10 fictional characters I relate to as someone who struggles to fit in:
1. Edward Scissorhands from Edward Scissorhands (1990)
2. Jennifer from Phenomena (1985)
3. Will Byers from Stranger Things (2016-2025)
4. Addison Welles from Zombies (2018-present)
5. Aria Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
6. Cat Valentine from Victorious (2010-2013)
7. Priscilla from Priscilla (2025)
8. Frankenstein’s creature from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
9. Emma Bloom from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
10. Carrie White from Carrie (1976) and (2013)
In the future, I will make an updated post of more characters I relate to as someone who struggles to fit in because there is a broad spectrum of what the weird character is in pop culture. I believe this list of the first 10 show a variation of what the “Weird Character” looks like.
Edward Scissorhands and Frankenstein’s Creature are the “weird character” and it is demonstrated physical differences that leads to them being othered. Carrie White, Jennifer, and Emma Bloom are the “weird character” due to their innate powers that leads to them being ostracized. Cat Valentine, Aria Montgomery, and Addison Welles are the “weird character” within popular circles that never truly fit in despite physically fitting in. And Will Byers and Priscilla are the “weird character” due to a situation beyond their control that leads to mistreatment.
With this, some of these characters can intersect into different categories. For example: Aria is similar to Priscilla and Will because she was also a victim of a situation beyond her control while Will is similar to Emma Bloom, Carrie White, and Jennifer because he also has innate powers that contribute to his differences. And Emma can even intersect with Aria, Addison, and Cat because, out of her home for peculiar children, she is one of the few that appears as a character who could physically fit in.
As someone who grew up and still exist as someone who doesn’t fit in or as the “weird one”, I find the subject of the weird character to be interesting because it doesn’t always have to be represented by the manic pixie dream girl. Sometimes it’s a popular girl that doesn’t fit in with her friends or it’s an intellectual human that is in someway systematically oppressed or it is a character that has supernatural abilities. Maybe one day I will write a film studies paper on how the “weird character” can appear in media and how it takes on many variations.
