Never Change! Our Dream Yearbook of TV’s Top-Of-The-Class High-School Characters
Queen Bee
Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl)
Spotted: Nobody being shocked that the Upper West Side’s reigning stylista would take this category. If the girl could withstand the headband era, Chuck Bass’s abusive treatment and everything involving Little J, Blair not only deserves to lead…she deserves to conquer.
Class Heartthrob Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto, My So-Called Life)
He has a band. Grunge appeal. The hair of a ’90s god. And that dreamy, far away detachment that drives folks crazy. And we bet that below the bad-boy veneer is a real Joker.
Class Tough Guy Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie, The O.C.)
Maybe it’s because he’s from Chino, maybe it’s the way he works a wifebeater. Whatever it is, this thug with a heart of gold is so the guy you want in your corner when the fists start flying. We even heard a rumor that he was involved in the underground cage-fighting scene, but that just sounds like a crazy TV storyline.
Hottest Nerd Archie Andrews (KJ Apa, Riverdale)
Oh my god, for years, the Red-Headed Goodboy was such. A. Geek! Like squeaky-clean and all-American innocence, wrapped in a letter jacket and nobody took him seriously. Now, he can get it around the clock, yo! No wonder Betty and Veronica and Val and Miss Grundy have developed a taste for Ginger.
Class Witch Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham, The Vampire Diaries)
Let’s just say someone has watched ‘The Craft’ a few too many times, ok? Such a sweet girl and so pretty, but everyone around here knows she is into some supernatural stuff. Just look at the people she hangs with…like, do any of them even age?!
Class Bitch Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty, Beverly Hills 90210)
Kelly Taylor told us ALL about this one. Turns out she used to be really sweet when she moved from Minnesota, but then her boyfriend Dylan went on a date with this weird girl named Emily Valentine and Brenda just went off. Things got worse after he cheated on her again…with Kelly, no less!
Class Snitch Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why)
Ugh, is there anyone worse with a secret than this kid? The worst is, he doesn’t even tell the right people things. Like, he should have immediately alerted the teachers at school about what happened to Hannah Baker. Instead, he told everyone else in school. And they already knew!
Teacher’s Pet, Girl Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale, Pretty Little Liars)
Yeah, she is TOTALLY hooking up with Mr. Fitz. Not that anyone would blame her.
Teacher’s Pet, Boy Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson, Dawson’s Creek)
It’s so weird that Miss Jacobs risked her teaching career on him because he’s so dorky. Like, you can tell he’ll grow up to be a smokeshow, but the bangs and the gangly boy body? He’s the last one you would expect to wind up in an affair.
Smartest Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz, One Tree Hill)
There’s a reason they call her “Tutor Girl” and it’s not just because she taught one of the basketball players some moves off the court. She’s the brainiest babe to ever make the Sparkle Classic, too!
Dumbest Screech Powers (Dustin Diamond, Saved by the Bell)
Honestly, we can’t even with this guy. Like a cartoon character come to life, yet still somehow brain dead.
Most Talented Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera, Glee)
A lot of kids said that Rachel Berry was the best singer in school and they are so right. But Santana is a triple threat: She can sing, dance and kick our asses. And we we were really afraid she’d go Lima Heights-adjacent on us if we chose anyone else.
Biggest Tease Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee, Twin Peaks)
Is she a goody-two shoes or a straight-up hooker? Nobody knows what is going on with this girl. One week, you think she’s in to Bobby Briggs, then she’s all over James Hurley. And don’t even get us started with the rumors about what she really does after working at Horne’s department store. TBH, we’re surprised nothing bad has happened to her yet.
Best Athlete Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights)
It’s a good thing he can play football better than almost anyone in town, because there is no way those looks are gonna last forever. Especially if he keeps sucking back the brews before school.
Class Protector Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Like there’s any other choice?
The fall season brings so many changes. New TV shows. Sweater weather. Pumpkin spice…everything. And the blessed sounds of high-schoolers heading back to class.
High school is a magical time, and television has always given us characters we wish had been in our homeroom. Some because they rocked, and others, well, because we all need someone to feel superior to.
So in honor of all the shows that have given us a reasons to want to be teens again, here’s our roster of some of TV’s best, brightest and most messed-up class standouts. Check them out in the gallery above!
