Mean Girls: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability

Starting a new school is always scary, and for Lindsay Lohan’s Cady Heron in Mean Girls, she gets a lot more than she bargained for when she meets Regina George and the Plastics. She slowly realizes that navigating this brave new world isn’t going to be easy and that she knows almost nothing about high school dynamics.

While the Mean Girls musical changes a few things, the core story of cruel teenagers and their petty popularity contests will always be relevant. Some of the characters in this now-iconic teen film are much easier to like than others, and some of them are people who fans just love to hate.

10 Regina George

Rachel McAdams did an amazing job portraying Regina George, the villain of Mean Girls, and it’s safe to say that this character says horrible things throughout the movie.

She’s impossible to like, whether she’s forcing the other members to copy her or saying that she needs to stop eating so she can lose a few pounds. She’s incredibly mean-spirited and selfish, always looking out for herself even at the expense of those she claims are her friends. Needless to say, the Queen Bee of the Plastics is the most hated character in the film.

9 Karen Smith

Amanda Seyfried has many highly ranked roles on Rotten Tomatoes that include the award-winning Les Miserables and even the critically beloved First Reformed, but many of her fans would say that her role as Karen Smith in Mean Girls is the best.

Karen is the ditzy one of the Plastics, saying her chest can predict the weather and going along with whatever Regina says. While Seyfried’s air-headed performance provides a ton of comedic relief and Karen isn’t as bad as Regina, Karen is not a very likable person since she still does mean things regularly and she doesn’t think for herself.

8 Gretchen Wieners

Lacey Chabert’s character Gretchen Wieners is famous for using the word “fetch” in a new and memorable light, and it’s hilarious watching her try (and fail) to “make it happen.”

Funny wordplay aside, it’s hard to like someone who doesn’t have much of a backbone and is willing to do whatever the self-proclaimed boss demands. Her one redeeming factor is that she’s actually miserable being a Plastic, and is only riding along in her attempts to get Regina’s approval.

7 Aaron Samuels

Compared to those that came before him on this list, Jonathan Bennett’s Mean Girls character, Aaron Samuels, is definitely a lot nicer. He’s Cady’s main love interest and he seems like the most normal person at this otherwise wacky and heightened high school.

Aaron just likes Cady for who she is and just wants her to be herself. Additionally, Aaron is also too smart to get caught up in the Plastics’ game and he doesn’t love that Cady transforms from a nice, normal girl to a total and complete monster. Speaking of that transformation…

6 Cady Heron

Mean Girls is one of Lindsay Lohan’s best and most popular films and Cady Heron is one of her most compelling characters. But even if she’s the protagonist, the whole point of her story is that she becomes a mean girl and loses herself in the process,

That being said and even with her redemption by the end, Cady’s not going to be the most lovable person in the whole story. Cady lands somewhere in the middle, as she makes a lot of mistakes and even starts treating people as badly as Regina does. At the very least, she comes around for the better.

5 Kevin Gnapoor

Kevin Gnapoor (played by Rajiv Surendra), the president of the Mathletes, is one of the nicest and smartest students not just in Mean Girls but in teen movies in general.

Not only is he smart but he also raps, which is one of the most beloved moments from the movie and something that fans remember super-fondly. He’s a great character since he’s a reminder that being intelligent is cool and, in fact, much better than being a Plastic.

4 Mrs. George

Regina’s mom, played by Amy Poehler, is one of the most beloved people in this excellent film. From “You girls keep me young” to “I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom,” Mrs. George has countless pieces of wisdom to share.

Sure, it’s a little concerning and even a bit pathetic that she seems to be trying too hard to stay young and act like she’s hip with whatever the kids are into, but she’s so charming that it’s impossible not to love her.

3 Ms. Norbury

Tina Fey has so many funny quotes and she played Ms. Norbury, Cady’s teacher. When Cady, Damian and Janis see her at the mall, they freak out because she reminds them that teachers are actually real people.

Ms. Norbury asks the all important question and even has one of the most famous lines in the whole movie: “Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George.” She truly cares about her students and, like Kevin, proves that being a little dorky is okay. She’s definitely one of the most lovable characters in Mean Girls.

2 Janis Ian

Lizzy Caplan played Janis Ian, Damian’s best pal and one of the people who tries to take Cady under their wing at the beginning of the movie.

Janis is a rebel who is easy to like not only because she stands out from the pack, but because she’s her own unique person who never takes anything lying down. Even if she was the one who technically kick-started the movie’s chaotic events, she’s simply one of the best characters in Mean Girls.

1 Damian

Damian (Daniel Franzese) is by far the most likeable character in Mean Girls. Just like teen movies that are total classics, Damian is a perfect young adult character.

He doesn’t fit in but he doesn’t care because he wants to express himself and be true to who he is, and it’s so beautiful and inspiring to watch. He tries to help Cady and be nice to her, but he knows that when she goes down the wrong path, she has to figure things out on her own. But most importantly, he’s also a great friend to Janis.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1730 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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