Degrassi/Characters/Graduating Class of Season 11

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Mia Jones

Mia Jones (Seasons 6-9)

Played by Nina Dobrev

“When I was 12, I had this perfect future lined up...then life happened. I had a daughter at 13 and suddenly I didn't come first anymore. I had to accept a reality that was very different than the one I once imagined.”

Introduced in season 6, transferring from her old school Lakehurst High. When she was just 13 years old, she got pregnant by Lucas Valieri and had a daughter named Isabella. She wants to have the best high school experience and live out her life which conflicts with her new role as a mother. She has a desperate need for acceptance and love. In season 8, she starts modeling and even lands a high-profile campaign in part of (well, maybe) her sleeping with a football player to score the gig. In season 9, she is picked as the "Euro Fresh Face" and she moves to Paris along with her mother and Isabella.

Holly J. Sinclair

Holly J. Sinclair (Seasons 7-11)

Played by Charlotte Arnold

"I didn't become president so that I can make friends and have people love me. I did it so that I can do things MY way."

She was the alpha female at Lakehurst, and soon found herself at the top of Degrassi's social ladder. She is manipulative, cunning, and bitchy to anyone who steps in her way. This is a cover for her deep social awkwardness -- she only has one true friend and she cannot relate to people well. Her family runs into financial troubles, which causes Holly J to soften a bit and relate to her peers. In season 10, her family debt has reached a new low and she's worried about her future. So some of her old habits came back in full swing during the school's student council elections. However, once she realized just how much she was sacrificing just to be with Declan in the States for college, she halted the relationship with him. Later, she develops kidney failure and is in needed of a transplant, and in that process of finding a donor, she discovers she's adopted. After some transplant drama, she gets the surgery and she's headed for Yale University.

Anya MacPherson

Anya MacPherson (Seasons 7-11)

Played by Samantha Munro

“Anya, Jane's right. You need to get a life, one that doesn't revolve waiting around for your boyfriend to call.”

Anya is Holly J's best friend and former doormat. She was scared of what would happen should she actually stand up to her, until Holly J undermined her leadership role in a community project. She was deeply in love with Sav Bhandari, but his issues with his family drove them apart. She is also a bit immature for her age, and a little air-headed and a bit of a closet geek as she particpates in LARPing. In season 10, she discovers her mother has cancer. Anya's mother defeats cancer, but Anya ends up with a crush on her mother's doctor. However, an attempt at a relationship fails, and on top of that her post-Degrassi plans fall apart. She spirals of out control by having a one-night stand with Owen and taking cocaine. However, she gets through her self-doubt and plans on joining the Canadian military after high school.

Sav Bhandari

Savtaj "Sav" Bhandari (Seasons 7-11)

Played by Raymond Ablack

“You have this perfect image of me....but I have to sacrifice all these things; the love of my life, music, friends just to live up to your unrealistic expectations.”

Sav is highly sought after by the female population of Degrassi -- he's cute, funny, and nice -- but he had his eyes set on one girl, Anya MacPherson. Despite his reputation as the hot guy, he's still immature for his age. He is arranged to be married to another Muslim girl, but he was in love with Anya. He continuously strains against his parents' (mainly his father's) rules. He's musically gifted, but his father does not wants him to pursue it as a career. Sav starts off his senior year as the Big Man on Campus leading him to run for, and win, Student Council President over Holly J. Despite his victory, he becomes attracted to Holly J and the both of them decide to have a fling before graduation. This goes on until Holly J decides that she's not in love with Sav. He plans on being a music major in college.

Riley Stavros

Riley Stavros (Seasons 8-11)

Played by Argiris Karras

“Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be the star athlete with lots of friends and a hot girlfriend...I don't want to be like this.”

Riley is the star player on Degrassi's football team. He is very gifted in the sport along with most other sports, and he is also popular. He hides a secret, however: He is gay and deeply in the closet. The constant worrying about someone stumbling onto his secret plagues him and he has deep set anger issues. But through the help of his friend Peter and boyfriend Zane, he grows more comfortable with himself, comes out, and conquers his anger issues. However, he is found out by is mother and she is deeply in denial. He even breaks up with Zane because he didn't want to put Zane though anymore Gayngst with his family. But in the end, his mother accepts him. He will attend Eastern University (with Zane) and plans to be one of the first openly gay pro football players.

  • Adorkable: He has his moments, particularly his awkwardness with dealing with coming out.
  • Armoured Closet Gay: Seasons 8-9, and then through half of season 10.
  • The Atoner: Much of his development is him trying to conquer his anger problems and become a better person. In fact, most of his relationship dynamic with Zane is him trying to please Zane.
  • The Beard: While he was using Fiona as his sexuality beard, she was using him to keep guys from hitting on her.
  • Big Man on Campus: Holly J. specifically refers to him as such in season 9.
  • Berserk Button: DON'T make fun of his sexuality, EVER. Homophobia in general and picking on Zane have become this as well.
  • Brains and Brawn: Zane is a lot more well spoken and worldly than Riley. Riley usually trips over his words, and lacks tact, from inadvertently insulting Zane's ex to announcing his bathroom plans. This is arguably another aspect of his Flanderization, as in season 8 he's never shown to be unintelligent.
  • Character Development: Justified as coming to terms with sexuality is far more gripping than relationship drama.
  • Coming Out Story
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Him against Sav, and then both times against Owen.
  • Cure Your Gays: He actually seeks out a sexuality reparation therapist in season 9. It doesn't work.
  • Estrogen Brigade Bait: Though he tends to have a bigger fanbase among gay fans than girl fans.
  • Flanderization: His anger got played up a lot more after season 8. In season 8, he only got physically violent after he'd been on steroids and Sav was trying to take his phone from him whenever his gay crush was texting him, and then called him gay as an insult. Starting in season 9, however, he'll fly off the handle over much lesser issues. Beat It was particularly bad because it kind of sort of had him force himself on Fiona even though in literally every instance in which he interacts with women he's nicer and kinder towards them than he is with guys. Also in season 10 and 11 he's portrayed as Dumb Muscle although in earlier seasons he's never shown to be unintelligent or below average.
  • Gay Aesop
  • Gayngst
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Part of his Flanderization.
  • Hunk
  • Homoerotic Subtext: with Peter.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: his reason for breaking up with Zane to spare him from his family drama.
  • Jerk Jock: A subversion. He originally had a few traits of this, but this was really due to his fear and self-hatred, and also he needed to put on a show of what he thought was a "real man." In stark contrast, he turned out to be surprisingly tender with a liking for Indie Swedish films, was always kinder and gentler to women, and is possibly the only jock type character to have never bullied anyone.
  • Lovable Jock
  • Manly Gay: Total football jock, complete with Carpet of Virility and Lantern Jaw of Justice.
  • Mistaken for Cheating: Zane accused him of doing so after looking at his cell phone even though Riley's given him literally no reason to not trust him.
  • Nice Guy: He is a good and caring person and tries to do the right thing and be a good boyfriend, though is undoubtedly still capable of dealing out the pain.
  • Momma's Boy: His mom still brings him breakfast in bed and cleans his room, and he eventually caves into her manipulations after coming out to her.
  • Raging Stiffie: After seeing the hot lifeguard give mouth-to-mouth.
  • Retcon: He was originally a part of the class of 2008, but he is now part of the 2011 class because his storyline proved interesting. Also, at the end of season 9 he seemed to come out of the closet, even kissing a guy he barely knows full on the lips in public, but then at the start of season 10 is back in the closet again.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Peter and Zane.
  • Invisible to Gaydar: He and Zane are quite literally the poster boys.
  • You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry:You really would not.

Chantay Black

Chantay Black (Seasons 4-11)

Played by Jajube Mandiela

“And remember, in five years, when you turn on Etalk or pick up a copy of Us Weekly, look for my name because my future will be all about reporting those juicy details.”

Introduced in season 4, she only became more prominent in the series in season 8. She has a knack for gossip and spreading rumors throughout the halls of Degrassi. She's even the writer of the Anti-Grapevine, a blog reporting all the gossip around the school. In season 9, she begins to date Danny Van Zandt, whom she liked since junior high. She loves her school and plays a key role in organizing clubs and groups. She is the Power Squad captain in season 10, succeeding Holly J and Mia. When Power Squad (and other clubs) are disbanded in season 10, she takes action against Principal Snake and they figure out a truce. She's headed to university after Degrassi.

Leia Chang

Leia Chang (Seasons 8-10)

Played by Judy Jiao

“We're going to my place to watch Lost. You're invited, but no liar Leia.”

Introduced in season 8, as a girl who transferred from a ballet school. There isn't a lot that's very interesting about her which is probably why she starts lying compulsively in order to make her self seem important. She went out with Danny for awhile until she got dumped due to the relationship not working out. She's mainly a friend to Anya.

Blue Chessex

Blue Chessex (Seasons 8-9)

Played by Jordan Hudyma

“According to the Anti-Grapevine, he's had many flowers. And they've all been very happy afterwards.”

A laid-back artist who's truly passionate about art and the female form. He is rumored to be a huge player who has had sex a lot. He was really interested in Holly J and they both dated for awhile until they broke up over his idolization of her.

Declan Coyne

Declan Coyne (Seasons 9-10)

Played by Landon Liboiron

“He's a spoiled rich kid. Thinks he can live by different rules.”

The son of a wealthy diplomat, Declan has lived in some of the most exotic locations of the world along with his twin sister Fiona. He is charming and sophisticated and just a bit mischievous. He instantly causes drama at Degrassi by interfering with Jane's relationship with Spinner and pulling out all the stops to woo Holly J. As senior year starts, he's attending Vanderbilt Prep and maintaining a long-distance relationship with Holly J until they can go to Yale together. Holly J halts the relationship due to feeling smothered into being the perfect girlfriend. He tries getting her back into his life and pressures her into sex. He is disgusted with himself as soon as he finds out how uncomfortable Holly J was and their relationship is now in doubt, despite them both being accepted into Yale.

Zane Park

Zane Park (Seasons 9-11)

Played by Shannon Kook-Chun

“I thought football was something we could do together. But now that I'm here, I like it. And I'm not going to let football-jerkwad Riley treat me like a leper.”

Zane is Riley's friend and later, boyfriend. He is also gay and out of the closet. Unlike Riley, he is comfortable in his own skin which leads to them butting heads when Zane joins the football team in order to spend time with him. In the end, Zane convinces Riley to come out of the closet. Riley's family however, it's a different story. Riley breaks up with Zane then rather put him through his drama. His future plans include going to Eastern University -- with Riley.

  • Brains and Brawn: With Riley.
  • Closet Key: Though Riley was already half-way out.
  • Fake Canadian: Kook-Chun is South African, and has the accent to prove it when not in character.
  • Flamboyant Gay | Invisible to Gaydar: Somewhere in-between the two, leaning more toward Invisible to Gaydar. His Twitter shows an interest in fine arts and fashion, and.... that's it, really. He's only flamboyant compared to Riley.
  • Gayngst: A by-product of Riley's actions.
  • Jerkass: Alternate Character Interpretation sees him as such. A big example of this would be whenever he tries to guilt trip Riley into coming out to his family, even though it has absolutely no effect on Zane and Riley's relationship whatsoever, and that Riley already had come out to his mom and got rewarded for it by having her refuse to look him in the eye or speak in complete sentences to him for months afterwards.
  • Left Hanging: Invoked - Will Riley and Zane rekindle their relationship in college?
  • Magical Queer: Helps Riley out with his sexuality and coming out.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Shows some hints of this. For example, whenever Drew was gaybashing Riley and threatening to out him, Zane tried to use this opportunity to make Riley come out. Another instance would be whenever Zane tries to guilt trip Riley into coming out to his homophobic family even though it's actually Riley's birthday.
  • Pretty Boy
  • Promotion to Opening Titles
  • Satellite Character: He's not really that two-dimensional, but most of his characterization is based around Riley.
  • Wise Beyond His Years
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