Young Sheldon: The Best & Worst Trait Of Each Main Character

Young Sheldon was set up to focus on Sheldon, the ultra-smart boy-genius from The Big Bang Theory, but fans fell in love with the other characters, as well. From the saintly Mary to the sassy Missy, there’s never a dull moment in the show. They all have room to shine and show characteristics that make fans love or hate their personalities.

Like any well-written cast of characters, the lovable group in Young Sheldon is more than just funny, quirky, or snarky. Their three-dimensional personalities show their various traits that humanize and make them relatable to the audience while still remain entertaining. Of all these, there are good and bad ones that stick out and define each of them, setting them apart from the others.

10 Billy: Sweet But Oblivious

Billy and Sheldon spend time together occasionally, but the former is mostly attached to his chickens. He’s not a smart kid, but there’s a sweet side to him that fans seem to like. He’s mostly nice to Sheldon, unlike the other kids, as shown when the two hang out together in the chicken coop during Billy’s party.

That said, Billy doesn’t always get social interactions right, and what he sees as harmless fun might not be that to others. For example, in an early episode, he holds a chicken up to Sheldon’s face, which scared Sheldon and sent him running. From Billy’s standpoint, it was fun with a friend, but, as fans later find out in TBBT, Sheldon saw Billy as a bully. That is one of the many ways Young Sheldon changed the way fans perceive the Big Bang Theory character.

9 Tam: Honest But Pessimistic

Tam’s friendship with Sheldon is one of the best things that happen on the show. Most people avoid Sheldon because of his character, but Tam genuinely chooses to be his friend, even though he acknowledges that it’s mostly for lack of other options.

His unfiltered honesty becomes a double-edged sword whenever he talks about his life or family. He rarely has anything good to say about them, and, although his lines are witty and funny, they mask deep-seated contempt that leaves him with a negative outlook on life in general.

8 Pastor Jeff: Optimistic But Greedy

The pastor’s habit of always looking on the bright side comes with the territory of his occupation. This trait shines through in “Freshman Orientation and the Inventor of the Zipper” while George is helping him set up a crib. For every negative thing George has to say about parenthood, he counters it with something positive, which George finds admirable.

Even though he presents himself as a good, pious man, Pastor Jeff’s behavior is mostly morally ambiguous at best. His enthusiastic promotion of religion—with the Hell House, for example—is often driven by his desire to convert more people so the church can make more money. As a pastor, his priority should have been helping others become better people through the Christianity he preaches, rather than focusing on money.

7 John: Friendly But Lacks Boundaries

From the moment he joins the cast, John remains a sweet, friendly man. He’s friends with Sheldon, which fans find adorable because Sheldon finally has someone who speaks his language. His friendliness is reflected in how he gets along well with everyone in Sheldon’s family, even though he’s a bit awkward. Other characters and some fans see him as one of Young Sheldon‘s most likable characters and something of a grown-up version of Sheldon himself, possibly because of their shared love of physics.

On more than one occasion, John stretches the bounds of his friendships too far. He confronts Ira behind Connie’s back over him trying to woo her with furniture and also spies on Dale when he finds out he’s Connie’s got a new man.

6 Connie: Affectionate But Patronizing

Connie dotes on her grandkids and has a loving relationship with them. She watches them when their parents are away at work, drives Sheldon to his college classes, gives Georgie advice, and stands up for Missy. Whenever there’s a problem, she steps in and her support is something most of the other characters come to rely on.

The only person she rarely gets along with is George. The tension between them mostly stems from her belief that he’s not good enough for Mary while George resents that they stay near her. Every time she steps in to solve a family feud involving George, her perception of him grows more negative, resulting in her snide and patronizing behavior.

5 George Cooper Senior: Dutiful But Resentful

George makes many sacrifices for his family; he gives up a job in the episode “Family Dynamics and a Red Fiero” because his family doesn’t want to move, even he wants to. That’s actually the first of many sad things that happen to George throughout Young Sheldon, and it’s admirable how he stays true to his duty to keep his family happy.

Although he makes these sacrifices, he tends to hold on to them, leading to grudges and resentment. The season 4 finale especially highlights this when Mary and George have a big fight where George tells her he hasn’t been happy in a long time, showing that he’s been bottling negative emotions all along.

4 Mary: Loving But Biased

In every episode, Mary shows that she’s a loving mother, although that’s directed at Sheldon most times. She’s patient with him and understanding in situations where others would get frustrated and lash out. She’s shown her motherly love to Georgie and Missy, too, by offering comfort and giving them advice.

Mary always sides with Sheldon, though, inadvertently neglecting everyone else, which, as the season 4 finale shows, leads to tension and resentment. Her behavior is understandable, though, as, of all her children, Sheldon is the most vulnerable, so it’s only natural that she goes above and beyond to protect him.

3 Georgie: Resourceful But Irritable

From seasons 3 and 4, Georgie shows a maturity that’s impressive for his age. He’s already worked two jobs and comes up with interesting business ideas like selling snow globes and cowboy aerobics. Although none of his ideas pans out in Young Sheldon, his future shown in The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Tire shows he recognized his best trait and maximized on it.

With a brother as smart as Sheldon, it’s hard not to feel inferior in comparison, which is what leads to Georgie’s insecurities. As a result, he gets irritated easily and lashes out at Sheldon and the rest of his family whenever he’s compared to his brother.

2 Missy Cooper: Brave But Snarky

Although she’s the youngest in the family, Missy never backs down from a challenge. With her family’s encouragement, she becomes the first girl on the baseball team. Even though girls in her class taunted her over it, she got past the bullying with her mother’s encouragement and stayed on the team. Challenging stereotypes is no easy feat, but the fact that Missy was able to do it despite her young age speaks volumes of her bravery.

From the get-go, Missy shows a sassy side when she talks sarcastically back to her mother on several occasions. As the seasons progressed, she also had to defend her choice to be on the baseball team to a place still stuck on archaic societal standards. Because she’s almost always in defensive mode, her snarkiness gets worse, especially in the last season.

1 Sheldon: Emotional But Arrogant

While Sheldon is book-smart, he doesn’t understand social cues and behaviors well. This makes him vulnerable to people’s taunts and sarcasm, and, while it’s sad, it humanizes him and shows that, under all the science stuff, he’s like any other boy of his age. The few times when he shows his emotions and recognizes them in others are his best, like the heartwarming moment in the Young Sheldon pilot when he takes off his mitten and holds his father’s hand.

His superior intelligence gives him overconfidence, bordering on arrogance, and often leads to condescending behavior. Most times he doesn’t see anything wrong with his behavior, and, though it’s mostly excused on account of his age, it frustrates and hurts the people around him.

About The Author

Tricia Mawire
(172 Articles Published)

Tricia is a List Writer for Screen Rant with a background in creative writing and a love for all things film and TV. She fell in love with reading at the age of 10 after discovering that her favorite movie, Matilda, was based on a novel. That led to her first in-depth analysis of literary work to her mom and anyone who’d listen. If she’s not reading or writing stories with crazy plot twists, she’s bingeing a new series and ranting about character arcs and plot holes. Or she’s eating French fries.

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