This heartfelt telenovela came to an end in 2019, after five seasons and 100 episodes. The show was a hit with critics and audiences alike and is now seeing further success on Netflix. Over its five years on air, the extensive cast of well-rounded characters have experienced a lot.

Jane herself has struggled with an unwanted pregnancy but found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, all while dealing with the loss of her true love, studying, and writing novels. However, some characters didn’t change much at all.  Jane The Virgin is known for its heartwarming stories of growth and empowerment, but it’s also a telenovela teeming with dramatic subplots and unexpected villains who never learn.

10 GREW A LOT: Alba

Alba remains much the same at her core, but she takes a lot of time to reflect on her values. She is first introduced as Jane’s strict, severe, old-fashioned grandmother who partially scares Jane into protecting her virginity.

As Jane grows, Alba begins to align her views with more modern ideals. She begins to accept sexuality as fluid and natural and perfectly acceptable. She also tries to move on her with her life and find new love with Jorge.

9 DIDN’T GROW: Magda

Magda is a pathetic villain who, admittedly, makes for some entertaining scenes. As Petra’s mother, she’s manipulative, exploitative, and often absent.

She remains a petty criminal throughout the show, even when she goes to prison and after she is released. Her antics don’t affect the other characters much in the grand scheme of things.

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8 GREW A LOT: Xiomara

At the start of the series, it seems like Jane is the mother and Xiomara is the irresponsible child. She even behaves like a teenager at times, getting into tantrums and arguing with Alba.

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However, Xiomara matures and assumes responsibility as the series progresses. She also gives Rogelio another chance, makes an effort to be there for Jane and Mateo, and even offers some great advice when Jane needs it. Xiomara begins to have goals of her own and is vocal about expressing her opinions about body confidence and health.

7 DIDN’T GROW: Lina

Lina somewhat fades out of the series, but she still makes a few appearances in season 5. As Jane’s best friend, she’s someone to lean on, talk to, and laugh with, but she often seems to be self-absorbed.

She’s still a good friend to Jane, but she sometimes asks a lot of her. Her lack of growth isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Lina just doesn’t seem to change a whole lot throughout the show, which may be due in part to her absence from later seasons. She does, however, marry someone Jane would never expect her to marry, and expresses desires to mother a baby.

6 GREW A LOT: Rogelio

Like Xiomara, Rogelio is ridiculously self-important and immature in the first seasons. He takes to responsibility whatsoever for the way he treated Xiomara when they were young and doesn’t realize he has a child.

However, when he learns about Jane, he is quick to show her how much he cares. He continues to support her throughout the show, but sometimes this isn’t for the best. He eventually learns to take a step back with those he loves but still assert his desires.

5 DIDN’T GROW: Michael

Michael is a sweet, loving character who deserved better. In season 5, he returned, but he wasn’t really himself. In terms of growth, Michael as Michael doesn’t change all that much while he’s alive.

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He remains steadfastly loyal to Jane, kind to the other Villaneuvas, and suspicious of Rafael. However, he does learn to become more selfless and consider how Mateo fits into his life, even though he’s not his own son.

4 GREW A LOT: Petra

Petra might just have the most dramatic character arc throughout the show. In season 1, she’s a sly, conniving, manipulative villain who tries to take advantage of Rafael on many occasions.

She hates Jane and only grudgingly becomes her friend over time. But by season 5, she admits that she loves Jane. She also opens herself up to true love with JR, instead of the transactional relationships she’s used to. Finally, Petra gives birth to twin girls, learns to care for them, and asserts her independence from her mother.

3 DIDN’T GROW: Rose

Rose is the villain who sticks around for the entire duration of the show, even though she’s easy to forget about sometimes. Her goals remain the same from the beginning to the end, and she never lets go of her tight hold of Luisa (another character who grows a lot).

Rose doesn’t even seem to hint at edging towards redemption when she meets her graceless end, and once she’s gone, she’s easy to forget and let go of.

2 GREW A LOT: Jane

Of course, the titular character is one who grows a lot throughout her years on the show. When viewers meet Jane, she’s an innocent, hardworking, loving, passionate individual who knows exactly what she wants in life. However, her plans are thrown off-course by the arrival of her son, Mateo.

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Something else that has a big impact on Jane’s growth is the death of Michael. She grieves him for years and can’t bring herself to love anyone else, and it’s interesting to watch her dating attempts. Jane starts to go with the flow and loosen her controlling grip on “destiny”.

1 DIDN’T GROW: Rafael

Rafael turns out to be Jane’s “true love interest” in season 5. In retrospect, it seems that Jane and Rafael were always destined to be, but that doesn’t diminish Michael’s role in Jane’s life. After Michael’s death, Jane and Rafael bond naturally. Rafael stops drinking and becomes a more mature and responsible person and father of three children.

He makes time for Jane, helping her through her toughest moments, and encourages her to pursue her dreams. However, in season 5, he goes back to some of his old ways. He becomes selfish and hot-tempered and takes it out on all the wrong people – like Mateo and Jane. In this way, he remains much the same. His kind-hearted and supportive nature is also unchanged from when fans first meet him.

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About The Author


Svetlana Sterlin
(256 Articles Published)

After years of relocation, Svetlana Sterlin (she/her) was raised by her Russian parents in Brisbane, Australia, where she completed a BFA and contributes to ScreenRant and Our Culture Magazine. An avid cinephile and bookworm, Svetlana also writes creatively across multiple forms and genres. Her fiction and poetry appear in several printed and digital publications. Find more from Svetlana here: https://linktr.ee/svetlanasterlin.

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