History Characters / AmericanVandalSeason1

* CoolLoser: He and Sam are the only two people who aren't invited to Christa's party, but he's a good journalist.

* CoolLoser: Sam wasn't invited to Nana's party, although he's nice to everyone and actually seems like decent friends with some of them.

-->'''Peter:''' Ming is the ''only'' member of the Morning Show Nine without an alibi. But when looking at him as a suspect, I think Sam captures my thoughts pretty succinctly.
-->'''Sam:''' Dude, it's Ming.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: InUniverse. Comments on ''American Vandal'' have a lot of love for Ming after his short appearance in Episode Four.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Randall never speaks a line, but it's revealed in Episode Four that he has been the cameraman whenever Peter and Sam are both on screen.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In Episode Seven, she gives a very harsh one of these to Peter after he accuses her of being the vandal with a very convincing and personal theory. While she brings up a good point--that Peter aired everyone's dirty laundry in public just to make his documentary--it's mostly said out of spite due to her realizing that [[spoiler: the only way to clear her name would be to send the Twitch Stream that shows her cheating on Dylan before he arrives, proving both of their alibis ''that she's had the entire time.'']]
* RedHerring: [[spoiler:The biggest one in the series. Episode Seven makes a solid case that she and Dylan worked together to spray-paint the dicks as a way to get back at Mr. Rafferty. But her Twitch stream exonerates her. ''And Dylan.'']]

-->'''Dylan:''' Here's the thing: I don't talk about Mack in front of my boys. And I don't talk about my boys in front of Mack. [...] If I told them I was with Mack, they'd be like... just giving me a bunch of shit. [...]
-->'''Ganj:''' Mackenzie fucking sucks.
-->'''Lucas:''' Dylan is whipped as fuck, dude. It's like problematic.

* JerkassHasAPoint: For a debatable value of "jerkass". Dylan's own (and other) social media footage proves that his bad reputation, particularly in Ms Shapiro's class, was thoroughly earned. Peter points out in the first episode that Dylan's past behavior--which has been properly documented--is one of the factors in the strong case against him.
-->'''Dylan:''' I mean, yeah, I draw a penis from time to time.
-->'''Admin:''' Time to time. Once a week?
-->'''Dylan:''' Four times a week?

* DumbassTeenageSon: To his long-suffering parents, especially his stepfather, who just seems to want the best for him, but it doesn't stop Dylan being an asshole to them.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: He maintains he didn't spray-paint the dicks, but he won't deny that it was funny.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: The way he keeps saying how funny it was sure makes him look guilty -- although subverted because he didn't spray-paint the dicks.

* BookDumb: He freely admits he's not book-smart. Or street-smart.

* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: Dylan gets expelled mostly because his reputation as a {{Delinquent|s}} makes everyone assume he did it.

* StringTheory:

* UnreliableNarrator: It's unclear if anything he says about the other teachers can be taken literally.

* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: Dylan gets expelled mostly because everyone assumes he did it.

-->'''Mackenzie:''' School's talking about Dylan like he's some criminal mastermind. Like, ok, they say he deleted the the security footage. Dude, Dylan's too dumb to delete footage.
-->'''Dylan:''' Yeah, true. I'd never think to do that.

** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Dylan's not a bad person deep down. He's just kinda dumb.

* TooDumbToLive: As ''everyone'' points out. Even Peter can see it.

* ConsummateLiar: Dylan lies and manipulates all the time, which only makes him look even more guilty.

* BadLiar: How his mother claims she knows he's innocent. He lies to her all the time, but she can always tell.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: Subverted. He most-likely didn't spray-paint the dicks, but the way he keeps saying how funny it was sure makes him look guilty.

* [[TheGenericGuy The Generic Girl]]:

* OneHundredPercentAdorationRating: Everyone loves Ming. The only person who ever seriously questions his innocence is Dylan, and it's on purely racist grounds.

* [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl Hard-Drinking Party Guy]]: He goes absolutely nuts at both Nana's party and the post-graduation party.

* CatchPhrase / CharacterTics: He says "One hundred percent" when he is [[spoiler: lying through his teeth.]]

* AmbiguouslyEvil / CreepyGymCoach: Mr. Rafferty appears to be extremely genial and popular, but it's hinted at that he's abused his position from time to time. [[spoiler:Kraz claims "he's roofied people." He has a suspicious complaint on file for "inappropriate conduct with a student." He also possibly put Christa in a position where she would be injured as revenge for her ruining his pep rally, and then there's the matter of what he whispered to her when she was on the ground. It's never really answered.]]

* EvilIsPetty / SadisticTeacher: [[spoiler:He set Christa up for a tackle drill unnecessarily, likely just to get back at her for her Rosh Hashana stunt that ruined one game for the team.]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/KarlyRothenburg

* ParentsKnowTheirChildren: Denise can always tell when Dylan lies to her, and so she knows he is innocent of drawing the dicks.

* BastardBoyfriend: Even before we find out [[spoiler:he's cheating on Gabi]], he comes off as this. He forgets how to spell her name at one point, and his idea of a romantic prom proposal is shoving her in a pool.

* HollywoodNerd: Short, skinny, bespectacled, good with tech, unpopular. Subverted later on in the series as his documentary series gains him a fair amount of popularity. Then possibly doubly subverted with Mackenzie's ReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* RealityEnsues: During the scene at the prom after-party when Sam and Gabi make up, it pans past Brandon [[spoiler: and his date--who isn't Gabi. She dumped his ass for cheating.]]

* DidntThinkThisThrough / RealityEnsues / TooDumbToLive: Did he really think he could get away with saying what he did on video? Turns out that a teacher who trash talks his colleagues and comments on how hot one of his female student is in an attempt to seem cool won't be employed for very long.

->'''Portrayed by''': Creator/GenevieveHannelius

->'''Portrayed by''': Creator/AylanBayramoglu

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Peter admits she's much better at the anchor job than he is.

* PutOnABus: Or, rather, most of the other protagonists go on the bus to the other school, and she doesn't.

-->'''Peter:''' [[spoiler:Van and Dylan are both 5'10" Caucasian males with wide builds. Alex Trimboli claimed he saw Dylan wearing a hoodie, but maybe he didn't get that clear of a look. It's not crazy to think that Trimboli saw Van Delorey instead.]]

* ThenLetMeBeEvil: [[spoiler: He didn't spray-paint the dicks on the faculty's cars, but in the final episode he does spray-paint a dick on Ms. Shapiro's driveway after she refuses to apologize to him. His rationale is that he might as well be what everyone thinks he is.]]

-->'''Peter:''' That day, Alex earned huge points when he gave an inspirational speech at the mess hall. He told his red team to "know yourself, and know your worth." But a quick google search would suggest he just took lyrics from a popular {{Music/Drake}} song and changed the N-word to "red team". [{{Beat}}] Not sure how I feel about that.

** This is especially true with Sara Pearson; he leaves her TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to him in the documentary, and admits in his voiceover that she was right to give it to him. It's his way of owning his callous behaviour.

* RudeHeroNiceSidekick: The "rude hero"--although a downplayed example, Peter is abrasive, unpopular, and self-absorbed--to Sam's "nice sidekick".

* HiddenDepths: sort of. Peter and Sam actually show some very good investigative reporting and deductive skills at times during the show, especially in the latter half.

[[folder: Dylan Maxwell]]

** Though, as has been pointed out elsewhere, you ''can'' have CPR certification and still [[spoiler: freeze, panic, or be too unsure in your skill to come forward in an emergency--especially if you're, say, at a party and had too much to drink. Having a certificate in something doesn't mean you have the skill.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Pre-series. In one of her protests, Christa pours laundry detergent down the stairs to illustrate the corruption in the school system [[note]]which might actually be her last effort at peaceful means of protest, [[spoiler: about her complaint about Rafferty's behaviour towards her being swept under the rug]][[/note]]. She slips on the detergent herself, and breaks her foot. She's on crutches during the "incident", and during her early interviews for the show.

* [[TheGenericGuy The Generic Girl]]: Described by Mr. Kraz as "super, super boring."

* BeneathSuspicion: He is the only member of the Morning Show with no alibi. (He says he was watching TV, but there's no one to verify this.) Despite this, the case against him is easily dismissed with "Dude, it's Ming." He's just too lovable to be the culprit.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In Episode Seven, she gives a very harsh one of these to Peter after he accuses her of being the vandal with a very convincing and personal theory. While she brings up a good point— that Peter aired everyone’s dirty laundry in public just to make his documentary--it’s mostly said out of spite due to her realizing that [[spoiler: the only way to clear her name would be to send the Twitch Stream that shows her cheating on Dylan before he arrives, proving both of their alibis ''that she’s had the entire time.'']]

Comprised of Spencer Diaz, Lucas Wiley, and Brianna "Ganj" Gagne, the Wayback Boys are Dylan Maxwell's closest friends, so named because they go "way back". They have an unpopular Website/YouTube channel where they make unfunny prank videos.

* ThePrankster: Their M.O. Unfortunately, they're not very good at it.

* HeadTurningBeauty : Mr. Kraz describes her as "distracting."

* GoodCopBadCop: If Mr. Kraz can be trusted, then he plays the Bad Cop to Ms. Shapiro's Good Cop when he cancels off-campus lunch.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Dylan and Mr. Kraz certainly think so, but neither are entirely trustworthy.
* TheChessmaster: According to Mr. Kraz, who compares her to [[TheSpymaster Lord Varys]] from ''{{Series/Game Of Thrones}}''.

* FramingTheGuiltyParty: Possibly what she believes she is doing by [[spoiler:framing Dylan,]] as well as strong-arming a student into claiming another student cheated on a test.
* GoodCopBadCop: According to Mr. Kraz, she plays the Good Cop to Vice Principal Keene's Bad Cop in the plot to expose the culprit behind the vandalism. She came up with the plan to cancel off-campus lunch, then he carried it out, and she promised to intercede with him if a student came forward with the vandal's identity. That is, if anything Kraz says can be trusted.
* JerkassHasAPoint: For a debatable value of "jerkass". Dylan's own (and other) social media footage proves that his bad reputation, particularly in Ms Shapiro's class, was thoroughly earned. Peter points out in the first episode that Dylan's past behaviour, which has been properly documented, is one of the factors in the strong case against him. Dylan admits to acting out in her class "like, 4 times a week, maybe?"

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: It's a matter of debate how "villainous" she is, but she does [[spoiler: attempt to frame Dylan for slashing her tire]]. Nonetheless, she is well-loved by most of the school.

* EvilTeacher: At the very least, he [[spoiler:set Christa up to be injured just for a stunt]], but it's further implied that [[spoiler:he's had sex with some students]].

[[folder:Mr. Krazinski]]

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:A number of fans suggest that he might be the vandal, but Peter dismisses these claims. He's too fat.]]

->'''Portrayed by''': Tyler Alvarez

->'''Portrayed by''': Jimmy Tatro

->'''Portrayed by''': Genevieve Hannelius

->'''Portrayed by''': Aylan Bayramoglu

->'''Portrayed by''': Cody Wai-Ho Lee

* BeneathSuspicion: The case against him is easily dismissed with "Dude, it's Ming." He's just too lovable to be the culprit.

->'''Randall portrayed by:''' Tucker Albrizzi

->'''Portrayed by:''' Camille Ramsey

->'''Spencer portrayed by:''' Eduardo Franco\\
'''Lucas portrayed by:''' Lou Wilson\\
'''Brianna portrayed by:''' Jessica Juarez

->'''Portrayed by:''' Calum Worthy

->'''Portrayed by:''' Saxon Sharbino

->'''Portrayed by:''' Lukas Gage

->'''Portrayed by:''' Jacob Houston

->'''Portrayed by:''' Matt Miller

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/RyanOFlanagan{{Ryan O'Flanagan}}

->'''Portrayed by:''' Aaron Takahashi

->'''Portrayed by:''' P. L. Brown

[[folder:Hector Montegro]]
->'''Portrayed by:''' Christopher Corbin

->'''Denise portrayed by:''' Dendrie Taylor
->'''Greg portrayed by:''' Larry Joe Campbell

->'''Portrayed by:''' Frank Farmer

->'''Portrayed by:''' Hunter Clowdus

->'''Portrayed by:''' Karly Rothenburg

->'''Portrayed by:''' Sean Carrigan

->'''Portrayed by:''' Ryan O'Flanagan

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Yes, he apparently thought there would be no consequences to trashing teachers and students, describing underage girls as "hot", and accusing Rafferty of rape.

* NeverMyFault: He does admit that he ''probably'' wouldn't have said some of the stuff he did, but seems to hold Peter and Sam more responsible than himself.
* RealityEnsues: Turns out that a teacher who trash talks his colleagues and comments on how hot his female students are in an attempt to seem cool won't be employed for very long.
* TooDumbToLive: Or rather, too dumb to work. Did he really think he could get away with saying what he did on video?

->'''Portrayed by''': Griffin Gluck

A childhood friend of Sam Ecklund's, she gets credit as a co-producer on ''American Vandal'' because she knows a lot of the seniors, and is credited as 'Transpo Captain' because she has a car.

* CharacterTics: He says "One hundred percent" when he is [[spoiler: lying through his teeth.]]

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: After being rejected by Van Delorey for Christa, she [[spoiler: consoles herself with Gabi's boyfriend Brandon.]]

* ReallyGetsAround: Has hooked up with Scott Winter, Pat Micklewaite, [[spoiler:Brandon Galloway]], and numerous others. [[spoiler: But not Alex Trimboli.]]

* KavorkaMan: He's not conventionally attractive by any means, but somehow he's hooked up with Sara Pearson and Paige Davidson.