Thirteen Reasons Why Characters

Clay is our main man here, our narrator and guide through the frightening world of Hannah Baker's last hours. Much of the action in this story takes place in Clay's head, which means we have some p...

We can almost hear Hannah's voice as we read her last words, recorded on seven cassette tapes the night before her suicide. Even though she makes us uncomfortable (as intended), we can't help but f...

Justin is a year older than Hannah. He's her first real crush and her first kiss. He's also, at least as far as Hannah knows, the original source of the rumors that she's a "slut" (3.151).AccusedHa...

Alex is a new kid, just like Hannah. In fact, he's one of the first people in town that Hannah hangs out with. He's on her list because he put her on a list, as the "Best Ass in the Freshman Class"...

Jessica is new to town, but she's not your typical wallflower new kid. She's bolder and more aggressive than Hannah: "In a contest of who's-got-the-biggest-balls, all of you listeners should know J...

Peeping Tom? No, thank you. We don't even want to give this guy a chance. But Tyler, number four on Hannah's list, is one of the book's most problematic characters. Hannah accuses him of stalking h...

Who doesn't love Courtney? Well, Hannah, for one. Number five on Hannah's list, Courtney is the pretty, sweet girl at school. But Hannah thinks she's a phony: Courtney only pretends to like Hannah...

It Wasn't MeWhat makes a character stand out? Especially in a book where most of the characters are just names on a list, this is an important question to ask.Well, Marcus, number six on Hannah's l...

This is an interesting one. Zach actually starts out as a sympathetic character, trying to comfort Hannah after the Marcus incident at Rosie's. But when Hannah rejects his kindness, Zach, number se...

Here is another creepy character in a sea of creepy characters. Ryan, number eight on Hannah's list, is the talented teen poet who steals Hannah's poem and publishes it in the school paper. He does...

This is a weird and confusing one. Cheerleader Jenny Kurtz is number ten on the list. After an awful night at the ill-fated party, Jenny appears to Hannah like an angel. Lulled by the comfort of Je...

Bryce. Ugh. Words can't even describe how awful, despicable, and lowly this guy is. Jay Asher does a phenomenal job of making this dude seem like total pond scum.He's the eleventh person on Hannah'...

Older and Not-So-WiserAdults. They're supposed to be the ones to save you from the bullies, get your out of bad situations, and make you feel better about yourself… right? Mr. Porter, Hannah's gu...

Tony is a likeable guy, which is just one reason he isn't on Hannah's list. In fact, when she sends him a copy of the tapes, he immediately calls her parents to warn them. After Hannah has taken he...