Glee/Characters/New Directions Original Members

The original six students who formed New Directions, along with their teacher Will.

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William "Will" Schuester
"From the top!"

A High School Spanish (now history) teacher who takes over the Glee club (New Directions) and becomes a mentor to the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits. He is married to Terri but has feelings for Emma. Played by Matthew Morrison.

"Will: Well gee Sue, I wonder where I learned how to do that."
 * Berserk Button: Will has admittedly put up with a lot of crap from other people, including his wife. But when he, he just fucking blows up...
 * Betty and Veronica: An interesting case, as if we analyze the case closely he could be considered to the Betty or the Veronica to Ken, who would become the opposing force depending on what you consider Will to be.
 * Beware the Nice Ones:.
 * Camp Straight: A mild case. Shelby Corcoran wonders if he's gay, and a few other characters have teased him for his interest in show tunes.
 * Catch Phrase: "From the top!"
 * Chick Magnet: Female characters hit on him regularly. Weaponized by Will in "Funk".
 * Cool Shades: Well, Emma thinks so.
 * Cool Teacher
 * Deadpan Snarker: Could have his moments of this, like in "Funk" when Sue rails on him about humiliating her:


 * Deuteragonist
 * : Subverted..
 * Drowning My Sorrows: After.
 * Foe Yay: Will and Bryan Ryan, in "Dream On". Will and Sue, canonically, in "Funk".
 * George Jetson Job Security: Despite being a public school teacher and thus presumably unionized, he apparently has this, as Sue fires him while he's on sick leave.
 * High School Sweethearts: Will and Terri are a not – so – happy version of this.
 * Hot Teacher: This is what happens when you are both Estrogen Brigade Bait and a Chick Magnet.
 * Informed Ability: How much Spanish Will actually knows and can speak, which is strange, considering he's the Spanish teacher at McKinley. To be fair it was never stated that he's a good Spanish teacher.
 * In the episode "The Spanish Teacher", it turns out he doesn't know much at all, and only took the position because it was the only one available.
 * Innocent Cohabitation: In "Home", this is what happens between Will and April during her stay at his house, even if Sue later tried to twist it for her own purposes.
 * It's the Journey That Counts: Will states this in the aptly named "Journey" to New Directions just as they are preparing to go out and perform at Regionals.
 * Karma Houdini: Will completely gets away with planting marijuana in Finn's locker to force him to join the team in the pilot.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: We know Sue is a bad person, but ? Damn Will, that's cold.
 * Love Dodecahedron: Terri-Will, Holly-Will, Shelby-Will, Emma-Will, Carl-Emma, Ken-Emma...
 * Love Hurts:.
 * Manipulative Bastard: For such a Nice Guy, Schue really is capable of pulling off some underhanded deeds.
 * Mistaken for Racist: Part of Sue's campaign against Will is to get all of the minority kids into her own section of the glee club.
 * Mr. Fanservice: There's quite the number of comments on YouTube videos of his "Don't Stand So Close To Me"/"Young Girl" mash-up about how cute/sexy Will is.
 * No Accounting for Taste: Will and Terri.
 * Odd Friendship: With Coach Bieste.
 * Ominous Latin Chanting: "O Fortuna" is used to hilarious effect during the Will vs. Sue scenes in Episode 7.
 * Only Sane Man: ...most of the time. And similarly, Only Sane Employee.
 * Out-of-Character Moment: Will's furious reaction to finding out about the faked pregnancy. It’s precisely how far that is from his usual personality that makes it so chilling.
 * And smashing the Cheerio's trophy when Sue tries to house it in the chorus room. He probably would have preferred to smash it over Sue's head if he could have gotten away with it.
 * His eerily calm "You dropped your trophy, Sue" just makes that moment even more frightening.
 * Out of Focus: In Season 3, possibly in response to the fandoms' response to his storylines in the second season.
 * Papa Wolf: A subtle one, but in "Funk", after . Lesson learned? Do not go after one of Will's Glee kids.
 * Parental Substitute: It appears as if Will is shaping up to be a father-figure for Finn, considering his father died when he was just a baby. Finn outright confirms this in the Season 1 finale.
 * Poke the Poodle: On his way out of Sue's office after she, he unhangs her telephone.
 * Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Will is very, very white, his favorite song is "Bust a Move", he raps "Gold Digger", likes Poison, and breakdances.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Rousing Speech: In "Journey", Will gives a rather emotional one the New Directions shortly after they learn that Sue would be one of the four judges at Regionals, stating that as a group they have grown and changed so much, and for the better and that no matter what happens in the future, he believes and loves them too much to let them fall at the wayside
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Arguable, but the Fandom universally places Will as the Sensitive Man to Ken’s Manly Man and being the Sensitive Man seems to be one of the main reasons for Emma’s attraction to Will.
 * Ship Tease: In "Funk", they really tease the hell out of the Will and Sue ship. Their dance to "Sing, Sing, Sing" was kind of adorable, too.
 * So Proud of You: One could argue that Will is always proud of his "children", as seen in his facial expressions every episode. However, quite possibly the two most touching instances of this are in "Sectionals" and in "Journey".
 * Team Mom: Schue is a rare male example.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Not noticing that something strange is going on with Terri's pregnancy? Come on..
 * Took a Level in Badass: All of Episode 12..
 * Waistcoat of Style: Santana thinks he's addicted to them.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: . Also the end of "The Power of Madonna",.
 * Half of his lines in "Special Education" are this, calling out the club on their selfish behavior and his own failings as a fair director.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: Oh, so much.
 * Worthy Opponent: Sue considers him one at the end of the first season,.

Rachel Barbra Berry-St. James
"Look, I know what I'm talking about! I won my first dance competition when I was three months old!"

The most talented kid in the group, and she knows it. Her diva behavior makes her an outcast with most of the student body, though the Glee kids tolerate her because of what she brings to the table. Dated Finn Hudson on and off through the first four seasons, after his death, she married Jesse St. James and became the surrogate for Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson's child. Rachel claims a three-octave range (like Quinn has), though she only sings covering two, and is a true soprano who can comfortably reach the lower end of this as well as some high notes which may be falsetto though they are still strong. Played by Lea Michele.

"Kurt: She manages to dress like a grandmother and a kindergartner at the same time."
 * Aesop Amnesia: Rachel will often learn that it's not all about her and that success depends on the whole club, only to go right back to trying to hog the spotlight and carry the team on her own. Her Character Development finally starts to stick after "Loser Like Me", even while still retaining some of her old diva personality.
 * Age-Inappropriate Dress:

"Rachel: But what about the whole Brody thing? Cassie: That was because of his abs. Rachel: But yours are so much better"
 * All Jews Are Ashkenazi: Demonstrated when Rachel lectures Quinn about Tay-Sachs syndrome and how her cousin had to get checked for it. This is despite the fact that Rachel's actor, Lea Michele, is Sephardic. Although since it was her way of forcing Quinn to come clean about the paternity of her baby, it may be debatable.
 * Alpha Bitch: She shows some characteristics of this within the confines of the club.
 * Always Someone Better: Sunshine for Rachel; Rachel for the rest of the glee club. Then, for Rachel.
 * Ambiguously Bi: Yes. This little exchange from "Wonder-ful" gives off this sort of vibe:

"Puck: That Rachel chick makes me want to light myself on fire, but she can sing."
 * Ascended Meme: People referring to Rachel by her last name as "Berry", something that is an epidemic in fanfic, but only happened on the show in "Sexy" (Santana, specifically).
 * Attention Whore: She sent a prospective club member with a really good voice to a crack house so that she wouldn't upstage her, then tried to pass it off as protecting the roles of the others. Finn calls her out on this, but it's too late by the time he does because the prospective member's already been taken up by Vocal Adrenaline thanks to Sue.
 * Bad Bad Acting: "Run Joey Run." That is all.
 * Betty and Veronica: An interesting case, as she could be seen as both the Betty (the girl next door vibe in comparison to the Libby that is Quinn) and the Veronica (her overbearing and control freak personality in comparison to Quinn’s Christian upbringing) at the same time. She later becomes the Archie to Finn's Betty and both Puck and Jesse's Veronica.
 * Big "Shut Up!": Rachel gets one against Puck in "Auditions".
 * Break the Cutie: In "Funk", she suffered one hell of a breaking at the hands of her ex–boyfriend and his teammates.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Is seen this way by the other New Directions at first: They think she's obnoxious and rude, but they tolerate it because of her talent. Puck says it best in "The Rhodes Not Taken":

"Santana: Nobody tells you anything because A: you are a blabber mouth, and B: we all pretend to like you."
 * Butt Monkey
 * Child Prodigy: In terms of music, as she both won her first dance competition at three months old and won a singing competition at eight months old.
 * Control Freak: And how.
 * Curtains Match the Window
 * Dynamic Character: Rachel's personality has changed considerably since the beginning of the series, as she has become less cruel and full of herself (although she is still abrasive).
 * Extracurricular Enthusiast: Rachel's joined every club in the school, even ones she would normally have no business being in. Subverted in that she doesn't do it because she loves the activities, she does it to get as many photos of herself in the school yearbook as possible.
 * Fag Hag: Has all the makings of one, as illustrated by Kurt in "Blame It On The Alcohol".
 * Failed Attempt At Drama: Rachel attempting to storm out in a wheelchair, and bumping into the doorframe.
 * Generic Cuteness: She is often referred as "mildly attractive".
 * Genki Girl: Rachel always signs her name with a gold-star sticker, and wakes up every day at 6:00 for her daily exercise routine. She claims to have won her first dance competition at three months old. This is actually believable since in "Dream On" she shows Jesse a singing trophy from eight months old. Maybe it's just because she's.
 * Genre Savvy: "I think everyone expects us to get together because you're the handsome football player and I'm the beautiful young ingenue." Or Wrong Genre Savvy, YMMV.
 * Girl Next Door
 * Has Two Daddies: Who are also an interracial couple.
 * Heel Realization: In "Duets", Rachel finally realizes that her desire to win hasn't made her as nice as she likes to think she is. She then spends the entire episode trying to do things for other people, which in one case means actively trying to lose at something.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: Of sorts..
 * Hollywood Dateless: For a girl who is supposedly "unpopular" and "mildly attractive", she's already dated three boys within her sophomore year, and another is very attracted to her.
 * Hollywood Tone Deaf: When she loses her voice.
 * Hot for Teacher: Rachel develops a short-lived crush on Will in Episode 10.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Rachel is the Tiny Girl to Finn's Huge Guy.
 * I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Her initial reaction to her and Jesse's first meeting. Her and Finn, to an extent.
 * I Just Want to Be Special: She explicitly tells Mr. Schuester that she's in the glee club to win popularity. To Jesse in "Bad Reputation": "I have a pathological desire to be popular." However, it should be noted that she remains in the Glee club even when it starts to become an obstacle to her popularity, so she probably has other reasons.
 * Incompatible Orientation: Let's face it, her and Blaine's relationship was doomed from the start.
 * Informed Ability: Yes, Lea Michele is exceptionally talented. But the way they go on about her, you'd think she was the only talented member of the cast. Softened in Seasons 2 and 3 when she admits that is equal to or more talented than her.
 * Informed Flaw: The show goes on and on about how she doesn't dress well, when actually she looks quite cute in a preppy schoolgirl way. When it's decided she needs a makeover in Episode 11, to showcase her bad fashion sense she's suddenly wearing a monochromatic pantsuit that was nothing like anything her character has ever worn before. Her dressing does get a bit worse in the second half of the season. Remember that owl sweater?
 * The second season opener finally has a dress that matches the description, it looks like something made for a doll.
 * However, to some, she can look like someone who just got kicked out of an Enid Blyton illustration for looking too twee.
 * Informed Judaism: Rachel’s an interesting case, as we know that she is Jewish because of mere hints in the series. Ironically, we know less about Rachel's Judaism than Puck's.
 * The Ingenue: Rachel calls herself one. Frankly, she isn't.
 * Intoxication Ensues: See Motor Mouth below.
 * It's All About Me: Rachel has this bad. Whenever Mr. Schuester wants to have another student have the opportunity to sing a song that Rachel wants to sing so that everyone has a chance, she thinks of it as Mr. Schuester attempting to ruin her career. She's getting better than how she originally was.
 * Though she seems to reset every single season.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Karma Houdini Warranty: Rachel's actions finally catch up to her in season 6. She loses everything: she no longer has a career in Broadway and after acting so unprofessional, there is little to no doubt that no one will hire her again, she is out of NYADA and has no chance to get in again after the way she quit, and her show was so terribad it was immediately canceled and demolished her reputation. All of these events led her to have a breakdown, and she went into hiding for months. She is then forced to leave New York and go live with her dads again... only to discover they are getting divorced and that her house is for sale. While being pushed by Mercedes to audition for another show and getting offered the leading role, on top of Carmen Tibideaux granting her permission to return to NYADA despite her warning that she would not be allowed back when she left, does threaten to undo this and make her a regular Karma Houdini again, Rachel at least learned from her mistakes and chose NYADA over immediate Broadway stardom this time around, which culminated in her winning a Tony Award.
 * Kick the Dog:.
 * Kissing Under the Influence: With Blaine.
 * Locked Out of the Loop:
 * Locked Out of the Loop:

"Rachel (to Kurt): Sam's cute, but he's not worth losing Blaine over."
 * Lonely at the Top: Rachel says this verbatim in one of her interior monologues in Episode 12 when.
 * Love Makes You Crazy: More like Love Makes You Obsessive in the case with Rachel and Finn, to the point that he has admitted that he is slightly unnerved by her.
 * Meaningful Name: Her fathers named her Rachel because they were huge fans of Friends. Considering her major character trait, this makes sense.
 * Missing Mom: Initially. After Season One, not so much.
 * Motor Mouth: Particularly when she's gotten a good dose of "Vitamin D".
 * Must Make Amends: Seems to be a motivating factor for a number of her post-Heel Realization actions.
 * Never My Fault
 * Not So Different: It's surprising no one's pointed out that Rachel is exactly like the girls that bully her at school, especially after her treatment of Sunshine.
 * Official Couple: As of "Journey", the relationship between Finn and Rachel has become this..
 * Operation: Jealousy: In "Mash-Up", Rachel admits that she began to date Puck because she thought it would make Finn jealous. It sort of worked, if Finn's face is anything to go by when Puck sings "Sweet Caroline" to Rachel. It works even better in "Special Education" when Rachel confesses to making out with Puck to get back at Finn for sleeping with Santana. Unfortunately, it works too well - Finn breaks up with her because she cheated on him. They weren't together when he slept with Santana. This occurs again in "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" when she sings "Need You Now" with Puck.
 * The Prima Donna
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Rachel storms out of the Glee club constantly. Artie lampshades it by saying the more she does it, the less impact it has. To the point where nobody really reacts when she walks back in, either.
 * Seemingly-Wholesome Fifties Girl
 * Shipper on Deck: If this line in "Rumours" is anything to go by, she's one for Kurt and Blaine.

"Jacob: Let those sweater puppies out of their cashmere cage!"
 * She's also one for Sam and Quinn. Justified, however, because it would mean she could be with Finn again.
 * Soapbox Sadie: Is she is supposed to be a mouthpiece for the writers or just a mouthpiece in general? Either way, her soapbox is the reason why she's an outcast.
 * Squee:.
 * Stalker with a Crush: She's certainly desperate enough to become this (and eventually she does for Will). That reputation precedes her: when Puck dreamed that Rachel climbed through his bedroom window, he knew it was a dream because she wouldn't be able to climb without shoes on, rather than thinking she would never do this in the first place.
 * Sweater Girl: The show even Lampshades it.


 * Took a Level in Jerkass: Backpedals on all her Season 1 Character Development when she tricks Sunshine into going to a crackhouse, all because she fears she'll steal her thunder.
 * Turn the Other Cheek: Does this quite a bit for Quinn.
 * Tsundere
 * Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Has her moments, depending on the tone of the episode, especially during the first season.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Tricking Sunshine into going to a crackhouse to audition, because she didn't want to risk another talented singer upstaging her. Nobody believed her bald-faced lie that it was for the good of the group.
 * Woman Scorned: In "Hell-O", and boy does she do it well. Her rendition of "Gives You Hell" by the All American Rejects was stunning.
 * Zettai Ryouiki

Finn Christopher Hudson


"I came up with the best baby name of all time: Drizzle."

The Book Dumb star quarterback and football captain with Hidden Depths: he loves to sing and dance. Is best friends with Puck and is dating Rachel. Played by Cory Monteith.

"Santana: For me. It's win-win for me."
 * Achilles in His Tent: Finn temporarily pulls this on "Sectionals" after learning that the father of Quinn’s baby is really Puck.
 * All the Other Reindeer
 * Bash Brothers: With Puck, cemented in "Funk".
 * Be Careful What You Wish For: After being replaced as quarterback by Sam, he is spiteful and wishes he was the quarterback instead..
 * Betty and Veronica: The Betty to both Puck’s and Jesse’s Veronica.
 * Beware the Nice Ones:
 * Big Damn Heroes: In "Sectionals".
 * Big Man on Campus: Prior to his joining of Glee, that is.
 * Book Dumb: Finn is such a moron, but, damn it, he's so well-intentioned and nice.
 * As an example, he believes that the moon and New York City are "like a hundred miles apart."
 * Monteith has stated that "Finn is about as smart as rocks."
 * Broken Pedestal: "Yes/No" absolutely shatters his perceptions of.
 * Brown Eyes
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Not as bad as Brittany, but it seems his default expression is a blank stare.
 * Coming of Age Story: Much of Finn's role in the plot shows him gradually growing from a naive teenager into a confident adult. Although he hasn't quite come to terms with intelligence though.
 * Confused Eyebrow: He raises an eyebrow in confusion on things he doesn't understand. Which is often.
 * Disappeared Dad: His father was killed in the Gulf War when he was a baby, meaning he never knew him at all, hence why he bonded with Burt so readily..
 * The Ditz: Common sense isn't one of his high points. Plus, he has a VERY limited vocabulary, although he makes up for it with more emotional savvy than you'd expect from a teenage boy.
 * Easily Forgiven: For leading Rachel on to get her to rejoin the club. He got a What the Hell, Hero? for it, but it was quickly forgotten. Also, his earlier involvement in bullying Kurt. Also,.
 * Follow in My Footsteps: In "Yes/No", he tells Will that.
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: The reason Finn wanted to go on a date with both Santana and Brittany in "Hell-O".
 * Green-Eyed Monster: Probably the reason.
 * Heroic BSOD: Finn has one of these when it's revealed to the entire school that Quinn is preggers, and blows straight out the other side when it's revealed that it's Puck's kid.
 * He has another one in "The First Time" after.
 * And another one in "Yes/No" when he finds out.
 * Hollywood Pudgy: Apparently, seeing him in his underwear is supposed to be a bad thing.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Finn's the Huge Guy to Rachel's Tiny Girl; a whole foot separates them.
 * Hypocrite: Despite being cheated on by his last two girlfriends and being broken up about it, Finn's more than eager to . His rather flimsy justification for this is that . In fact, that arguably makes it worse.
 * Informed Ability: While Finn's singing is decent, he has the weakest and most amateur voice of the male cast. This fits with his character, who is completely new to performing, but the script has the others treating him as if he's a better singer than all the other guys, most of whom are much more polished. Lately, though, it has been acknowledged In-Universe multiple times that he is not as good a performer as the rest of the club, something he's very aware of.
 * Finn is, however, a good drummer and rather good at rapping, so he's not totally musically inept.
 * Intoxication Ensues: The entire Glee club does this to an extent while on Sudafed, but Finn is the most prominent.
 * It's All About Me: He may not be as...vocal about it as Rachel, but Finn definitely has some of this going on. He gets stroppy when his sense of entitlement isn't indulged, rarely does anything for someone else unless it benefits him in some way too, and has serious trouble processing the fact that other people can have lives that don't revolve around him and agendas that don't put him first. Except with Santana, who spells it out in terms even Finn can't miss:
 * It's All About Me: He may not be as...vocal about it as Rachel, but Finn definitely has some of this going on. He gets stroppy when his sense of entitlement isn't indulged, rarely does anything for someone else unless it benefits him in some way too, and has serious trouble processing the fact that other people can have lives that don't revolve around him and agendas that don't put him first. Except with Santana, who spells it out in terms even Finn can't miss:


 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:.
 * Jizzed In The Hot Tub
 * Kick the Dog: Although he had his reasons for being angry,.
 * A Man Is Not a Virgin: Slightly subverted in "The Power of Madonna".
 * Miss Conception: Finn believes until "Sectionals" that he is the father of Quinn’s baby even though he has never slept with her. Why does he believe this? Because in on one of his romantic encounters with Quinn, he prematurely ejaculated into a hot tub they were both in (and both wearing bathing suits).
 * And then there's "Sexy", where he thinks cucumbers can give you AIDS.
 * Mr. Fanservice: Let's see, he's tall, athletic, kind-hearted, endearingly dumb, can sing? Oh yeah.
 * Nature Adores a Virgin: Semi-used in "The Power of Madonna"..
 * Nice Guy: Surprisingly, Finn is exceptionally kind despite having stereotypical jock written all over him at first glance.
 * Offhand Backhand: To Rachel in "Born This Way", somehow breaking her nose.
 * Operation: Jealousy: Finn said yes to, but also because he thought it would make Rachel jealous.
 * Popular Is Dumb
 * Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Justified; his rapping is arguably better than his singing.
 * Puppy Dog Eyes: Probably the reason it's hard to stay mad at his character even when he's clearly being an ass.
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gets one from Santana with her attempt at an apology. He fires right back though.
 * Rousing Speech: In "Sectionals". After New Directions has just learned that their songs have been stolen by their rivals, Finn states that even thought they might have been unprepared for this, what they have going for their side is that they believe in themselves.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Once when Ken Tanaka makes him, Puck, Mike, and Matt choose between glee club and football, and then.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Finn’s the Sensitive Guy to Puck’s Manly Man.
 * Sex As a Rite of Passage:.
 * Sympathetic Adulterer: Before Quinn was revealed to be pregnant with, Finn kissed Rachel (and vice versa after Quinn's confession). Granted, Quinn got a lot more criticism (both in-verse and and in the fandom) than Finn. Slightly justified in that Quinn having sex with Puck while dating Finn is worse than Finn just kissing Rachel while dating Quinn, but Finn did cheat on his girlfriend as well.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome
 * Too Dumb to Live:
 * Several moments, most notably still believing that he got Quinn pregnant without intercourse and his apparently genuine belief that the other athletes are going to give him and Quinn slushies rather than throwing them at the pair.
 * What about singing "You're Having my Baby" to Quinn's parents, knowing that she didn't want them to know she was pregnant?
 * One word: Drizzle.
 * Claims he wasn't at football practice because he had to take care of his mother after her prostate surgery.
 * Believed Jesus was speaking to him through a grilled cheese sandwich, prayed to it, and got all butthurt when Emma pointed out how silly that was.
 * Walking through the School's Hallway in nothing but his underwear to get over his self-confidence issues.
 * His response to a blind item in the newspaper reading "Which prom queen candidate has been spending a lot of time in the closet lately?" is "That's ridiculous, Quinn's claustrophobic."
 * Well...funds enough for half of one ticket to New York, as Schue points out in the episode...
 * Prior to "Preggers", didn't know you could borrow books from the library.
 * Verbal Tic: Finn frequently adds "you know?" at the end of his sentences.
 * He also compulsively calls people "dude", which bites him in the ass when he uses it with Coach Beiste...
 * Vocal Evolution: While he's still one of, if not the, weakest singer in the cast, he's steadily getting better.
 * What the Hell, Hero?:
 * In "Theatricality",.
 * Gets another one in "Furt" when he doesn't stand up to Karofsky for Kurt.
 * In "The First Time",.
 * In "Mash Off",.
 * Though not completely unjustified because she had been bullying him throughout the episode.
 * Though not completely unjustified because she had been bullying him throughout the episode.

Kurt Elizabeth Hummel


"They're gonna throw fruit at us. And I JUST had a facial."

A Camp Gay member of the Glee club who has also been a kicker for the football team and a Cheerio. Met his future husband Blaine Anderson in Season 2, married him in Season 6. Kurt is a lyric countertenor whose voice also comfortably ranges higher to a male soprano, though his top end was cut off as he got older. Played by Chris Colfer.

"Kurt:"
 * Accidental Athlete: Kurt turns out to be a surprisingly good kicker for the football team as long as he does the "Single Ladies" dance beforehand.
 * All the Other Reindeer: In his own words, he's the only openly gay kid in his school. It comes with the territory.

"Kurt: And I lost. I lost the election, I lost the lead in West Side Story, I can forget about New York and NYADA..."
 * Always Second Best: Especially in Season 3. He doesn't get the role of Tony in the school's production of West Side Story, losing out to Blaine, he doesn't become Class President and loses to Brittany of all people, he doesn't get any solos at Nationals, being continuously overlooked by Will, he doesn't get in to NYADA, losing out to Rachel (who choked on her audition)...

"Burt: "Dude, you're gay... and you're not like Rock Hudson gay, you're really gay. You sing like Diana Ross and you dress like you own a magic chocolate factory.""
 * Because You Were Nice to Me: Essentially what sparked Kurt's attraction to Finn. Sure, he didn't do much about anything after that, but one time, Finn reprimanded Puck for pushing Kurt.
 * Berserk Button: It took a lot for Kurt to get enraged at the bullying he was receiving. On the other hand, he flies into an instant fury when his friends (Tina, then Blaine) are abused.
 * ! It's definitely treated like one in real life, and for good reason.
 * Bishonen: Fulfills pretty much every criterion on that page to a T, down to the female-sounding voice, gender norm-busting, and adolescent appearance. Only thing he's missing is the sparkles.
 * For a more specific rundown of the list: Ambiguously feminine physical traits? Check. Tall(ish), lightly-muscled but slender build without facial hair? Check. Big eyes often brimming with anguish? Check. Youthful appearance and crossing of sexuality and gender boundaries? Check. Feminine voice? Check. Adolescently attractive? Check. No wonder he's so popular with the fangirls and fanboys.
 * Body Motifs: Hands are given repeated emphasis in Kurt's storylines, from wanting to hold his father's hand when he's to considering the touch of fingertips the height of intimacy to the numerous close-up shots of.
 * Bow Ties Are Cool: They're not the only sort of tie he wears, but he wears a lot of them, and many of them are very cool indeed (steampunk clockfaces, anyone?).
 * Breakout Character: He got much more screen time in the "back nine" after the showrunners saw fan reactions to his character and has taken a starring role in Season 2.
 * Brutal Honesty: Seems the only mode of communication he's comfortable with. It's also why he gets some of the best lines.
 * BSOD Song: "Rose's Turn".
 * Camp Gay: Despite being one of the more infamous examples of this trope from modern live-action television, Kurt comes across as something of a Deconstruction. His camp mannerisms are exactly what makes him the most frequent target of bullying at MicKinley High, which takes enough of a toll on his life that he's forced to transfer schools when Dave Karofsky's typical bullying tactics gain a Villainous Crush edge to the point that Kurt is terrified at the sight of him. Kurt was similarly terrified of losing his father's love, and he did some very questionable things to keep it. This offers up a rather simple explanation for the lack of anything resembling kissing or sex scenes until "Original Songs", since Kurt's genuine discomfort and lack of information regarding sex isn't hard to believe for someone who was the only openly-gay kid in his high school.

"Tina: Is that a woman's sweater? Kurt: Fashion knows no gender."
 * It's also worth noting that Kurt has become much less camp after gaining more experience with romantic relationships and settling into an environment that's more accepting of him. The fifth season episode "Tested" features Blaine talking about how Kurt's graduated into full on Fanservice with his hunky physique, and how this has caused extreme jealousy within him since Blaine would be the one getting fawned over at MicKinley High while Kurt was content with just hanging out the girls and performing female numbers. He even mentions that Kurt has become leading man material, when his difficulty with doing this was his main conflict in "I Am Unicorn", enough for Burt to try and reassure him that he's fine just the way he is using the above quote. It really goes to show how far Kurt has come from his days as the effeminate, scared little boy back in season one.
 * Catch Phrase: "Mr. Schue, if I may?"
 * Character Development: In Season 1, he's catty and standoffish to all but a few, very insecure about his sexuality, and prone to manipulative scheming. Since he isn't actually good as scheming - it all comes back to bite him - he stops doing it, and in Season 2 he's more comfortable with himself, rather less haughty, and better at stating his feelings honestly. Unfortunately, he's brutally harassed for the first half of Season 2, so he's also short-tempered, irritable, and miserable. But, what with the whole Glee club rallying around him, and his romance with Blaine, he comes out happier overall. As of late Season 2, he's firm friends with people who used to bully him, and smiles more often than not.
 * Closet Key:.
 * The Confidant: in 2x19 "Rumours" after  and keeps the secret even under considerable duress when the WHMS rumor mill starts churning.
 * Cool Car: Has one in "Acafellas". His dad takes it away at the end of the episode.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Especially towards Rachel.
 * Defrosting Ice Queen: He starts out as a haughty Deadpan Snarker, but it's a front - he just has to really trust you (or be taken off-guard) before he'll drop it.
 * Chris Colfer has actually said that Kurt's "I'm better than you" persona is really a cover for his insecurity.
 * Ditzy Genius: He is very intelligent and a fluent French speaker, but prone to moments of ditziness, such as his belief boxes have four sides or his plan to feed the doves at Burt and Carole's wedding glitter.
 * "I'm not a box. There are more than four sides to me" was more of an angry, spontaneous retort to Mr. Schuester, than an actual belief (like feeding doves glitter).
 * Dressed in Layers: His NYADA audition in 3x18, in which he starts out in a cape, tux and mask for 'Music of the Night' and then, on confirming that his auditor will be bored brainless by hearing that song for the millionth time, launches into 'Not the Boy Next Door' from The Boy From Oz instead... and on the line 'Underneath there is somebody new' rips away the tux to reveal a black blouse and skintight gold jeans.
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady: Emma describes him as looking like an eleven year-old milkmaid, and one of Sue's nicknames for him is "Ladyface". Also has a tendency to show up in women's clothing, including skirts - and not look too bad in them.

"Kurt: I'm so depressed I've worn the same outfit twice this week."
 * More than a few straight male viewers were wondering who that cute blonde girl in "Hairography" was, only to realize afterwards it was just Kurt in a wig.
 * And then there's the time he and Blaine went trick-or-treating in costume as Snooki and The Situation...
 * Easily Forgiven: . Finn apologizes to Kurt for using homophobic language. Kurt has yet to make apologies for sexual harassment, or for contributing to Finn's BSOD. Burt most likely forgave Finn off-screen, as he was acting on impulse when he overheard their argument.
 * Giving up his duet with Sam in 2x04 can be read as a tacit apology - for the things Finn actually merited an apology for, at least, not the overblown, offensive and actively harmful garbage Finn spewed at him in that episode.
 * Blaine, after the incredibly cold-hearted and callous way that Kurt broke off their engagement with no prior warning, which caused Blaine to enter such deep depression that he failed out of school! Considering that Kurt attended the same school, that means he had to have been ignoring Blaine pretty studiously to not notice how badly he had emotionally damaged him. Although Blaine said he'd never forgive Kurt for what he done, when next they met back in Lima, Blaine immediately forgave Kurt.
 * The Fashionista: The fact that Kurt protests being thrown into the dumpster mostly because it would mess up his Marc Jacobs fall collection really shows how much this kid cares about his fashion.

"Kurt: Go with God, Satan. [handwaves] Santana."
 * Feminine Women Can Cook: Kurt is the only boy in the Home Economic class.
 * Flying Under the Gaydar: Twice, once in 01x04 (trying to explain to his father why he was dancing to Beyoncé) and again in 01x18 . Subverted on both occasions as his dad knows exactly what's going on.
 * Foregone Conclusion: It was never a question of if, it was a matter of when..
 * Freudian Slip: In "Prom Queen":

"Kurt: I swear to God, I'm gonna punch the next person who calls me a stereotype."
 * Graceful Loser: In Season 3, he's really upset to lose out on the lead role in West Side Story and the class presidential race, but warmly congratulates the people who won.
 * Grease Monkey: It’s implied that for all his Camp Gay mannerisms, Kurt is actually both knowledgeable about and comfortable around cars, being the son of a mechanic, to the point that both father and son work on a car in "Wheels".
 * Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: Subverted. Kurt's ill-fated attempt at acting straight and dating Brittany essentially served to poke holes in the tired and logically-flawed "How do you know you're gay if you've never been with the opposite sex?" argument. Burt claims he's known Kurt was gay since age three, when all he wanted for his birthday was "a pair of sensible heels."
 * He Is Not My Boyfriend: Insists (accurately, as of 2x10) that Blaine is not his boyfriend, though he is willing to admit to Mr Schue that he is attracted to Blaine..
 * He's All Grown Up: Chris Colfer was an adorable baby penguin for the first thirteen episodes. The point at which you realized what a fine young man he'd turned into varies from fan to fan. "The Power of Madonna"? "Never Been Kissed"?
 * Hidden Depths: Fashionable queeny soprano ... who enjoyed playing football, has read Sun Tzu, knows his way around the inside of a car, and is seriously smart.
 * During the "Funk" episode, we see his voice, which has previously remained in the high tenor range, extends to a baritone/bass with "Tear the Roof Off."
 * Hypocrite: A problem with his character in the earlier seasons. Despite being adamant that his homosexuality was an immutable part of who he was, he seemed to seriously believe that he could change Finn's by causing him to question his relationship with Rachel and literally getting him moved into Kurt's own bedroom. He made a slightly less aggressive attempt on Sam. Kurt also tended to express open disdain for others and their fashion choices even as he felt that it was unfair that he himself was picked on. He also tends to dismiss the idea that there is, or should be, any difference between "male" or "female" performance roles, but invariably favors female ones and becomes angry if forced to perform with the guys instead of the girls. Eventually he matures out of most of this.
 * In "Blame It on the Alcohol", Kurt makes a biphobic comment when Blaine decides to go on a date with Rachel, after having shared a kiss with her during an alcohol-fueled party. He's quick to accuse others of simply having issues with him being gay when he doesn't want to own up to some of his mistakes, as he did in "Duets" after being called out on seducing Finn and not caring that his behavior was seriously inappropriate, but yet he doesn't feel the need to entertain accepting bisexual people for who they are. Blaine even compares him to Dave Karofsky and how he didn't like Kurt being proud of who he was, just to further stress the point.
 * In "The Break Up", Kurt tells Blaine, in no uncertain terms, that feeling isolated from him does not mean that Blaine should go acting on a temptation to cheat, because Kurt knew what that meant and that something horrible would happen when he had those temptations. It seems that Kurt still thinks his actions in "Dance With Somebody" can't be considered cheating, since in that episode, he confided in a boy named Chandler he met at the local music store and had an emotional affair with him via texting. He tells both Rachel and Blaine that he was doing this because he felt the latter had been distant while dismissing the whole thing as innocent, with both of them even calling Kurt out on deciding to cheat on him instead of just talking to him about the rut they were in.
 * Hypocritical Heartwarming: In "Funk", after learning about what Vocal Adrenaline did to Rachel, Kurt declares, "Mr. Schue, Rachel is one of us. We're the only ones who get to humiliate her."
 * I Just Want to Be Loved: The explanation for his schemes, basically comes out and says it in "Duets". See also Love Makes You Crazy.
 * Incompatible Orientation: Mercedes and Brittany wanting to date Kurt, and Kurt wanting to date Finn and Sam.
 * It's All About Me: This could perhaps be considered Kurt's Fatal Flaw, and it is most clear in regards to his love life. After Burt tells him in "Duets" that he called Carole and got the whole story behind those homophobic comments Finn made when they were roommates, Kurt reveals that being too caught up in his ridiculous fantasies to accept that both Finn and Sam are straight and still trying to seduce them comes from feeling isolated as the only gay kid in his school. He eventually meets openly gay Blaine Anderson and soon falls in love with him, but things get complicated when a game of spin the bottle during Rachel's house party for the New Directions results in her and Blaine kissing, and Blaine subsequently wondering whether he might be bisexual. Kurt thereby denies the existence of bisexuality, telling Blaine that he admired how proud he was of who he was and how he's not happy that Blaine's tiptoeing back into the closet. Kurt wasn't inclined to let someone he was interested in define their sexuality in a way that lessened his chances of being with them, although he did start to get better about these selfish tendencies once he and Blaine finally became an Official Couple - see "Asian F", where he brings Blaine flowers to congratulate him on getting the part that Kurt had desperately wanted.
 * "I Want" Song: Kurt’s rendition of "Rose’s Turn" in 1x18 fits under this.
 * Jerkass Facade: Heavily implied. Especially proven in "Duets", when he almost cries after Rachel says to him that there are twelve people in Glee club who loves him just the way he is and that, although he's lonely, he is not alone.
 * Lampshade Hanging: Semi-in-universe example: Chris Colfer's poem at the final Glee Live show in Dublin, delivered in-character as Kurt, lampshades practically every major statement critics have made about him.
 * Lampshade Hanging: Semi-in-universe example: Chris Colfer's poem at the final Glee Live show in Dublin, delivered in-character as Kurt, lampshades practically every major statement critics have made about him.

"Kurt: Oh Mercedes, you had me at "fabulous hat.""
 * Like Parent, Like Spouse: It's not a nice thought, but Finn does have noticeable similarities in personality and interests to Kurt's father, as evidenced by how well they get along at the end of "Home".
 * Increasingly averted in Season Two, as has little in common with Burt besides liking college football. It seems the only real characteristic Kurt's love interests need to share with his father are kindness and genuine acceptance.
 * Love Makes You Crazy: Hoo boy.
 * Magical Queer: Subverted. Sure, Kurt seems like the helpful gay pal, giving our hetero hero and heroine relationship advice and even an attention-drawing makeover, but the only attention the 'makeover' was designed to draw was looks of horror from Finn and the 'advice' was tailored to try and turn Finn off women completely and become more receptive to a, shall we say, Grecian style of romance.
 * Manic Pixie Dream Boy: To Blaine, most notably in the skits of the Glee Live tour. Between the bouncing and the posing and the squeeing, he comes off as a cross between this and Draco Malfoy.
 * Man in a Kilt: His prom outfit.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He's not exactly Princess Azula or even Princess Diana in terms of effectiveness and subtlety, but see Magical Queer above and Stalker With A Crush below for some of the head games he's pulled.
 * Missing Mom
 * Mistaken for Cheating: With Sam in "Rumours".
 * Moe: Extremely, and his enormous Puppy Dog Eyes don't hurt. Though depending on the episode he sometimes enters "Moe Blob" territory.
 * N-Word Privileges: Does not like being called "lady" or anything similar, unless it's himself or a close friend: e.g. Kurt's "I bring a glass of warm milk to Finn every night just so that we can have a little lady-chat" in "Sue Sylvester Shuffle", and Rachel's "Ladies, we have a problem" to Kurt and Mercedes in "Audition", which he rolls his eyes indignantly at (remember that at the time, Rachel and Kurt had yet to really become friends).
 * Nice Hat: He has a penchant for interesting headgear choices, such as fedoras and Banzai bandannas, and in the season 1 finale, a sailor hat. A little unexpected since boys are normally not allowed to wear hats in school. In "Grilled Cheesus", he goes to Mercedes' church when she says he can wear one.
 * Nice Hat: He has a penchant for interesting headgear choices, such as fedoras and Banzai bandannas, and in the season 1 finale, a sailor hat. A little unexpected since boys are normally not allowed to wear hats in school. In "Grilled Cheesus", he goes to Mercedes' church when she says he can wear one.

"Kurt: That's called taking one for the team. Would any of your football buddies do that for you?"
 * Not So Different: Blaine points out that Kurt's biphobia makes him similar to Karofsky in his bigotry.
 * Odd Friendship:
 * As of "Journey", Kurt and Quinn seem to have started this, possibly thanks to the fact that they both have a close mutual friend, Mercedes.
 * Another one is Kurt and Brittany (before she ), hanging out with him and doing the "Single Ladies" dance despite being a Cheerio and Kurt being in Glee.
 * He and Rachel seem to be heading in this direction as well. Although their friendship is only odd in the context of the show, where they hated each other for a long time. Otherwise, it makes sense for them to be friends: they have the most similar taste in music, and as the daughter of gay parents, Rachel can probably understand Kurt's situation a little better than their other classmates can. Cemented in "Born This Way" with the Flashmob scene.
 * Platonic Life Partners: His friendship with Mercedes, which is one of the most heartwarming things about the show.
 * Puppy Dog Eyes: Possibly even worse than Finn's, they're huge and blue and possibly the primary reason you love him even when you want to slap him. For an excellent example, just watch him persuading Ms. Holliday to teach Glee club in "Substitute".
 * Real Men Wear Pink: Reversed. he's the Camp Gay who plays football and fixes cars.
 * Spoiled Sweet: Sure, he has his dad wrapped around his little finger... but said dad otherwise works hard to keep him down-to-earth, and despite Kurt's immense capacity for cattiness, he's never approached the kind of casual cruelty that character like Quinn, Santana or Puck find normal.
 * Stalker with a Crush: Even though his love for Finn was doomed from the start, it hasn't stopped him from doing some rather creepy things in an effort to get close to him. Some of his schemes include manipulating Finn into exposing Quinn's pregnancy to her parents, tricking Rachel into dressing like a "sad clown hooker", and.
 * Stuffed Into a Trashcan: Tossed into dumpsters all the time in the first season.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial: He certainly did not steal Sue's "Physical" video from her locked file cabinet when she sent him to get her hormone injection before Cheerios practice.
 * Taking the Bullet: In the first season, Finn rejoins the football team and in order to prove his loyalty to them, is told he must give a slushie facial to either Kurt or one of his friends. He's hesitating because he "knows how particular Kurt is about what products go on his face." Kurt's response is to grab the Slushie out of Finn's hand and splash on his own face:
 * Taking the Bullet: In the first season, Finn rejoins the football team and in order to prove his loyalty to them, is told he must give a slushie facial to either Kurt or one of his friends. He's hesitating because he "knows how particular Kurt is about what products go on his face." Kurt's response is to grab the Slushie out of Finn's hand and splash on his own face:

"Kurt: I've tried watching those movies, but I just get horribly depressed because they were all kids once and they all had mothers and what would their mothers say? And why would you get a tattoo there?"
 * Transparent Closet: But as far as Mercedes is concerned, it may as well have been made of lead until he comes out to her. He has also mentioned he has only come out to her and his father. In "Laryngitis", pretty much no one is fooled by his "straight boy" charade except the dim-witted Brittany, who takes it as an opportunity to add him to her list of boys she's kissed.
 * Uke: Not a clear-cut example, but he's more this than The Twink, especially in his scenes with Blaine where aspects of the trope are intentionally played up. In contrast to the most standard manifestations however, it's Kurt who's pursuing Blaine rather than the other way around.
 * Unlimited Wardrobe: Burt can apparently afford to buy all his son's designer clothes. Mechanics make decent money, and that's when they don't own their own store like Burt does--the Hummels aren't hurting for money.
 * It's actually stated in supplemental materials (like the Season 1 Volume 2 DVD) that Kurt doesn't wear designer clothes, but rather sews and tailors his own hand-me-downs and thrift store pieces to resemble designer outfits.
 * This is confirmed in "Prom Queen" when Kurt states that he made his (extremely professional-looking) prom outfit himself. In order to make that outfit to that standard, he'd have to have had a lot of practice on other garments.
 * Viewer Gender Confusion: In-universe. Emma also said that he looked like an eleven-year old Milkmaid, and Sam mistook Kurt's voice for Faith Hill's.
 * Virginity Makes You Stupid: Discussed in 2x15. Kurt pretty much doesn't want to know about sex, preferring to romanticize it completely. This is rather justified by the fact that he's always been discouraged from acting on his feelings for other boys, but Blaine worries that with this attitude, Kurt's first time will end up being the exact "lecherous predator seduces helpless naif" scenario that is a staple of this trope. Still, it's worth it for Kurt's thoughts on gay porn:


 * What the Hell, Hero?: In the second season, Kurt gets called out by his father for his inappropriate behavior towards Finn.
 * Also when he openly states his belief that there are no such thing as Bisexuals. This promptly gets him called out by everyone for the fact that he often plays the "Homophobia-Card", yet seems to think he is allowed to get away with biphobic comments. Blaine even compares him to Karofsky and his bigotry. However, this was one of many cases of Kurt's It's All About Me mentality overriding his alleged principles. At the time he was romantically interested in Blaine, and Blaine was the one questioning whether he himself might be bisexual and attracted to Rachel. As was the case with Finn, Kurt wasn't inclined to let somebody else that he was interested in define their own sexuality in a way that might lessen his chances of getting with them.
 * Wimpification: Interesting semi-in universe example. Several of the images in this article from Entertainment Weekly portray Kurt as looking rather demure towards and much shorter than Blaine. However, Kurt is much more acerbic on the actual show, and Chris Colfer is significantly taller than Darren Criss in real life.

Mercedes Jones


"Oh, hell to the nah! Look, I'm not down with this background singing nonsense!, I'm Beyoncé, I ain't no Kelly Rowland!"

A brassy, Sassy Black Girl in the Glee club. It appears her main job is to soulfully belt out in the last twenty seconds of the group numbers. Her strong voice and diva tendencies sometimes put her at odds with Rachel, especially since the latter gets more leads. Played by Amber Riley.


 * Betty and Veronica: She could be considered the Betty to Santana’s Veronica in their competition for Puck.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Mercedes is a loyal friend to Kurt, and has Quinn stay with her when pregnant, but when Kurt said he didn't want to date her, she smashed his car's windshield.
 * Big Beautiful Woman: Her performance of "Sweet Transvestite" finally shows off her sexy side.
 * Big Eater: Becomes this in "The Substitute".
 * Brilliant but Lazy: Touched upon near the end of Season 2 and brought to a head in Season 3. She has an excellent voice, and many people have said she's as good as, if not better than, Rachel (including Rachel). However, she rarely practices and is often late to rehearsals, fakes stomach pains, shows less camaraderie, and still feels entitled for lead roles solely on her talent..
 * Catch Phrase: "Hell to the no!" In "Original Song", she writes a song about it.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Easily Forgiven: Mercedes throws a brick through the windshield of Kurt's new car. It does provide the dramatic impetus for her to sing an awesome rendition of "Bust Your Windows", though.
 * Fag Hag: For Kurt, as lampshaded by Sue: "Future center square Kurt Hummel and his brassy hag, Mercedes."
 * The Fashionista: Not as much as Kurt, but she has some level of it.
 * Foe Yay: With Santana in "Duets".
 * Green-Eyed Monster: She is very envious of all the attention the club gives Rachel.
 * Ham-to-Ham Combat: Her "diva-off" with Rachel could be considered this.
 * Hard Work Hardly Works: Most of the time. This is shown to be a problem in Season 3, though.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Shane in Season Three.
 * I Just Want to Be Loved: The main reason she believed Kurt liked her, and why she dated Puck. She cites this as her reason for not going to prom because she's dateless, too.
 * Imagined Innuendo: Mercedes suspects that Kurt is gay... at least until the cheerleaders tell her he likes her. Then she interprets every time they hang out as a date. Unfortunately, her first instincts were correct.
 * Incompatible Orientation: Mercedes and Kurt.
 * Les Yay: With Quinn, to the point where Mercedes invites her to live with her. Not to mention that when Quinn.
 * The aforementioned Diva-off with Rachel can come across as this, especially when you remember that the original version of the song is about a lesbian couple arguing.
 * Like Brother and Sister: Mercedes and Kurt have this kind of friendship, as they are extremely close and one of the show's most heartwarming friendships.
 * Looking for Love In All the Wrong Places: First Kurt, then Puck.
 * Love Makes You Dumb: She gets a big crush on Kurt, which makes her oblivious to his obvious homosexuality until he spells it out for her.
 * Meat-O-Vision: Mercedes suffers from this in "Home".
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: As awesome as her performance of "Beautiful" was, it caused a journalist to scrap his expose on Sue as a total bitch and heap undeserved praises on her instead.
 * Odd Friendship: With Quinn, who even.
 * Pair the Spares: As of "New York", with Sam, who gives her a hug after "Light Up the World" and is seen going with her on a date at the Lima Bean later, despite the fact that they previously hadn't interacted much before "Prom Queen". Their relationship is fleshed out more in Season 3.
 * Platonic Life Partners: Her friendship with Kurt.
 * The Prima Donna: Flanderized in "Night of Neglect", but in general, she is a diva and proud of it.
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Rachel in "Asian F", which has been a long time in coming.
 * Sassy Black Woman: As mentioned above.
 * Sesquipedalian Smith
 * Staying with Friends: In "Funk", Mercedes offers to let Quinn stay at her house as long as she needs to after Quinn's father had coldly kicked her out.
 * Technician vs. Performer: The Performer to Rachel's Technician; Mercedes relies on a boatload of natural talent and not so much on rehearsal.
 * Token Minority: She seems to be a walking stereotype, despite her saying being a proud black woman isn't all she is. Although the back nine gave her a bit of character development with some I Just Want to Be Loved story lines.
 * Token Shipping: With Shane.
 * Technician vs. Performer: The Performer to Rachel's Technician; Mercedes relies on a boatload of natural talent and not so much on rehearsal.
 * Token Minority: She seems to be a walking stereotype, despite her saying being a proud black woman isn't all she is. Although the back nine gave her a bit of character development with some I Just Want to Be Loved story lines.
 * Token Shipping: With Shane.

Arthur "Artie" Abrams


"But I wanna be very clear, I still have the use of my penis."

A wheelchair-using member of New Directions. Is also in the Jazz Band and plays electric guitar. He was dating Tina, but she dumped him for Mike over the summer, causing Artie to get together with Brittany. Played by Kevin McHale.


 * Adorkable: Fits Artie to a T.
 * Aint No Rule: Against him joining the football team (there actually would be, but this is a comedy).
 * Alliterative Name
 * Badass Boast: "We're planning on smacking them down like the hand of God."
 * Beta Couple:
 * Arguable, but the Artie/Tina coupling could be considered the Beta Couple for Finn/Rachel, Quinn/Puck and Will/Emma and there is no doubt that, in comparison, they are a far more stable couple.
 * Kevin McHale compares Artie and Tina to Corey and Topanga from Boy Meets World saying that although they have their ups and their downs they will always be together (doesn't seem to be the case in Season 2, though).
 * Big Damn Heroes: In "Brittany/Britney", Artie parks himself between Finn and Karofsky and Azimio to stop a fight that could leave Finn both hurt and in serious trouble at school.
 * Bi the Way: While not official yet, a lot of his comments in Season Three seem to be pointing to this.
 * Brutal Honesty: "Well, you're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally."
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Disabled Snarker
 * Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: Subverted - when Artie finds out that, he is genuinely bothered by it..
 * Handicapped Badass: While his disability doesn't hinder his singing talent, Artie still fits this to a T.
 * Hidden Depths: A seemingly pathetic, wheelchair-bound nerd... who plays guitar, sings, dances, raps (pretty damn well too) and engages in Def Poetry. And he still has full use of his penis.
 * Hollywood Nerd: All of the gleeks but Artie in particular.
 * I Can't Believe A Girl Like You Would Notice Me: With Brittany.
 * I Just Want to Be Normal: Part of the reason Artie is so doggone nice to everyone, he has a hard enough time trying to get people to see past the chair.
 * Limited Wardrobe: Played with, although he doesn't wear the same thing twice Artie almost always wears a button-up shirt, sweater or sweater vest and converse sneakers. Aside from various costumes for glee club I can't think of any time he's worn anything different.
 * A Man Is Not a Virgin: Subverted in Season One, though he would like you to know he has the full use of his penis.
 * And heartbreakingly played straight in "Duets", when he.
 * Megane
 * Nerds Are Sexy: The fans agree with Tina that Artie is just too cute for words.
 * Nice Shoes: As mentioned under Limited Wardrobe, Artie has a serious thing for Converse sneakers, despite not being able to walk the show somehow still manages to focus on them.
 * Odd Friendship: Artie and Rachel seem to have developed a subtle one, despite Rachel not believing in Artie and Artie flat-out disdaining Rachel's drama queen moments.
 * And now it seems he's forming one with Finn. It seems like Artie is taking Puck's place as Finn's best friend, since Puck's actions last season have obviously distanced the two.
 * And now he's struck up another one with Puck! Artie is really picking some odd match-ups for friends.
 * Let's just cut to the chase, Artie and everyone. He's like the Wolverine of Glee in that all of his friendships are a little odd.
 * Only Sane Man: Among the members of the Glee club, he is often the most down to earth and by far the least dramatic. This, combined with his often subtly sarcastic dialogue, makes him the best candidate among the group for the title.
 * Operation: Jealousy: Initially hangs around Brittany to make Tina jealous after she dumped him for Mike. They soon become an actual couple after the fact that they actually do like each other and aren't in it to make their ex-girlfriends jealous comes to light.
 * Pair the Spares: With both Tina and Brittany.
 * Poke the Poodle: Artie spikes the punch bowl at the prom... with lemonade.
 * Pretty Fly for a White Guy:
 * Averted. Artie actually is pretty fly (the best example so far is his part in the glee club's performance of "Push It").
 * His performance of "Can't Touch This" is possibly better than Hammer's.
 * Not to mention "The Safety Dance" in 1x19.
 * In "Throwdown", as the minority students are leaving the room after a whole group performance, Artie says "Bye, white people!"
 * The Rival: Played for Laughs, but just see the interaction between Sebastian and Artie in "Michael", especially in Bad and later in Black And White. It reeks of two rival gang leaders trying to best each other
 * Serenade Your Lover:.
 * Sorry, Billy, But You Just Don't Have Legs: Artie's dream of.
 * Stuffed Into a Locker: Er... port-a-potty.
 * Sweater Guy: Artie almost always wears a sweater or a sweater vest.
 * Token Minority Couple: With Tina in Season 1.
 * Took a Level in Jerkass: In Season 3, being a director goes seriously to his head.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Artie to Tina, after Tina reveals she . He gets his own when he.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Artie to Tina, after Tina reveals she . He gets his own when he.

Tina Cohen-Chang


"Even though I'm painfully shy and obsessed with death, I'm a really effervescent person."

A goth Asian member of the Glee Club who had initially faked a stutter to avoid having to sing. Was dating Artie but dumped him for Mike. Played by Jenna Ushkowitz.

"Tina: Asian kiss?"
 * Advertised Extra: Much of the time. You can definitely tell that the writers progressively lost interest in the character the further into development and production the series got, especially when other popular characters started to emerge.
 * Ambiguously Jewish: Tina might not be Ambiguously Jewish - the name might just be a tribute to the actress playing her, Jenna Ushkowitz, an Asian-American with a pretty Jewish-sounding last name. Then again, who knows?
 * Beta Couple: In the first season, the Tina/Artie coupling could be considered the Beta Couple for Finn/Rachel, Quinn/Puck and Will/Emma and there is no doubt that, in comparison, they are a far more stable couple. In the second season, it's Mike/Tina that's the most stable couple in the series - they've been together for the entire second season, with their problems being quite minor in comparison to, say, Will/Emma or Finn/Rachel.
 * Brown Eyes: It's revealed in "Born This Way" that she's rather insecure about them.
 * Character Development: Very quietly, in the background of the series, Tina has shed much of her shyness, gained a voice and considerable (if sometimes slightly shaky) confidence, and turned into a very good dancer. It's even started to earn her actual plots.
 * In fact, her whole history on the show was basically summarized during the beginning of Season 3 Episode 20 "Props", all of it ending it with, "Wasn't she the girl with the stutter?"
 * A Day in The Spotlight: Finally, in Season 3, we get an episode that gives Tina an actual plot. And it's awesome.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita: Especially in Season 2.
 * Foot Focus: In "Prom Queen", when the girls are showing Kurt their dresses for his approval, she's the only one that's barefoot and shots of her a framed so at least one of her feet is in on-camera.
 * The Heart: Established as this in "Props", though she doesn't accept it until the end of the episode.
 * Multicolored Hair: She's often seen with streaks in her hair.
 * Obfuscating Disability: Her stuttering was an act she originally developed to avoid having to do an oral presentation.
 * One Steve Limit: Averted. She and Mike both have the last name "Chang" (hyphenated, in her case), with no indication they're related. Additionally, there's a Vocal Adrenaline member named Andrea "Cohen".
 * Lampshaded in "Extraordinarily Merry Christmas", where the Star Wars-themed opening introduces them as "Mike Chang and Tina Cohen-Chang, no relation!"
 * Perky Goth: Lampshaded in Episode 20: "Even though I'm shy and obsessed with death I have a very effervescent personality!"
 * Satellite Character: To the point where her boyfriend Mike, who literally started as an extra, ended up with more stories dedicated to him.
 * Shrinking Violet: Initially.
 * Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Tina’s romance with Artie, the most easygoing and one of the most good-natured member of the Glee Club, might have some foundations in this. There's also the fact that after Artie started insulting her outfits, she dropped him for Mike Chang.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * Throwing Off the Disability: In "Wheels", Tina reveals to Artie that she's been faking her stutter to avoid people, and wants to stop. Artie takes it badly.
 * Token Minority Couple: With Mike, which apparently blossomed when they were both counselors at "Asian camp". Also, it's lampshaded all the time.


 * Tsundere: In Season One, we saw mostly the dere-dere side, because Tina was so shy. In Season Two, we're getting more of the tsun-tsun. Poor Mike and Artie are not happy about it.
 * Twofer Token Minority: She's Asian and Ambiguously Jewish to boot!
 * Her having a stutter would have also qualified if she hadn't thrown it off halfway through Season 1.
 * Unlimited Wardrobe: While her clothes might not be as stylish as Kurt's, sometimes they are just as elaborate.
 * Zettai Ryouiki