Charlie Spring

Ben Hope
A student at Truham School and Charlie's secret ex-boyfriend.
Toxic: He is selfish, manipulative, and cruel.
Coward: He hides his sexuality by actively harming Charlie.
Insecure: Projects his own fears through psychological abuse.

Harry Barrett
A popular student at Truham, a rugby player and a friend of Nick's group.
Bully: He is the classic school bully, homophobic and insensitive.
Provocateur: Seeks attention by loudly mocking others.
Immature: Justifies his hurtful comments by saying they are "just jokes".

Mr. Ajayi
The art teacher at Truham School.
Empathetic: He is understanding, kind, and compassionate.
Protector: Offers his classroom as a safe space for Charlie.
Mentor: Listens without judgment and guides students who need it.

Mr. Farouk
A science teacher in Truham who supervises school trips.
Strict: Displays a serious, direct, and rigidly disciplined facade.
Frustrated: He feels he missed out on living his youth freely.
Loyal: Beneath his tough exterior, he cares deeply for the students.

(Ajayi and Farouk are a couple)

Nellie Nelson
She's Nick's iconic border collie. Nellie is sweet, patient, incredibly affectionate, and very intelligent. Nick's constant companion when he's feeling overwhelmed or sad. She has a special sensitivity to human emotions and always comes to offer comfort with a lick or by resting her head.
Instant approval: She's an expert at breaking the ice. From the first day Charlie goes to Nick's house, Nellie immediately adopts him as part of her pack, helping Charlie feel comfortable and safe in that space.

Henry Nelson
He's Nick's second dog (a rescued pug) to join the family later in the story. Henry is lazy, playful, a bit chaotic, and extremely spoiled. The comic relief: Unlike Nellie's tranquility, Henry brings a touch of humor. He loves sleeping in odd positions, snoring loudly, and constantly searching for food.
Charlie's favorite: Charlie develops a huge soft spot for Henry. He loves to carry him around like a baby and pamper him, making the little dog a constant source of joy and emotional therapy for him.

Nick Nelson's family
Sarah Nelson (The Mom): The definition of unconditional love, warmth, and empathy. Sarah is an incredibly supportive mother who embraces Nick from the very first moment he comes out about his bisexuality. She is patient, a great listener, and becomes an incredibly comforting maternal figure for both Nick and Charlie.

Stéphane Nelson (The Dad): Absent, egocentric, and emotionally distant. Stéphane lives in France, is divorced from Sarah, and is barely involved in his children's lives. He lacks tact, is quite old-fashioned in his thinking, and his infrequent visits usually cause Nick enormous anxiety due to his lack of genuine interest in getting to know his own son.

David Nelson (The Older Brother): Arrogant, immature, and hostile. David embodies the role of the bullying older brother. He is homophobic, manipulative, and constantly tries to belittle or invalidate Nick's sexual orientation. He uses conflict and ridicule as a way to get the attention of his absent father, earning the outright contempt of Tori and the rest of the group.

Tori Spring (The older sister): Cynical, perceptive, extremely introverted, and protective. Although she presents an apathetic and distant facade to the world, her main motivation is unconditional love for her siblings. She is extremely observant and the first to notice when something is wrong.

Michael Holden (Tori's boyfriend): The perfect foil for Tori; he's an eccentric, optimistic, energetic, and somewhat socially awkward guy. Although often seen as odd or misunderstood, Michael possesses tremendous emotional maturity, is empathetic, and becomes the anchor that helps Tori open up to the world.

Oliver Spring (The Youngest Brother): The personification of joy, innocence, and tenderness. Oliver is extremely affectionate, loves spending time with his older brothers, and instantly accepts Nick as part of the family.

Charlie's Parents: Jane Spring (The Mom): Strict, controlling, and extremely pragmatic. Although she loves her children deeply, she finds it very difficult to be emotionally accessible. Her rigidity and obsession with rules often clash with Charlie's sensitivity, creating significant family tension when she tries to overprotect him in the wrong way. Julio Spring (The Dad): Loving, passive, and accommodating. He is much gentler and more understanding than Jane. Although he wants to avoid conflict at all costs (which sometimes makes him seem subservient to his wife's decisions), he always tries to provide a safe, quiet, and warm space for Charlie and Tori.

Sahar is an intelligent, calm, sensible, and mature girl. She formally joins the main group of friends after the school trip to Paris, quickly becoming a balanced, reasonable, and highly organized presence for everyone.
Brilliant and organized: She stands out for her excellent academic performance and planning skills. She leaves Nick completely amazed by the level of detail and structure in her school projects.
Passionate about music: Her favorite activity at school is band practice. She plays guitar and has a great artistic sense, which brings her very close to the rest of the group.
Dreamy mind: Behind her mature and realistic attitude, she loves to escape into fictional worlds through reading and dreams of leaving her small hometown to live great adventures.
Loyal and direct friend: She is a very empathetic person who knows how to listen, but does not hesitate to act as the voice of reason when chaos or misunderstandings consume her friends.

He is an extremely introverted, reserved, creative and sensitive boy, who usually goes unnoticed at school but possesses an immense inner world.
Quiet and low-profile: In the school environment and with Charlie's group, Aled is quiet. He acts as a peaceful observer who prefers to avoid drawing attention to himself or getting involved in conflicts.
Brilliant and secretly creative: Behind his shyness lies an artistic mind. He is the anonymous creator of Universe City, a hugely popular science fiction podcast on the internet, where he channels all the expression he represses in his daily life.
Pressured and vulnerable: Aled suffers in silence due to a very controlling and toxic family relationship with his mother. This causes him enormous academic anxiety and a constant fear of not meeting others' expectations.
Loyal and protective of their privacy: They value genuine connections based on mutual trust, but find it difficult to fully open up due to fears of having their secret identity discovered or their safe space invaded.

Tao Xu is the most protective, fiercely loyal, and distrustful friend in the group. He has a strong personality, is stubborn, and often acts impulsively due to his constant fear of losing the people he loves. He's a passionate film buff with strong opinions, a unique alternative style, and a sarcastic sense of humor that he uses as a defense mechanism.
Fiercely protective: He defends Charlie from bullying without hesitation, becoming his shield against any threat.
Fear of abandonment: He resists change and is initially suspicious of Nick, fearing that the new group will divide his friends.
Cinephile and eccentric: He expresses his creativity through art films, striking scarves, and his peculiar haircuts.
Romantic and thoughtful: Although he is stubborn, with Elle he shows his tender, vulnerable and attentive side so as not to ruin their connection.

Elle Argent is a resilient, artistic, compassionate girl with a natural elegance. After facing difficult times and bullying before transferring to Higgs School for Girls, Elle stands out for maintaining an exceptionally sweet, mature, and empathetic spirit. She is the voice of reason in her group of friends, always offering a safe space, understanding, and unconditional support to everyone.
Creative and artistic: Expresses her emotions, her identity and her vision of the world through drawing, painting and contemporary fashion.
Mature and focused: She acts calmly and sensibly in the face of conflicts, balancing Tao's impulsiveness and Darcy's chaos.
Resilient and brave: She faces the challenges of her transition with great dignity, showing enormous strength to rebuild her life and make new friends.
Shy but determined: Although she initially fears ruining her friendship with Tao, she is brave enough to accept and defend her own romantic feelings.

Tara Jones is a mature, thoughtful, and extremely loyal girl to her circle of friends. She stands out for her emotional intelligence and for being a fundamental pillar of support for others, especially Nick and Charlie. She is empathetic and observant, which allows her to notice when someone is going through a difficult time before anyone else.
Brave and authentic: She maturely faces social pressure after making her relationship with Darcy public.
Compassionate confidante: Listens without judgment and offers key advice to Nick on his acceptance process.
Natural leader: Shows great responsibility and commitment, both at school and in her group of friends.
Unconditional support: She balances Darcy's impulsiveness with her patience, being the anchor of their relationship.

Darcy Olsson is the group's pure energy: extroverted, chaotic, fun, and completely unfiltered. Unlike her girlfriend Tara, Darcy stands out for her boisterous personality and rebellious attitude toward social norms. Behind her constant jokes and eternally optimistic facade, she hides great courage to defend those she loves and a strong determination to live authentically.
Outgoing and funny: She always breaks the tension with a joke. She's the life of the party and isn't afraid of looking silly.
Unfiltered but protective: She says exactly what she thinks, which makes her an extremely honest and loyal friend.
Vulnerable facade: Uses humor as a shield to hide their own personal and family problems, avoiding worrying others.
Free spirit: She doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks. She's the driving force that helps Tara step out of her comfort zone.

Sexuality
Nick is openly bisexual. In a 2018 Q&A, he mentioned having a crush on a boy in his second year of ESO when he was in his first year, and that he would get nervous whenever he was around him. However, he initially considered it admiration rather than a crush. It has been mentioned that he had a crush on a girl named Tara Jones during his second and third years of ESO, and that they kissed during the second-year Higgs-Truham disco. However, the relationship never progressed, as Tara discovered she was a lesbian and began dating Darcy Olsson. The beginning of Heartstopper focuses on Nick's discovery of his sexuality when he starts to develop feelings for Charlie. After kissing Charlie, Nick gets scared and runs away. The next morning, however, he returns to apologize, and Charlie comforts him, explaining that he might be bisexual. Nick likes the term, researches it, and concludes that this is the sexuality he feels most comfortable with. In the mini-comic, The Ethics of the Dynamics of Falling in Love [2], Nick mentions that he's attracted to celebrities Zooey Deschanel and Ariana Grande, but quickly finds himself sharing Charlie's attraction to the universe's classicist, Henry Maddox. Sexuality
Nick is openly bisexual. In a 2018 Q&A, he mentioned having a crush on a boy in his second year of ESO when he was in his first year, and that he would get nervous whenever he was around him. However, he initially considered it admiration rather than a crush. It has been mentioned that he had a crush on a girl named Tara Jones during his second and third years of ESO, and that they kissed during the Higgs-Truham ESO disco. However, the relationship never progressed, as Tara came out as a lesbian and began dating Darcy Olsson. The beginning of Heartstopper focuses on this discovery.

Charlie comforts Nick by explaining that he might be bisexual, and after doing some research, Nick agrees that this is the term he feels most comfortable with. Despite the teasing from his classmates and even his older brother, Nick finds support in Charlie, his friends, and his mother. Finally, he reproaches his brother and his estranged father for not caring what others think of him.

Nick is incredibly affectionate and flirtatious, especially with Charlie, whom he often hugs, lifts up, and kisses on the cheeks. One of Nick's flaws is his need to fix things. Upon discovering Charlie's eating disorder and multiple mental health issues, Nick tries to convince him to talk to his parents and makes sure he eats alone, away from his friends. But when Charlie fails to talk to his parents, Nick is emotionally overwhelmed, unsure of what to do, and feels like he's not a good boyfriend. His mother comforts him, telling him that while love is very beneficial, it can't cure mental illness on its own. Shortly after, he talks to Charlie and admits that he can't make his problems disappear, but that he will be there for him wherever he goes. He is extremely patient and understanding with Charlie as he recovers from his mental health struggles. Because Nick is almost two years older than Charlie, he worries about graduating and choosing a college. He thinks he should choose a college near Charlie's, but his friends doubt that this is what he truly wants or if it's the best course of action. Nick and Charlie have also begun to have difficulties with their intimacy, as they struggle to find private space and Charlie suffers from body dysmorphia, freezing up when Nick tries to take his clothes off (although Nick understands and stops immediately).

Appearance
In the comics, Nick is extremely tall and strong for his age, standing at 6'1" (1.85 m) with a robust and muscular build. His impressive height is something many characters, especially Charlie, have noticed, as he often lifts him with ease, whether he's injured or just for fun. He has ash-blond hair, shaved on the sides and longer on top, brown eyes, and a round face. His attire typically consists of sweatshirts, hoodies, sweatpants, patterned socks, and low-top Vans sneakers. Later in the story, he is shown to have become more athletic and grown a beard.

Personality
Due to his appearance and involvement in rugby, Nick was initially stereotyped as a rude, aggressive, and superficial rugby player. However, as he becomes close friends with Charlie, Nick proves to be extremely kind, sweet, patient, funny, and open-minded with everyone, which soon leads Charlie to develop romantic feelings for him. Unlike his teammates, Nick doesn't stereotype Charlie as gay and thin, believing him to be just as good at rugby as anyone. Nick is quick to protect others: he pulled Ben away from Charlie when Charlie sexually assaulted him, contacted Charlie afterward via text message, and punched Harry in the face after Harry used a homophobic slur against Charlie. Nick is initially confused and scared when he realizes he has feelings for Charlie and is overwhelmed by the unhelpful results he finds online. His longing explodes when he kisses Charlie at Harry's birthday party, before he walks away in embarrassment upon hearing Sai calling for him. After leaving, Nick immediately regrets it and goes to Charlie's house in the morning to apologize, tearfully explaining that he does like Charlie, but needs more time to understand who he is before he can admit it publicly.

Charlie is left-handed.
Originally, Oseman had said that his house at Hogwarts would be Ravenclaw, however, he later changed this to Slytherin, as he believed it was a better fit.
His MBTI is ISTP/The Craftsman, but like most of the characters, it's misclassified and is actually ISFP. [ 3 ]
Charlie is in love with the guys from The Ark, specifically Rowan Omondi. [4]
She is the only person allowed to call her sister "Victoria" instead of "Tori," and she is the only one who does so occasionally (not counting Lucas and Michael).
He started playing the drums when he was 9 years old.
He's always cold. [3]
Her favorite movie is Moonlight. [5]
His Instagram username, as shown in the comics, is @cfspring and in the television series, it is @charlie_spr1.
His blood type is O negative. [6]
His favorite bands include Muse, The Strokes, and Best Coast. He's also a fan of Mac DeMarco's music, although, according to Nick, "he thinks he's an idiot."
He's a fan of the classics and Greek mythology. He has a poster of Homer's Iliad on his bedroom wall. He likes it when Nick speaks French (it turns him on) and when Nick cries, he cries too because it makes him emotional.

Health
As a result of bullying, public exposure, and a toxic relationship with Ben Hope, Charlie suffers from multiple mental health issues. Although a group of older boys had stopped teasing him, the damage was already done. Charlie mentioned that he used to self-harm to cope with the pain, though he had eventually stopped. However, Nick begins to notice how rarely Charlie appears in public and becomes concerned when Charlie collapses from exhaustion while exploring the Louvre Museum. He reveals that his anorexia stems from a need to control something in his life and that it tends to worsen when he is stressed or upset. Although Nick tries to cope with Charlie's problem by taking him to eat alone, his anorexia only worsens. Nick tries to encourage Charlie to talk to his parents, but Charlie has a strained relationship with his mother and fears she won't believe him. Eventually, Nick helps Charlie tell his parents about his problem. But because Charlie is on a waiting list to see a doctor, he relapses into self-harm. Charlie is taken to a psychiatric hospital for people with anorexia, where he soon begins seeing a therapist named Geoffrey. There, he is diagnosed with anxiety, depression, anorexia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Charlie struggles to process the trauma he suffered until he begins therapy with Geoffrey. Although he eventually manages to control his anorexia, he now suffers from body dysmorphia: he wears baggy clothes to hide his body and looks at himself in the mirror with disgust. His body dysmorphia also affects his desire for intimacy with Nick, as he has difficulty undressing and fears that Nick will be disgusted by his size and scars.

In the unrevised edition of Solitaire, it is mentioned that Charlie attempted suicide, although neither the revised edition of Solitaire nor Heartstopper explicitly state this.

Appearance
Charlie is tall, standing at 5'11", with a lanky, slender build. He is white and of mixed ethnicity; his mother, Jane, is from the UK, and his father, Julio, is of Spanish descent, which gives him and his siblings a slightly tanned complexion. He inherited Jane's blue eyes and Julio's black hair, though he is the only member of the Spring family with naturally curly hair. He cuts his hair short at the beginning of the comics but soon lets it grow into a thick, curly mane, which he often wears with a headband in bed. Charlie has distinctive dimples that appear when he is excited or happy. His usual attire consists of plaid shirts, ripped skinny jeans, sweaters, and white Converse sneakers. With Nick, he is often seen "borrowing" his boyfriend's oversized sweaters or jackets. His habit of wearing baggy clothes also stems from his constant feeling of being cold and his desire to hide his thinness.

Personality
Charlie is very nervous and tends to overthink things. He's sensitive and has a tendency to apologize a lot, something Nick notices instantly. Charlie has a habit of hiding his feelings to keep others happy. Charlie is incredibly empathetic; he cries when Nick confides in him simply because "seeing [Nick] cry makes him cry too." Most people, including himself, call him a "gay nerd." He loves reading, dogs, and playing the drums. Charlie also appreciates the arts; he loves classical Greek literature (he has posters of The Iliad and Brideshead Revisited) and the work of Keith Haring. Tori describes him as kind, a trait she believes is undervalued and can be taken advantage of.

Charlie
Dad: Julio Spring
Mom: Jane Spring
older sister: Victoria Spring
younger brother: Oliver Spring
partner: Nicholas Nelson
friends:sahar zahid, aled last, taa jones, darcy olsson, elle argent, tao xu
Professors (notable): Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk
brother-in-law: David Nelson
mother-in-law: Sarah Nelson
father-in-law: Stéphane Fournier
She doesn't get along with: Benjamin Hope (her ex) Harry Greene
(His hobbies are reading and playing drums, and he is a union representative.)

Nick
Pope: Stéphane Fournier
Mom: Sarah Nelson
older brother: David Nelson
partner: Charles Spring
Friends: (the same ones) along with Christian, Sai and Omar
teachers: (the same ones) and Miss Singh, physical education teacher
brother/sister-in-law: Oliver Spring and Victoria Spring
Mother-in-law: Jane Spring
father-in-law: Julio Spring
He doesn't get along with: a student who insulted him during a rugby game, (the same ones as the other one)

Victoria spring
Charlie's older sister, with the same parents and younger brother, and Michael Holden's partner (she's the same age as Nick)

Tara Jones and Darcy Olsson
The two are a couple and Darcy has a bad relationship with her mom (Tara is in Nick's year and Darcy is in Charlie's year)

elle and tao
They are a couple, sometimes they have problems that make them break up and get back together again (Tao is from Charlie's year and Elle from Nick's)

aled
He doesn't have a partner and is the same age as Charlie.

Everyone here is a group of friends together with a few extras like Sarah (those who are in Nick's year are already in college and those from Charlie's are in their final year)

Pronouns:She
Birthday: May 4th

Aled Last
Nickname: Aled
School year: Tenth grade (this was when I was 14)
Birthday: August 15
pronouns: The
Likes: podcasts, creative writing, vibrant colors
Dislikes: Beige color, being bored, thinking about the future
Sexual orientation: Gay/demisexual
Hogwarts: Ravenclaw

Youssef Farouk
Birthday: March 13
pronouns:The
Occupation: Science Teacher
Interests: documentaries, museums, hiking
Dislikes: celebrities, spiders, social media

Other characters I couldn't find much information about (💔) Mr. Ajayi, art teacher, Sahar Zahid (woman), and Nellie and Henry (both Nick's pets, they are dogs)

Charles Spring
Nickname: Charlie
School year: Tenth grade (this was when I was 14 and it progresses and so on)
Sexual orientation: Gay
Personality test: ISTP
Hogwarts: Slytherin
Interests: Classical Greek literature, indie rock, astronomy
Dislikes: Bad weather, the cold, and not having Wi-Fi
Pronouns: The
Birthday: April 27th

Nicholas Nelson
Nickname: Nick
School year: Eleventh (this was when I was 16 and progressing)
Sexual orientation: Bisexual
Personality test: THIS
Hogwarts: Gryffindor
Likes: Sports, dogs, Marvel
Dislikes: Bullies, horror movies, insects
Pronouns: The
Birthday: September 4th

Tao Xu
Nickname: Tao
School year: tenth (this was when I was 15)
Sexual orientation: Hetero
Personality test: ENFP
Hogwarts: Ravenclaw
Likes: Bean (his cat), art house films, Polaroid cameras
Dislikes: "lads", heights, moths
Pronouns: The
Birthday: September 23

Victoria Spring
Nickname: Tori
School Year: Eleventh (this was when I was 16)
Sexual orientation: Heterosexual?
Personality test: INFJ
Hogwarts: Hufflepuff
Likes: Alone time, his computer, diet lemonade
Dislikes: Most people, gossip, fake people
Pronouns:She
Birthday April 5th

Tara Jones
Nickname: Tara
School year: Eleventh (this was when I was 15)
Sexual orientation: Lesbian
Personality test:ISTP
Hogwarts: Gryffindor
Likes: Pastel colors, anime, traveling the world
Dislikes: Watching sports, public speaking, storms
Pronouns:She
Birthday: July 3rd

Darcy Olsson
Nickname: Darcy
School year: Eleventh (this was when I was 16)
Sexual orientation: Lesbian/non-binary
Hogwarts: Gryffindor
Likes: Theme parks, sweets, storms
Dislikes: math, making decisions, dresses
pronouns:Elle
Birthday: January 9th

Elle Argent
Nickname:Elle
School year: eleventh (this was when I was 16)
Sexual orientation: transgender
Hogwarts: Slytherin
Likes: Going to thrift stores, 70s fashion, iced coffee
Dislikes: Confrontation, "PE" (No c, sorry), camping

Volume 5 (Charlie: 16 Nick: 17)
Nick and Charlie are in love; they've finally confessed their feelings to each other. What's more, Charlie almost convinced his mom to let him sleep over at Nick's place—he wants to take their relationship to the next level. But will he have the necessary confidence? And with Nick leaving for college next year, things are changing rapidly.

Volume 6 (Charlie: 17 Nick: 18)
Everyone at school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they'll be together forever. But Charlie is busy with his campaign to be class representative. And, as Nick prepares to go off to college, he begins to wonder who he'll be without his boyfriend...

Alice Oseman's comics/volumes where the story continues in 6 books

Boy Meets Boy → The Boys Become Friends → And Then They Fall in Love

Volume 1 (Charlie: 14 years old Nick: 16 years old)
Charlie and Nick go to the same school, though they'd never met until the day they were assigned to sit together in their study group. They quickly become friends, and even sooner, Charlie starts to develop feelings for Nick... even though he knows it's impossible. But love works in unexpected ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them could have imagined.

Volume 2 (Charlie: 15 Nick: 16)
Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie is gay, and Charlie is sure Nick isn't. But the ways of love can be surprising, and Nick is discovering a lot about his friends, his family... and about himself.

Volume 3 (Charlie: 15 Nick: 16)
Although Charlie never thought it possible, he and Nick are officially dating. Nick even worked up the courage to tell his mom! But coming out isn't something you do just once in a lifetime... Nick's older brother has moved back home, a school trip to Paris is on the horizon, and they can't find the right moment to tell their friends and the rest of their families. Sometimes life can be tough even when you have someone who loves you by your side. And as their feelings grow stronger and stronger, Nick and Charlie are going to need each other more than ever.

Volume 4 (Charlie: 15 Nick: 17)
To think that Charlie believed Nick could never like him, and now they're not only dating, but Charlie thinks he's ready to confess his love. And Nick feels the same way, but... he has so much on his mind. Coming out to his dad and the fact that Charlie has an eating disorder. When summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Nick and Charlie will learn what it truly means to love.