When Rory starts going to Yale, she lives with her friend Paris, but the studious Gilmore Girls main character meets a lot more people along her academic journey. Whether Rory is asking someone out in the laundry room or joining The Yale Daily News, she makes some new friends and learns to deal with others who she doesn’t get along with as well.
From Rory’s three new friends to some of Paris’s love interests, there are many minor characters at Yale on Gilmore Girls who Rory comes to appreciate or who teach her a compelling lesson about growing up.
Olivia
Rory’s Yale friends Lucy and Olivia are studying acting and they have a fun approach to life that Rory needs.
While Lucy plays a big role in the plot on Gilmore Girls since there’s a crisis when Rory learns who her boyfriend is, Olivia is a kind and artistic character who doesn’t have any storylines of her own. It’s nice to see Rory making new friends and fans would love to see more of Olivia and to learn more about her.
Janet Billing
Gilmore Girls portrays college properly and that includes how Rory and Paris deal with their roommates.
Rory and Paris don’t love living with Janet and Tanna, and in a funny scene, Rory sees Janet working out. While Janet isn’t very fleshed out and viewers don’t know anything about her except for her love of exercise, it’s important to see Rory interacting with new people, so Janet is memorable in her own way.
Juliet
Juliet is friends with Logan, Colin, and Finn and Rory meets her through the Life and Death Brigade.
Juliet doesn’t seem to have much of a personality, and fans might not remember her all that well. But she does flesh out Logan’s Yale world a bit more and show Rory that he has a close group of friends, although they are fairly immature and that does worry Rory at times.
William
Rory’s biggest mistakes at Yale are tough to watch at times but she does take some bold risks and tries to get braver.
In the season 4 episode “In the Clamor and the Clangor,” Rory sees William doing laundry and asks him to go on a date with her. While it’s pretty humiliating when he says no, things get even worse when she thinks that he’s sharing that story with everyone on campus. William becomes a crucial Yale minor character, although he appears very briefly, as Rory realizes that jumping to conclusions is a bad idea.
Lucy
Lucy is one of the most significant side characters at Yale since her relationship with Marty threatens her new, close friendship with Rory.
Rory is stunned to learn that Lucy and Marty are in a relationship and fans don’t love that Marty lies and Rory doesn’t share that she knows him well. Lucy is more interesting than many others at Yale and she’s fun, has a good sense of humor, and helps Rory break out a bit more.
Asher Fleming
Paris’s immature Gilmore Girls scenes are a sharp contrast to her relationship with Asher, a teacher who is decades older.
Asher may not be a likable character, as he seems pretentious and tough, but his romance with Paris does create drama and makes Rory wonder how she can seem supportive when she doesn’t agree with it. Since Asher is a crucial part of Paris’s Yale experience, he is one of the most significant side characters on the college campus.
Colin McCrae
Logan’s best friends Colin and Finn are often around, and it’s fair to say that Rory doesn’t like either one much at all. But they seem fond of Rory and Colin in particular is a character who is hard to forget about.
Colin is a snob who seems to really enjoy his wealthy lifestyle, and this is a problem for Rory, who knows that Logan is a caring person but she isn’t so sure about his friends.
Finn
Finn might be even more intense than Colin, and fans know that Finn and Colin aren’t good influences on Logan, but their scenes are still entertaining.
Finn is the kind of person who hides the real him and it can be hard to tell when he’s joking and when he’s serious, which makes him a mystery. Rory never bonds with Finn or Colin, but she knows that they’re both a big part of Logan’s life, and life at Yale would seem empty and strange without Finn.
Marty
Marty and Rory have a tough friendship, as they connect and get along well, but then Marty tells his girlfriend Lucy that he doesn’t know Rory and Rory isn’t sure how to admit the truth.
Although fans find that the Marty situation is problematic and uneven, it’s hard not to think of Marty as one of the most memorable side characters. It’s great to see Rory hanging out with someone who is so kind.
Doyle McMaster
Doyle is definitely the best and important minor character at Yale on Gilmore Girls. Fans love his quirky personality and his love for Paris.
While Doyle is fairly competitive, there isn’t anything to dislike about him as he’s kind and caring and he helps Paris see that living life and falling in love can both be fun and beneficial. It’s also tough to forget the hilarious plotline when Paris is fearful of taking care of Doyle when he’s super sick.
