With its likable cast of characters, great story, and relatable exploration of LGBTQ+ issues and themes, Heartstopper has proven to be a powerhouse hit for Netflix. While the love story at the center of the series has audiences swooning, the friendships between the different characters also deserve a nod as well.
These friendships are also given plenty of attention throughout season 1, making sure to grow and explore the various dynamics between the different people on the show. If there is a second season of Heartstopper, then these are the friendships that audiences want to see more of.
Tori and Charlie are not just siblings, they are great friends too. Tori is Charlie's elder sister and she is there for her brother whenever he needs her. She is a great example of a supportive sister.
She is always checking on Nick, which can be because Charlie had a rough time the previous year when everyone found out at school that he is gay. Also, when Charlie feels like he ruins everyone's life, she hugs him and assures him that her life is not ruined by him.
Nick and Tara kissed one time in the past but both have completely moved on from that and they develop a great friendship in season 1. They both have played a part in helping each other figure out their sexuality. Tara admits that kissing Nick made him realize that she is not interested in boys.
On the other hand, seeing Tara and Darcy have such a sweet queer relationship helps him come to terms with his sexuality and also his feelings towards Charlie. They grow close through the season and have each other's backs whenever any of them needs it.
One of the ways that the Netflix series is different from Heartstopper graphic novels is the presence of new characters in the show that weren't present in the comic books. Isaac is one of them, who is a part of Charlie's friend group. Throughout the season, fans mostly see him keep to himself, but he is a great friend even though he doesn't show it.
His best trait is that he observes everything and probably knows everything, but he never betrays any of his friend's traits. He saw Charlie and Nick being very close to one another and he got the idea that something is going on between them, but he didn't tell anyone and Charlie didn't have to say it to him. This proves that he cares about Charlie and he would never do anything that can hurt him.
Nick and Tao are at odds with each other throughout the season. Since Nick is friends with some of the worst kids in the school, Tao thinks that he is not the right choice for Charlie. According to him, Nick is taking Charlie away from him and he is eventually going to hurt him.
However, the truth is that they both care about Charlie a lot, and by the end of the season, they sort of become friends. Viewers see Tao putting aside his differences and talking to Nick as a friend. Essentially, that talk helps Nick and Charlie become stronger as a couple as it allowed Nick to understand Charlie better.
Elle, Tara, and Darcy's friendship is fantastic and not something you see every day in the media. Tara and Darcy are lesbians and Elle is transgender. Elle felt lonely at her new school until Tara and Darcy let her in and eventually, they become the closest of friends, especially after Elle figures out that Tara and Darcy are together.
It is great to see girls who feel like outsiders in school come together to form a healthy girl gang where they just want to uplift one another. This is again a rare thing in teen dramas on television since women are usually pitted against each other to further the plot. Their friendship is the reason that Heartstopper is the best LGBTQ+ show right now.
Nick and Imogen had one of the most interesting arcs. Imogen had a crush on Nick but Nick doesn't return her feelings. The show could have made her vengeful after that, but rather she was shown as extremely understanding and supportive. After agreeing to go on a date with her, Nick cancels it on the day of the date.
However, after he explains to her the next day that he doesn't like her that way, she accepts his apology and their friendship doesn't change at all. When their friends ask about their date the next day, she shrugs it off by saying that she didn't want to date him anymore so that he wouldn't be asked questions. Fans are excited to see more of Nick and Imogen's friendship in season 2 of Heartstopper.
Mr. Ajayi is one of the few teachers in school who support Charlie and help him with things. Teenagers like Charlie who have to go through a hard time need an adult like that in their life and luckily, Charlie has Mr. Ajayi, who is the art teacher at Truman.
When Charlie used to be bullied because of his sexuality, Mr. Ajayi would let him have his lunch in the art room. He provided a safe space for him to just be in peace and talk if he wants to.
Nick and Charlie are the main romantic couple of the Netflix series, but they started as friends. They meet in the first episode and they hit it off pretty quickly. They get along well and soon become great friends.
Friendship is a great foundation for a relationship and this is a reason that they work so well as a couple. It is because they knew each other as friends first and that is why they have a strong bond.
Tao and Elle have one of the sweetest friendships in the series. They care about each other a lot and know each other extremely well. The best thing about them is that they truly enjoy being in one another's company. They seem like they have the most fun together out of all the people in their friend group.
Whenever Tao feels insecure enough that he gets irrational, Elle helps him see reason, but never patronizes him. Also, Elle is happy the most when she is around Tao and one of their most adorable scenes in the series finale (the best episode of Heartstopper season 1) is when they run around in the school together, just having fun.
One of the major sub-plots of the season was Tao and Charlie's friendship. They seem to be having the closest of friendships, which is why, when Charlie starts spending a lot of time with Nick, Tao gets insecure. However, he also truly cares about Charlie.
Tao thinks that Nick will hurt him eventually since he is one of the straight rugby players who like to pick on outcasts. Tao's friendship means a lot to Charlie as well and that is why he was waiting to tell Tao about his relationship with Nick because Tao's reaction matters to him more than other people. In the finale, they shared a heartwarming moment when they resolve their fight.
