Zoey 101/Characters

Main Characters

Zoey Brooks

Portrayed by: Jamie Lynn Spears

• Academic Athlete: A straight "A" student and a top notch athlete.
• Accent Relapse: Like her actress, Zoey comes from the deep south (specifically Louisiana) but that she affects a colourless accent most of the time. Occasionally, however, she'll slip back into using some Southern expressions.
• The Ace: Was definitely one in Season 1 but was later toned down to a more realistic Jack of All Trades.
• Big Sister Instinct: Bully Dustin in front of her. See how long you last.
• Cool Big Sis: To Dustin.
• Everyone Loves Blondes: There isn't a guy at school who wouldn't kill for a shot with Zoey. That said, Lola is viewed as hotter.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Blonde and the nicest girl in the world.
• Honor Before Reason: In Wrestling where she goes up against Javers.
• Jack of All Trades: While Zoey is inarguably good at everything she does, Lola is a better actress (and openly considered the hottest girl in school), Michael is a better singer, Logan's a better athlete, and Quinn is smarter.
• Jerkass Ball: In Hands on a Blix Van.
• Last of Her Kind: She's the last of the original girl Power Trio (her, Nicole, and Dana) to remain at PCA.
• The Leader
• Magnetic Hero: Her personality just attracts everyone and makes them want to befriend her.
• New Transfer Student: While every girl was this in Season 1, her experiences were the focus.
• Nice Girl: Always willing to lend a hand.
• Oblivious to Love: Painfully oblivious to Chase's massive crush on her. Lola and Quinn are most amused by it.
• Official Couple: With Chase in the Grand Finale.
• Only Sane Woman: Of the female Power Trio and to the whole group.
• Pink Means Feminine: Though she doesn't wear an overabundance of pink, it's stated to be her favourite colour.
• Reality Ensues: In Wrestling she goes up against a champion (and possibly feral) wrestler out of pride. She lasted, at most, 4 seconds, a California state record for the shortest ever match.
• Team Mom: The most level-headed and clear leader of the group.

Dustin Brooks

Portrayed by: Paul Butcher

• Advertised Extra: Appears in only 25/65 episodes yet is billed as a main character for all of them.
• The Artifact: As of Season 3.
• Bratty Half-Pint: Sometimes.
• Child Prodigy: Shared math class with his sister when she was in eight grade.
• Out of Focus: As the show shifted away from Zoey's POV to a more ensemble cast feel, Dustin fell victim to this, barely appearing in the last two seasons.
• Precocious Crush: Might have one directed towards Lola.
• Satellite Character: To Zoey mostly but also to Quinn being either her spy or the guinea pig in her experiments.
• Took a Level In Jerkass: Downplayed but there. It was probably due to puberty.

Chase Matthews

Portrayed by: Sean Flynn

• Adorkable: Even Lola fell for him on account of this.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Oh Up to Eleven. He spent three seasons fumbling over his crush on Zoey.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: Can sometimes come across as this with regards to Zoey. Especially egregious since Zoey wasn't his girlfriend for most of the series.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Falls off his bike when he first sees Zoey.
• Funny Afro: One noted for being unusually bushy.
• Jerkass Ball: In Goodbye Zoey?
• The Klutz: Constantly.
• The Lancer: To Zoey with regards to the whole group.
• Love at First Sight: With Zoey.
• Love Makes You Dumb: Constantly.
• Official Couple: With Zoey in the Grand Finale.
• Only Sane Man: Not that there was much competition for this.
• Put on a Bus: Goes to England to be with Zoey in the final season... only to learn she's returned to PCA to be with him. And he has to stay in England for a whole semester per the deal he made with his parents.
  • Back for the Finale: In a very heartwarming, though rushed, way.
• Replacement Goldfish: Gets one, Gretchen, in Part 2 of Goodbye Zoey? Everyone else is annoyed by her because, not only is this unhealthy and weird, Gretchen may look like Zoey but her personality couldn't be more different.
• Running Gag:
  • Falling down the stairs the first time he sees Zoey each season.
  • The unusual bushiness of his hair.
• Single-Target Sexuality: Though he's had other girlfriends, it's clear his heart belongs to Zoey. Notably, he's the only male student at PCA to not express any form of attraction towards Lola.
• Stalker with a Crush: Towards Zoey in Season 1. He seems to recognize this by Time Capsule and gives it up.

Dana Cruz

Portrayed by: Kristin Herrera

• Deadpan Snarker: Clearly the biggest one in the cast.
• Distaff Counterpart: To Logan. All but stated in School Dance.
• Hot-Blooded
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: It may take a while to find it, but it's in there.
• Put on a Bus: Shipped off to Paris as part of a foreign exchange program in the Season 2 premiere. The dialogue implied she'd return one day but she was never seen again.
• Ship Tease: Per Word of God, she was Logan's original love interest.
• Spicy Latina: Implied by her last name.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Nicole's Girly Girl.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Nicole.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Even James was more developed than poor Dana.

Michael Barrett

Portrayed by: Christopher Massey

• Ambiguously Bi: He focuses on the handsomeness of men quite a bit.
• Beta Couple: With Lisa.
• Beware the Nice Ones: When Logan reveals his embarrassing fear of rollercoasters to all of PCA, Michael strung him up and pelted him with spitballs. Lola approved.
• Cuddle Bug: He's so eager about hugging that his hugs lift people off the ground. Weaponized in Trading Places where he manages to pick Lola up by the side when she and Quinn try to escape.
• Heterosexual Life Partners: With Chase.
• Large Ham
• Manly Tears: Frequently.
• Platonic Life Partners: Though he thinks Lola is sexy, he and her ultimately fall into this.
• Shipper on Deck: For Chase and Zoey.
• Token Minority: The only African-American in the cast (Dana and Lola were Ambiguously Brown).
• What the Hell, Hero?: To Chase in Goodbye Zoey?
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Has a crippling fear of rollercoasters.

Nicole Bristow

Portrayed by: Alexa Nikolas

• Ambiguously Bi: Is very protective of Zoey and seemed to fall in love with Lola when she dresses up as Steve.
• Brainless Beauty: Often comes across as this, which Dana and Lola mercilessly lampshaded.
• The Cuckoolander Was Right: In Boys Will Be Girls regarding the girls' roof smelling like squirrel pea.
• The Cutie: Nicole could be considered the prototype Cat Valentine.
• Hidden Depths: She's a straight A student. At least in algebra.
• Hypocritical Humor: Is paired up with a Motor Mouth in School Dance and rants to Dana about how annoying it is to be paired up with someone that peppy who just won't shut up.
• The Lancer: To Zoey in Season 1. Tries to be this in Season 2 but it's clear she can't match Lola's brains and common sense.
• Put on a Bus to Hell: She's boy-crazed and freaked out at the idea of leaving PCA. Her parents ship her off to an all-girls boarding school.
• Smarter Than You Look: See Hidden Depths.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Dana's Tomboy.
• Undying Loyalty: To Zoey.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Dana.

Quinn Pensky

Portrayed by: Erin Sanders

• Adorkable
• Berserk Button: Do not call her a spaz.
• Beta Couple: With Logan.
• Blind Without'Em: Quinn really needs her glasses.
• Brainy Brunette: Clearly the smartest girl at PCA.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Say what you will about Quinn's sanity, she is a genius.
• Butt Monkey: In Seasons 1 and 2.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: She loses it if other girls interact with Mark. Exploited by Lola in Hands on a Blix Van. She seems to have grown out of it when dating Logan.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Occasionally serves as this to Lola who returns the favour.
• Complexity Addiction: In Zoey's Tutor much to Lola's annoyance.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: In Seasons 1 and 2.
• Heroic BSOD: When she fails to catch the rat in Zoey's Tutor.
• Hollywood Homely: Quinn is supposed to be a nerd that no one would touch with a ten foot pole. Her appearance does not support this.
• Hollywood Nerd: Though Quinn was freaky in the first half of the show, she got a lot hotter later on.
• Hypocrite: Reproached Lola for trying to date James (before he started dating Zoey) yet still took pictures of him.
• Idiot Ball: Used an addictive goo to enhance the flavour of the Moon Bars. How addictive? It destroyed a whole civilization. Lola calls her out on it only for Quinn to retort that it's very low calories.
• Incredibly Lame Pun: "Quinnventions."
• Mad Scientist
• Odd Friendship: With Lola.
• Old Shame: Her performing in beauty pageants.
• Opposites Attract: With Logan.
• Professor Guinea Pig: Often, most notably in Zoey's Ribs where she tests her follicular stimulator on herself.
• Reed Richards Is Useless: If Quinn auctioned off even one of her inventions, she'd be set for life and advance society by decades.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Her habit of this is why she can't be used as a tutor.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: In Quinn Misses the Mark. Even Lola is caught off guard by it.
• Speaks Fluent Animal: Alpaca to be precise.
• TV Genius: Has an IQ of 177.
• Undying Loyalty: Not shown too often, but if Lola calls, Quinn is there.
• What Does She See in Him?: Her relationship with Mark. It made sense in the first two seasons, they were both weirdos, but then Erin Sanders hit puberty and Quinn clearly could have gotten a hotter, more passionate, guy. Not even Lola can figure this one out.

Logan Reese

Portrayed by: Matthew Underwood

• Aw, Look — They Really Do Love Each Other: With Zoey on occasion, most notably in Wrestling.
• Beta Couple: With Quinn.
• Break the Haughty: In Logan Gets Cut Off. Without his dad's money, he cannot take care of himself.
• Butt Monkey: On occasion. Sometimes though, it can border on Disproportionate Retribution.
• Casanova Wannabe: He's attractive but such a Jerkass that he turns off a lot of potential dates.
• Characterization Marches On: Was a huge Jerkass at first, then slowly became a Jerk with a Heart of Gold later on.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: When Lola mentions that Mark was Quinn's boyfriend, Logan snaps that he's not anymore.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: At first. He was clearly only tolerated because he lived with Michael and Chase and had known them for years.
• Hidden Depths:
  • Spring Break-Up reveals he has a beloved pet rabbit that been with him since childhood.
  • He's the title character in Zoey's Tutor. His grandfather was a chemistry professor who taught Logan the subject over summer breaks.
• Informed Attribute: As Dustin lampshades, Logan talks about getting a lot of girls but is rarely seen in the company of one.
• Jerkass: Can often come across as this, especially in Logan Gets Cut Off where, even after getting his money back, he keeps Zoey, Lola, and Chase as his servants for a week (something they volunteered to do out of the kindness of their hearts).
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • His holding Zoey and Chase responsible for burning down Sushi Rox in People Auction. Zoey and Chase even concede the point.
  • YMMV on whether or not his name is objectively sexy, but he is right in saying "Mark Del Figgalo" is not an attractive name.
• Ladykiller in Love: With Quinn in Season 4.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Often for his insane plans.
• Odd Friendship: Arguably has one with Chase.
• Opposites Attract: With Quinn.
• Rich in Dollars, Poor In Sense: Several times, most notably in Logan Gets Cut Off.
• Second Love: To Quinn.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Gets away with a lot on account of his wealthy father donating a bunch of money to PCA.
• Single-Target Sexuality: In Season 4, he may like lusting after other girls but he will kiss only Quinn.
• Spoiled Brat: To such an extent that even his dad is annoyed by it.
• Straw Misogynist: More so in the first two seasons but it still pops up now and then. Zoey and Lola usually call him out on this, usually by slapping him upside the head.
• Stupid Evil: In People Auction, the gang holds... a people auction to raise money to rebuild Sushi Rox. Logan could pay for the entire thing himself (which would likely boost his reputation) but instead chooses to have Zoey, Nicole, and Lola be his cheerleaders for a week.
• Toxic Friend Influence: Functions as a downplayed version of this to Michael in Season 4.
• Villain Protagonist: Though he's a main character, he often winds up being the main antagonist of an episode.

Lola Martinez

Portrayed by: Victoria Justice

• The Ace: Can act, dance, sing, design fashions, sketch, do makeovers, and imitate accents. The only thing she can't do is knit and she was on the path to mastering that.
• Ambiguous Disorder: It's sometimes implied Lola might subscribe to Blue and Orange Morality as she often seems unaware of how others could view her outlandish actions as wrong (such as being proud about her gothic persona scaring Zoey and Nicole).
• Ambiguously Bi: Lola flirts with more guys than there are stars in the sky but she's very protective of Quinn (even acting more like a jilted lover in Anger Management when the two fight) and has some rather flirtatious moments with Zoey (look at their hug in Quarantine).
• Attractive Bent Gender: As "Steve."
• Beta Couple: With Vince.
• Beware the Nice Ones: If you piss off Lola... run. Quinn looks like she's on the verge of wetting herself when she makes Lola angry.
• Breakout Character: Keep in mind that Zoey is the show's main character. Now look at Dan Schneider's Instagram pic commemorating the 15th anniversary of the show and which character is the most prominently displayed.
• Brilliant but Lazy: If Lola put her mind to it, she could probably outshine everyone (yes, even Zoey) with barely any effort. Half the time however, she chooses to nap simply because she can't reach the TV remote and change the channel.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Lola is... out there but she really is an amazing actress and fashion designer.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Occasionally serves as this to Quinn who returns the favour.
• Deadpan Snarker: Not to the extent of Dana but it's clear that Lola is 120% done with your shit even before you've started talking.
• Depending on the Writer: Is Lola The Chick or a Cloudcuckoolander? Generally it's agreed she's Crazy Enough to Work in human form.
• The Fashionista: Known for her crazy and sexy outfits.
• Flanderization: In a sense. She was an independent, unique, character in Season 2 but come Season 3 and she's attractive and fashionable in a more conventional sense while absorbing some of Nicole's traits.
• Goth: Subverted. It was just an extremely convincing act.
• Guile Hero: Will often use her acting talents to get out of trouble.
• Hidden Depths: Would you believe her favourite play is The Importance of Being Earnest?
• Identical Stranger: Per the connections of the Nick Verse, she's this to Shelby Marx and Tori Vega.
  • YMMV on the "stranger" part.
• It Amused Me: 90% of what Lola does is governed by this.
• The Lancer: Of the girl trio from Season 2 onward and of the whole group in Season 4.
• Master Actor: Lola and sanity have a strained relationship at best but the girl can act. Even those who she sees everyday can fall for her tricks.
• Ms. Fanservice: Favor Chain has Dustin state that she's the prettiest girl in school. In that episode, we're treated to the sight of Victoria Justice doing yoga and later wearing a magician's assistant outfit. Before that, she often wears Barely-There Swimwear, sleeps in her underwear, and had a noticeably smaller and more form hugging cheerleader outfit than Zoey and Nicole did in People Auction.
• New Transfer Student: In Season 2.
• Odd Friendship: With Quinn.
• PCA's Most Beautiful Woman: Someone will comment on how unbelievably sexy Lola is every other episode.
• Reality Ensues: Spent three days practicing her scream in Quarantine. To the joy of everyone, she threw out her voice.
• Spicy Latina: Implied by her last name and her habit of infrequently swearing in Spanish.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute:
  • To Dana in Season 2, being Zoey and Nicole's new roommate. Aside from that, and being another Spicy Latina however, she doesn't have much in common with Dana.
  • To Nicole in Season 3. Lola's crazy outfits vanished and she became more boy crazy and ditzy.
• Theme Song Reveal: Literally. The Season 2 opening credits gives away that she's not a Goth. And since there's no Cold Open in this show, everyone went in knowing the persona wouldn't last.
• Unlimited Wardrobe: While everyone had this, she changed her hair dye in every episode of Season 2 and her outfits are usually the most elaborate.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: It's frequently implied this is her reasoning behind trying to make Quinn more of an extrovert.
• You Are in Command Now: When Zoey leaves for England, she gifts her room key to Lola, symbolizing that Lola is now the group's leader.

James Garrett

Portrayed by: Austin Butler

• Chick Magnet: Zoey, Lola, and Quinn all forget what they wanted to say upon noticing how stunningly handsome he is.
• The Generic Guy: Doesn't seem to have a definable personality beyond being a Nice Guy.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Genuinely loves Zoey but when he sees that her heart belong to someone else, he amicably ends things.
• Identical Stranger: Has one in the form of Danifer, a bit character who appeared in Quarantine.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He just disappears halfway through the Grand Finale with no mention of what became of him.

Other Students

Mark Del Figgalo

Portrayed by: Jack Salvatore, Jr.

• Butt Monkey: Usually ends up feeling the brunt of Quinn's experiments gone wrong and was memorably shoved through a basketball hoop in The Great Vince Blake.
• The Cameo: Appears in the Grand Finale of Victorious in the pajelehoocho commercial.
• Fail O'Suckyname: Logan goes out of his way to lampshade it.
• Kavorka Man: Has dated four girls (Courtney, Quinn, Brooke, and Stacey) despite being a rather unappealing fellow.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Quinn was nothing but loyal and devoted to him for two years and he casually dumps her to date Brooke. Brooke dumps him in the Grand Finale on account of how boring he is.
• Last-Name Basis: Quinn is the only one who consistently calls him "Mark."
• Recurring Character: Appeared more often than Dustin.
• Pair the Spares: With Stacey at the end.
• Satellite Love Interest: To Quinn.
• The Stoic: When the gang needs a mediator, Lola says the chosen person would have to be "someone without any emotion or passion." Guess who Quinn suggests.

Rebecca Martin

Portrayed by: Daniella Monet

• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Is initially presented as a hometown sweetheart and soon reveals herself to be an utter Yandere Control Freak.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Wanted Chase to stop speaking with Zoey period.
• Identical Stranger: Trina Vega and the Alpha Bitch from iPsycho.
• Irrational Hatred: Of Lola. Lola and Rebecca barely interacted at all yet Rebecca made Zoey bring Lola's worst fears to life.
• Jerkass
• Never My Fault: Holds Zoey responsible for Chase dumping her. As Quinn accurately points out, the reason Chase broke up with her is because she was "a bucket of nuts."

Stacey Dillsen

Portrayed by: Abby Wilde

• Abhorrent Admirer: To Logan.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Is universally hated and mistreated by everyone for no clear reason. Even Zoey laughs at her expense.
• Ascended Extra: She was only supposed to appear once but she proved so beloved by the crew that she had to be brought back.
• Berserk Button: Do not use her special cotton swabs to clean out your filthy ears.
• Butt Monkey: Oh so much. The best example would have to be her parents changing their phone number without telling her. Others include Lola vomiting on her sweater, her joints locking up during yoga, her parents leaving her to sit in the parking lot for four days (they never showed), and getting hit by a hospital bed.
• Collector of the Strange: Cotton swabs.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Somehow got a hot guy (played by Austin Butler, the guy who played James Garrett) to go out with her. Of course her bad luck still ruined things but hey.
• Pair the Spares: With Mark at the end.
• The Pollyanna: Despite her horrible luck, she refuses to have a negative attitude.
• Shipper on Deck: Cameos in iStart a Fan War where she's revealed to be a Creddie shipper.
• Speech Impediment: Butchers the letter "S". It's cured in the finale but she's relapsed by the time of iCarly.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Once Quinn moved into Room 101 and became more normal, Stacey filled the void of weird girl to be picked on.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Gets a steady boyfriend (Mark) in the Grand Finale and loses her Speech Impediment.

Vince Blake

Portrayed by: Brando Eaton

• Antagonist Title: The Great Vince Blake.
• Beta Couple: With Lola.
• The Bus Came Back: In the appropriately named Vince Is Back.
• Dumb Jock: Only passed his test by taking pictures of the answers. As Chase accurately predicted, Vince didn't think to then delete those pictures.
• Easily Forgiven: Arguably by everyone but Lola most of all because he's a really good kisser.
• Jerk Jock: In Season 3.
  • Heel Face Turn: In Season 4 where he becomes a Nice Guy.
• The Nicknamer: Developed a reputation for giving out nicknames in his first appearance.
• Satellite Love Interest: To Lola.
• Smug Snake: At first.
• Took a Level In Kindness: So much so that he borders on Same Character but Different. Even Zoey and Quinn are won over by how nice he is.

Wayne "Firewire" Gilbert

Portrayed by: Allen Evangelista

• Berserk Button: Calling him "Wayne."
• Butt Monkey
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Zig-zagged. He's called by his nickname in casual conversation but when things get serious, this trope is averted.
• Straw Misogynist: In Robot Wars.

Jeremiah Trottman

Portrayed by: Creagen Dow

• Absurdly Powerful Student Council: Being the school news reporter apparently grants him enormous influence over the school and student body. He's frequently in the company of an attractive girl that his news career attracted.
• Money, Dear Boy: Openly admits he's aiming to be a newscaster solely because of how well it'll pay.

Lisa Perkins

Portrayed by: Lisa Tucker

• Beta Couple: With Michael.
• The Danza
• Satellite Love Interest: To Michael.
• Token Minority Couple: With Michael.

PCA Staff

Coco Wexler

• Big Eater: Nothing, not even being chased by a swarm of bees, will prevent Coco from eating her canned ravioli.
• Butt Monkey: Her life started out relatively decent, if a bit unfulfilled. Then it steadily got worse and worse and worse.
• Inelegant Blubbering: Prone to this.
• Informed Deformity: Coco isn't anywhere near as fat as the characters seem to view her as. Until Sam & Cat.
• Lesser of Two Evils: Between her and a competent advisor who steals from the students, everyone decides to bring Coco back.
• Make Up or Break Up: With Carl.
• Team Mom: Is the girls' dorm advisor. Though Lola openly calls her terrible at her job (which she is) and has well thought out arguments for why.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Canned ravioli.

Dean Charles Rivers

• Beware the Nice Ones: Every now and then, most prominently in Season 4.
• Dean Bitterman: It's very clear that living in a Dan Schneider show has taken its tole on his sanity.
• Henpecked Husband: It's clear he can't say no to his wife.
• Hypocrite: Banned coffee on campus yet maintained a private coffee maker. The gang Blackmail him with this to make him reverse the coffee ban.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite his eccentricities (baking tiny cheesecakes/playing miniature pool/getting into a Captain Kirk style fight), he's ultimately this.
• Sitcom Arch Nemesis:
  • He's the Skinner to Logan's Bart.
  • Depending on the Writer, he's also Lola's, being constantly unable to offer a retort to her snarky remarks about his activities.

Coach Keller

• Disproportionate Retribution: While his anger at Chase in People Auction is understandable, how he gets his Revenge is a bit much. And he forces Michael to share Chase's punishment simply because Michael opined he was being too hard on Chase.
• It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": Pronounces sushi as "sush-ee." Even after everyone calls him out on it.
• Never My Fault: Though he blames Chase for Sushi Rox burning down, he himself just grabbed his food and ran instead of trying to put the fire out.
• No Indoor Voice: Constantly screaming.

Kazu

• Nice Guy: Has no ill will towards Chase and Zoey for the accidental fire that burned Sushi Rox (they didn't light it but set off a series of innocent events that led to it).
• Only Sane Employee

Dave Bender

• Butt Monkey: Though downplayed compared to some other examples on this list.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears following Season 2, though Lola is babysitting his kid in Favor Chain.
• Cool Teacher: Before he disappeared, he was almost a Cool Uncle to the gang.