One Of Us Is Lying: The 10 Best Characters

From an outsider’s perspective, the characters in One of Us is Lying don’t seem like the kind that would stand out. For the most part, they tend to fall into the typical tropes that pop up in teen TV shows all the time. However, a closer look reveals that these people are pretty interesting.

Even if they fall into some of the expected tropes, each of them still found a way to be someone you either rooted for or against. Some overcame odds, some grew to be better people, and some revealed their true sadistic colors but they were all intriguing to see go down their path.

10 Simon Kelleher

The death of Simon Kelleher (Mark McKenna) is what sets the story in motion as his fellow classmates in detention are suspected of killing him. Audiences didn’t get to see much of him before he died but he mostly came across as a vindictive person out for revenge against those who bullied or looked down on him.

His crusade came across as something selfish and not rooted in good, especially considering he was willing to blackmail to get what he wanted. Simon was also a bad friend to Janae at times and he was easily manipulated by Jake. In a lot of ways, Simon felt more like a plot device than a fleshed-out character.

9 Vanessa Clark

Although she had nothing to do with the murder of Simon Kelleher, Vanessa Clark (Sara Thompson) was basically a secondary antagonist throughout the series. It was understandable that she turned on Addy when she found out about her affair with TJ but Vanessa took things too far.

She spent several episodes just making snide comments in the background and basically tormenting Addy at every turn. Unlike Simon though, Vanessa was given a bit more depth. The revelation that she was hiding something serious from her parents and had help from Ms. Avery made her sympathetic. At the end of the season, she’s the only one correctly suspecting “Murder Club.”

8 Kris Greene

When Kris Greene (Karim Diane) first appeared, you could get the sense that he would just end up being a character designed to show Cooper at his happiest when he’s open and free about his sexuality. That felt especially true when they hit a rough patch and seemed to break up.

However, Kris continued to pop up, proving himself to be someone to cheer for. Although Cooper brought nothing but drama and sometimes pain to his doorstep, Kris was there for him. He helped Cooper become more comfortable with himself and when the big plan came together in the finale, Kris played a key part in it.

7 Jake Riordan

There’s no question that Jake Riordan (Barrett Carnahan) is the show’s most unlikeable character. He is the one who is revealed at the end to have been behind Simon’s death, which is bad enough but the true awfulness came from how he actually went about everything.

He first found out about Addy cheating and instead of talking to her about it, he wanted to use the information to torture her. Jake also went out and betrayed Simon, leaving him for dead after executing their plan. What made jake an intriguing character is how signs of his gaslighting and psychotic tendencies were mostly hidden while he was relatively sympathetic earlier on.

6 Maeve Rojas

There aren’t many characters more in this series who are more complex than Maeve Rojas (Melissa Collazo). She shifted often early, going from annoying little sister to seemingly a schemer who stole Simon’s laptop from Bronwyn. That was just scratching the surface though.

Maeve is also someone who feels overprotected after surviving severe illness as a kid. That fueled a lot of what she did and explained part of why she sent explicit photos to Simon as she wanted to be seen as more than just a sick child. Maeve helped with the investigation even when she wasn’t appreciated and stood up for her sister when not many others did.

5 Janae Matthews

As soon as Janae Matthews (Jessica McLeod) stepped up and sang Lily Allen at a tribute to her fallen best friend that felt fake to her, audiences were captivated. It showed that this was someone who wasn’t going to accept the normalcy around her and dared to be different.

Those are qualities in characters that the audience can typically relate to or enjoy despite any flaws. Janae is also a complicated person given her history with Simon and her affection towards Maeve. She managed to forge a legitimate bond with Addy and helped her come out of her shell as her true self while also being the one to worry about her, showing that she cared.

4 Cooper Uche

Another famed trope of teen television shows is when a character isn’t comfortable in their sexuality but eventually becomes so over the course of time. Cooper Uche (Chibuikem Uche) was that character in this series and watching him get past the prejudices of others made for great TV.

Cooper became a happier person thanks to his relationship with Kris and how he came out to Bronwyn, Addy, and Nate. He also confronted his father about his thoughts on being gay and proved himself to be a tremendous friend through Addy when she was going through a difficult time.

3 Bronwyn Rojas

In a lot of ways, it seems like Bronwyn Rojas (Marianly Tejada) is the true protagonist of this series. However, that doesn’t mean she was the best or most interesting of the bunch. Bronwyn was certainly the smartest character in the series but like her classmates, she had legitimate regrets.

The pressure put on her by her parents and everyone to be brilliant got to her and she stole answers to an exam. When “Murder Club” was formed, Bronwyn changed in some ways for the better, not worrying about her grades as much and caring more for the people around her, specifically Nate. It was important growth for her.

2 Nate Macauley

The tropes continued with Nate Macauley (Cooper van Grootel) but these kinds of characters exist for a reason as they’re concepts that work. Nate is the bad boy with the heart of gold as he’s looked down upon by everyone for selling drugs, only to prove that he cares about those around him.

Nate is someone who gained sympathy from the viewers as he found ways to deal with his troublesome home life. He also stepped up to assist the likes of Cooper when he was worried about things, he helped Addy when she was being chased while alone, and he covered for Bronwyn multiple times. It also showed a lot about his heart when he was willing to sit in jail to protect his friends.

1 Addy Prentiss

The character with the best arc of the series is Addy Prentiss (Annalisa Cochrane). She began as the popular girl who was more concerned with her looks and status than anything else. The truth coming out about cheating on Jake changed things for her as she became a social pariah.

That turned out to be for the best, though. Addy became focused on what makes her happy as a person and she ended up as a stronger woman for it. Her independence became clear and she bonded with Janae in heartwarming fashion. In the end, she stood up to Jake’s manipulation and helped to bring him down.

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