Content Warning: This list contains mentions of sexual assault.
The latest comedy series on HBO Max, The Sex Lives of College Girls, features a slew of characters who the audience wants to both root for and against. As is often the case when a show is created by the talented Mindy Kaling, she made characters who are smart, funny, and relatable.
Each of the show's core four roommates gives ample reason to get behind them, as do some of their fellow students. Of course, there are people on campus who are detestable like Dalton for his cheating ways or Ryan for assaulting women. However, they aren't considered part of the main cast, which is mostly comprised of likable people.
Nico
For most of his tenure on the show, Nico (Gavin Leatherwood) is actually someone the audience likes. He comes across as a good guy who often grounds his sister Leighton in reality while also working as the kind of love interest who would be just right for Kimberly.
However, a big twist comes at the end of "I Think I'm a Sex Addict." After Nico and Kimberly spend the day having sex, the audience discovers that Nico has a girlfriend. He hadn't been up front or honest with Kimberly, hurting her immensely. Even when he was told to at least apologize, he couldn't even do that.
Lila
Nico is the only main character who is actually unlikable as everyone else is easy to cheer for. Lila (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino) is Kimberly's co-worker and she starts the show by playing a prank with Canaan on her. It's all in good fun though and soon, they bond.
Lila hangs around as a good friend to Kimberly and even gets a fun scene involving Whitney. She delivers some of the show's funniest lines and is never afraid to say what's on her mind. The only thing that holds Lila back is that she doesn't get as much screen time for viewers to fully connect.
Jocelyn
The main character who gets the least amount of time on screen is Jocelyn (Lolo Spencer). She first shows up on day one as one of the students who lives in the same dorm as the main characters and she almost immediately stands out as someone the audience likes.
Jocelyn fills an important role on a comedy show as she is someone who only pops up once in a while but is always going to make the viewer laugh. She has a ton of confidence, evidenced by her lack of hesitation when entering the naked party, and she is always there with support whenever the main characters need it.
Canaan
A lot of the male characters on the show are pretty toxic. As noted, Nico cheats on his girlfriend, Dalton cheats on his wife with Whitney and continually lies to her, and Ryan assaults Bela. If there is one good dude around, it's Canaan (Chris Meyer), another of Kimberly's co-workers.
He also starts by playing a prank on Kimberly but is also a great friend to her. He is the one who advises her not to cheat on her big test and he gives out good advice at other points. Canaan also begins a relationship with Whitney that is easily the best among a male and female on the series.
Willow
When Whitney first gets on the school's soccer team, she has trouble fitting in. Some other girls feel like she only got her spot because of her famous mother (her romantic relationship with the assistant coach internally alienated her too) but one teammate who is by her side was Willow (Renika Williams).
Like most of the characters mentioned so far, Willow mostly works because she is everything you could want in a friend. She has Whitney's back at every turn, even after finding out about her and Dalton. She goes as far as to lie to Whitney's mother for her, showing major support as a friend.
Alicia
As soon as Alicia (Midori Francis) debuts, you just know you'll like her. She runs the Women's Center on campus, acting as a major ally for those who need it. When Leighton arrives there, Alicia is quick to put her in her place about her ego, attitude, and casual feelings on pronouns.
Ultimately, Alicia enters into a romance with Leighton and helps her come out of her shell a bit. She proves herself to be tough when she stands up to a guy being rude to her, as well as smart, trustworthy, and someone who knows what she wants, which is appreciated. Plus, Alicia and Leighton were a likable LGBTQ+ TV couple who audiences hope reconnect in season 2.
Whitney
Things are harder than they seem on the surface for Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott). With her mother being a U.S. Senator, everything that Whitney does is under a microscope and she even worries that her skills on the soccer pitch are overlooked due to her relationships.
Through it all, Whitney remains a strong, confident woman who is an ally to her friends. She is there for her roommates and confides in them and Willow before anyone else. However, she may have frustrated some viewers a few times by continuing to go back to Dalton even though he was clearly wrong for her.
Kimberly
On paper, Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) might seem like the most likable girl on the show. She comes from a small town and does her best to overcome that and make friends. Alas, she comes off a bit too strong at times like when she made herself an easy target for a prank by her reaction to meeting Canaan.
Of course, she has her heart in the right place. Kimberly is a smart, sweet girl who gets her heart broken by her first boyfriend and then again by Nico, causing her to lash out. Although her sometimes uptight nature can be a bit off-putting, there's no denying that Kimberly is a good person.
Leighton
The opposite of Kimberly, Leighton (Reneé Rapp) isn't someone who wants to make an effort. She's from New York, is wealthy, and has no problem being rude to those around her. At least that's the case at first. After her high school friends ditch her in college due to her secretive nature, Leighton starts to bond with her new roommates.
While Leighton continues to hold secrets, she slowly opens up more to the girls. Throughout the show, she is often the first person there to support the others, whether it's not telling anyone about Kimberly and Dalton or offering a hug to Bela when she needed it. Leighton even eventually comes out as gay to Kimberly, which is something she had been hiding her entire life, showing how trusting she is of her new friends.
Bela
To be honest, there's not really anything even remotely unlikable about Bela (Amrit Kaur). She's the fun loving member of the main group, always up to go to a party or have a good time. She is sex positive and a big dreamer who wants to be a comedy writer, which she's good at.
The only time that viewers have to question Bela is when she stays quiet as Carla opens up about sexual assault but by the end of the night, Bela makes up for it by going to Carla and taking action. She is someone who gets the funniest lines and is one of the most caring individuals around.