: After realizing that his behavior earlier was wrong and that his mother was right about him, he tries to fight Amy to buy Jessie time. It doesn't last long, as Amy axes him in the chest before he even has a chance to attack her. This may be seen as Redemption Equals Death depending on your viewpoint.
- Jerk Jock: The casting notice described him as a "John Hughes Villain" type.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be a nice guy, sometimes.
- Manipulative Bastard: Part of his "If you want something, you need to take it" attitude.
- Sticky Fingers: Before he left for camp, he snatched some nice clothes from his job at a laundromat out of contempt for his adulterous boss.
Drew Reeves
Drew Reeves
Played by: Zelda Williams
A trans boy who previously was named Andrea while being raised as a girl, Drew struggles with revealing who he is to his family and fellow counselors. Holds a very proto-grungey outcast attitude and fashion sense.
- Action Survivor: One of the three councilors to survive, alongside Jessie and Blair.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Had a mother who absolutely refused to see him as a boy, even telling him that as long as he lived in her house, he would be Andrea. His mother seemed to have finally accepted the fact that Drew was a boy after she followed Drew to a rave party when he snuck out, but then abandoned him and left a note saying that while she accepted that Drew was a boy, she couldn't accept that Andrea wasn't real.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: He and Blair are seen kissing, suggesting that they've started a relationship.
- First Period Panic: As a trans boy, getting his first period was not a happy experience, especially since this led to his mom telling him that he's "now a woman".
- Forced Out of the Closet: Drew (a closeted trans boy) is outed to Jessie accidentally when after falling into the water accidentally his breasts show through his shirt, which makes her aware he's assigned female at birth. She then mocks him with his deadname and tries to blackmail Drew. He blackmails her back however.
- Old Friend, New Gender: It turns out that Blair and Drew were friends at camp before when they both had attended. However, as Drew was then still presenting as a girl with his deadname Andrea as his mom then insisted, Blair didn't recognize him later after they met again and began a romance. Drew, a trans boy, was by then presenting himself as male, which included his name being changed.
- Parental Abandonment: Drew's mother says that Drew's father died in the past. His mother herself left after she "accepted" that Drew was a boy, but couldn't accept that her daughter Andrea wasn't real.
- Perpetual Frowner: Drew usually scowls or looks morose. Once we learn that he's a trans boy stressed out by hiding his gender and having his mother reject him, it isn't surprising.
- The Quiet One: Drew speaks much less than anyone else, and mostly keeps to himself.
- Trans Relationship Troubles: Drew and Blair begin a romance. However, at first Blair thinks Drew is a gay cisgender boy like him. Drew comes clean that he's actually a trans boy, and Blair's not happy at all. He rejects Drew, who's devastated, though later they reconcile.
- Trans Tribulations: Drew had gender dysphoria from a very young age, telling his mom how he was really a boy at around six at most. His mom told him he was just being silly at first, refusing to accept his statements, including that his new name was Drew after the psychologist who they saw supported this. Drew being outed accidentally to Jessie results in her mocking, deadnaming and attempting to blackmail him. Thankfully, he has blackmail material on Jessie too. When the boy he likes, Blair, learns his secret, he rejects Drew at first. Later though both accept Drew. While it seemed his mom accepted him too, this was tragically averted as though she acknowledged he's a boy, his mom couldn't reconcile the fact he wasn't her daughter, leaving a note to say it's like she's now dead, and cutting off contact with him. At camp he also hallucinates himself as a child taunting him that Drew can't hide his true self.
Joel Goodson
Joel Goodson
Played by: Eli Goree
Joel is haunted by the suicide of his brother Michael, who was seemingly driven mad by Holyoke after his stay at Camp Stillwater. Following in his footsteps as a counselor, Joel carries a camera wherever he goes.
- All Men Are Perverts: He spies on Deb whilst she's changing, though whilst he thinks she's leading him on. Subverted, when he discovers the camp was playing tricks with him.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: Well, spirit really. He was one of the ones who Amy controlled after she killed him, along with Cricket, Deb, and Blotter.
- Black and Nerdy: He aspires to become a filmmaker, hence his tendencies towards...
- Camera Fiend: Joel is almost never seen without his camera. Turns out it's so he can distinguish what is real from what is not, thanks to Holyoke haunting him.
- Driven to Suicide: Because of Holyoke haunting him. Averted thanks to Amy's efforts.
- Killed Off for Real: He gets stabbed in the neck by a Malphas-possessed Amy.
- Likes Older Women: He lusts after Deb early on.
Deborah "Deb" Carpenter
Deborah Carpenter
Played by: Elizabeth Mitchell
The owner of Camp Stillwater, Deb has a longtime attraction to the camp, having been a counselor there in her youth when she met her first love Keith.
- Childhood Friend Romance: With Keith, who she still has feelings for years later.
Jason "Blotter" Cohen
Jason Cohen
Played by: Zachary Gordon
A former camper turned counselor, Blotter is there to turn on, tune in, and drop out.
- Bit Character: He ends up being the first victim out of the counselors.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Had a thing for Cricket, but she wasn't interested.
- Off with His Head!: How he is killed.
- The Stoner: Responsible for Alex's Mushroom Samba.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He only lasts three episodes before being killed. His head is seen being buried in another episode, though, and he comes back as one of the spirits being controlled by Amy.
Villains
Damon Crowley
Damon Crowley
Played by: Andrew J. West
A friend of Garrett's in childhood, Damon has since grown up into the leader of a cult of Satanic bikers trying to raise Malphas.
- "Darkness von Gothick" Name: And not exactly a subtle one, either.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Claims that the reasons the cultists are doing what they are doing so they can live forever is because they are tired of people pushing them around and want to even the score.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: When your name contains references to demons and Aleister Crowley, that's a sign you're probably not gonna be the churchgoing type.
- Unwitting Pawn: To the real villain, Amy Hughes.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Was once a kid who was afraid of getting in trouble, then became a drug dealer and one of Boyd's followers.
Boyd Heelan
Boyd Heelan
- Played by: Charles Mesure
Boyd is the local sheriff, a seemingly easy-going man who turns out to have some darker secrets.
- Evil All Along: Is revealed to be The Teacher, the current leader of the Satanist cult.
- Fair Cop: A part of his facade to hide the fact that he's The Teacher.
- Killed Off for Real: Garrett shoots him dead after finding out that he's The Teacher and his father's murderer.
- I Did What I Had to Do: The reason he killed Garrett's father is because he knew too much about Holyoke and the cult.
- Unwitting Pawn: To the real villain, Amy Hughes.
Malphas
Malphas
A demon that a local Satanic cult is trying to raise, and who has a long connection to the land where Camp Stillwater is now located.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He's the demon that haunts the camp and has, in one way or another, been responsible for everything that has happened in the series.
- Manipulative Bastard: Along with Amy, he had them all think that he needed to possess a purely innocent person. He actually wanted someone evil, someone just like Amy. Who was in fact Evil All Along.
- A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: While possessing Amy, he uses her Nice Girl qualities to fool everyone into thinking she's not possessed and even tricks Joel into thinking that his "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight was working. According to a book about demons, this sort of thing is his MO.
The Killer (ALL SPOILERS UNMARKED)
Amy Hughes
"It's no fun when you don't play, Jessie. Where's your camp spirit?"
Played by: Elizabeth Lail
Far from the good girl she presented herself as, Amy was actually the primary antagonist, seeking to raise Malphas and serve as his vessel. Having long felt like an outcast, she saw Malphas as the only one who "understood" her. Most of the murders were her doing, including the death of her family and her friend Margot before the show started (the latter done to take her spot on the counselor roster), with the Satanic cult serving as her Unwitting Pawns.
- Abusive Parents: Her parents-in particular, her father-were neglectful and often outright cruel to Amy, favoring her older brother.
- Ax-Crazy: It turns out that she murdered Dave, Blotter, and Cricket. She also killed her parents and brother when she was a little girl, and intentionally let her friend Margot fall to her death at the party, so to acquire her spot as a counselor. All because she was a social outcast, so she committed the murders to ensure Malphas was summoned and allow him to take possession of her because he was the only one she ever felt kinship with.
- Big Bad: She was the murderer all along, deliberately trying to summon Malphas.
- Big Brother Bully: Her brother was incredibly rude to her, once convincing her their parents didn’t love her and were going to give her away. She responds by murdering him as well as their parents.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: That Nice Girl we've gotten to know throughout the season? She's actually an Ax-Crazy psychopath who let her best friend Margo die just to steal her spot at Camp Stillwater. She committed the murders to ensure that Malphas would be summoned so that she could serve as his vessel.
- Cop Killer: She kills several state police officers in the final episode.
- Decoy Protagonist: The show sets her up as a nice girl, who came to camp to overcome her guilt, make friends, and also as the love-interest to several men, including as the "safe" option for Garrett in his love-triangle with Jessie. The penultimate episode reveals Amy to be completely insane, having committed several murders, and having allied herself voluntarily with the series' big bad. Jessie is revealed to be the true protagonist, who must defeat Amy and Malphas in the final episode.
- Demonic Possession: She gets possessed by Malphas in "The Devil Inside". Worse, it turns out she wanted this to happen.
- Evil All Along: She's revealed to be this in the penultimate episode.
- Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: She spends a good portion of the series making the rest of the characters think she's the Final Girl. She's actually the Big Bad.
- The Fake Cutie: Her adorable, sweet, and kind persona was all an act.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Part of her carefully crafted act. In truth, she fits the trope White Hair, Black Heart.
- Hoist by Her Own Petard: Jessie kills her with her own axe.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Her stated reason for becoming a counselor. It's Metaphorically True, in that the "friend" she wanted to make was Malphas.
- Manipulative Bitch: Even before she was possessed by Malphas, she had everyone fooled into thinking she was a friendly, innocent girl, when in truth she was a murderous psychopath. Even after, they had no idea what she was really like until the finale.
- Nice Girl: Not really. It turns out this was an act to hide her true nature.
- Powers via Possession: Being possessed by Malphas grants her telekinetic and telepathic powers as well as inhuman strength and durability.
- Psychopathic Womanchild: Type B. Finds absolute delight and childish glee in the slaughter of others.
- Self-Made Orphan: Murdered her mother, father, and older brother as a child.
- Serial Killer: She killed a bunch of characters over the course of the summer, and before.
- The Sociopath: She killed her own family when she was a little girl. She then murdered her only friend Margot so she could take her place at the camp, and then her fellow counsellors one by one all so she could summon a demon Malphas and be possessed. Without a shred of remorse.
- Villainous Friendship: With Malphas, who she claims is the “only one” who ever understood Amy and who she felt a connection with.
- Visionary Villain: Wants to summon and be possessed by Malphas, killing and manipulating anyone she needs to in order to accomplish this.
- Walking Spoiler: She's the villain, but this is only revealed at the end of the penultimate episode "Home Sweet Home", and a lot of her character-related tropes had to be put under a separate heading because of it.
- White Hair, Black Heart: A psychopathic blonde with no empathy for others.
- Willing Channeler: For Malphas.
Others
Holyoke
Holyoke
Played by: Tony Todd
In the 19th century, Holyoke led a spiritualist coven in the area that perished in what was an apparent mass suicide. His ghost has haunted the woods around what is now Camp Stillwater ever since.
- Big Bad: Subverted. He's actually a good guy. The "mass suicide" that we saw in the Pilot was actually an attempt to purify the lake. The ceremony was interrupted by a group who worshiped Malphas, who murdered his followers and put the blame on him.
- Meaningful Name: He's a religious leader named Holyoke.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: His efforts to make Joel kill Amy were an attempt to prevent her from being used as the vessel for Malphas. When he told Joel that someone else would die if he didn't kill Amy, it was a warning, not a threat.
