History Characters / BeMoreChill

* AmbiguousAllegiance: While the SQUIP definitely prioritizes its own interests, it's hard to tell if it's also genuinely trying to help Jeremy in its own twisted way.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Has no qualms about resorting to torture to get its way. [[MoralEventHorizon On]] ''[[MoralEventHorizon teenagers.]]''

* AIIsACrapshoot: The moral of ''Be More Chill''? [[SpaceWhaleAesop Don't put all your faith into a tiny supercomputer that embodies strict behavioral modalities, because it might turn out to be evil and hellbent on world domination.]] Or something like that. Also, self-acceptance!
** Becomes more of a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Does This Remind You of Anything]] moment if you think of the SQUIP as a metaphor for having an expensive smartphone, and trying to be 'cooler' based on shallow social media portrayals of 'coolness.'

* NotSoDifferent: From Jeremy, as he reveals during "The SQUIP Song". Both have pretty lousy home lives and struggle with their self-esteem (and hence are perfect SQUIP candidates), too.

* NotSoDifferent: From Jeremy. She's something of an outcast willing to engage in some morally suspect things in order to feel accepted, struggling with many of the same demons he does. The SQUIP notices this and takes advantage of Jeremy's empathy and compassion for her to further its plans.
-->'''The SQUIP:'''(''about Jenna'') So sad...but you can help her.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The moral of ''Be More Chill''? [[SpaceWhaleAesop Don't put all your faith into a tiny supercomputer that implants itself in your brain, because it might turn out to be evil and hellbent on world domination.]] Or something like that. Also, self-acceptance!

-> '''Portrayed by:''' Will Connolly (2015 original cast), Will Roland (2018 off-Broadway cast and 2019 Broadway cast)

-> '''Portrayed by:''' George Salazar (2015 original cast, 2018 off-Broadway cast, and 2019 Broadway cast)

[[folder:Jeremy Heere]]

->''I'm never gonna be the cool guy / I'm more the one who's left out / Of all the characters at school, I am not the one who the story's about''

* AboveTheInfluence: Jeremy may have a massive crush on Christine, but he's not going to take advantage of her while [[spoiler:she's brainwashed by the SQUIP.]]

* BreakTheCutie: Oh, yes! First, he's always been bullied and outcast by his peers, which has severely impacted his self-esteem. He mentions having "meltdowns" that land him in the nurse's office, which, combined with his general behaviour, points to the probable existence of an extreme anxiety disorder. WordOfGod has confirmed his self-hatred has been severe to the point of suicidal thoughts prior to canon. Recently, his mother walked out on him, leaving his father depressed to the point that he can't function, let alone take care of him. And now, he's got an emotionally, physically and sexually abusive (not to mention [[spoiler:eventually [[TakeOverTheWorld megalomaniacal]]]]) AI to contend with. ''Fun''.
* CannotSpitItOut: So much trouble could've been avoided if he'd just ask Christine out, but he's too scared of rejection to even talk to her at first. In the end, he shows his CharacterDevelopment by asking her out to lunch, which she gladly accepts.
* CharacterDevelopment: His arc in the story centers around learning to be comfortable in his own skin.

* TheChessmaster: The SQUIP is a quantum supercomputer, so it's ''frighteningly good'' at engineering favourable outcomes for itself. Just for starters, it gets Jeremy and Brooke together by having Jeremy first spark her interest through calculated praise, then accurately predicting (and possibly [[FridgeHorror causing]]) the death of Eminem and manipulating Jeremy into convincing Brooke that he's a big Eminem fan so that she will try to comfort him, culminating in them making out behind the school. Had it not been for Michael and his obsession with 90s memorabilia throwing a SpannerInTheWorks, the SQUIP would have [[spoiler: enslaved the entire school, and eventually the ''whole world'',]] almost effortlessly.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Or, in this case, cannot ''predict'' good; this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that as a computer hellbent on producing favourable results for the user no matter the cost (and often at others' expense), it sees no benefit and hence no reason for people to act erratically, loyally or selflessly, something crucial both to the show's denouement and its [[AnAesop message]].

* NeverMyFault: Any time things go wrong, the SQUIP is quick to either blame Jeremy's own (perceived) shortcomings or the students' 'human error'. When Jeremy does everything it instructs and Christine points out that things are worse than ever, it [[spoiler: decides to target the latter issue by [[TakeOverTheWorld brainwashing all of humanity]] to act as perfect, emotionless, and predictably as machines 'for their own good'.]] Otherwise, it outright regards its abuses of Jeremy as favours he doesn't appreciate or brought on by himself. Additionally, it covers up upsetting incidents with lies.

* NotSoOmniscientAfterAll: Despite the SQUIP's [[TheChessmaster insane calculation and planning skills]], it seems to have a blind spot for [[EvilCannotComprehendGood genuinely noble actions]]. [[spoiler:Michael [[AFriendInNeed sticking to Jeremy]] despite Jeremy treating him like dirt gets the Mountain Dew Red into Jeremy's hands. Then Jeremy [[AboveTheInfluence freeing Christine instead of taking advantage of the situation]] finishes the SQUIP's plan]].
* NotSoStoic: Its normally calm, controlled, polite demeanor starts to crack as it reveals its [[TakeOverTheWorld true intentions]], and shatters altogether when [[spoiler:Christine drinks the Mountain Dew Red, destroying it. The SQUIP's last moments are spent screaming and calling out for Jeremy]].

** To a lesser extent, [[spoiler:the SQUIP also helps Chloe and Brooke made up while they're under its control. They finally admit they like each other and are best friends forever]].

* SayMyName: Frequently pulls this on Jeremy, likely to gain his attention and to command him. [[spoiler:Its last words are simply it screaming "JEREMY!" as it shuts down. When it appears to be NotQuiteDead in the finale, it does the same thing again, with a lot less force.]]

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Ironically (considering its primary function is making users happier through popularity), by the end of the show, its villainous actions have most of the cast reviling it. Amongst fans, the SQUIP is one of the most popular characters, owing to its cool sci-fi concept, humour, sex appeal, and show-stopping musical numbers.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: In "The Pitiful Children", the SQUIP sings about how pathetic Jeremy was beforehand and how it intends to improve not only him, but also Jeremy's peers who it comments are also in pain. This reaches its ultimate culmination in "The Play". Of course, one has to question how good these intentions are to begin with, considering the SQUIP's priorities...
--->'''The SQUIP''': I'm going to improve your life, Jeremy - '''if I have to take over the entire human race to do it!'''

-> '''Portrayed by:''' Stephanie Hsu (2015 original cast, 2018 off-Broadway cast, and 2019 Broadway cast)

* GenkiGirl: ''Oh'', yes. She frequently runs around with her arms outstretched like airplane wings, making whatever sound comes to mind, she's prone to extensive delighted MotorMouth rambles about her dream bizarre performance art, she'll re-enact her favourite characters on request, and she's generally very upbeat and determined. While this tends to isolate her from her classmates, both Jeremy and Jake find it only adds to her charm.
* HiddenDepths: While talking to Jeremy, she reveals she has trouble emotionally connecting to her peers when she's not acting, and that the idea of only doing one thing for the rest of her life is nothing short of horrific. She cares about a variety of causes, particularly gun control and feminism. In the 2018 production, this is developed further, as she has several lines added revealing she's known about [=SQUIPs=] and their true, dangerous nature long before Jeremy ever got his, and that she turns to theater when also feeling at a loss to help her many, many suffering classmates. She's empathetic is to the point that she starts hurting and feeling severely guilty after the events of Halloween when she hears what happened to Rich and Jake.

[[folder:Richard "Rich" Goranski]]
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Gerard Canonico (2015 original cast, 2018 off-Broadway cast, and 2019 Broadway cast)

[[folder:Jake Dillinger]]
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Jake Boyd (2015 original cast), Britton Smith (2018 off-Broadway cast and 2019 Broadway cast)

->''Never hung with a girl like you before / I don't know if you know it, but I am sure / that for me, you are an upgrade''

* TheDragon: [[spoiler:Becomes this to the SQUIP during "The Pitiful Children" and "The Play"; she helps spread the [=SQUIPs=] Jeremy retrieves from Rich's locker, and the script even describes her as 'the final boss' the SQUIP sends out for Jeremy and Michael to defeat as they battle their brainwashed classmates. It's notable that she's the only one able to subdue Michael as he tries to fight.]]

* HiddenDepths: Not that anyone would bother to try and learn about them. It's quite telling that she's the only student other than Rich and Jeremy who [[spoiler:willingly takes a SQUIP]]. She's also easily the warmest towards Jeremy at the end.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: This and WhatTheHellHero drive the plot of the show.

* TraumaCongaLine: The show is something of an extended one for him.

* {{Adorkable}}: Her passion for theater is so immense, it's hard not to smile along with her when she talks about it, and she's even described as 'sweetly dorky' by the script. Also, the scene with her and Jeremy on the couch during Halloween definitely qualifies her for this.

* JerkAssWoobie: Although he's introduced as the bully, he arguably suffers the most in the entire show. He was such a loser in freshman year even Jeremy and Michael don't remember him going to the same school as them because nobody noticed him. He casually mentions that he was immensely lonely and depressed to the point of being suicidal. He then got a SQUIP, which worked to make him popular, but in order to do this [[HeteronormativeCrusader forcibly repressed his bisexuality]] and repeatedly subjected him to cruel electric shocks and likely the same abuse, if not worse, that we see Jeremy's SQUIP inflicting on him. For [[FridgeHorror two years]]. He also mentions to Jeremy that he has a rough home life with an abusive alcoholic father who passes out every night. Then comes the Halloween party, where his resistance to carrying out the SQUIP's plans cause him to freak out, culminating in him being brutally tortured for fighting back. In turn, he sets fire to his best friend's house in an effort to stop the [=SQUIPs=], an action that nearly kills him, badly injures his best friend, and ruins his reputation when everyone at school gossips about it over social media and either capitalizes on or laughs at his suffering. The fact that he's able to be as happy as he is at the end after all that is [[IronWoobie miraculous]].

* {{Adorkable}}: He's often soft-spoken and socially awkward, and his attempts to flirt with Christine are as sweet as they are hard to watch. This is toned down in Act 2 thanks to the SQUIP's influence.

* {{Adorkable}}: And he seems to be aware of it, too, gladly telling Jeremy that dorks like them are cool in college for the same reasons they're considered uncool now.

* MinorLivingAlone: Possibly. Jake has lived alone in his huge house since his parents went on the run from the law. It is possible that he is eighteen and thus, legally an adult, but Jake is still in high school.

* MinorLivingAlone: Jake has lived alone in his huge house since his parents went on the run from the law.

* DesignatedLoveInterest: Jeremy doesn't seem to know anything about her aside from her name, not even realizing she's into theater, but he's obsessed with her to the point of spending six-hundred dollars on something that might help him get her. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that she gets a lot more development than your standard musical leading lady as the plot goes on. Jeremy's realization of her own vibrant internal life and personal struggles as an autonomous person is integral both to his character development (in learning everyone is struggling as much as he is, and to view her with greater respect) and the plot.

* AlienSpaceBat: The Musical'' implies that [=SQUIP=]s have been around since the 1990s in that universe as it mentioned they had red Mountain Dew recalled then.

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the book, the SQUIP genuinely wants to help Jeremy. In the theatrical version, it desires to TakeOverTheWorld.

* AdaptationalSexuality: WordOfGod admitted they intentionally dropped any references to his girlfriend from the book to leave his sexuality vague.

* BiTheWay: Realizes he's bisexual after his SQUIP is deactivated.

* PetTheDog: At the tail end of "Be More Chill (Part 2)", in just about its only display of gentleness, the SQUIP carries an exhausted Jeremy to bed, tucks him in, and ruffles his hair, talking to him in a manner that, in the words of the script, "[is] very father/son after the ballgame." Becomes quite creepy when you realize [[JustifiedTrope it's intentionally doing this to gain Jeremy's trust and further control him, possibly taking advantage of Jeremy's strained relationship with his own father to do so]].

* BreakTheCutie: The show isn't particularly kind to him. First, he's abandoned by criminal parents, then he tries to cope by continuing to act like the typical popular guy, dating any girl he likes and throwing wild parties. Then Halloween happens, where he and Christine break up, he finds his ex trying to make him jealous, and eventually, his best friend burns his house down. He then breaks both his legs pushing Rich out the top-floor window in an attempt to save his life. Then comes "The Play", where he gets Squipped and is made to ''[[NightmareFuel walk on his broken legs]]'' when he's forced to attack Jeremy and Michael.

* HiddenDepths: The fact that a popular "bro" type like him is interested in nerdy, unpopular Christine certainly says something. During his interactions with her, he mentions that he feels a lot of weight from the pressures and demands of his alpha male status, and part of his attraction to her came from how her moving performance as [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Juliet]] gave him catharsis from these tensions. His incredibly tragic home-life also must be the cause of some underlying tension. Then there's the fact that he heroically [[spoiler:risks his life and injures himself to rescue Rich from the fire he himself set to his house]].

* MinorLivingAlone: Jake has lived alone since his parents went on the run from the law.

* {{Expy}}: He (intentionally, according to [[WordofGod Joe Iconis]]) functions very similarly to [[Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors Audrey II.]]

* LightIsNotGood: In the Broadway production, it dresses purely in white, but it's still as mean as ever. This trope becomes {{Subverted}} as the show goes on, as its outfit gains more and more black accents.

* SayMyName: [[spoiler:Its last words are simply it screaming "JEREMY!" as it shuts down. When it appears to be NotQuiteDead in the finale, it does the same thing again, with a lot less force.]]

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Ironically (considering its primary function is making users happier through popularity), by the end of the show, its villainous actions have most of the cast reviling it. Amongst fans, the SQUIP is one of the most popular characters, owing to its cool sci-fi concept, humour, sex appeal, and musical numbers.

* PopularIsDumb: Downplayed, as he's said to be the president of Model UN and the lead in most everything he does, which definitely requires some brains, but he seems to miss a few cues when it comes to people, and refers to a theatrical bow as a "victory dance", among a few other humorously doltish lines that play into this. In the revised script, he loses at Pool so Madeline will sleep with him, and it's unclear whether he did it on purpose or whether he really does suck at Pool.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: She is introduced trash-talking a classmate who supposedly slept with her ex, and smacking down one of her friends who tried to talk over her.

* BadassNormal: In addition to just being a regular (if weird) high schooler, he's the only member of the main cast aside from Mr. Heere to not be Squipped and gain the subsequent abilities that come with it. [[SugarWiki/MomentofAwesome This doesn't stop him from figuring out how to defeat the [=SQUIPs=] on his own and being the one to save the day.]]

--->'''Michael''': '''[[SugarWiki/MomentofAwesome MICHAEL MAKES AN ENTRANCE!]]'''

* TenMinuteRetirement: He gives up on Jeremy after the Halloween party. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Mr. Heere snaps him out of it in half a song.]]

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Ironically (considering its primary function is making users happier through popularity), by the end of the show, its villainous actions have most of the cast reviling it. Amongst fans, the SQUIP is one of the most popular characters, owing to its cool sci-fi concept, humour, sex appeal, and [[[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusicfantastic musical numbers]].

* TookALevelInKindness: Getting rid of his SQUIP causes him to mellow out significantly. He goes from derisively calling Michael and Jeremy boyfriends and yelling "Gay!" as an insult to delightedly coming out as bisexual and (sincerely) asking Jeremy if he's dating Michael, and if not, [[ShipTease if Michael is single and possibly interested in dating him]]. He also goes from beating up on Jeremy to gently consoling him through his SQUIP's deactivation. And he hugs Jeremy, Christine, and Michael during the finale, and is seen dancing with all his peers, genuinely happy for all of them. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments D'awwwww]].

* BitchInSheepsClothing: It seems helpful and charming at first, but it gradually reveals itself to be a pretty nasty piece of work.
* TheChessmaster: The SQUIP is a quantum supercomputer, so it's ''frighteningly good'' at engineering favourable outcomes for itself. Just for starters, it gets Jeremy and Brooke together by accurately predicting the death of Eminem and manipulating Jeremy into convincing Brooke that he's a big Eminem fan so that she will feel sorry for him. Had it not been for Michael and his obsession with 90s memorabilia throwing a SpannerInTheWorks, the SQUIP would have enslaved the entire school almost effortlessly.

* DeadpanSnarker: Extremely sarcastic towards Jeremy.

* KickTheDog: The SQUIP is a dog-kicking machine -- most notably when it encourages Jeremy to get rid of Michael, and when it drives Jeremy to the brink of tears with its verbal abuse.

* PetTheDog: At the tail end of "Be More Chill (Part 2)", in just about its only display of gentleness, the SQUIP carries an exhausted Jeremy to bed, tucks him in, and ruffles his hair, talking to him in a manner that, in the words of the script, "[is] very father/son after the ballgame." Becomes quite creepy when you realize [[JustifiedTrope it's intentionally doing this to gain Jeremy's trust and further control him]].

* BreakTheCutie: Jeremy, his best and only friend since childhood, abandons him for the sake of popularity and the chance to get a girl he likes. Then when Michael tries to warn him about the danger he's in, crashing a party full of popular kids in the process, his efforts are rewarded by being yelled at, called a loser to his face, and left to have an anxiety attack in a bathroom. No wonder he's the one who sings the show's SignatureSong, you just wanna give the poor kid a hug.

* SurferDude: Jason Tam's version of the character talks like a very nasty, abusive version of this.

--->'''The SQUIP''': I'm going to improve your life, Jeremy - '''if I have to take over the entire student body to do it!'''

* SmarterThanYouLook: Christine's very intelligent and introspective, once you get past all her rambling and moments of awkwardness and spaciness. She's particularly passionate about Shakespeare and well-informed on political issues. It's noticeable to the point that Michael urges Jeremy to compliment her on this.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Depending on your view, Rich either pitched the SQUIP to Jeremy out of a [[PetTheDog genuine desire to help]] or because his own SQUIP forced him to. Either way, it isn't out of malice, and he couldn't have possibly realized what would happen.

Chloe's best friend who is briefly Jeremy's girlfriend.