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Pretty Little Liars is an American teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King for Freeform. It is based on Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name. Some of the characters appeared in the spin-off shows Pretty Dirty Secrets , Ravenswood , Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Pretty Little Liars (2022). Below is a list consisting of the many characters who have appeared throughout the original series' seven-season run.
The following table contains an overall look on the main, recurring and guest characters. The guest characters, marked in blue, have appeared in one or two episodes per season they are denoted. The recurring characters, marked in red, have appeared in three or more episodes in the season they are denoted. The main characters, marked in green, are those whose portrayer has had received ensemble cast billing in at least one episode in the season they are denoted.
The following list features characters that are considered fundamental to the series' storylines, consisting of the central group deemed as "the Liars" and the main antagonist "A."
Considered the "de facto leader" of the group, Spencer Hastings, portrayed by Troian Bellisario, is intelligent, extremely ambitious, and strives for perfection in everything she does in an attempt to live up to the high expectations of her parents. Spencer's biggest rival is her older sister, Melissa, and the two are constantly fighting over something. Their relationship is often strained by the fact that Spencer has a habit of crushing on Melissa's boyfriends. In the first season, she begins a relationship with fellow student and strained Rosewood student Toby Cavanaugh. Throughout the series, Spencer is revealed to be the biological daughter of Mary Drake and the sister of Charlotte Drake.
Considered the "alternative" one of the group, Aria Montgomery, portrayed by Lucy Hale, is more outgoing in fashion and what she sees as acceptable behavior. She moves back to Rosewood with her family after living in Iceland for a year. Before Alison's death, she and Alison discovered that Aria's father was having an affair with one of his former students, Meredith, who became his coworker at Hollis College. Alison encourages Aria to tell her mother the truth, but instead, Aria reluctantly agrees to keep her father's secret. On top of that, she finds herself involved with her high school English teacher, Ezra Fitz, after making out with him in a pub bathroom and discovering he was her English teacher on the first day of school.
Pretty and fierce, Hanna Marin, portrayed by Ashley Benson, is the diva and "it girl" of the group, having taken Alison's place as the most popular girl at Rosewood High. Prior to Alison's death, Hanna suffered from bulimia, which Alison frequently teased her over. Since her parents divorced, Hanna permanently lives with her mother. She feels betrayed by her father, who has remarried, and she does not get along well with his new wife and daughter. When Hanna's mother falls upon financial hardship, she steals thousands of dollars from the bank she worked at, which Hanna is forced to keep a secret.
The "jock" of the group, Emily Fields, portrayed by Shay Mitchell, is a highly competitive swimmer, considered the star of Rosewood's swimming team. She is shown as a sweet and shy girl. For a short time, Emily lives with Hanna, after her mother moves to Texas to live with Emily's father, who is stationed in Fort Hood. She begins to question her sexuality because of her feelings for Alison, but later accepts the fact that she is a lesbian and starts to date girls. She eventually begins a relationship with Sara Harvey, until she discovers that she is an ally of the antagonist.
The former "queen bee" of her clique, Alison DiLaurentis, portrayed by Sasha Pieterse, used to be the most popular girl in school before her disappearance and alleged death. Although she cared for her friends, she enjoyed using their deepest secrets against them to keep them in line. Charming and manipulative, Alison was skilled at finding ways to blackmail everyone, and many people hated her. She knew everybody's secrets, but since she's been gone her friends are beginning to realize how little they really knew about her. She is revealed to be alive and on the run from "A."
A former "unpopular" girl at Rosewood, Mona Vanderwaal, portrayed by Janel Parrish, longed to be accepted into Alison's group and was continuously mocked by her. After Alison's disappearance, Mona befriended Hanna and they underwent an "extreme makeover" together; as a result, they both became popular students. When "A" appears, Mona becomes jealous of Hanna rekindling her friendships with the other Liars. She dislikes Caleb and makes attempts to break Hanna and Caleb up, though to no avail. She becomes romantically involved with Noel, much to Hanna's disapproval, but is later dumped by him for Jenna. When "A" begins sending Mona threatening notes, she grows closer to the Liars. In the second-season finale, she is in fact revealed to actually be "A" when she and Spencer travel to the Lost Woods Resort to uncover "A"'s lair. She is committed to a mental institution, Radley, after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
The main antagonist, "A" is stalking and torturing the Liars in relentless and creative ways and also threatens their friends and family. In the second-season finale, it is revealed that Mona is "A". She is also the one who stalked Alison before her disappearance. However, when she is sent to Radley sanitarium, she is visited by CeCe Drake, who offers her a partnership and takes over the team of "A"s, known as the A-Team. The team consists of Mona, Toby, Spencer, Sara, Lucas, Melissa, Wilden, Jenna, Noel, and Wren. Five years later, Alex Drake takes over and becomes Uber A, known as "A.D.", and forms the A.D. Team, consisting of Jenna, Sydney, Aria, Wren, Mona, and Mary.
The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Aria Montgomery, one of the protagonists of the series.
The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Spencer Hastings, one of the protagonists of the series.
The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Hanna Marin, one of the protagonists of the series.
The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Emily Fields, one of the protagonists of the series.
The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Alison DiLaurentis, one of the protagonists of the series.
Aria Marie Fitz is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise created by American author Sara Shepard. Described as an “alternative” and artsy teen, the franchise revolves around Aria and her three best friends being blackmailed, stalked and tortured by an anonymous identity known as “A” after the disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis.
Hanna Olivia Marin is a fictional character created by Sara Shepard for the Pretty Little Liars book series, and later developed for the Freeform television series adaptation by I. Marlene King. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Ravenswood.
Spencer Jill Hastings is a fictional character, one of the five main characters who appear in the Pretty Little Liars novel series and its Freeform television adaptation. Created by American author Sara Shepard, she is a member of the group known as the Liars, and is best friend to the four other members, who are protagonists of the story. Portrayed by Troian Bellisario, the character was developed for television by the series' showrunner I. Marlene King and appeared in each of the show's 160 episodes during its seven-years-long run, from its premiere on June 8, 2010, to its finale on June 27, 2017.
Alison Lauren DiLaurentis is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars book series, its television adaptation, and the spin-off series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. The character was created by American author Sara Shepard.
Melissa Hastings is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. Created in 2006 by Sara Shepard for the book series, the character was later reworked by I. Marlene King, the developer of the television series, in which she is portrayed by Torrey DeVitto. An antiheroine, Melissa is sister to protagonist Spencer Hastings, and the daughter of Peter and Veronica Hastings. She is a fierce woman who does everything to succeed in her life goals. In print, she is a guest character, while on screen Melissa has a much bigger presence in the story.
Jenna Marshall is a fictional character created by I. Marlene King for the Freeform television series Pretty Little Liars and portrayed by Tammin Sursok. The character is based on Jenna Cavanaugh, who was created by Sara Shepard in the book series. Although in the novels Jenna is murdered in Heartless, in the show she is still alive. Jenna is a major recurring character in the first five seasons, acting as a member of the A-Team, while being absent for the sixth, and returning in the seventh, working as a helper to Uber A.
"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American mystery teen drama television series Pretty Little Liars. It introduces each of the main characters, as well as establishes the basic premises of the series. The episode aired on June 8, 2010, on ABC Family.
Emily Catherine Fields is a fictional character created in 2006 by author Sara Shepard. She is a character in both Pretty Little Liars' books and television series, and initially appears as a "jock girl" and one of the main protagonists of the story. She is part of the group known as the Liars; and is best friends with the four other members, who are also protagonists. Emily is known for her description and shyness, as well as for being part of a conservative family, the Fields.
"A" is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. Created by author Sara Shepard in 2006, the character serves as the main antagonist in both the television and book series. "A" has also appeared in the web series Pretty Dirty Secrets (2012).
"'A' Is for A-l-i-v-e" is the first episode and premiere of the fourth season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, and is the 72nd episode overall, which aired on ABC Family on June 11, 2013. The episode was written and directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, marking the second episode King has directed for the TV series.
Red Coat is a fictional character on the television show Pretty Little Liars, which was adapted from the book series of same name. Introduced during the second-season finale, she became the primary antagonist of the third and fourth seasons. In Season 4, it is revealed there are 2 active Red Coat's, one being CeCe Drake, the other being Alison DiLaurentis. In Season 6, it is revealed there is a third red coat, this one being Sara Harvey.
"Hush, Hush, Sweet Liars" is the twentieth episode and the season finale of the sixth season and 140th episode overall on the Freeform mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars. The episode was broadcast on March 15, 2016. It was written by the series' showrunner I. Marlene King and directed by Ron Lagomarsino.
"How the 'A' Stole Christmas" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season and 108th episode overall of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on December 9, 2014, on the cable network ABC Family. The episode was the series' first Christmas special and aired as part of the programming block 25 Days of Christmas. It was directed by I. Marlene King and co-written by King and Kyle Bown.
"Hit and Run, Run, Run" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on July 12, 2016, on the cable network Freeform. The episode was written by Maya Goldsmith and directed by Michael Goi.
"Original G'A'ngsters" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on August 9, 2016, on the cable network Freeform. The hundred and forty-seventh episode of the series, it was directed by Melanie Mayron and written by Kateland Brown. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 0.6 and was viewed by 1.16 million viewers, up from the previous episode. It received positive reviews from critics.
"The DArkest Knight" is tenth episode of the seventh season of the American mystery–thriller television series Pretty Little Liars. The installment was directed by Arlene Sanford and written by showrunner I. Marlene King and executive producer Maya Goldsmith. It premiered on August 30, 2016, on the cable network Freeform.
"Unmasked" is the season finale and the twenty-fifth episode of the second season of Pretty Little Liars, which premiered on ABC Family on March 19, 2012. The forty-seventh episode overall, it was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and written by series creator and showrunner I. Marlene King. The episode yielded 3.69 million viewers and a 1.6 demo rating, an increase from the previous episode. It received widespread acclaim from critics, with many noting the satisfying reveal and climactic final scenes, and is often noted as one of the best episodes of the series. In particular, the performances of Janel Parrish and Shay Mitchell received critical praise.
Sydney Driscoll is a fictional character in the Freeform television series adaption of the Pretty Little Liars book series, portrayed by Chloe Bridges. Driscoll is introduced as a false protagonist, only to be exposed as a member of Mona's army and a close friend of Jenna Marshall. Sydney returns in the series' seventh season, later revealed to be a helper of "A.D." and a member of the A-Team.
"Till Death Do Us Part" is the series finale of Pretty Little Liars, which premiered on the Freeform network in the United States on June 27, 2017. The twentieth episode of the seventh season and the 160th overall, it was directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, who also co-wrote the episode alongside Kyle Bown and Maya Goldsmith. Shortly after the two-hour final episode, a special titled "A-List Wrap Party" was aired, in which the main cast and King talked about the show's end and behind-the-scenes exclusives.
"Escape from New York" is the first episode and the premiere of the fifth season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars and the 96th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by showrunner I. Marlene King and directed by Norman Buckley, it aired on June 10, 2014 on ABC Family and was watched by 2.72 viewers.