Top 10 Most Relatable Teen Movie Characters
#10: Isis “Bring It On” (2000)
If you’ve ever felt like the odds are stacked against you, you’ll immediately connect with Isis. She’s the talented Captain of the Clovers cheerleading squad, yet she’s not getting the recognition she deserves. After all, the Clovers’ routines were repeatedly being stolen for the Toros cheer squad. Indeed, persistent racial and class inequities mean she has to work twice as hard to prove she’s just as good as somebody like our protagonist Torrance. Still, she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what she does best, and knows her worth. When she gets the opportunity to show what the Clovers can do at Nationals, she delivers. Her confidence, determination, and story are sure to make numerous people who have faced similar challenges feel represented.
#9: Kat Stratford “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)
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Kat is incredibly tough, intelligent, witty, and isn’t afraid to go against the grain or speak her mind. It’s a joy for similarly frank and clever viewers to see her in action. Beyond that, she’s also pretty closed off and has few friends. As we get to know her, we learn exactly why she’s so reluctant to engage in typical high school activities. Having experienced the dangers of peer pressure firsthand, she shifted her mindset and stopped following the crowd. Everybody can understand wanting to protect yourself from experiencing more pain. But they also likely relate to her journey with Patrick, which proves that though it’s not easy, letting down your walls can lead to great things.
#8: Lara Jean Covey “To All the Boys” franchise (2018-21)
This adorable organized letter-writing romantic’s world is turned upside down when her private feelings stop being, well, private. Across the “To All the Boys” films, we witness Lara Jean maturing. She falls in love, struggles with her feelings, and ultimately decides what path she wants to take after high school. Through her honest and nuanced relationships with Peter, her family, and herself, this always stylish protagonist grows up. But her journey is never outlandish or unrealistic. Instead, her experiences feel down-to-earth, and reflect the stories of teenagers past, present, and future. Finding your people – and place – isn’t a simple process, but we all have to do it at some point. Thankfully, Lara Jean Covey is right there beside us.
#7: Viola Hastings “She’s the Man” (2006)
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Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something? We’d wager that many of you said yes, just like Viola Hastings would if we asked her. She’s an incredibly skilled soccer player. But she’s underestimated because she’s a girl, and is expected to conform to stereotypical gender norms. Luckily, she won’t let others’ ignorance get in the way of her doing what she loves. Granted, her solution involves impersonating her brother, which is quite unconventional. But we all know what it’s like to feel like we’re capable of more than people expect. And even through her disguise, she sets a great example for how to be unapologetically yourself. Plus, she fully falls for Channing Tatum’s character Duke, and honestly, who wouldn’t?
#6: Simon Spier “Love, Simon” (2018)
It’s safe to say that positive LGBTQ+ representation is often sorely lacking, especially in teen movies. Thankfully, “Love, Simon” finally gives members of the community a protagonist they can see themselves in. By his own admission, Simon Spier is a normal teenage kid. The only difference is that he’s gay, and hasn’t told anybody yet. Throughout the film, he navigates an anonymous online relationship and is outed against his will. And while he faces struggles that many can relate to, his story isn’t filled with insurmountable darkness. Simon, like a plethora of other queer kids his age, discovers he has a loving support system, embraces his identity, and finds love with Blue. In the end, he’s a regular, happy teenager with an adorable boyfriend!
#5: Jenna Rink “13 Going on 30” (2004)
At the start of the movie, Jenna is like most thirteen year old girls. She longs to fit in with the cool kids, and dreams of being like the models in magazines. She’s uncomfortable in her skin and wants to fast-forward to better days, which is a feeling anyone who’s been through puberty knows well. Yet when she suddenly wakes up as a thirty-year-old, she sees that things aren’t as simple as she’d hoped. She learns to navigate the workplace, and realizes that she previously had lost her way. Her journey is sure to hit grown-ups in the feels, as it’s an all-too-real depiction of adulthood and its challenges. Simply put, Jenna Rink pulled double duty, being the relatable queen we need at every age.
#4: Bianca Piper “The DUFF” (2015)
When football captain Wesley, who happens to be Bianca’s neighbor, tells her that she’s her group’s “designated ugly fat friend”, she’s understandably upset. It’s initially framed as something negative, because she’s considered approachable and not as “desirable” as her besties Jess and Casey. She goes so far as to ask Wesley to un-DUFF her. Isn’t that what most of us would do? Bianca doesn’t initially understand that she’s amazing just as she is, which we all know is a realization that takes work. She represents universal insecurities that the vast majority of people have about not feeling special enough to be truly seen. But by the end, she learns – and reminds us – that we’re all more than superficial labels.
#3: Gabriella Montez “High School Musical” franchise (2006-08)
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Gabriella is the quintessential girl next door. But she’s moved so many times that her door keeps changing, which is something those who’ve had to relocate growing up can definitely understand. That all stops when she settles in Albuquerque and is reunited with the boy she met on New Year’s Eve, Troy Bolton. At first, she has to find where she belongs, an all-too-relatable high school struggle. But by embracing both her brains and singing ability, she not only thrives, but inspires everyone around her to be themselves. Immense intelligence and talent aside, she’s also incredibly caring, kind, and always there for others. If you feel like the loving moral compass of your group, chances are you’re a lot like Gabriella Montez.
#2: Cady Heron “Mean Girls” (2004)
Homeschooling and going to an actual high school are two wildly different experiences. But even if you didn’t transition from the former to the latter like Cady, odds are you get her on a deep level. In trying to dethrone popular Plastics leader Regina George, she loses herself, becoming the thing she claimed to hate. Those with high school experience know how hard it is to stay above the drama that cliques and romance bring. And there are very few individuals who haven’t similarly been tempted by the allure of popularity. Thankfully, Cady finds her way back in the end. It’s precisely her humanity, flaws, and ultimate redemption that make her feel authentic. We root for her for one simple reason: she’s all of us. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Mia Thermopolis, “The Princess Diaries” franchise (2001-) Most of Us Will Never Be Princesses, but We Can All Relate to the Growing Pains Olive Penderghast, “Easy A” (2010) Her Reputation Becomes a Dangerous Thing, but Her Heart Is Always in the Right Place Kate Spencer, “John Tucker Must Die” (2006) It’s Not Easy Being the New Girl Charlie Kelmeckis, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012) An Honest Depiction of Mental Health Struggles & Self-Discovery Laney Boggs, “She’s All That” (1999) The Artsy Kids Know What She’s All About
#1: Sam Montgomery “A Cinderella Story” (2004)
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We sincerely hope nobody can relate to the mistreatment Sam suffers at the hands of her stepfamily. But the character herself is a sweet hard-working everywoman with a big heart. A teen outcast who’s often teased, she’s just trying to make it through the day. Who among us hasn’t felt that way before?! She has big dreams, but doesn’t necessarily believe she’s the kind of girl who will ever get a picture-perfect fairytale ending. If that’s not relatable, we’re not sure what is! Though she’s stifled by her environment at first, Sam ends up powerfully coming into herself, and gets everything from her dream school to her dream guy. Thus, she proves that we’re all Cinderellas in our own right.
