Netflix's 13: The Musical, based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Jason Robert Brown, features a variety of vivid characters, ranging from kindhearted to cruel. Like in real life, things are not always black and white, as the characters sometimes make mistakes or are redeemed by their actions later on.
This is especially true of the adolescent characters, who often make mistakes guided by their desire for popularity as teenagers often do. The adult characters are not perfect either, often having just as many struggles and making as equally questionable decisions as the teen characters.
Lucy
Lucy (Frankie McNellis) is by far the most manipulative and selfish character in the musical.
Lucy threatens to get everyone to boycott Evan's party if he doesn't stop Brett and Kendra from kissing. She then kisses Brett and is a very manipulative and controlling girlfriend to him. While this is out of jealousy for the attention Kendra gave Brett during the summer and not her, she could have still solved the conflict by talking it through rather than trying to hurt others.
Evan
Despite being the main protagonist, Evan (Eli Golden) is not the kindest person, as demonstrated by his actions throughout the film.
Evan proves to be very manipulative and abandons his friends Patrice and Archie as soon as it becomes clear they are not popular students. Evan is only nice to Archie later on because he can use him in his plan to get Brett and Kendra to not kiss. He also seemingly cares more about his Bar Mitzvah than his friends or family.
Evan's Dad
Evan's Dad Joel (Peter Hermann, from Law & Order: SVU) cheated on his wife, leading to their divorce.
Joel is the reason Evan and his mom have to move away from New York City. He is also implied to be one of the reasons why his ex-wife gave up writing for so long. Despite these questionable actions, he does redeem himself as he still endeavors to be a good father to Evan, even from a distance.
Evan's Mom
Evan's mom Jessica (Debra Messing, of Will & Grace), while still sympathetic, does make one big selfish mistake during the course of 13: The Musical.
Jessica takes Evan away from all his close friends right before his Bar Mitzvah, which seems excessively cruel as it robs him of making proper goodbyes to them. On the other hand, she does genuinely care about her family and felt constant pressure staying in New York City. She was also prevented for years from her dream of becoming a writer, which makes her a more sympathetic character.
Evan's Grandma
Evan's Grandma Ruth (Rhea Perlman, who also played Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda) is ive of Evan and Jessica, however, she often makes rude comments about Jessica's living situation.
Ruth often drops rude and unfiltered remarks about her daughter and her failed marriage, which come across as unnecessary. On the other hand, she is a kind mother and grandmother, giving Jessica and Evan a place to stay after the divorce as well as encouraging Jessica to pursue writing again.
Brett
Brett (JD McCrary, who voiced Young Simba in The Lion King) genuinely likes Kendra but is still one of the popular kids who keep out Patrice.
Brett is flawed in that he can be exclusionary, demonstrated by his behavior toward Patrice. However, Brett is ultimately caring toward Kendra and he also bonds with Evan, as both boy's parents have recently divorced. Over the course of the film, Brett proves to be a likable character.
Kendra
Kendra (Lindsey Blackwell) is generally nice to others, although she does still have some less-than-nice traits.
While Kendra is one of the nicer popular kids, she did ignore Lucy during the summer in favor of talking to Brett. She also is exclusionary to Patrice and even refuses to go to Evan's Bar Mitzvah if Patrice is there. However, she does forgive Lucy in the end for stealing Brett and doesn't have any hard feelings, which is a redeeming end to her arc in the film.
Patrice
Patrice (Gabriella Uhl) is a kind and caring person with just one questionable act that hinders her likability.
Patrice proves to be a kind and caring character with a ion for the environment, and is always sweet to her friend and implied crush Evan. This is despite the fact that she is bullied and ostracized at school for being different. However, she does still rat out her classmates to their parents for sneaking into The Bloodmaster, which shows a more unlikable side to her character.
Archie
Archie (Jonathan Lengel) is a genuinely good-hearted friend of Evan and Patrice in the film.
ittedly, Archie does participate in Evan's scheme, but he is non-malicious in his intentions and only does so to have a chance with his crush Kendra. He also takes it well when Kendra chooses Brett over him, eventually moving on to a new crush in the epilogue, serving as a positive example to young viewers who might face rejection in their own lives.
Rabbi
The Rabbi (Josh Peck) makes the effort to help Evan no matter what and, as a result, comes across as the kindest character in the film.
The Rabbi is very patient with Evan and willing to help him with his problems even when Evan is not the most cooperative. He also still helps Evan despite the fact that he has moved from New York City to Indiana. He is not only communicating and teaching lessons via video but is willing to travel all the way to Indiana for Evan's Bar Mitzvah.
