Heartstopper season 2 has arrived. Which of the characters did we love? Which ones would we rather forget about?
The second season of Heartstopper has made its long-awaited debut on Netflix. The British TV series is based on Alice Oseman’s eponymous graphic novel and it was very much the streamer’s little-show-that-could, amassing a huge audience in a very short amount of time. Its season 2 renewal wasn’t a surprise; the season 3 renewal that came with it, however, was.
Heartstopper tells the story of Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring; two teenage boys who strike up an unlikely friendship after sitting next to each other in form class. That friendship eventually evolves into more, as the pair fall for each other. For Charlie, it’s an unexpected romance with his crush coming to life. For Nick, it’s the beginning of a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
That pair’s love story takes them to Paris in Heartstopper season 2 when they and their classmates embark on a school trip. And speaking of their classmates, the second season was undoubtedly more of an ensemble piece, which meant that more of the show’s beloved characters got to shine. But who shone the brightest?
*** This article contains major SPOILERS for Heartstopper season 2. Don’t read on if you haven’t seen the season and don’t want it spoiled for you. ***
16. Ben Hope
In what will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, Ben Hope places at the very bottom of our list. The way he treated Charlie in season 1 already had viewers concerned about his comeback in season 2, and it didn’t take long to see that he had learned nothing from his previous actions.
This time he treated Imogen with a complete lack of respect. Even though the pair were dating, he showed little interest in her, left her on her own in Paris, and called her romantic ideas “lame”. The moment that she stood up to him and broke up with him in front of everyone is easily one of the most satisfying moments of the whole series.
Some of Ben’s behavior can be attributed to the frustration he feels over not being able to be who he is, but that certainly doesn’t excuse his actions nor the way he treated Charlie and Imogen. It’s good to know that he learned something by the end of season 2 (and suggested he could be a better person in the future), but as Charlie said, we don’t need to see it happen.
Shout out to Sebastian Croft (a.k.a. the president of the Ben Hope hate club) for playing the character so darn well.
15. Darcy’s mom
We really shouldn’t be including Darcy’s mom since she isn’t a main character, but we had to just to rank her at the bottom of this list. What a horrid excuse for a mother she is, laughing at her daughter’s prom outfit, screaming at her to take it off, and then kicking her out of the house. She didn’t even seem concerned when Darcy didn’t come home almost 24 hours after she left.
This woman had just two scenes in Heartstopper season 2 and fans hated her with a passion. And considering all that she did was spread hate, that’s not really that surprising.
14. David Nelson
Fans were ready to hate David Nelson before he even appeared in Heartstopper season 2 (his reputation preceded him from the graphic novels) and he certainly lived up to expectations. Heck, he was so infuriating that you could probably say he exceeded them.
From the constant jibes about how Nick didn’t have a girlfriend to his inability to respect boundaries, David was just odious on all fronts. He took the typical big brother banter way too far and then attempted to make Nick out to be the villain when all he did was stand up to him. His mocking of Nick and Charlie’s relationship and refusal to accept that his brother was bisexual really were the things that highlighted what a horrible human being he was. We’re glad Tori told him to his face.
Credit to Alice Oseman for successfully making David so easy to dislike. He really didn’t have a lot of scenes in the series, but fans had a lot to say about him. So, the mission was definitely accomplished.
13. Harry Greene
Harry was easily one of the most infuriating characters in the first season of Heartstopper. Nick’s homophobic friend who made Charlie’s life hell anytime he was around him, fans took an instant dislike to him.
He showed the beginnings of growth in season 2. Now don’t get too excited because he was barely in it, but after a conversation with Isaac, he backed off with his offensive jokes and actually defended Nick and Charlie.
We’ll not hold our breath because he’s still incredibly annoying and comes off as insincere, but maybe growth will look good on Harry in the future. That doesn’t mean Charlie or Nick have to forgive him, though.
12. Stephane Nelson
Now we’re heading out of the just all-around-awful category to the just-awful category. This seems like the perfect place to put Nick’s father, Stephane Nelson.
The man Nick spent most of his Paris trip excited to connect with, Stephane ignored his son’s text messages before eventually agreeing to meet him in a café for all of five minutes. He knew nothing about his son outside of the fact that he liked rugby and visited just twice a year.
Stephane was caught off guard by his son’s coming out, but he was never really paying attention to him in the first place. Perhaps he will follow through on his word and grow. But until then, as Nick said, he’s not a very good dad.
11. Coach Singh
Now we’ve found our way to the characters we loved in spite of their limited screentime. One character we can appreciate on that front is Coach Singh.
Coach Singh has always been supportive of the boys on the rugby team, championing them to be the best versions of themselves so that they can work together as a team. But this season, she showed just how supportive she was when she discovered Nick and Charlie’s relationship, and told the former that he shouldn’t feel pressured into coming out to anyone.
From supervising the exams to being a chaperone at the prom, we loved seeing Coach Singh back on our screens. Unfortunately, the Paris trip (which she wasn’t on) significantly limited her screen-time this season.
10. Sahar Zahid
One of this season’s enjoyable new additions, Sahar is a student at Higgs Grammar School and she bonded with Tara, Darcy and Elle early on when she was assigned to organizing the prom. The Paris trip saw that bond grow a great deal as the girls became close, with Sahar becoming part of their friendship group (along with the boys Nick, Charlie, Tao, and Isaac).
But the Paris Squad wasn’t the only bond we know that she’s shared, as it was revealed that she used to be close friends with Imogen before they seemingly drifted apart. Could they rekindle that bond in season 3?
We loved getting to know Sahar and we hope that she has even more screen-time in season 3 so that we can get to know her a bit better.
9. James McEwan
We could say that James McEwan is a new addition to the show, but as actor Bradley Riches portrayed “Student 3” in the season 1 finale, we’re going to choose to believe that both characters are the same in the Heartstopper cinematic universe. Nevertheless, we’re glad that his role was upgraded, because Riches did a wonderful job playing James.
James was a recurring character who developed a crush on Isaac. That storyline ended up becoming a major focal point of Heartstopper season 2 as it set the stage for a major journey for Isaac. Moreover, James was a delight whenever he was on-screen.
A gentle and friendly character who always has a smile on his face, James was a welcome addition to the Heartstopper family and we hope that he returns in season 3 for some spotlight of his own.
8. Tori Spring
Tori Spring is a legend. You won’t find many who disagree with that sentiment, because Charlie’s protective, supportive big sister is such a fan-favorite that everyone loves her. She doesn’t appear often, but when she does fans are thrilled to see her.
Tori is another character who had limited screen-time this season because she didn’t attend the Paris trip, but she sure made a memorable impression in her few appearances. Her greatest moment, of course, was when she stood up to Nick’s poor-excuse-for-a-brother, kicking his phone out of his hand and putting him on notice.
From standing up for Charlie to showing concern for his wellbeing, Tori is a phenomenal big sister and a great character. We just hope she gets to appear more in season 3.
7. Mr Ajayi / Mr. Farouk
Next up we have everyone’s new favorite duo from Heartstopper season 2.
Mr. Ajayi was the friendly teacher from the first season who always made sure his classroom was a safe space for Charlie during lunchtime. Mr. Farouk was the quiet teacher perpetually annoyed by his students who spent much of the second season questioning his decision to be a teacher in the first place. They made quite the duo as the kids’ guardians during the Paris trip, and audiences instantly fell in love with their connection.
Watching Mr. Farouk slowly open up to Mr. Ajayi was incredibly sweet, and it was one of Heartstopper season 2’s most important moments, as it resonated with viewers who came out during their late 20s. And watching the kind-hearted Mr. Ajayi find some happiness, well that was a long overdue and fulfilling development to see play out.
They are going to go on their first real date soon, and we hope season 3 showcases that.
6. Sarah Nelson
Olivia Colman’s role as Nick Nelson’s mother was probably the biggest surprise in the first season of Heartstopper. While audiences were initially surprised to see Oscar winner Olivia Colman in such a small role, it was her thoughtful and authentic performance in the scene that Nick came out that answered those questions.
She returned in season 2 for some more powerful scenes. The Paris trip once again limited her screen-time, but she definitely had some of the show’s most quietly powerful moments, including Sarah’s incredibly authentic attempt to calm the tension between her sons (before berating David for his childish behavior) and the dinner scene between the Nelsons and the Springs.
Sarah Nelson is what a good mother looks like. She’s understanding, kind, and accepting, supporting Nick in everything that he does.
5. Isaac Henderson
Isaac might be part of Heartstopper‘s central friendship group but he was definitely the character who got the least focus in season 1. Sure, we knew that he was a good friend and that he loved to read, but he never had any spotlight of his own.
That all changed in season 2. Heartstopper is known for giving its characters thoughtful storylines that involve self-discovery and acceptance, and Isaac definitely went on his own journey this season. That started as what he thought might be the beginning of a relationship with James McEwan, before he began exploring the possibility that he was aromantic and asexual.
Isaac has just begun his journey and we hope that season 3 continues to showcase him.
4. Imogen Heaney
If there is one character who truly came into her own this season, it’s Imogen. Portrayed beautifully by Rhea Norwood, she was a huge fan-favorite in the first season because of her quirky and excitable demeanor (and her iconic “I’m an ally!” exclamation) but she didn’t get that much focus outside of her crush on Nick. In season 2, however, she got some well-deserved spotlight.
From her touching hug with Nick after he came out to her, Imogen became part of the show’s main friendship group (a.k.a. the Paris Squad) and that was a work of genius, because it allowed everyone to see how warm and lovable she was. Her true shining moment, though, came when she stood up to Ben for his appalling treatment of her, officially breaking up with him in front of everyone.
Imogen is an icon and we couldn’t love her more.
3. Tara and Darcy
Tara Jones and Darcy Olsson are easily two of Heartstopper‘s best characters. We’re ranking them together because their storylines were so intertwined this season, and they are equally awesome.
Heartstopper season 2 saw their relationship evolve. It was already one of the show’s strongest, but this time around, they had some new challenges. Darcy’s fear of telling Tara that she loved her weighed on the pair early on in the season, as Tara was worried that her girlfriend didn’t feel the same way. But Darcy’s fear over being her full self stemmed from her home life, and how her mother’s toxic behavior made her question everything in her life.
Their relationship ultimately came out of this season in a much stronger place. Darcy was able to tell Tara that she did indeed love her, while Tara was able to ensure that Darcy knew how loved she really was. It was an endearing evolution of their storyline that made both of them stronger characters as a result.
These two really benefitted from season 2’s ensemble approach, and we’re excited to see where the story will take them next.
2. Tao and Elle
The Heartstopper season 1 finale could have been a perfect ending to show, but there was just one open-ended element to it. That was the connection between best friends Elle and Tao, who were slowly catching feelings for one another. And it was that, perhaps more than anything, that made season 2 essential.
The pair’s burgeoning romance was one of the most pivotal storylines in season 2 (much to fans’ delight), as Tao finally announced that he was going to ask Elle out. This coincided with Elle’s intrigue in attending art college, which would put some distance between her and her friends.
If you were familiar with season 1, you knew that one of Tao’s biggest fears is losing the people he cares about, and that played into season 2 incredibly well. Not only was he fearful that Elle wouldn’t like him back, he was terrified of her leaving. Meanwhile, Elle struggled with making the life-changing decision of whether she wanted to actually leave.
This dynamic duo’s journey to romance wasn’t without its hiccups, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The season’s storyline complemented both of their own personal arcs, as well as their romantic arc. And when we say it was wonderful to see them finally get to be happy together, we mean it was wonderful.
Tao and Elle’s storylines were worth the wait.
1. Nick and Charlie
You’re probably not surprised to see these two in the top spot. Yes, Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring are Heartstopper‘s two central characters, but that’s not the only reason they are ranked at the top of this list. For the pair had what was undoubtedly some of the best material on television all year, strengthening their relationship and making for plenty of endearing moments.
Nick and Charlie may be a unit, but they also had compelling storylines of their own. Nick was struggling to come out as bisexual to his friends and family, while Charlie was struggling with the pressure that his boyfriend was feeling, wanting him to avoid an experience like the one he went through. But Nick and Charlie didn’t do secrets all that much, so there were some wonderful moments of honesty between the pair throughout the season as they addressed these struggles and promised to be there for each other.
The pair’s relationship is a beacon of hope and love for young LGBTQ+ people and just an all-round breath of fresh air to watch play out on screen. Joe Locke and Kit Connor are amazing in their roles and the relationship between Charlie and Nick remains one of TV’s most endearing (and strongest).
Which characters were your favorites on Heartstopper season 2? Are you excited for season 3?