All 28 Of The Most Important Characters On "Abbott Elementary," Ranked From "Despicable" To "Heroic"
By Siena Giljum,
4 hours ago
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary seasons 1 through 3.
Abbott Elementary is one of the best comedies on air right now. It's light but real, funny, heartfelt, and so smart. Season 4 just kicked off, and I couldn't be happier.
In celebration, I'm ranking (most) characters from the show's first three seasons, and I need to see if you agree with me.
Note that this is entirely about the characters themselves and not their portrayals by the actors who play them, which are all excellent!
So here we go:
28. Draemond Winding
Anyone who tries to tear Abbott down — in this case, by attempting to turn it into a cash-grab charter school, leaving behind struggling students — is automatically in last place. Sorry, Leslie Odom Jr.!
ABC
27. Martin Eddie
Martin is Gregory's father, who owns a landscaping business he wants his son to come join instead of being a teacher. He's no-nonsense, ex-military, and unsupportive of Gregory's noble profession. (Admittedly, though, excellently cast).
ABC
26. Vanetta Teagues
Janine's mother Vanetta is next on the list, meaning our main Abbott love interests can commiserate about having less-than-great parents. Vanetta is clearly more troubled, though, going months without communicating with her daughter and having to ask for money to cover bills.
ABC
25. Ashley
Ashley was Melissa Schementti's Gen Z-coded teacher's aide who was hired to help with Ms. Schementti's combined second and third-grade class. She's sing-songy, distracted, and a little all over the place.
ABC
24. John Reynolds
Keegan-Michael Key plays the school district's budget-conscious superintendent. He approves Janine's plan to staff school libraries, but only because it's "free!"
ABC
23. Kristen Marie Schemmenti
Melissa's sister works at the shiny charter school — and rival of Abbott — Addington. While they have a claws-out sister dynamic, the two eventually begin to make amends; in a redeeming gesture of goodwill, Kristen Marie tells Melissa about the plans to turn Abbott into a charter school, too.
ABC
22. Zach
Zach is introduced as Jacob's boyfriend and a fellow educator. The couple has problems from the beginning, and they take forever to break up because neither of them can bring himself to do it.
ABC
21. Taylor Howard
Taylor is Barbara's daughter and, later, Eddie's girlfriend. She dumps him for being a "broke boi." She didn't deserve sweet Eddie anyway!
ABC
20. Ayesha Teagues
Janine also has a strained relationship with her wayward sister Ayesha, played by Ayo Edebiri . Janine would be the BEST sister on the planet, and Ayesha underappreciates her immensely.
ABC
19. Manny Rivera
Manny works for the district and forms a friendship with Janine when she starts working there. I may be in the minority, but I felt this man's aura was off-putting from the beginning — but TBH, it was probably just his suspected feelings for Janine that I feared would stand in Eddie's way.
ABC
18. Amber
The mother of an Abbott student, Amber also becomes Eddie's girlfriend. She is honestly lovely, but the two are not a good match and are not on the same page about anything, which leads to their amicable breakup .
ABC
17. Olivia
Eddie gets set up with Olivia, an EMT friend of Jacob's new boyfriend Avi. The four go on a double date, but see Janine with Manny at the bar, which distracts Eddie greatly. Olivia ( Lana Condor ) knows her worth and tells Eddie she won't waste her time when his mind is clearly elsewhere.
ABC
16. Avi
After his relationship with Zach ends, Jacob begins dating Avi, a delightfully odd EMT. It's revealed that the two hooked up on the roof of Jacob and Melissa's building, and although Jacob sees it as a casual fling at first, they eventually get more serious.
ABC
15. Rosalyn Inez
Miss Inez has a short but memorable appearance as the librarian chosen for Abbott as part of Janine's library staffing project as the district. She's sincere, interesting, and passionate.
ABC
14. Simon & Emily
They ARE two different people, but if you see one, the other is right nearby, also goofing off. Simon and Emily are the perfect complement to Manny and the serious "district" folks, and are endlessly funny.
ABC
13. Erika
Erika is Janine's #1 hype woman, always getting her to get back out there after her ill-fated relationship with Tariq. She's funny and spunky and is rooting for #Teddie along with the rest of us!
ABC
12. Shanae
AKA "The Lunch Lady," Shanae is a personal enemy of Janine, but I respect her 1000%. She's just trying to make the Abbott cafeteria sanitary and efficient and no one listens to her!!!
ABC
11. Joseph Morton
Mr. Morton, another teacher at Abbott, has the absolute best deadpan humor and simply no time for the antics of the main cast. His back-and-forth with characters like Janine and Jacob is hilarious and, honestly, kind of endearing.
ABC
10. Gary
Gary, the "vending machine guy," woos Ms. Schementti during his visits to stock the Abbott vending machine. They have a super sweet relationship over the seasons, but break up because Melissa doesn't want to get married. I'm still heartbroken.
ABC
9. Maurice
Vince Staples is a NATIONAL TREASURE. He plays Maurice, the sweet (if not slightly clueless) BFF of Eddie and eventual boyfriend of Janine — because, y'know, they put up every possible roadblock to being together! They break up because Gregory and Janine finally kiss.
ABC
8. Jacob Hill
Everyone needs a Jacob in their life. He's a total ride-or-die for the people he loves, takes constant teasing from staff and students in stride, and has a truly iconic blend of blind confidence and debilitating anxious dread.
ABC
7. Barbara Howard
Part of the "old guard" of Abbott teachers, Mrs. Howard is traditional and straightforward but definitely knows how to have fun. Watching her navigate new colleague relationships and changes to education feels so authentic. Sheryl Lee Ralph is a powerhouse in this cast.
ABC
6. Mr. Johnson
There is 100% a world in which Mr. Johnson ranks #1 on this list. He has hands down some of the funniest moments on the show, taking any opportunity to 1) put someone in their place with some old-school wisdom, 2) impart conspiracist beliefs onto the students, or 3) show everybody what real janitorial work looks like).
ABC
5. Melissa Schemmenti
Miss Schemmenti keeps it real about working in an underfunded public school and is proof that teachers really are in it for their students. She's Philly through and through, and along with Barbara, she's an excellent mentor to Janine. She deserves everything and more.
ABC
4. Gregory Eddie
Tyler James Williams plays out Gregory's magical character arc flawlessly. He goes from a nervous and rigid substitute to a well-adjusted teacher and person that everyone can't help but want to befriend. He should've made his move with Janine literally forever ago, but whatever!
ABC
3. Janine Teagues
Janine, beautifully portrayed by the show's creator, Quinta Brunson, is the heart and soul of Abbott. Although she has to face the sometimes unpleasant realities of the education system, she never loses her love for teaching or her sunny outlook on the world. Again, she and Gregory have been their own worst saboteurs in the way of being together forever, but we persevere.
ABC
2. Tariq Temple
I recognize this as a potentially problematic pick for #2, but a Tariq episode means nonstop laughs. He didn't appreciate what he had with Janine, but they both seem better for he breakup. And becoming an elementary school-famous rapper? Legendary.
ABC
1. Ava Coleman
Who else? Ava is the moment. She makes anything and everything about her being the best, doles out the funniest put-downs, and does approximately no real work as principal. We have no choice but to stan.
ABC
Who are your Abbott Elementary faves? Do you disagree with this ranking? Sound off in the comments (and let us know if we missed anyone).
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
Comments / 0