Main: grown•ish
The Girls
Zoey Johnson
Zoey Johnson
- Played by: Yara Shahidi
- Break the Haughty: Downplayed. Zoey when she first gets to college, she immediately assumes she'll run the school to be at the top of the social mountain like she was in high school. But after revealing the truth about what she did to Ana, then this view of herself is shattered as instead of getting applause, she got real brutal honesty from her peers. This is where she begins to stumble as with her confidence shaken, she is more will g to give in to temptations, like drugs, cheating and taking part in selfish judgements of others. This eventually leads to her cheating on her final, getting academic probation and being cut off from her parents. The downplayed part comes in when she experiences this, and never really goes through that much growth or the Jerkass Realization stick.
- It's All About Me: And she doesn't let us forget for even an instant.
- Daddy's Girl: This trait, more emphasized in the parent show, Black-ish, is referenced in the episode “In My Feelings,” when Zoey talks about how her nurturing father always made her feel like The Ace at everything.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Zoey has plenty of asides in the show wherein she looks at the audience and expresses inner thoughts, but doesn’t know she’s on TV. Rather, the audience gets a good look into her perspective, often to comedic effect.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Discussed. This trope was introduced in Black-ish, but in grown-ish, specifically the episode “New Rules,” the culture around millennial/gen-z cell phone communication is examined.
Nomi Segal
Nomi Segal
- Played by: Emily Arlook
- Closet Key: Subverted. None of the straight girls she hooks up with are actually gay, they just want a new experience. They’re not discovering they’re gay or bi, just having fun.
- Commitment Issues: The reason she hooks up with straight girls.
- Informed Judaism: No real signs of her Jewish identity are written into the show, not even cultural and secular aspects.
- Jewish American Princess: This trope is invoked by name in her introduction.
- Nice Jewish Boy: Is directed to a gaggle of them in one episode.
Ana Torres
Ana Torres
- Played by: Francia Raisa
- Fox News Liberal: See series page.
- Hot for Teacher: Well, hot for dean, actually, while inebriated.
- It Doesn't Mean Anything: Her kiss with Nomi.
- Kissing Cousins: A lot of weird throwaway lines suggest this in her past.
- Soapbox Sadie: The conservative counterpart to Aaron’s soapbox moments, usually providing a strawman.
Jazz Forster
Sky Forster
Sky Forster
- Played by: Halle Bailey
The Boys
Luca Hall
Luca Hall
- Played by: Luka Sabbat
- Act of True Love:
- In the season one finale, his painting of Zoey
- Also, making a dress from scratch for Zoey.
- Erudite Stoner: Very artistic, philosophical, and creative. Often smoking, on and off-screen.
- Intimate Artistry: One of his acts of true love.
- Long-Distance Relationship: With Zoey while he’s in Paris between seasons 1 & 2.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Wears long dreads. Very pretty.
Aaron Jackson
Aaron Jackson
- Played by: Trevor Jackson
- Amicable Exes: With Zoey. More like amicable former love interest, though.
- The Big Damn Kiss: With Zoey.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: To his love interest Zoey. Like her father Andre, Aaron is also outspoken about politics and the unity of the black community. Even if he can be bumbling sometimes, like Andre they're both style conscious and mean well, both valuing hard work and somehow giving back to the community.
- Nice Guy: Genuinely very sweet. Cares for his friends, is respectful towards his love interests, and takes rejection fairly well.
- Soapbox Sadie: A male example of the Malcom Xerox variety.
Doug
Doug
- Played by: Diggy Simmons
- Amicable Exes: Averted by the end of season 2 with Jazz after the incident in "Workin' Me", where Jazz uses sexual exposure on social media to revamp her image.Played straight by the end of season 3, after Jazz's one-night stand during their break and Doug being unable to move past it. They get better, though.
Cash Mooney
Cash Mooney
- Played by: Da’Vinchi
- The Ace: A star basketball player who’s being courted by the NBA in his freshman year.
- Broken Ace: How he’s perceived during a short slump in his performance.
- Magnetic Girlfriend: A male example. Zoey might not be unpopular, but she definitely wasn’t social media/ Live TV!! famous
- Put on a Bus: After Zoey chooses Luca
Vivek Shah
Vivek Shah
- Played by: Jordan Buhat
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Adorkable : Vivek, is a dorky, nerdy young man who constantly gets excited at the idea of getting a girl, gets super hyped about finally finding his crowd at Hawkins, and generally is happy to hang out with his friends whenever he can. - Aesop Amnesia: Played Straight with Vivek. He would usually sell drugs to the other students at the campus more openly, despite the fact that one of the biggest drug Lords at Cal.U was killed because of it. Then, once he got beat up when he couldn't provide off of them with the supply, he was taken to hospital and his parents came to visit him, which seemed to get him to learn his lesson. Only for him to only take away from the experience that he needs to be more careful and discrete.Later on subverted in season 4, as in the season 3 finale, he gets caught with the drugs while in the car with his now ex-girlfriend, which led to the school deciding to expel him, and when he told his parents, his father outright disowning him. He finally learns that selling drugs was the wrong way to go and finally starts to go down a better path.
- Character Development: Vivek starts out as a nerdy, but cocky young man who distances himself from his father by selling drugs in order to go down a different path than him. However, after he gets caught with the last batch of drugs he was going to sell before he quit by the police, his girlfriend dumping him, the school expelling him and his father disowning him, he starts to realize how his actions have consequences and that his bad decisions led him down the wrong path. After this, he starts to mature, learning to become more comfortable and confident in whom he truly is, being honest with his parents and overall turn his life around to become a better person.
- Nice Guy : Despite selling drugs and constantly getting on the nerves of his friends, Vivek is overall a sweet, fun-loving guy.
- What the Hell, Hero? : Vivek calls out both Aaron and Doug for unfairly judging him for having a one-time kiss with a guy. In the episode, they labeled him gay and refused to listen to him when he explained his experience and how he's still straight. For those who were also frustrated with them, this calling out that Vivek gives Doug and Aaron is very satisfying.Vivek:Because it's not about how you feel! It's about you not respecting what I know about myself based on my personal experience. You guys are supposed to be my friends.Vivek: If you were, you would take me at my word.(Beat) You know what? If you guys want me to be such a man, fine. Since I'm the man of this house and I pay the rent here, how about you guys get the f*** out?
Teachers, Staff, & Parents
Charlie Telphy
Charlie Telphy
- Played by: Deon Cole
Dean Parker
Professor Paige Hewson
Professor Paige Hewson
- Played by: Katherine Moennig
