Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Showtime series Yellowjackets, as well as discussions of drugs, suicide, abuse, and cannibalism.
The female-led cast in Showtime’s Yellowjackets do an incredible job at transporting viewers into a wild world full of betrayal, tragedy, and cannibalism. The best characters stand out for bringing something unique to the narrative, often affecting how things turn out for the group of survivors.
The most remarkable characters are unsurprisingly the titular Yellowjackets themselves, as fans have learned more about their quirks and dark backstories thanks to their time in the wilderness. While noteworthy characters like Misty and Jeff don’t always do the right thing, viewers know that morals are not exactly black-and-white in the drama series.
Vanessa Palmer
Yellowjackets is a show with excellent LGBTQ+ representation, and Van and Taissa’s relationship is arguably among the best. Van’s strong personality perfectly complements Tai’s bravery, and both of them will go to great lengths to protect each other in the wilderness.
Although fans haven’t seen much of Van’s life before the crash, her actions during the night of the wolf attack speak volumes about her priorities. She risks her life to go looking for Tai, getting marred and almost killed in the process. Van becomes even more admirable when she forces the rest of the group to go ahead of them, even though she knows this puts her in danger again. Fans are eager to find out what eventually happens to her, as she doesn’t have an adult counterpart so far.
Jeff Sadecki
Jeff seems like a typical bland, boring, cheating husband during the first few episodes of the series, but that turns out to be far from the truth. Perhaps the first sign that he’s not as normal as he looks is the scene where he stands up for Shauna in front of Jackie’s parents, even going as far as admitting they were having an affair before the plane crash.
Things only get weirder from there, as Jeff is revealed to be the mysterious blackmailer, which is oddly comforting because fans realize he’s not actually cheating on Shauna. He’s fiercely loyal to her, even after he learns about all the twisted things that happened in the wilderness through Shauna’s journals. There’s no telling what else he’s capable of, but it’s nice knowing he’ll probably stick with Shauna through it all.
Adam Martin
Fans can’t be blamed for believing Shauna’s misguided suspicions about Adam. The more she convinced herself that he had some underlying motive, the easier it became for fans to be wary of him.
The shocking reveal towards the end of the season highlighted Adam’s complete innocence in the whole situation, though, as he genuinely was just an overenthusiastic “starving artist” who felt infatuated with Shauna. All his cliches and cheesy lines were a charming break from the stressful flashbacks to the wilderness, which is why it’s disappointing that he won’t be around anymore.
Travis Martinez
Travis is far from being a progressive person, as even Nat points out that some of his beliefs and values feel like they came from the '60s. It’s great to see him learn more from the much smarter and more experienced Nat, though, but disappointing to watch him throw that all away for a night with Jackie.
Most fans would agree that Travis’ situation in 2021 is much more fascinating than his time before being rescued. His suspicious suicide and long history with Nat make for a compelling storyline that will hopefully be concluded before the season ends. It would be interesting to see how he resolves things with Nat after she finds out he slept with Jackie, as it could very well spark more violence in the wilderness.
Jackie Taylor
A big part of what makes Jackie such an attention-grabbing character is her drastic change during her time in the wilderness. As the “it girl,” she’s used to being the popular and pretty one who gets what she wants, but finds that this isn’t the case in the forest.
Her poor outdoor skills and lack of responsibility make her look bad in front of the other girls and it only gets worse when she becomes vengeful after reading Shauna’s diary. Her latest questionable act of sleeping with Travis is the worst so far and it’s exciting to see how it will once again change the dynamic in the group.
Lottie Matthews
Lottie’s incredibly terrifying demonic possession signaled the start of an absorbing storyline that takes audiences back to her troubled childhood. Even as a kid, Lottie had a knack for predicting things and being in touch with the supernatural.
She seems to be the only one among the group who can actually feel the looming danger all around the cabin. If the series pushes more paranormal elements in the coming seasons, she will definitely continue to play a bigger role as the medium between the living and the dead. For now, though, fans can only hope the rest of the girls eventually listen to her warnings.
Taissa Turner
There’s no shortage of badass female leads in the show, but Tai is arguably one of the strongest. Her courage is evident both in the wilderness and in the present day, as fans may remember how she volunteers to trek south to find help.
Her bravery is still necessary in her current line of work, as it isn’t easy to navigate the complicated and often discriminatory world of politics. What makes her character especially noteworthy is the underlying darkness that’s there, most notably with her dangerous sleepwalking that has been the cause of some dangerous trouble in the past.
Shauna Sadecki
Shauna’s dry humor and witty remarks often add much-needed comic relief to tense scenes like paying off a blackmailer. Her personality makes it hard to believe she can be a stone-cold killer and cannibal, but with Adam’s demise and her scene with Lottie and Travis in the woods, it seems like she’s headed in that direction.
Shauna also happens to be a supportive friend and a caring mother, which makes it much easier to empathize with her. But it’ll be fun to see what other dark turns her story arc takes in the future.
Misty Quigley
Fans are likely still torn about whether Misty is a villain or a hero, but much like several aspects of the show, things are never black-and-white. While Misty’s unfortunate experience of being constantly bullied by her classmates isn’t an excuse for any of her horrific actions, it still provides some insight into why she is as cruel as she is.
It’s almost too difficult to watch her hurt and manipulate others with a smile on her face, but her storyline is so oddly disturbing that audiences can’t help but be eager to see what she does next.
Natalie Scatorccio
Nat seems to be the only person among the survivors who’s still visibly reeling from her experiences after the crash. Despite Tai’s efforts, Nat continues to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with whatever traumatic things happened to her and her friends out in the wilderness.
The teen version of Nat is obviously smarter and more mature than a lot of the Yellowjackets. It’s satisfying to watch her criticize Travis’ sexist assumptions and support coach Ben when he opens up about his sexuality. There’s a big and intriguing part of her story that’s missing, as between Travis’ suicide and Nat’s enlightening conversation with Ben, something crucial happens that — according to Tai — is the only reason they got out alive.