The Breakfast Club: The 7 Best Characters

The Breakfast Club is a timeless classic, with this 1980s movie being one that has stood the test of time. This is one of John Hughes’ greatest movies, bringing great comedy and emotion without ever leaving the school setting. It’s a detailed look at the similarities that people who are seemingly so different can go through, which is done with some amazing dialogue.

The conversations that take place within this movie are fantastic, with the writing being superb. But it is the terrific acting that brings huge amounts of personality into every character that makes this movie so strong. But out of all the characters involved in The Breakfast Club, which stands out as the best?

7 Vice Principal Richard Vernon

Richard Vernon is the Vice Principal of the school and the man who has the students in for detention on a Saturday. He is strict and enjoys punishment, treating others poorly throughout the movie as he happily screams and shouts at them, demanding that they sit in silence and write their essays.

Some of Richard’s one-liners are hilarious, which makes the character enjoyable, and his rivalry against John Bender is one of the funniest elements of the movie. Richard doesn’t like his job or the youth at the time, and ultimately his bitterness is his core trait.

6 Carl Reed

Carl Reed is only a supporting character within this movie, appearing a couple of times as the janitor of the school. While some of the students belittle him, he ends up standing up for them against Richard Vernon, showcasing a great understanding of society and how people work.

He questions Richard when he is snooping around looking at files he shouldn’t be, and while the students aren’t able to stand up against him, Carl absolutely can, which works well to make Richard listen. Carl is a likable person, and it’s just a shame he’s not showcased more within the movie.

5 Allison Reynolds

Allison Reynolds is seen as “the basket case” within this movie, and throughout the movie, she is someone who comes out with random comments and her reactions are often a lot of fun. During a large part of the movie, Allison doesn’t talk and just makes grunting noises.

However, as the story goes on, Allison begins to open up about her life and proves herself to be a compulsive liar, which sees her goad others into making big announcements about themselves. Her character isn’t quite as open emotionally as some of the others, but the mysterious element of it is enjoyable to watch, and her growth in confidence is amazing to see.

4 Andrew Clark

“The Athlete,” Andrew Clark is somebody who pushes his strength and wrestling ability as his main characteristic early on, trying to be the macho man of the group during detention. Early on he has problems with John Bender, but it quickly becomes clear that Andrew’s emotional responses are all because of a strained relationship with his father.

During the day in detention, he begins to unwind and relax, showcasing more of his true personality which is when he becomes a lot funnier and more relatable. Andrew eventually ends up in a romantic situation with Allison, which showcases that he has stopped judging people, with his character having the biggest change throughout the day.

3 Claire Standish

Claire Standish is one of the most popular girls in the school and somebody who typically gets her way throughout life. She’s not normally questioned or pushed on anything, which is why John Bender is a problem for her within the movie, as he has no problems in asking questions or pushing her buttons.

Labeled “the princess,” Claire might seem uptight at first, but just like the rest of the group, she begins to unwind as the movie develops. Claire begins to discuss her family life and her facade begins to fall away, which helps her character to become memorable.

2 John Bender

John Bender is the lead character within The Breakfast Club, which is because he is the most confident within the movie. His character is “the criminal” of the group, and he doesn’t showcase any fear or concerns about being in detention, happily getting himself another set of them by going back and forth with the Vice Principal.

There are times when John can be unlikable because he says whatever is on his mind, which does lead to him hurting the feelings of others during the day. However, he is ultimately liked by them all, with his charisma eventually shining through the brightest. He is witty, and open about his problems, which makes him a fantastic character.

1 Brian Johnson

“The brain” of The Breakfast Club, Brian Johnson is the strongest character within the movie. He is someone who doesn’t really belong in detention due to the fact that he’s typically someone who does everything by the book. However, seeing him embrace the situation throughout the movie, from breaking the rules to smoking marijuana, Brian begins to come out of his shell.

Brian is one of the funniest characters in the movie, but he also showcases a great range of emotion as well. His life at home isn’t as sweet as the rest of the group believes at the start. He also gets upset when the others make it clear that they wouldn’t speak to him at school the next week, with Brian proving himself to be a truly nice person.

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