List of Degrassi characters (1987–1992)

Stephanie was one of the most notorious characters in the Degrassi franchise, as well as one of the most controversial. Her sexualized image and apparent disregard for self-respect was a heavy storyline in the show's first two seasons. Later, she became suicidal and battled depression after being rejected by Simon for Alexa, and during her parents' custody battle. In season three, Stephanie was said to have gone to private school in Europe after her mother wins the lottery. In reality, actress Stoffman left the show to star in the sitcom Learning the Ropes with Lyle Alzado.

• Stephanie appeared in 22 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "Kiss Me Steph" (1.1), "The Big Dance" (1.2), "Best Laid Plans" (1.7), "What a Night" (1.9), "Revolution" (1.13) and "Dog Days" (2.9).
• Nicole Stoffman was nominated for the Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role at the 1987 Gemini Awards for her role as Stephanie Kaye.^[5]

• Arthur appeared in 65 episodes. He receives top billing in the episodes "The Experiment" (1.3), "Season's Greetings" (3.4), "Making Whoopee" (3.13) and "Dream On" (4.4).

• Rick appeared in 18 episodes. He receives top billing in the episode "The Cover-Up" (1.4).

• Melanie appeared in 56 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "The Great Race" (1.5) and "Twenty Bucks" (3.10).

• Caitlin appeared in 57 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "Rumor Has It" (1.6), "Smokescreen" (1.10), "Stage Fright" (2.5), "Censored" (2.10), "The Whole Truth" (3.7), "All in a Good Cause" (4.11), "Stressed Out" (4.15) and "Showtime" (5.11).
• Stacie Mistysyn hosts the Degrassi Talks special on sexuality.
• Stacie Mistysyn reprises her role for 69 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
• Stacie Mistysyn previously appeared as Lisa Canard for 17 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.

• L.D. appeared in 41 episodes. She receives top billing in the episode "Nothing to Fear" (1.8).

By Season 2, she befriends new student Liz O'Rourke, but hits a major setback when various parents begin to object to her presence in the school being pregnant. Caitlin becomes angry and decides to use her position in the school's newspaper to publish a piece condemning her removal. Mr. Raditch, while praising the piece as well-written, tells Caitlin that because of its heavy bias, it could not be published. Caitlin accuses Raditch of censorship and decides to spread her piece around on its own. This leads Caitlin into getting "tons" of detention, and Spike chiding her for not consulting her first. Other students are seen talking about Spike's presence in the school; Kathleen agrees with the decision to remove her, while her friend Melanie, as well as Joey (who brings up the hypocrisy of not kicking out Shane) object. After the PTA decides to remove Spike, Mr. Raditch tells the class that it is just the way it is, but vows that she will pass regardless, and tasks Erica and Heather Farrell to give her assignments. However, her absence only really lasts for one episode as she returns in time for the school dance, where she goes into labor.

Season 3 of Junior High sees the debut of Spike's baby, Emma, who becomes a protagonist of The Next Generation. While her raising Emma is not explicitly seen, she is seen with her frequently. During the season, Shane, who had been giving her child support payments, is persuaded by a friend to withhold a payment to attend a Gourmet Scum concert. At the concert, Shane takes acid and jumps off of a bridge, leaving him in a coma and developmentally disabled when he wakes up. After this, Spike attempts to apply for a job to make ends meet. When offered a job at a diner, she arrives for an interview, where the manager insults and laughs at her hair and claims she is late despite arriving on time.

By Degrassi High, she restarts her love life when she meets an Irish emigrant named Patrick, who is wearing the same Pogues shirt as her. As the relationship progresses, he even writes a song about her on his acoustic guitar, but she begins to avoid him because she feels like the relationship is too perfect, and is afraid about what will happen if it ends. Eventually, Patrick sits her down and tells her to take it easy. Off-screen in Season 2, she breaks up with Patrick and tells Liz she was on good terms with him. Later on, Liz asks Spike about going out with Patrick, to which Spike sarcastically allows her to. Liz does not pick up on the sarcasm and begins to date Patrick anyway, which angers Spike, and after an argument between the two, Liz breaks up with Patrick. While Spike is in the library, Patrick confronts her, ordering her to not meddle with his relationships especially as she was the one that broke up with him. He ends the confrontation by telling Spike that she may be a mother but she needs to grow up and leaves. Later on, after Claude Tanner commits suicide just before a talent show, Spike is the one to suggest to hold the show regardless, but give the proceeds to Claude's family, or a charity of their choice.

By School's Out, Spike works as a film processor with Tessa Campanelli, and is going to university. She jokes to Caitlin at Alexa's wedding that she and Emma are gonna be students together, and excuses herself to let Joey make amends with Caitlin.

Spike is a punk teen with large spiked hair, although this changes to more of a "mall hair" style by Degrassi High. Despite her punk fashion, her attitude can be generally described as mild-mannered although confrontational and resentful at times. She later befriends Caitlin after the school paper incident (although their friendship really takes off in The Next Generation). She is shown to have a love-hate relationship with Shane McKay after she becomes pregnant, feeling that Shane claims he wants to help until it becomes inconvenient, although in Degrassi High, after his accident, she offers to hang out with him. She appears to have some trust issues, as evidenced by her nervousness and dislike of being touched by Patrick. Being the mother of Emma, she has a recurring role in The Next Generation, appearing in more episodes of the latter than the former.

• Spike appeared in 62 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "It's Late" (1.11) and "Eggbert" (2.1).
• Amanda Stepto hosts the Degrassi Talks special on sex.
• Amanda Stepto reprises her role for 121 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Things take a tragic turn at the start of season three, when his adopted parents are killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. He is then placed in care with his maternal grandparents, but never really recovers from the tragedy and begins to act out. He runs away to see his biological father in Port Hope, Ontario, and is nearly molested by a traveling salesman while hitchhiking. However, Mike is starting a new life with his pregnant fiancé, Maggie, and sends Wheels back to his grandparents.

In the final season, his elderly grandparents eventually tire of his lies, disobedience and theft, and evict him. He stays with Joey, until he steals money from Joey's mother's purse and is kicked out. He sleeps on Snake's porch for a night before realising he needs to change and promises to pay Joey's mother back for the money he stole from her. In the made-for-television movie Degrassi: School's Out, Wheels is assumed to have graduated from high school, is working as an auto mechanic, and is preparing for a move to Calgary to be with his girlfriend Karen. He has since become a heavy drinker, and while driving with Lucy under the influence, collides with another car. He temporarily blinds and partially cripples Lucy, and kills a young child in the other car. When Joey visits him in pre-trial confinement, Wheels' inability to accept culpability shocks Joey, and angers and disgusts Snake, who refuses to forgive him. Later, he pleads guilty and is charged with "criminal negligence causing death, criminal negligence causing injury times two, and drunk driving".

Wheels is released from prison and appears in the pilot of Degrassi: The Next Generation where he asks Lucy for forgiveness (this scene is shown in the Canadian version on CTV only, not in the American version shown on The N). Two years later, when Snake is battling leukaemia, Joey finally manages to reunite him with Wheels over a game of bowling, with the three, now balder and hopefully wiser, loudly sing "Everybody Wants Something" on the ride home in Joey's convertible.

• Wheels appeared in 61 episodes. He receives top billing in the episodes "Parents Night" (1.12), "Can't Live with 'Em" (3.1–3.2), "Taking Off" (3.11–3.12), "A Tangled Web" (5.4) and "Home, Sweet Home" (5.8).
• Neil Hope hosts the Degrassi Talks special on alcohol.
• Neil Hope reprises his role for 2 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
• Neil Hope previously appeared as Griff for 10 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.
• Neil Hope died on November 25, 2007.

Lucy substantially recovers from her injuries. Her eyesight is restored (whether in one or both eyes is unclear) and, having completed extensive physical therapy, she is able to walk well with the use of a cane. She completes an honours bachelor's degree, a master's degree and most of the work toward a Ph.D. She appears in the series premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation, in which she attends a joint reunion of her class and Joey's. A day before the reunion, Joey sells her a blue Volkswagen New Beetle in preparation for her relocation to New Mexico to run her company and complete her doctoral dissertation at the University of New Mexico. She also returns in the second season episode, "White Wedding" as one of Spike's bridesmaids for her wedding to their former classmate Snake.

• Lucy appeared in 62 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "A Helping Hand..." (2.2), "...He's Back" (2.12), "A Big Girl Now" (3.3), "Pa-arty!" (3.15), "It Creeps!!" (4.14) and "Body Politics" (5.5).
• Anais Granofsky reprises her role for 4 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
• Anais Granofsky previously appeared as Karen for 6 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.

• Joey appeared in 67 episodes. He receives top billing in the episodes "Great Expectations" (2.3), "Trust Me" (2.11), "Pass Tense" (2.13), "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" (3.5), "Bye-Bye Junior High" (3.16), "Everybody Wants Something" (4.5), "Testing One, Two, Three..." (4.13) and "One Last Dance" (5.13).
• Pat Mastroianni hosts the Degrassi Talks special on depression.
• Pat Mastroianni reprises his role for 87 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Shane appeared in 38 episodes. He receives top billing in the episode "Dinner & a Show" (2.4).
• Jonathan Torrens took over the role for 2 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Dwayne appeared in 16 episodes. He receives top billing in the episodes "Fight!" (2.6) and "Bad Blood" (5.1–5.2).
• Darrin Brown reprises his role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Kathleen eventually does get counseling, but her problems continue into high school. Kathleen begins dating a boy named Scott Smith. He turns out to be an overly possessive boyfriend and physically assaults Kathleen during a quarrel. Kathleen eventually involves the police and frees herself from Scott.

Kathleen seemed to have conservative political and social views. Throughout the series she seemed to have homophobic views, is against sex before marriage and is critical of animal rights activism. Her sober presence made her unpopular with many of her peers. Although Kathleen often seemed conservative and uptight, she also showed a rebellious side. In junior high, she and Melanie get Joey Jeremiah to sell them drugs. Joey actually just gave them vitamin pills, and when the girls found out, they were infuriated. In high school, she found marijuana joints hidden in the tampon dispenser in the girls' washroom. She hides them in her purse and takes them to Diana Economopoulos' birthday sleepover party. She offers them to the other girls, and everyone except Caitlin smokes it. Kathleen makes fun of Caitlin when she refuses to try it.

In Degrassi: The Next Generation deleted scenes, Kathleen is shown being jealous of Caitlin's success after high school.

• Kathleen appeared in 54 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "Bottled Up" (2.7), "Food for Thought" (3.9) and "Nobody's Perfect" (4.6).
• Rebecca Haines hosts the Degrassi Talks special on abuse. During the episode, Haines reveals that she herself was a victim of sexual abuse, and talking to one of the teens for the show inspired her to get counseling of her own.
• Rebecca Haines reprises her role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Erica and Heather appear in 65 episodes. They receive top billing in the episodes "Sealed with a Kiss" (2.8), "Star-Crossed" (3.8), "A New Start" (4.1–4.2), "Just Friends" (4.7) and "Natural Attraction" (4.12).
• Angela and Maureen Deiseach reprise their roles for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Snake appeared in 67 episodes. He receives top billing in the episodes "He Ain't Heavy..." (3.6), "Loyalties" (5.3) and "Three's a Crowd" (5.12).
• Stefan Brogren reprises his role for 325 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation and 8 episodes of Degrassi: Next Class, as well as Drake's music video for "I'm Upset".

• Michelle appeared in 57 episodes. She receives top billing in the episodes "Black & White" (3.14), "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (4.3) and "Sixteen" (4.9–4.10).
• Maureen McKay appears as a background extra throughout the first season.

• Diana appeared in 44 episodes. She receives top billing in the episode "Little White Lies" (4.8).

• Liz appeared in 49 episodes. She receives top billing in the episode "Crossed Wires" (5.6).
• Cathy Keenan reprises her role for 4 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
• Cathy Keenan appears as a background extra throughout the first season.

• Alex appeared in 57 episodes. He receives top billing in the episode "The All Nighter" (5.7).

• Bronco appeared in 23 episodes. He receives top billing in the episode "Extracurricular Activities" (5.9).

• Claude appeared in 21 episodes. He receives top billing in the episode "Showtime" (5.10).

• Voula appeared in 10 episodes. She made a voice only appearance in season two, leaving a message on Lucy's answering machine. Her highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episodes "Kiss Me Steph" (1.1), "The Big Dance" (1.2) and "Nothing to Fear" (1.8).

Yick returns for the class reunion in Degrassi: The Next Generation (in a deleted scene, he reveals to have set up a web design company with Arthur) and makes a cameo at Spike's birthday party a season later (Saysanasy worked on the show as a trainee assistant director from 2002–2004).

• Yick appeared in 65 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episodes "The Experiment" (1.3) and "Season's Greetings" (3.4).
• Siluck Saysanasy hosts the Degrassi Talks special on drugs.
• Siluck Saysanasy reprises his role for 2 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Susie appeared in 21 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episodes "Rumor Has It" (1.6), "Smokescreen" (1.10) and "He's Back" (2.12).
• Sarah Charlesworth previously appeared as Casey Rothfels for 15 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.

• Tim appeared in 39 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episodes "The Cover-Up" (1.4), "It Creeps!!" (4.14) and "Crossed Wires" (5.6).
• Keith White wrote and performs the theme song for Degrassi Talks (with Stacie Mistysyn).

The friendships between Alexa, her best friend Michelle, Simon, and his best friend B.L.T, are tested when Alexa gets bored with Simon and decides to pursue B.L.T instead. Eventually, Alexa regrets breaking up with Simon and the two get back together. Alexa and Simon then become the comic relief of the show, with their side-plots acting as a lighter contrast to the more serious main-plots (such as Alexa having body image issues while Kathleen is battling anorexia).

In School's Out, Alexa and Simon are shown getting married, and they return for the class reunion in Degrassi: The Next Generation, where Alexa confirms she and Simon are expecting their third child.

• Alexa appeared in 60 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episodes "Sealed with a Kiss" (2.8) and "Sixteen" (4.9–4.10).
• Irene Courakos reprises her role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Trish returns in School's Out where she is seen attending Alexa and Simon's wedding and is dressed more conservatively, and for the class reunion in Degrassi: The Next Generation. A deleted scene reveals she is now a freelance writer and an alcoholic who has been clean and sober for 2 years.

• Trish appeared in 46 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episode "The Whole Truth" (3.7).
• Danah-Jean Brown previously appeared as Connie Jacobs for 9 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.
• Danah-Jean Brown reprises her role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Nancy appeared in 66 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 4th, in the episode "Bottled Up" (2.7).
• Arlene Lott previously appeared as Rachel Hewitt for 7 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street.

• Simon appeared in 48 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episode "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" (3.5).
• Michael Carry reprises his role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Scooter appeared in 38 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 5th, in the episode "Black & White" (3.14).
• Christopher Charlesworth previously appeared as Benjamin Martin for 5 episodes of The Kids of Degrassi Street. He is the brother of Sarah Charlesworth, who plays Susie.

• B.L.T. appeared in 48 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episodes "Black & White" (3.14), "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (4.3) and "Sixteen" (4.9–4.10).

• Maya appeared in 44 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episode "Stressed Out" (4.15).
• Kyra Levy reprises her role for 1 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

• Bart appeared in 15 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 6th, in the episode "Black & White" (3.14).

• Paul appeared in 6 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episode "Pa-arty!" (3.15).

• Clutch appeared in 27 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episode "Pa-arty!" (3.15).

• Dorothy appeared in 19 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episode "Season's Greetings" (3.4).
• Annabelle Waugh is the younger sister of Duncan Waugh (who plays Arthur).

• Allison appeared in 34 episodes, while Amy appeared in 37 episodes. Their highest billing in the credits is 8th and 9th respectively, in the episode "Making Whoopee" (3.13).

• Luke appeared in 47 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 5th, in the episode "All in a Good Cause" (4.11).

• Tessa appeared in 33 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 3rd, in the episode "Three's a Crowd" (5.12).

• Nick and Tabi appeared in 23 episodes. Their highest billing in the credits is 8th and 9th respectively, in the episodes "Bad Blood" (5.1–5.2).

• Joanne appeared in 27 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 4th, in the episodes "Showtime" (5.10–5.11).

• Scott appeared in 26 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 2nd, in the episode "Nobody's Perfect" (4.6).

• Patrick appeared in 13 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 7th, in the episode "Nobody's Perfect" (4.6).

• Raditch appeared in 55 episodes, including voice only appearances. His highest billing in the credits is 7th, in the episode "Trust Me" (2.11).
• Dan Woods reprises his role for the first four seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation as the school's principal, before being fired for his handling of the school shooting. It is here that his forename, Daniel, is finally revealed.

• Avery appeared in 34 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 9th, in the episode "Smokescreen" (1.10).

• Doris appeared in 19 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 10th, in the episodes "Smokescreen" (1.10) and "Sealed with a Kiss" (2.8).

• Louella appeared in 4 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 13th, in the episode "Dog Days" (2.9).
• Susin Nielsen one of the show's writers.

• Garcia appeared in 13 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 15th, in the episode "Making Whoopee" (3.13).

• Walfish appeared in 15 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 10th, in the episode "A Tangled Web" (5.4).

• Webster appeared in 6 episodes. His highest billing in the credits is 13th, in the episode "Extracurricular Activities" (5.9).

• Perry appeared in 4 episodes. Her highest billing in the credits is 24th, in the episode "One Last Dance" (5.13).