Euphoria has become a cultural phenomenon since it began airing on HBO in 2019, especially following its second season at the beginning of 2022. The teen drama follows Rue Bennett, portrayed by Emmy winner Zendaya, as she battles drug addiction, societal pressures, and the general struggles that come with being a teenage girl.
The past two seasons have seen characters grow and change, for better or for worse, and become either beloved or hated by audiences. Despite fans having strong opinions on Euphoria's characters due to their behavior in the show, many of them are still young and show signs of potential to develop into better, kinder, or more confident people going forward into Season 3.
This article contains Euphoria spoilers as well as mentions of drug addiction and violence.
10 Jules Could Be So Much More Than The Material She Is Given
Jules has been a beloved character from the first season of Euphoria. Not only was she complex and well developed, but the trans community saw a positive and genuine representation of their experiences through Jules. However, in Season 2, Jules was given little material or screentime, and many viewers argued that she behaved out of character. With her romantic relationship with Rue seemingly over, hopefully, Jules will have the space to become the fleshed-out character that she was in the first season again and find room to grow for herself and not just for Rue.
9 Elliot Could Be A Good Friend To Rue
Elliot, played by newcomer Dominic Fike, comes into Rue's life in Season 2, bonding at a party over their shared drug usage. A lot of Rue and Elliot's friendship is focused on drugs and it initially seems that Elliot is enabling Rue. However, despite making many poor decisions in the season, it is clear that he wants to help Rue get better when he and Jules tell Rue's mother that she has relapsed. Elliot has the potential to be either a good friend to Rue going forward or someone who stands in the way of her getting better, depending on the choices he makes.
8 Kat Could Be More Developed
Kat Hernandez is a main character in both the first and second seasons of Euphoria, yet her storyline is given so much more focus in Season 1. In the first season, Kat explores her confidence and sexuality, growing from someone introverted and shy to someone who lets her personality shine. However, in Season 2, her narrative took a backseat to Rue, Nate, and Cassie. Going forward, the writers have so much room to focus on Kat, who is a truly interesting character and deserves more than a role in the background.
7 Fezco Could Learn From His Experiences
Fezco had an extremely traumatic second season on Euphoria, watching the boy he called his brother get shot in front of him. However, Fez also made the effort to develop healthier relationships, bonding with Lexi and trying to help Rue get clean.
Going into Season 3, it appears that Fez could either go down the path of destruction or use the experience as a turning point to try and change his ways and make a better life for himself.
6 Writers Could Utilize Faye's Popularity
Faye was another character who joined Euphoria in Season 2. Initially dating Custer, Faye shifts her loyalties to Fez and Ashtray, refusing to turn them in to the police and becoming a good friend to both of them. Faye has been extremely popular with viewers of the show who enjoyed her personality and the comedic relief she added to an intense season. The writers may wish to capitalize on her popularity and make Faye a more frequently recurring character moving forwards.
5 Gia Is An Innocent In Rue's Story
Gia Bennett is Rue's younger sister. Frequently caught up in Rue's struggles, Gia often hides in the shadows of her home life, not given the affection or the attention she needs as a young teen. However, with Rue seemingly getting better and the relationship between the sisters slowly repairing itself, there seems to be potential for Gia to stand in the spotlight for once and be given time to focus on her struggles with growing up, instead of just being a background character.
4 Ethan Has Become His Own Person
Ethan has been a fairly minor recurring character so far in Euphoria. Most of his storyline has simply been as Kat's pining boyfriend who is treated pretty badly, but who refuses to stand up for himself.
However, Ethan became a star when he was featured as the main actor in Lexi's play and showed both his acting talents and his personality on stage. His larger role in the second half of the season and his development outside his romance with Kat show potential for Ethan to continue to carve out his own story in future seasons of Euphoria.
3 Lexi Came Out Of Her Shell In Season 2
Lexi Howard faded into the background in Season one, being just Rue's childhood friend or Cassie's quiet sister. However, Season 2 saw her truly make a name for herself and come out of her comfort zone, drawing viewers in by showing who she really is. In the season finale, Lexi put on a play that she wrote, directed, and starred in, that almost every character was represented in and affected by. It is safe to say that Lexi will have a lot more presence and character development in the upcoming season.
2 Maddy Has Potential To Move Past Toxicity
Maddy Perez has been caught up in toxic relationships during both seasons of Euphoria. In Season 1, she was in a manipulative relationship, being physically and emotionally abused by Nate Jacobs. In Season 2, she was betrayed by her best friend Cassie, who began dating Nate despite knowing how he treated Maddy. Season 2 showed how close Maddy's friendships with Kat, Jules, and BB were and how, if she can cut ties with Nate and Cassie, she could find herself in positive, secure relationships.
1 Rue Has Already Grown So Much
As the protagonist of Euphoria, viewers have seen Rue go through so much during her addiction. She has dealt with the grief of her father's death, arguments with her mother and sister, a turbulent relationship with Jules, run-ins with dealers, and has often made very poor decisions. However, Rue wants to change and do what is right for her health and her relationships with Gia and her mom. The second half of Season 2 saw Rue make a real effort to get clean and the final episode saw her looking healthier and happier than ever before with the potential for that to continue in the future.