Though now steeped in controversy regarding behind-the-scenes issues (per Variety), the beloved 2000s teen drama One Tree Hill continues to be popular among new and old fans. The show captured the hearts of fans with the love triangles, drama, and heartfelt characters. These characters went through many hardships in OTH's 9-season run, but through it all they grew and matured for the better.
But with each main character, there were a few side characters that came along and left a trail of conflict. Some of these characters deserved more screen time and arguably deserved to be on the roster of main characters.
Anna appeared on One Tree Hill with her brother, Felix, during season 2. Her character made waves by revealing that she was bisexual, which was still controversial at the time the show aired. She had a brief romance with Lucas and friendship with Peyton, and despite her short time on the series, she evoked important conversations about sexuality, sexism, and what it is like to be a woman in modern society.
Anna had the potential to be a main character, and fans deserved more story arcs from her. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Anna would have added some much-needed diversity to the show's main cast, particularly at a time when representation was thin on the ground.
With only five episodes under her belt, Erica deserved better. Viewers may remember her as being the other candidate for student body president against Brooke and for also briefly dating Mouth.
However, Erica's storyline could have been explored more after her lost in the election. She reveals that being student body president was all she's ever known, highlighting how much she struggled with the loss. Her overachiever persona was interesting and different compared to the other characters who seemed to be more nonchalant when it came to academic success.
Sam was introduced as one of Haley's students in season 6 and eventually became Brooke's foster daughter. Her character held a lot of trauma, yet she was witty and always fun to watch on the screen. She bonded very well with Jamie and her relationship with Brooke was very heartfelt.
Overall, Sam fit nicely into the cast and was positioned as someone worth rooting for. Her story had loads of potential especially towards the end of her arc. However, once she reunited with her mother, fans never saw her again.
Just like his sister Anna, Felix was introduced in season 2 of OTH. When he first came onto the scene as Brooke's next-door neighbor it seemed like he would be around for the long haul as the two engaged in an enemies-to-lovers arc.
While Felix ranks low on the list of Brooke's OTH love interests and was generally disliked by viewers due to his overconfidence and mean streak, he did have main character potential. A more expanded storyline could have let viewers see beneath Felix's tough outer shell - after all, it was clear he had underlying issues that could have been explored more.
First introduced in season 5, Quentin was another of Haley's students as well as a star basketball player. Originally, he was overly confident and highly stubborn but he later transforms into a character that was very beloved. For viewers, it was really special to watch him become a better version of himself.
He became better in school and was succeeding in basketball before tragedy struck in a moment that broke OTH fans' hearts. Quentin's time on the show was over much too soon, the character deserved a more expanded storyline.
Fans know Nicki, mother to Jake Jagielski's young daughter, all too well as one of the many villains in One Tree Hill. Upon her arrival in Tree Hill, she meets Lucas in a bar and has a one night stand with him. Later she later meets and befriends Brooke, before the main character realize that she is nothing but trouble.
Despite her flaws, however, Nicki had a lot of mystery to her that made her intriguing to viewers. It would have been interesting to learn more about where she went or even where she came from. She had main character energy throughout thanks to her confidence and attitude.
Taylor was introduced as Haley's older sister and the one who took Nathan's virginity. She wasn't necessarily a villain but she did cause conflict and jealousy with her sister. Luckily she returned later in the series and was proven to have a softer side.
Because of her multi-faceted personality and wild-child persona, Taylor definitely had main character energy and deserved more screen time. Taylor would have been an interesting addition to the main roster as she was a little older than the rest of the main characters.
Rachel was, without a doubt, a complicated character, which gave her a main character vibe from the star. At first, she was unlikable and caused conflict with Brooke as well as Nathan and Haley but soon the main characters found a spot in their hearts for her.
Cool girl Rachel's unlikely relationship with the gawky Mouth was compelling and definitely a storyline that should have been explored more. However, her involvement with Dan Scott after the show's time jump ultimately ruined the character and there was no going back.
At first, Chris Keller was just introduced as a device to complicate Nathan and Haley's relationship. After all, kissing Chris was Haley's worst decision in One Tree Hill.
However, Chris saw Haley's musical talent and took her under his wig. If this didn't happen, Haley's future might have looked very different. As the series went on, his sporadic appearances became something to look forward to. His overconfident persona made him lovable and always funny to watch, and his dynamic with the other characters was enjoyable from his first appearance to his last.
Jake was considered a fan favorite, becoming known as one of Peyton's best OTH love interests. Fans rooted for the pair from the start and wanted Jake to end up with Peyton for good.
From the start, Jake was the only basketball player not give Lucas a hard time. Later, he was one of the few males on the show that genuinely tried to do the right thing. He was responsible and romantic. It would have been riveting to see him before he had Jenny and where his character ended up during the later seasons of the show when they age up.
