Euphoria Characters, Ranked From Worst to Best

Euphoria is back for its third and final season, bringing to a close the story of some of the most dysfunctional teens you’re ever likely to see on the small screen. 

Between all the drug abuse and emotional manipulation, it’s hard to find any redeeming qualities for any of the characters. And yet, that chaotic nature is exactly why Sam Levinson’s creation is so compelling. We love these flawed characters and their messy lives, and it’ll be sad to see this bold, unapologetic soap opera-esque drama reach its conclusion.

So, before the show ends this year, let’s take a look at the main eight Euphoria characters and determine who is the best (and worst) of them all.

8. Kat Hernandez

To be fair to Kat, she’s never really been a main player in Euphoria. Her whole character arc is pretty much underpinned by the fact that she is always slightly on the periphery, never getting as much attention as her friends and constantly being put down by the likes of Nate Jacobs.

That makes Kat a rather abrasive person who is always on the defensive. It’s understandable, but it doesn’t make her any more likeable. Still, one has to respect her strong morals and the way she sticks up for her friends time and time again. In fact, in that sense, Kat is probably the most loyal and consistent character in the whole show.

7. Cassie Howard

It does feel slightly harsh to rank Cassie so low here, largely because, as a character, she is everything Sam Levinson (and indeed, Sydney Sweeney) set out to make her. She’s bratty, unstable, naive, and selfish. It’s impossible to root for her, and yet it’s hard to deny that she’s a very entertaining character nonetheless.

Sweeney has been criticised for her acting over the last few years, but I genuinely think her work as Cassie is some of the finest she has ever done. In the first season of Euphoria, it was a lot easier to sympathise with Cassie, but as time has gone on, she’s shown her true colours, and they are not pretty – betraying Maddy is especially unforgivable, if you ask me.

6. Jules Vaughn

It’s a real shame that Jules has been sidelined more and more as the show has gone on. When she was at the heart of Euphoria Season 1 alongside Rue, she was absolutely fascinating. She had her struggles when it came to fitting into the social dynamic, but she was also fierce, brave and complex.

Unfortunately, Jules felt like more of a narrative device than a rounded character in Season 2, and that severely undermined the impact she had in the first season. There’s redemption to be found on that front in the special episode, which focused entirely on Jules and gave us an honest insight into her identity and insecurities as a woman, but it’s not quite enough.

5. Nate Jacobs

Of all the main characters in Euphoria, Nate Jacobs is the most abhorrent by quite some distance. But, like any good story, having a great villain is crucial, and he plays that part perfectly. At times, he’s pure evil, mostly to Jules. He threatens her the first time they meet, then proceeds to catfish and blackmail her, though he does come to his senses on that one.

Still, the fact that he got into a relationship with Cassie behind Maddy’s back AND ratted Fezco out to the feds means there’s little room for redemption for Nate in Season 2. Nevertheless, the show would be far less exciting if it weren’t for his unpredictable ways.

4. Lexi Howard

I’ll caveat this by saying that, if Lexi hadn’t put on her jaw-dropping play, she would be a lot nearer the bottom of this list. In Season 1, she’s basically non-existent, but the whole build-up to that theatrical crescendo is sublime. She reveals her sharp, witty side while absolutely nailing all of the other characters with her writing for the play.

It’s really endearing seeing her develop the confidence to do that, and when you throw in her blossoming relationship with Fezco, Lexi emerges as one of the most charming and likeable characters in the whole show. The tragic conclusion to that storyline is even more reason to love her.

3. Rue Bennett

Euphoria wouldn’t be Euphoria if it weren’t for Rue (and Zendaya), and it has to be said, the journey that character has been on is absolutely brilliant. Through her darkest moments during her drug addiction, to that complicated relationship with Jules, and her new life as an erratic drug mule, trouble and chaos are never far away when Rue is around.

The thing about Rue is, no matter how destructive she may be, she’s a character you so desperately want to see come out the other side and get back on the right track. I think a lot of the credit for that should go to Zendaya, who seems to understand exactly what makes this character tick so instinctively.

2. Maddy Perez

Speaking of people who were born to play their character, Alexa Demie is a force of nature as Maddy Perez. She’s loud and confrontational, but you can never question her integrity. Her sense of what’s right and wrong is spot on, and she lives by a set of principles that many of us could benefit from adopting.

Sure, her toxic relationship with Nate is obviously bad, but she is freed from that ahead of Euphoria Season 3, and it’s given her a fresh, even more formidable edge in the new season. It took some time for everyone to realise, but Maddy is actually the smartest, most grounded character of them all – even if she does have that wildfire inside her.

1. Fezco

Fezco’s story came to a fairly natural conclusion in the Season 2 finale when he was raided by the cops and taken to prison. We could and should have seen a little more of him in Season 3, but Angus Cloud, the actor who played Fez, was tragically taken from this world in 2023. His untimely death is heartbreaking, but we are so lucky to have witnessed his work when we did.

Cloud imbued Fez with such a natural charm and tenderness, completely at odds with the persona one would expect from a prolific drug dealer. It’s that surprisingly gentle, compassionate aura that made Fez such a special character. Whether he was looking out for Ashtray, falling in love with Lexi, or telling Rue some harsh truths, Fez had everyone’s back, and the world of Euphoria is not the same without him.