The recent death of Glee star Naya Rivera was a truly tragic event, a moment in which a young and promising life was cut short. Of course, her unexpected passing caused many fans of the show to remember their favorite moments with her character, Santana. She was, in many ways, a groundbreaking character. She was both Latinx and gay, and she was one of the characters who was allowed to grow, change, and evolve over the course of six seasons.
Time and again, she demonstrated exactly why it was that so many young people found her a role model and a truly exemplary television character.
She’s Always Herself
One thing that was always true of Santana was that she wasn’t afraid to be herself. In contrast to some other characters--most notably Rachel--Santana always had a pretty firm understanding of who she was as a person, and she wasn’t about to let anyone else dictate the terms of her life. While there were a few instances where she felt herself giving in to doubt, for the most part, she held true to those parts of herself that were fundamental to her identity.
She’s Doesn’t Take Anyone’s Guff
Relatedly, Santana was the type of character who was never going to take anyone else’s attacks on her lying down. Because of the fact that she knew who she was and what she wanted out of life, she felt confident enough to be able to take on those who were foolish enough to challenge her, and some of her finest moments of the show were when she was giving someone a dressing-down for crossing her path.
Underneath The Roughness, She’s Tender
Santana was one of those characters who was, obviously, very tough and prickly on the outside. It wasn’t always easy for people to get close to her, even those that were important parts of her life. However, it’s important to recognize that, beneath that tough exterior, there really was a deeply sensitive soul.
It was part of the brilliance of Rivera’s performance that she could seemingly so effortlessly keep these two parts of Santana’s identity in perfect and productive tension.
Her Relationship With Brittany
Arguably one of the most important relationships that Santana had during the course of the show was with Brittany. In fact, they are one of the most popular couples in the entire history of the show. While their relationship, like every other depicted in the show, has its ups and downs and its moments of trial, in the end, they realize that they truly love one another. It’s incredibly touching to see them marry one another in a double ceremony with Blaine and Kurt (the series’ other amazing couple).
Her Middle Name Is Literally Diabla
It’s incredibly appropriate that Santana’s middle name is Diabla. After all, she can at times be a bit of a devil, with a waspish tongue that can truly eviscerate anyone unfortunate enough to get in her path. However, as anyone who has seen the show knows, like all devils, there is a secret core of hurt, one that stems from her difficulty accepting the fact that she is a lesbian and that she is, in fact, in love with Brittany.
Her Whole Grandmother Storyline
While the series as a whole sometimes stumbled through its’ storylines-in part because of the seemingly never-ending addition of new characters-Santana was always a character that got her due. In particular, her storyline with her grandmother was one of the most emotionally authentic that the series ever produced. It managed to capture the anguish that Santana felt over her grandmother’s rejection, even as it also highlighted the importance of family to so many gay people of color.
She Never Pulls Her Punches
High school is often not an easy time, and that is particularly true for minority students like Santana (especially since she was also struggling with her gay identity). While others might have been willing to simply sink into the background or accept what other people decided to give them, Santana wasn’t that type. Instead, she was the type of person who won’t pull her punches. If she thinks that someone needs to be told off because of what they were doing, then that was exactly what she would do. She might not always be likable, but she’s always someone that’s worthy of respect.
She Has The Best Insults
Two characters in this show seem to have the ability to deliver stinging insults. The first is, of course, none other than Sue Sylvester (whose enmity for the glee club was the stuff of legend). The other, naturally, was Santana herself. It wasn’t just that she was incredibly creative with how she could put an insult together; it was also that she could deliver it with such devastating efficacy.
Even her enemies probably had to admit that Santana had a way with words that no one else could ever hope to match.
She Has One Of The Best Voices On The Show
There are many vocal talents on this show, and some of them are quite amazing (Rachel, Mercedes, and Kurt, in particular, are standouts). When it comes to being able to combine both belting power and seething feeling, no one can hold a candle to Santana. She seemed to be able to perform almost any kind of music, able to take any song from any genre and somehow turn it into something that seemed like it was made especially for her.
Her Ability To Scheme Is Nothing Short Of Amazing
In the halls of the fictional high school that is the series’ setting, schemes and plots are almost always afoot. Time and again, Santana showed that she has a truly machiavellian sort of mind, the sort of intellect that can see a problem in all of its complexity and take steps to accomplish her goals. Again, comparisons to Sue Sylvester are inevitable, and in many ways, Santana is the formidable cheerleading coach’s only true rival in terms of scheming ability.