List of Degrassi: The Next Generation characters
Updated: 11/6/2025, 2:00:27 AM Wikipedia source
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. Degrassi: The Next Generation is the fourth entry of the Degrassi television franchise created by Schuyler and Kit Hood, and a revival of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. In Canada, it premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and ended on MTV Canada on August 2, 2015. Like its predecessors, it follows the lives of students attending the titular fictitious Toronto school and depicts some of the typical issues and challenges common to a teenager's life. It also features several cast members from the previous series in recurring adult roles.
The following is a list of characters who have appeared in the television series.
Tables
| Actor | Character | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Degrassi | Gen | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |||
| Main characters | ||||||||||||||||
| Miriam McDonald | Emma Nelson | M | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Aubrey Graham | Jimmy Brooks | M | S | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Christina Schmidt | Terri MacGregor | M | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Melissa McIntyre | Ashley Kerwin | M | G | S | 1 | |||||||||||
| Sarah Barrable-Tishauer | Liberty Van Zandt | M | S | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Cassie Steele | Manny Santos | M | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Stefan Brogren | Archie "Snake" Simpson | M | – | |||||||||||||
| Jake Goldsbie | Toby Isaacs | M | S | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Shane Kippel | Gavin "Spinner" Mason | M | G | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Ryan Cooley | Yorke | M | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Lauren Collins | Paige Michalchuk | M | S | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Daniel Clark | Sean Cameron | M | M | S | 2 | |||||||||||
| Dan Woods | Daniel Raditch | M | – | |||||||||||||
| Pat Mastroianni | Joey Jeremiah | G | M | – | ||||||||||||
| Jake Epstein | Craig Manning | M | S | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Stacey Farber | Ellie Nash | R | M | S | 1 | |||||||||||
| Andrea Lewis | Hazel Aden | R | M | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Amanda Stepto | Christine "Spike" Nelson | R | M | S | – | |||||||||||
| Stacie Mistysyn | Caitlin Ryan | G | R | M | G | – | ||||||||||
| Adamo Ruggiero | Marco Del Rossi | R | M | S | 1 | |||||||||||
| Mike Lobel | Jay Hogart | R | M | S | 1 | |||||||||||
| Deanna Casaluce | Alex Nuñez | R | M | S | 1 | |||||||||||
| Jamie Johnston | Peter Stone | M | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Melissa DiMarco | Daphne Hatzilakos | R | M | S | – | |||||||||||
| Shenae Grimes | Darcy Edwards | R | M | S | 3 | |||||||||||
| Charlotte Arnold | Holly J. Sinclair | M | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Nina Dobrev | Mia Jones | R | M | S | 3 | |||||||||||
| Mazin Elsadig | Damian Hayes | G | M | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Paula Brancati | Jane Vaughn | M | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Marc Donato | Derek Haig | R | M | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Dalmar Abuzeid | Danny Van Zandt | R | M | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Evan Williams | Kelly Ashoona | M | S | – | ||||||||||||
| Judy Jiao | Leia Chang | M | – | |||||||||||||
| Jajube Mandiela | Chantay Black | G | R | G | M | 4 | ||||||||||
| Samantha Munro | Anya MacPherson | S | M | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Saudin | Connor DeLaurier | M | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Sam Earle | Guthrie | M | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Aislinn Paul | Clare Edwards | G | M | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Melinda Shankar | Alli Bhandari | M | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Raymond Ablack | Sav Bhandari | S | M | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Natty Zavitz | Bruce the Moose | R | M | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Scott Paterson | Johnny DiMarco | G | R | M | S | 3 | ||||||||||
| Jordan Hudyma | Blue Chessex | M | – | |||||||||||||
| Argiris Karras | Riley Stavros | M | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Annie Clark | Fiona Coyne | M | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Landon Liboiron | Declan Coyne | M | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Jessica Tyler | Jenna Middleton | M | 6 | |||||||||||||
| Character name | Portrayed by | Seasons featured |
| Adam Torres | Jordan Todosey | 10–13 (regular) |
| Born "Gracie," Adam was a trans boy. He and his brother Drew transfer to Degrassi due to the excessive bullying he has received at his old school. After being outed by Bianca, he is again the victim of transphobia, although he eventually earns respect and admiration from his classmates. As a trans man, finding love is difficult for Adam. After many attempts at romance, he finds love with Becky Baker, despite their opposing beliefs. During summer break, Adam is involved in a car accident in which he inadvertently crashes his car into a tree while texting Becky and later passes away during surgery. When Torres was killed off from the series in 2013, controversy ensued, including a statement from GLAAD.When Degrassi introduced its large and loyal audience to Adam Torres, an authentic, multi-dimensional transgender character, the show not only made television history, but set a new industry standard for LGBT inclusion. With so few transgender characters on television, we are disappointed that Adam's story had to end this way, and we hope other shows will follow Degrassi's lead in bringing stories like Adam's to viewers...Linda Schuyler, one of the show's creators, defended the choice to kill the character, saying in a statement:The combination of Adam being a favorite character, and Jordan being at the end of her contract, presented a unique opportunity to tell this story through such a beloved character. As saddened as we are to say goodbye to Adam, we feel this storyline will affect even more lives in an authentic way... Adam appeared in 78 episodes. | ||
| Alexandra "Alex" Nuñez | Deanna Casaluce | 3–4 (recurring); 5–6 (regular); 7 (guest appearance) |
| Alex is originally a poor, violent outcast whose home life involves protecting her mother from her abusive boyfriends. She is considered a "bad girl" at Degrassi; she hangs out with her rebellious boyfriend Jay and his gang. Her exterior softens as she befriends Ellie, Marco, and her once-nemesis Paige, with whom she begins a same-sex relationship. She briefly becomes a stripper to prevent her family from being evicted. After realizing things are never going to change at home, she moves in with Paige, Marco, and Ellie. She later breaks up with Paige as they are headed down different paths. She is last seen going to live with her aunt in Ajax. Alex appeared in 41 episodes. | ||
| Allia "Alli" Bhandari | Melinda Shankar | 8–14 (regular) |
| Alli is Sav Bhandari's younger sister and Clare Edwards' best friend. For most of her Degrassi tenure, she has rebelled against her conservative Muslim upbringing and became involved in difficult situations, particularly with boys. After her parents were alerted to her unruly ways through her disciplinary file at school, she soon realized that she needed to improve her life. Despite this, she makes many of the same mistakes repeatedly, although she has consistently been a good student. She dates a lot of boys including: Johnny DiMarco, who didn't want to be seen with her; Andrew "Drew" Torres, who cheated on her with Bianca; and Dave Turner, who got upset when he found out she was counting cards in an illegal gambling game. They took a break while she attended science summer camp; on her return, Dave tells her he slept with someone else. Alli breaks up with him and goes to Jake's cabin where they share a kiss due to her being upset over Dave. She and Dave make up and begin dating again. She begins dating Leo after a school trip to Paris, and nearly gets married. After he hits her on several occasions, Alli breaks up with him and begins dating Mike Dallas. Alli appeared in 162 episodes. | ||
| Anya MacPherson | Samantha Munro | 6 (guest appearance); 7 (recurring); 8–11 (regular) |
| Anya has transferred from Lakehurst to Degrassi with her classmates. She is Holly J.'s on/off best friend and a frequent target of her bossiness and criticism. She has a rocky relationship with her first love, Sav, mostly due to his family's Muslim beliefs which differ from her own. She develops a hobby for LARPing. During a spring formal at Degrassi, she convinces Sav to have sex in the limousine to keep him away from his arranged wife. She lies to him about being on the pill, resulting in her needing to take the morning-after pill. Holly J. convinces her to fake a pregnancy to force Sav to drop out of the presidential election, but the plan backfires when Anya and Sav use the pregnancy to increase Sav's votes. Her mother is diagnosed with cancer; she tries to date her mother's doctor, but her feelings are unrequited after he learns she is only 17. During her senior year, she gets rejected by the only college she has applied to and out of grief, has a one-night stand with Owen Milligan, which later turned into a relationship. To deal with her problems, she begins dabbling in cocaine which has a negative effect on her relationship and potential career plans. She graduates from Degrassi and enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Uncredited appearance by the actress in Season 6. Anya appeared in 82 episodes. | ||
| Ashley Kerwin | Melissa McIntyre | 1–4, (regular); 5 (guest appearance); 6-7 (recurring) |
| Ashley is Toby Isaacs's stepsister. She is popular until she takes ecstasy and damages her relationship with her then-boyfriend Jimmy Brooks and most of her friends. She then becomes a goth and dates Craig Manning until he cheats on her with Manny Santos. She later becomes cordial with Craig again and joins his band, Downtown Sasquatch, until Spinner Mason and Marco Del Rossi kick her out. Craig and Ashley rekindle their relationship; Craig proposes to her, but she refuses, resulting in the discovery of his bipolar disorder. She moves to England to work with her dad in the summer. She breaks up with Craig via email when she meets a new guy, Allister. She returns to Degrassi to finish school. She rekindles her relationship with Jimmy. Her music talent is almost discovered, but she is overlooked when Jimmy's talent is spotlighted, with the tension resulting in their final breakup. She goes on a road trip with Emma, Manny, and Liberty Van Zandt to Smithdale University for the Purple Dragon concert. She sees Craig, who is recently sober performing at the concert and decides to drop out of school and tour with him in Europe. Ashley appeared in 72 episodes. | ||
| Rebecca "Becky" Baker | Sarah Fisher | 12–14 (regular) |
| Becky is an enthusiastic and conservative Christian with a passion for the theater. Becky and Eli Goldsworthy are paired together to write a play, but when Eli changes "Romeo and Juliet" to "Romeo and Jules", she quits. She protests the play due to her conservative beliefs, but becomes accepting of Tristan Milligan's sexuality and Adam Torres's gender identity. Becky enters a relationship with Adam, to the disagreement of her parents. After Adam's death, she becomes wracked with guilt and throws a bonfire for his friends. She is never told that Adam had cheated on her with Imogen Moreno. She later investigates the rape of Zoë Rivas that occurred at Miles Hollingsworth's party. She discovers that her brother, Luke, is involved in the rape and assists Zoë in turning him in. She briefly dates Drew Torres, Adam's brother, and at graduation it is said that she would be attending the University of Vermont for biology. Becky appeared in 59 episodes including voice only appearances. | ||
| Bianca DeSousa | Alicia Josipovic | 10–13 (regular) |
| Bianca is a bad girl and categorized as a "slut" around school. She has admitted to having a criminal record. She aggressively pursues Drew Torres, culminating in her giving him a blowjob while he is dating Alli Bhandari. She continues to pursue Drew and they start dating, to the chagrin of his mother. An ex-boyfriend, Anson, stalks her and attempts to rape her. Drew attempts to save her and is nearly beaten to death before Bianca kills Anson. Anson's gang leader, Vince, threatens them with revenge. Drew covers for Bianca when he tells the police about the incident. Bianca is forced into a sexual relationship with Vince to ensure he won't harm Drew. Drew breaks up with Bianca, claiming she causes too much drama. Later, Bianca improves her grades and attitude in school. Drew and Bianca eventually rekindle their relationship and get engaged. Drew's mother, Audra, crashes the elopement, but accepts their relationship and convinces them to hold off the wedding. After she graduates from Degrassi, she leaves for university. She briefly returns to Toronto to comfort Drew at his brother Adam's funeral. On Thanksgiving, Bianca returns and remorsefully breaks up with Drew after realizing she wasn't the same person she was before and that she wanted to continue to pursue her education by trying new experiences without anything holding her back. Bianca appeared in 65 episodes including voice only appearances. | ||
| Bradley "Blue" Chessex | Jordan Hudyma | 8–9 (regular) |
| Blue is a relaxed, artsy guy. Holly J. Sinclair becomes interested in him when she is interested in losing her virginity. Blue rejects her advances in favor of first getting to know her before they have sex. They break up, but get back together when he saves her life in a robbery at The Dot. During Season 9, he tries to change Holly J. which results in their ultimate breakup. He is last seen getting a girl's phone number at a school carnival. Blue appeared in 11 episodes. | ||
| Bruce the Moose | Natty Zavitz | 7 (recurring); 8–9 (regular) |
| A friend of Johnny and Derek's, he is the typical bully, and is on the football team. He makes fun of other students at Degrassi whenever he gets the chance. He catches Dave pouring urine all over his locker and threatens to meet him after school the next day. Dave tries to make peace with Bruce and, although Bruce doesn't beat him up, he throws a water balloon filled with urine at him. Johnny starts to disassociate himself from Bruce, which initiates a conflict between them. Johnny refers to him as "Mr. Two Credits Shy." Bruce appeared in 25 episodes. | ||
| Campbell "Cam" Saunders | Dylan Everett | 12 (regular) |
| Cam was a gentle-nature kind of guy and the best player on the hockey team, the Ice Hounds. He's said to have already been considered for the NHL despite being in grade 10. He thought he was flirting online with Maya Matlin but found out later it was Tristan Milligan, Maya's gay friend who was scared to talk to him. Despite this, Cam develops feelings for Maya and they begin a relationship. He feels too pressured to perform at hockey and has additional stress from living almost 10 hours from home, which causes him to develop depression. In one of his depressed moods, he jumps off the catwalk and breaks his arm. Cam, Maya, and Zig Novak enter a romantic love triangle. Cam feels increasingly stressed by hockey, the love triangle with Zig, and overall hopelessness. Cam leaves a video message for Maya to meet him outside of Degrassi. While waiting for Maya, Zig calls him a "psycho," claiming that if Cam loved Maya, he would stay out of her life forever. Cam is finally pushed too far. He sends Maya a text message saying, "I'm not coming. Sorry. It's over." Later that night, Cam kills himself in the school greenhouse. His body is found the next morning by Eli Goldsworthy. Campbell appeared in 20 episodes. | ||
| Chantay Black | Jajube Mandiela | 4–5, 7 (guest appearances); 6 (recurring); 8–11 (regular) |
| Chantay is the known gossip queen of Degrassi and a member of the Power Squad. She is the writer of The Anti-Grape Vine Blog. She convinces Leia Chang to break up with Danny Van Zandt, claiming that it would help their relationship, but she has hidden feelings for Danny herself. She feels guilty and tries to get them back together, but fails when Danny informs her he has feelings for her too. In Season 10, she becomes captain of the Power Squad. After Principal Archie Simpson cancels all school clubs as part of his crack down for the events of Casino Night, Chantay becomes one of the leading figures in convincing Principal Simpson to hold a forum to get the clubs back. She is last seen graduating from Degrassi and attending prom with her friends. Chantay appeared in 64 episodes. | ||
| Clare Edwards | Aislinn Paul | 6–7 (guest appearances); 8–14 (regular) |
| Clare is Darcy Edwards's younger sister and best friends with Alli Bhandari. She attended private school before attending Degrassi. She continues to wear her private school uniform at Degrassi during her first year. She later begins to change her conservative looks and stuck-up attitude to a more normal teenage girl appearance. She develops a crush on K.C. Guthrie and they date for a time. Principal Sheppard calls her a "bitch" for protesting against him after he is rude to the gifted class. She stops wearing glasses after having laser eye surgery. She meets Eli Goldsworthy and they develop feelings for one another when he helps her deal with her parents' fights and eventual divorce. After a while, she wants a break from Eli because she feels the relationship is suffocating. He crashes his car in hopes that she will visit him in the hospital. When Clare realizes his motives, she calls him manipulative and ends their relationship. Clare becomes a reporter for the school newspaper. She begins a relationship with Jake Martin, her mother's boyfriend's son. After their parents get married, they continue a secret relationship. Jake later breaks up with Clare when she rushes into sex with him. She temporarily moves into another home, where she witnesses cannabis production and social withdrawal. She gets a journalism internship. When her boss sexually harasses her, she loses this internship. She intends to frame him with naked photos of herself, but has a change of heart. She and Eli are elected prom king and queen and they reconcile. Clare is diagnosed with cancer in Season 13, but survives her illness. Eli later cheats on her with his roommate and editor. She breaks up with him and kisses Drew Torres during Thanksgiving, but later reconciles with Eli again. Clare develops stronger feelings for Drew and breaks up with Eli again when she feels he's being distant. She and Drew have sex and Drew breaks off their relationship because he knows she still loves Eli. She and Eli get back together after a storm forces her to stay with him in New York. After hitting her head and passing out, Clare goes to the hospital. Later, she gets a call from her doctor saying that everything is safe for her and her baby. She discovers she is pregnant and assumes it is Drew's child; however, it is revealed to be Eli's child when she discovers that she is further along than she thought. She is accepted to Columbia University. Clare and Eli rekindle their relationship, but later find out Clare has had a miscarriage. After Clare graduates, she decides to take a gap year; she and Eli agree that they can make long-distance work and they kiss. Clare appeared in 181 episodes. | ||
| Connor DeLaurier | Saudin | 8–14 (regular) |
| Connor is the godson to Archie "Snake" Simpson and Christine "Spike" Nelson. He has Asperger syndrome. He befriends K.C., Alli, and Clare, and develops a crush on Clare. He starts the band, The Three Tenners, playing as a DJ for them. He becomes addicted to an online role-playing game and forms a relationship with a middle-aged woman with whom he plays. He starts to steal underwear from the female students and faculty at Degrassi which leads to him being suspended. He joins the football team and is teased by Mo and the other teammates. Connor retaliates against Mo by creating a fake profile online, only to realize that this destroyed Mo's confidence. The two then reconcile and become friends. He begins dating Jenna Middleton. He was the valedictorian of Degrassi's Class of 2014. Connor appeared in 106 episodes including voice only appearances. | ||
| Craig Manning | Jake Epstein | 2–5 (regular); 6-8 (guest appearances) |
| Craig is a ladies' man with a passion for music. He is Angie's half-brother. He is physically and emotionally abused by his father until he moves in with Joey Jeremiah, a used car salesman and his deceased mother's husband. He tries to rekindle his relationship with his father until his father's death. He starts dating Ashley, but cheats on her with Manny, whom he gets pregnant. He wants to keep the baby, but Manny makes the decision to have an abortion. He is the co-founder and lead singer of the band Downtown Sasquatch. He rekindles his relationship with Ashley and soon proposes to her, but she refuses, resulting in the discovery of his bipolar disorder. They continue dating after she leaves for England to work with her father. She breaks up with him via email after she meets a new guy, Allister. Ellie Nash develops a crush on him, but he ignores her for his rekindled relationship with Manny. He moves out of Toronto to start his music career; he develops a cocaine addiction while away. He is seen performing at a Purple Dragon concert at Smithdale University. Ashley leaves with him to tour Europe. In the film Degrassi Goes Hollywood, Ellie runs into him in Los Angeles. He has been in rehab and has a new girlfriend, much to the disappointment of Ellie who still has feelings for him. However, the two share a passionate kiss at the airport. Craig appeared in 69 episodes. Craig reappeared in an episode of Degrassi: Next Class' second season during an alumni event at Degrassi and once again during the 4th season. | ||
| Mike Dallas | Demetrius Joyette | 12–14 (regular) |
| When Mike Dallas (often simply called Dallas) was 14, he had a child with his then-partner Vanessa. Years later, Dallas is the captain of the hockey team Ice Hounds. He lives in the Torres home with Drew and Adam. Dallas has a party attitude and harasses girls at Degrassi. He starts hanging out with Katie Matlin, but when she starts dating Jake, he becomes jealous and wrecks their garden. Dallas crashes Clare's birthday party and gets in a fight with Eli. He starts to show an interest in Alli and makes up with the people he has hurt while at Degrassi. He takes Cam's suicide hard, believing it is his own fault and contemplates his own suicide on the roof of the school until Fiona Coyne talks him out of it. Throughout the summer, he comforts Drew when Adam dies. During his senior year, he gets cut from the hockey team which leads to him having a short term drinking problem. Later, he deals with the effects of racial profiling. He is dating Alli. Dallas appeared in 73 episodes. | ||
| Damian Hayes | Mazin Elsadig | 6 (guest appearance); 7 (regular) |
| Damian is Lakehurst's student council president until the school burns down and Lakehurst students move to Degrassi. He hooks up with Manny Santos the night of J.T.'s death. Later, he begins a relationship with Emma, but he develops a secret attraction to Liberty. He eventually cheats on Emma with Liberty and she breaks up with him. He graduates from Degrassi and attends college at Banting. Damian appeared in 9 episodes. | ||
| Daniel "Danny" Van Zandt | Dalmar Abuzeid | 4–6 (recurring); 7–9 (regular) |
| Danny is Liberty's younger brother. He is friends with J.T. Yorke and Derek Haig. He gets into a fight when he sees Lakehurst students mocking J.T.'s death. He is framed for shoplifting by Derek after he becomes close with a girl Derek has a crush on. He starts seeing Mia Jones until he finds out that she slept with a celebrity to further her modeling career. He starts dating Leia Chang, who lies about her persona to impress him. He confronts her and tells her that he likes her for who she is. Chantay Black convinces Leia to break up with him claiming that it will improve their stale relationship, but Chantay has hidden feelings for him as well. Chantay tries to get them back together, but he informs Chantay that he has feelings for her too. He is offended when Chantay refers to him as "another student" in her blog instead of "boyfriend." He also gets offended when another blog seemingly makes him out to be a cheapskate when he had Chantay pay her share of the bill. He graduates from Degrassi and attends Cornell University. Danny appeared in 71 episodes. | ||
| Darcy Edwards | Shenae Grimes | 4–5 (recurring); 6–7 (regular); 8 (guest appearances) |
| Darcy is a straight-laced Christian, a member of the Friendship Club, older sister to Clare Edwards, and the leader of the Spirit Squad. She dates Spinner Mason and helps to convert him into a born-again Christian. She posts risqué photos of herself online that attracts a 40-year-old man who tries to contact her. Spinner breaks up with her because of her hypocritical behavior. Afterwards, she develops a relationship with Peter Stone. She is raped at a snowboarding party and contracts chlamydia. After the discovery, she tries to commit suicide and is put in counseling to deal with her issues. She falsely accuses Archie Simpson of inappropriate behavior, which results in an investigation and his temporary suspension from Degrassi. Darcy eventually rebuilds her spirit and is forgiven by most of her friends. She moves to Kenya for a semester to build homes, leaving Peter behind. Darcy appeared in 40 episodes. | ||
| David "Dave" Turner | Jahmil French | 9–13 (regular) |
| Dave is Chantay's cousin. His goal at Degrassi is to "rise to the top." Bruce catches him pouring urine all over his locker and threatens to meet him after school the next day. He tries to make peace with Bruce, but although Bruce doesn't beat him up, he throws a water balloon filled with urine at him. He is on the basketball team and makes a game-winning shot that makes him popular. He forms a band with Wesley and Connor, called "The Three Tenners", as lead vocals. He tries to suck up to the new media teacher, Miss Oh, but fails. He is initially embarrassed that his father is a police officer at the school. He dates a girl named Sadie, but still harbors feelings for Alli; which causes Sadie to break up with him. He develops a relationship with Alli, but he cheats on her with a girl named Jacinta over the summer. Dave wins Alli over again after several dates, but Jacinta comes to Degrassi during a Model UN convention. She attempts to ruin Dave's relationship because of her broken heart, but she gets hit by a passing car making Dave feel guilty. He is last seen at a celebration of life after Adam's death. He was never seen or heard from again. Dave appeared in 94 episodes including voice only appearances. | ||
| Declan Coyne | Landon Liboiron | 9–10 (regular) |
| Declan is Fiona Coyne's twin brother. He is rich and usually calm and conceited. He develops an attraction to Jane Vaughn, resulting in Jane cheating on Spinner Mason. Jane breaks up with him after Holly J. Sinclair convinces her not to break Spinner's heart. Declan later develops an attraction to Holly J. and they begin dating. She tells him she loves him before they have sex; he doesn't reply. His mother announces that they are moving back to New York, much to his disappointment. He tries to convince his mother to stay and he finally tells Holly J. he loves her. He submits a video to a broadcasting network in New York for Holly J., who gladly accepts the internship offer. He is kissed on the lips by a drunk Fiona because she is jealous he is spending his time with Holly J. rather than with her. The following school year, he attends Vanderbilt Prep in New York. During his long-distance relationship with Holly J., he offers her money to remedy her financial woes, but she breaks up with him. He then shows up at Degrassi in hopes of rebuilding his relationship with Holly J. and ends up hooking up with her. He later finds out that Holly J. felt pressured into having sex. He returns to New York. Later, Holly J. receives flowers from Declan when she is in the hospital. Declan appeared in 26 episodes. | ||
| Derek Haig | Marc Donato | 5–6 (recurring); 7–8 (regular) |
| Derek is a class clown and occasional bully. It is revealed that he is adopted. He mocks Jimmy Brooks's basketball coaching because he feels a "cripple" can't teach anyone. He is best friends with Danny Van Zandt until Derek frames Danny for shoplifting when Danny becomes close to a girl Derek likes. He joins the football team in Season 8. He bullies teammate Jane Vaughn because she is a girl on the boys' football team. He is last seen trying to rekindle his friendship with Danny. Derek appeared in 35 episodes. | ||
| Andrew "Drew" Torres | Luke Bilyk | 10–14 (regular) |
| Drew is Adam's step-brother. He tries out for the football team and becomes Riley Stavros's rival for quarterback. He blackmails Riley by threatening to out him as gay. He allows Bianca DeSousa to perform oral sex on him while he is in a relationship with Alli Bhandari, which results in their break up. He starts to date Bianca after realizing that no other girl wants to date him. Drew attacks Anson, Bianca's ex-boyfriend, who attempts to rape her. This leads to Bianca killing Anson when he gets the upper hand on Drew. Drew files a restraining order on Vince who threatens him. He breaks up with Bianca because she causes too much drama in his life. He is beaten up by a gang, and develops posttraumatic stress disorder. Later, he beats up Vince when he shows up at prom to take Bianca away. He convinces Bianca to turn Vince in with all the information she knows of his gang activities. Drew develops a relationship with Katie Matlin, but still harbors feelings for Bianca. During a house party, Drew has sex with Katie while drunk, but breaks up with Katie to be with Bianca. He drops out of Degrassi and moves in with Fiona Coyne. He proposes to Bianca and his mother crashes the wedding. Audra convinces them to hold off on the wedding. He returns to school and is elected student council president. After Adam dies in a car accident, Drew develops insomnia. Drew pursues a relationship with Clare Edwards after Bianca breaks up with him. He breaks up with Clare after sex when he realizes she still loves Eli Goldsworthy. He has a crush on Becky Baker, but is afraid to pursue it because of Adam's history with her. He believed that he was the father of Clare's baby until it is confirmed that Eli was the baby's father. He was last seen telling Dallas to keep in contact with him. Drew appeared in 135 episodes. | ||
| Elijah "Eli" Goldsworthy | Munro Chambers | 10–14 (regular) |
| Because Eli is often seen wearing black and driving a hearse, other Degrassi students believe he has an obsession with death. He develops feelings for Clare Edwards after they become partners in English class. He tries to stand up to Fitz's bullying. After becoming distant with Clare, he tells her that his ex-girlfriend died right after an argument they had. At the school's Vegas Casino Night, Eli taints Fitz's drink, causing him to vomit. Fitz threatens Eli with a knife and Fitz is arrested. It's revealed that Eli is a hoarder. He becomes overprotective of Clare. After feeling smothered by Eli, she wants to take a break and Eli crashes his hearse hoping that would make her visit him in the hospital. She calls him manipulative and leaves him. He takes anti-anxiety pills, causing him to show no emotion toward their break up. He writes a play loosely based on his relationship with Clare, originally framing her as a villain, but then makes her the hero. Eli is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic depression. He becomes good friends with Fiona Coyne and starts a relationship with Imogen Moreno while hiding his strong feelings for Clare. After coming back from school break, he gets back together with Clare and clashes with fellow theater producer Becky Baker. Taking charge of the play, Eli produces an alternative version of Romeo and Juliet called "Romeo and Jules" which features two males in the leading roles. He begins smoking marijuana with Jake Martin. With the stress from Clare and finding Cam Saunders's lifeless body, he takes MDMA. While under the influence of MDMA, he takes a shower in the girls' bathroom and runs around the school naked. He learns to cope with everything and gets his life back on track, but breaks up with Clare. They get back together at prom while they are elected prom king and queen. He goes to New York after graduation, but returns to Toronto when he finds out Clare has cancer. When he returns from NYU, it is revealed that he cheated on Clare. Clare eventually takes him back, but she later breaks up with him over voicemail for Drew. It is revealed Clare is pregnant with his child. Clare and Eli rekindle their relationship but later find out Clare has miscarried her baby; Eli is there to help her through it. Eli appeared in 113 episodes. | ||
| Eleanor "Ellie" Nash | Stacey Farber | 2 (recurring); 3–7 (regular); 8 (guest appearance) |
| Ellie is originally a goth whose father is deployed to Afghanistan, leaving her with her alcoholic mother. She begins to self-harm by cutting herself with the point of a drawing compass. She develops feelings for Marco Del Rossi, but when he comes out to her as gay, she agrees to begin a fake relationship with Marco to hide his homosexuality from his friends. She receives help for her self-harming behavior after Paige Michalchuk finds out and tells the school counselor. She starts dating Sean Cameron and moves in with him after her mother accidentally sets their apartment on fire. After her breakup with Sean, she develops a crush on Craig Manning; she is ignored by him when he rekindles his relationship with Manny Santos. She graduates from Degrassi with the class of 2006. She attends Toronto University and is roommates with Paige, Marco, and Griffin. She becomes a journalist at the school newspaper, The Core. She dates Jesse until she discovers Caitlin Ryan making out with him. She and Marco are invited to visit Paige in Los Angeles after she starts an acting career. She discovers that her father is back from Afghanistan and has post-traumatic stress disorder. She discovers that Craig has a new girlfriend, much to her disappointment. However, the two share a passionate kiss at the airport and it was hinted that they would eventually begin a relationship. Marco finally convinces Ellie to visit her father at the hospital. Ellie appeared in 74 episodes. | ||
| Emma Nelson | Miriam McDonaldSamantha Morrison & Ashlee Henricks in photos from the earlier series | 1–9 (regular) |
| Character name | Portrayed by | Seasons featured |
| Archibald "Archie Snake" Simpson | Stefan Brogren | 1–14 (regular) |
| Archie was a student in the previous series, has become a teacher, and eventually becomes the principal at Degrassi. He marries Spike Nelson and becomes Emma Nelson's step-father. Spike later gives birth to their son, Jack. He is the godfather of Connor DeLaurier. He is diagnosed with leukemia, but eventually goes into remission. He is caught kissing Daphne Hatzilakos by Emma and briefly separated from Spike until they made up; in the interim, he stays with best friend Joey Jeremiah (whose own engagement to Caitlin Ryan was called off years earlier, when Snake revealed Joey's infidelity). Snake is falsely accused of inappropriate behavior by Darcy Edwards and briefly suspended from Degrassi. Midway through season 14, he is put on indefinite leave for the arson accident caused by Miles Hollingsworth; he returns in the season finale to watch the class of 2014 graduate. His situation opened him up to new opportunities, and he heads to Haiti to open a school. He returns to his position as principal in Degrassi: Next Class. Has been credited in every season of the Degrassi franchise, except The Kids of DeGrassi Street. Snake appeared in 189 episodes including voice only appearances. He was the first to say "fuck" on Canadian broadcast television, in the 1992 Degrassi telefilm, School's Out. | ||
| Caitlin Ryan | Stacie Mistysyn | 1, 7 (guest appearances); 2 (recurring); 3–5 (regular) |
| A prominent TV journalist, she had a long on-and-off relationship with Joey Jeremiah in the previous series. She rekindles her relationship with Joey and eventually becomes engaged to him again. She breaks off the engagement to accept a position at a nationally syndicated news magazine. Caitlin appeared in 24 episodes. | ||
| Daniel "Dan" Raditch | Dan Woods | 1–4 (regular) |
| He was an English teacher in Degrassi Junior High and assistant principal in the Degrassi High series. He was appointed principal of Degrassi Community School sometime prior to the events of season 1. Known and credited simply as "Mr. Raditch" since 1987, his first name, Daniel, was finally revealed more than halfway through season 3. He was transferred out of Degrassi after the school shooting because the school board felt he mishandled Rick's bullying. Dan appeared in 50 episodes including voice only appearances. He and Dr. Sally are the only two Degrassi Junior High and/or Degrassi High adult characters to appear on-screen on Degrassi: The Next Generation (Joey's Mom is an unseen character in "Drive") | ||
| Daphne Hatzilakos | Melissa DiMarco | 2–4, 9 (recurring); 5–7 (regular); 8 (guest appearance) |
| Daphne is the divorced mother of Peter Stone. She was a science teacher at Degrassi before being promoted to Principal after Daniel Raditch was transferred out. She had a brief fling with Archie Simpson. She moved to Regina to be near her sick mother. She returns one semester later as acting principal after The Shep was removed and Peter developed a meth addiction. By the end of the year, she relinquished her duties to Archie, the new principal. Daphne appeared in 68 episodes including voice only appearances. | ||
| Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah | Pat Mastroianni | 1 (guest appearance); 2–5 (regular) |
| Joey was a student of Degrassi in the previous series. He is the father of Angela Jeremiah, step-father of Craig Manning, and was the owner of a used car dealership. He rekindles an old relationship with Caitlin Ryan and they later become engaged. Their relationship ends when she accepts a position at a nationally syndicated news magazine and moves away. Later, Joey moves to Calgary with Angie. Joey appeared in 35 episodes. | ||
| Christine "Spike" Nelson | Amanda Stepto | 1–2 (recurring); 3–7 (regular); 8–9 (guest appearances) |
| Spike Nelson was a student at Degrassi, who gave birth to Emma in Degrassi Junior High. She is now a hairdresser, and is married to Archie Simpson with whom she has a son, Jack. She briefly removes Snake from their home after Emma catches him kissing Ms. Hatzilakos, but they eventually make up. Christine appeared in 51 episodes. | ||
| Winnie Oh | Cory Lee | 10–13 (regular) |
| Ms. Oh is the new media immersions teacher and music teacher. She is shown to have a passion for musical outlets. She has a brief teacher-student relationship with Sav Bhandari before his graduation, which is never exposed. Winnie appeared in 49 episodes. | ||
References
- Appears only in Degrassi: Minis additional content during this season.
- Appears as an uncredited background extra only.
- Steele initially appears in the recurring role of Joey's daughter, Angela Jeremiah, for the show's first five seasons.
- "Degrassi: Fan Favorite Dies"http://www.eonline.com/news/449441/degrassi-season-13-shocker-fan-favorite-dies-in-honey
- www.btchflcks.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160816024820/http://www.btchflcks.com/2013/11/dear-writers-i-will-not-allow-you-to-quietly-bury-your-queers.html
- Thoughts by Ericahttps://thoughtsbyerica.tumblr.com/post/59256593808/invisibility-why-tv-needs-adam-torres
- "Sad turn for Adam on "Degrassi" in last night's episode (Spoiler)"http://www.glaad.org/blog/sad-turn-adam-degrassi-last-nights-episode-spoiler
- Hollywood Lifehttp://hollywoodlife.com/2013/08/16/degrassi-adam-dies-car-accident-season-13-episode-7-recap-video/
- Spike goes into labour during the season 2 finale, "Pass Tense"
- Emma is seen dancing with her mother at Alexis Pappadopoulos' and Simon Dexter's reception in the closing shot of School
- In "Three's a Crowd" Archie "Snake" Simpson picks up Emma while he and Spike are studying, triggering Spike's daydream o
- "Degrassi Season 12 Image Gallery: Meet The New Students!"http://www.ksitetv.com/degrassi/degrassi-season-12-image-gallery-meet-the-new-students/15018
- Eonline.comhttp://www.eonline.com/news/watch_with_kristin/degrassi-palooza_premiere_date_cast/285842
- "DEGRASSI Celebrates the End of an Era with Hour-Long Graduation Special, June 21, Exclusively on MuchMusic"http://bellmediapr.ca/Network/MuchMusic/Press/DEGRASSI-Celebrates-the-End-of-an-Era-with-Hour-Long-Graduation-Special-June-21-Exclusively-on-MuchMusic----DEGRASSI-Summer-Season-Begins-July-11
- "Finally" Part Two
- Protocol throughout Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High was to credit adult characters, other than parents with their
- Joey's end of a telephone conversation with his mother is depicted in "Drive".