Pretty Little Liars: 10 Side Characters With Main Character Energy

Although the dramatic episodes of Pretty Little Liars focus on Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields, and Alison DiLaurentis, the side characters are just as important. The liars are always meeting new people, whether they make new friends, fall for a potential soulmate, or realize that they might have just met a member of the A Team. PLL is a show with a packed cast of characters and they all contribute something to the dark, exciting and memorable mystery of who is stalking Ali and her friends.

From a parent who feels like part of the main Pretty Little Liars cast to some minor characters who feel significant, there are many people lurking in Rosewood who contribute a lot to this popular series.

10 Ashley Marin

The PLL parents have great storylines, including Hanna’s mom Ashley Marin. Ashley steals money from the bank where she is employed, becomes engaged to a creepy person, and even blackmails Darren Wilden to keep Hanna from getting into big trouble.

While Ashley doesn’t have tons of plotlines and she might be a minor character, she’s never far away from the main action, and that makes fans think that she plays a crucial part in figuring out what has happened to Ali. Ashley is an important presence and Hanna cares deeply about her, even if Hanna can’t share all her secrets.

9 Jenna Marshall

Toby Cavanaugh’s stepsister Jenna Marshall and out of everyone who is on the A Team, she has main character energy.

From the first batch of episodes, it becomes obvious that the liars are horrified of what she could do to them. Since Ali’s terrible prank blinds Jenna, the liars know that Jenna has it out for them and could hurt them at any moment. Throughout the entire series, Jenna is a scary figure who seems one step ahead.

8 Archer Dunhill/Elliot Rollins

While Ali thinks that she’s married to Dr. Elliot Rollins, he’s actually Archer Dunhill, who is getting revenge for Charlotte’s murder and trying to make it seem like Ali is unstable.

Ali has a horrible time figuring out who she can trust and who she can’t, and after years of running away and being stalked, she’s unable to judge someone’s characters. Viewers are terrified of Archer and know that he’s up to no good, and this makes him more compelling than a side character without much impact on the story.

7 Paige McCullers

Emily and Paige are a fan favorite Pretty Little Liars couple and Paige becomes part of the action when she and Caleb work to see if they can help the liars beat A.

When Paige moves away, it’s sad and further proof that she and Emily have had a happy, healthy relationship that has been meaningful for both of them.

6 Melissa Hastings

There have been many mean older siblings on teen dramas, but Melissa sticks out because she shares with Spencer that she accidentally murdered someone and that she has been living with this ever since.

Melissa tells Spencer that she murdered Bethany Young by actually burying her alive, as she wrongly thought that Spencer had murdered Ali. This stuns Spencer but also makes sense since Melissa has been avoiding the family for years now.

5 Sara Harvey

Sara has been part of A’s team for a while, and in season 6, fans find out that she is “Red Coat.” Sara has been spying on the liars and although she pretends to like Emily, it’s all for show.

Since Sara has evil intentions and she’s the opposite of trustworthy, she feels like a main character since she plays such a key part in the mystery of A, the A Team, and what is really going to happen to Aria, Emily, Ali, Spencer, and Hanna.

4 Nicole Gordon

While it’s possible to say that Ezra changes for the worse on PLL, Aria never stops being deeply in love with him, and Ezra’s presence on the series is always mysterious and dramatic. After going to South America with Ezra, Nicole goes missing and it’s a shock when she comes home alive.

While it’s tough for Aria to deal with Ezra being engaged to someone else, Nicole feels like so much more than a side character. She has a desire to do good in the world and help people, and she and Ezra connect on that level. She feels a bit more well-drawn than some other minor characters.

3 Maggie Cutler

Maggie’s time on Pretty Little Liars could change everything for Aria and Ezra since Ezra thinks that he and Maggie share a child, Malcolm. While this turns out not to be true, Maggie is part of such a big storyline that it’s hard not to see her importance.

The age gap doesn’t bother Aria, but when she thinks that Ezra could be a parent, she realizes how different their lives really are. Maggie makes Aria think about what she wants out of life and if Ezra is really her person.

2 Wren Kingston

Wren Kingston’s PLL arc is fascinating. At first, he’s studying to be a doctor and engaged to Melissa while having a crush on Spencer. As time goes on, Wren is part of a huge Pretty Little Liars plot twist as fans learn that he is Alex Drake’s partner and helper, and that he has been part of the A Team the entire time.

Since viewers are made to believe that Wren is a nice person until the big reveal, he feels like a main character who has a satisfying conclusion to his story.

1 Sydney Driscoll

Sydney Driscoll is a mysterious character who feels like much more than a minor player. After she’s on the swim team with Emily, it turns out that Sydney is on the A Team, but she seems like she could be a better person than some of the others.

Sydney definitely feels like she could be on the same level as the five main characters as she’s got a vibrant personality and seems just as intelligent as they are.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1742 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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