Gravity 5
Kacey Simon
Kacey is the lead protagonist in How to Rock. Kacey was once a snobby, self-centered, popular girl who ruled the school like an iron - fisted dictator. Her rule was strongly authoritarian, that she was branded "Most hated girl" by almost all of the school. However, her status took a dive after she was saddled with braces and glasses. Shunned by her former friends, Kacey found a new way to shine: through her music. Member of Gravity 5.
Tropes Associated With Kacey:
- Adaptational Villainy: Pre-Heel–Face Turn, Kacey is a lot worse that her literary counterpart. Book!Kacey was vaguely alpha bitchy, but even this was motivated by her belief that it's wrong to tell people anything less than the unfiltered truth, even if that truth is painful. This version of her starts off as a straight-up Alpha Bitch who gives people nicknames like "Loserberry" for no other reason than thinking those people beneath her.
- Alpha Bitch: Was this prior to her fall. After that, Molly takes her place.
- Bad Boss: How To Rock Christmas revealed that Kacey, as queen of the Perfs, treated Molly like this. This was what became Molly's Start of Darkness.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Initially, Kacey was the founder of the Perfs, believed in perfection, and manipulated others while priding herself in being the most popular girl in school. However, her accident led to her prompt removal by Molly. However, Kacey still appears to retain a manipulative streak even after leaving the Perfs.
- Braces of Orthodontic Overkill: Was forced to wear these in the first episode. Eventually she loosened them and only wears a retainer at night to get it sorted out.
- Catchphrase: "Peace out, girl scout."
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Starts showing her not-so-pushy side after being thrown out of the Perfs, and spending time with Gravity 5 brings out the real side of her.
- Fallen Princess: At the start of the series after losing her popular girl status thanks to braces and glasses.
- Former Friend of Alpha Bitch: Used to be friends with Molly until she throws her out and discovers she only liked her because she was perfect.
- The Hero: The central character of the show.
- Hired for Their Looks: Molly only befriended her and made her the original Perf Queen because of how perfect she was.
- Mythology Gag: Becomes a reporter for the school news program for an episode. The original Kacey Simon was an advice columnist for her school news.
- Never My Fault: Has a real problem with this.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Stuns the Perfs by revealing her former beautiful self, saying she switched out her braces and glasses for a night brace and contact lenses.
- Shipper on Deck: For Grace and Nelson.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Stevie's Tomboy.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Molly and the rest of the Perfs until she is kicked out and eventually discovers Molly only liked her because she was perfect.
Zander Robbins
Zander is the new kid in school and everyone wants to know who he is, including Kacey an ex-Perf. He has major swag. Sure, he can be a little overly confident, but when you've got the vocals, the guitar skills and the moves like Zander, you can't help it. Member of Gravity 5.
Tropes Associated With Zander:
- Berserk Button: Do not call Zander a dork behind his back. This caused Zander to retaliate by tying Molly's and Grace's shoes together.
- Genre Savvy: He cut out his first horrible picture from his old yearbook, so that if anyone opens it, no one would see it.
- The Lancer: Though he is The Leader of Gravity 5.
- Narcissist: Zander's obsession in "How To Rock a Messy Bet" is checking his reflection in the mirror.
- Shipper on Deck: For Grace and Nelson.
Stevie Baskara
Stevie is arguably the coolest girl you'll ever meet. Aside from being beautiful, tomboyish and smart to boot, she is the bass guitarist for Gravity 5. She's not afraid to be herself even if that means being a tomboy and being feared by the boys of the band. Member of Gravity 5.
Tropes Associated With Stevie:
- Berserk Button: Don't call Stevie "Loserberry." She doesn't mind so much when it's just you and her, but call her that in front of her friends and she'll introduce her bass to your face.
- Canon Immigrant: Stevie appears in Meg Haston's "How To Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups" as Zander's ex-girlfriend, but her name is Stevie Andrews and the two don't have much in common.
- Gasshole: In one episode, she schools Andy in how to burp.
- In-Series Nickname: The Perfs call Stevie "Loserberry", as does Kacey during her time with them, until she falls from popularity and becomes Stevie's friend. Also, "Stevie" is one, her full name being "Stevana."
- Shipper on Deck: For Grace and Nelson.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Kacey's Girly Girl.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Justified since she grew up with four brothers.
- Tomboyish Name: Subverted. It's a nickname. Her real name is Stevana.
Kevin Reed
Kevin may rock the drum solo with the band but he has another love—food. He's super close with Nelson Baxter and you'll never see the two apart, and if you do, just know that is the weirdest thing ever. Don't be surprised if you see them high fiving each other over lame jokes. They're practically brothers. Member of Gravity 5.
Tropes Associated With Kevin:
- All Love Is Unrequited: He keeps trying to get in a romantic relationship with Kacey, only to be told no each time.
- Big Eater: Constantly hungry and always munching on snacks, it's safe to say that he's got a thing for eating.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Nelson.
- Shipper on Deck: For Grace and Nelson.
Nelson Baxter
Nelson is a genius at the keyboard and piano, and loves nothing more than spending the time with the rest of all his friends. He's super close with Kevin Reed and you'll never see the two apart, and if you do, just know that is the weirdest thing ever. Don't be surprised if you see them high fiving each other over lame jokes. They're practically brothers. Nelson has a major crush on Grace King. Member of Gravity 5.
Tropes Associated With Nelson:
- Catchphrase: "Sweet!"
- Extreme Door Mat: He'll do anything Grace asks him. Molly exploits this in one episode.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Kevin.
The Perfs
Molly Garfunkel
Molly is the current iron-fisted dictator of The Perfs and the big bad of the show. She is the devil in a miniskirt. She was Kacey's best friend until kicking her out and Kacey realized she only liked her because she was perfect. With Kacey out of the picture, she is rising to the top as the new Queen. She's confident, popular and constantly coming up with evil ploys to destroy Kacey once and for all, though her plans are always thwarted by Gravity 5. Member of The Perfs.
Tropes Associated With Molly:
- Adaptational Villainy: Molly was still kind of unpleasant in the book, but not to the degree that she is in the TV series. Notably, in the book, she and Kacey remain friends even after Kacey's Heel–Face Turn. (They do go through a rough patch after Kacey's fall, but it gets mended by the end of the book.)
- Alpha Bitch: Became this after Kacey was thrown out, and the reveal she only liked her for her perfectness brought this to a logical explanation.
- Butt-Monkey: Most of the time she tries something against Kacey, nothing ever goes right for her.
- Dragon Ascendant: Molly works this angle after she kicks Kacey out.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Her plans to destroy Gravity 5 will always be ruined, no matter what.
- False Friend: Well-established in the first episode when she realizes that Molly only liked her because she was perfect.
- Freudian Excuse: How To Rock Christmas implies that Kacey treated Molly rather poorly when she was head of The Perfs.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: After Kacey is thrown out, Molly appears to have transformed the Perfs into a group that is meaner and more oppressive.
- Girl Posse: The Perfs
- Green-Eyed Monster: This is what caused her to eventually develop great resentment towards Kacey.
- Hypocrite: Even though she considers Gravity 5 losers and most other non-Perfs losers, she has no problem flirting with Zander.
- Lack of Empathy: At first. However, later episodes show her becoming a more sympathetic character.
- Nerves of Steel: Though she does get agitated at times.
- Start of Darkness: Molly received rather unjust treatment from Kacey in the past.
- Tragic Villain: Cops up to this in How To Rock Christmas.
- Villainous Crush: Molly might have one on Zander.
- Villain Decay: Suffers this second half of the season.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Kacey until she kicks her out and she discovers she only liked her because she was perfect.
Grace King
Grace was once best friends with Kacey Simon. Grace is the other half of "The Perfs" and even though she's loyal to Molly and her pursuit of Kacey's demise, Grace doesn't have a single evil bone in her. Grace struggles to keep up with Molly's diabolical plans. Nelson has a major crush on her. Grace has a major crush on Nelson as well. Member of The Perfs.
Tropes Associated With Grace:
- All Girls Like Ponies: Grace considers pony to be the third greatest word in the English language (after princess and sparkle).
- The Ditz: She's the least mean of the Perfs, sometimes not paying attention to Molly and cannot keep up.
- Dumb Blonde: But not always.
- Even Mooks Have Loved Ones: Grace is more or less close to Nelson, whom she has a noticeable crush on.
- Genius Ditz: She has camping skills that far exceed those of any other character, due to having spent a lot of time in the woods with her grandfather. In a way this would make her a Distaff Counterpart to Nelson.
- Girl Posse: The Perfs.
- Pink Means Feminine: Grace is a Girly Girl who wears pink about half of the time.
- Token Good Teammate: Grace is the least mean of the Perfs; she often doesn't have it in her to be mean and falls off-task.
- Villainous Crush: Grace has one on Nelson.
Mr. March
Mr. March is a history teacher at Brewster High School. He's arguably the coolest teacher you'll ever come across. He is a recurring character in the show.
Tropes Associated With Mr. March:
- Butt-Monkey: If someone's going to get injured, it will be this guy. In the course of one episode, Molly poked him in the eye, Kacey broke his ankle and he later got poked in the other eye for good measure. He ended up with neck trauma when adding his weight to a stage already over the rated capacity collapsed while he was standing on it.
- Cool Teacher: He tries to appeal to his students by imitating them.
Andy Bartlett
Andy Bartlett is a recurring character on How to Rock. He attends Brewster High School with the rest of the characters.
Tropes Associated With Andy:
- Casanova Wannabe: He has a crush on Stevie and Kacey and often tries to flirt with them, though they do not reciprocate his feelings. Many students, including the Perfs, at Brewster are disgusted by him because of his unpopularity and weirdness.
- Gasshole: Burps who and farts in front of Stevie to distract her, although she remains unfazed. It later turns out she's a lot better at burping than he is.
