The disaffected, intelligent, and sarcastic title character of MTV’s Daria has been an inspiration for misfit teens since she was introduced on Beavis and Butthead long before her stand-alone series debuted in 1997. It aired for five seasons, and the animated comedy has had a lasting impact on pop culture, revered as one of the best cartoons to tackle high school life.
Daria’s family, friends, and classmates are remembered for their unique perspectives, struggles, and fashion choices. They each fit into a notch along a spectrum that has optimism on one end and pessimism on the other. They also exhibit varying levels of well-intentioned or nefarious attitudes. Here are Daria‘s main characters organized by their D&D alignments.
Daria: Neutral
Daria Morgendorffer is a true neutral character, disinterested and impartial about everything. Her only language is sarcasm, and it becomes obvious as the show progresses that she uses her indifference as a defense mechanism. It’s easier to stay out of trouble than risk being hurt.
One of Daria’s struggles in the series is working through her neutrality and sharing her feelings with those around her. However much she may want to, Daria can’t spend her life hiding behind books.
Jane: Chaotic Neutral
Daria’s best friend and burgeoning artist Jane Lane is a bona fide individualist. Jane is unphased by social expectations, high school fashions, or conventions. While she’s a little more outgoing than Daria, Jane is ultimately another free spirit who’d rather skip her teenage years altogether and flash forward to adulthood.
Jane is unpredictable and creative, and she channels these qualities into her art. She loves chaos, seeking out strange adventures and opportunities when they arise.
Quinn: Neutral Evil
Daria’s younger sister Quinn dedicates her life to being the most fashionable and popular girl at school. She’s a member of the Lawndale High School Fashion Club, and she takes her duties very seriously. Quinn racks up boyfriend after boyfriend, moving onto a new one as soon as the current one bores her.
Ultimately, Quinn is a self-involved teenager who is only out for herself. She wants whatever she can get, but she’s too disorganized and lazy to pose too much of a threat to anyone around her. Besides, she usually has her boyfriend of the week do her biding for her.
Helen: Lawful Neutral
Daria’s mom Helen is an overachieving lawyer who believes in abiding by the rules and putting up a normal front. Helen constantly worries about what others think, and she wants to present the image of a perfect family to those around her. She also struggles to enforce her authority in an industry dominated by men.
Helen gets unwound a few times in the series, but she usually comes around, providing both her daughters and her husband Jake with honest advice about how to deal with life.
Jake: Chaotic Good
Daria’s father is also a lawyer, but one who has a bit of a mid-life crisis in the middle of the series, spending quite a bit of time unemployed. Jake is high-strung and sensitive, losing his temper quickly. He takes it out on everyone around him, but he takes it out on himself the most.
Even though he is well-intentioned, Jake is ruled by chaos. As a teenager, he was a free-wheeling hippie. He still reveres his early days, struggling to maintain a balance between rebellious outsider and suburban family man.
Trent: Neutral Good
Jane’s older brother Trent is a laid-back musician who works odd jobs between gigs for extra cash. Trent has few aspirations beyond making a name for his band, Mystik Spiral. Daria is quite enamored with Trent, always blushing around him. Her feelings are never reciprocated, and that’s probably for the best.
Even though Trent spends most of his time sleeping and he’s usually unreliable, especially when he offers others a ride, he is still a caring brother and friend. He even manages to offer Daria and Jane sage advice from time to time. He’s a bit aloof, but Trent doesn’t have one bad bone in his body.
Tom: Lawful Good
A bizarre love triangle emerges between Daria, Jane, and Tom, a rich Lawndale resident who first falls for Jane and then develops feelings for Daria. This causes a rift between the girls, but Tom always tries to do the best thing, believing in honesty and accountability. His solid moral standing makes him a Lawful Good character.
Tom and Daria eventually end up dating, but she breaks it off as their high school days come to close. While she has fun with Tom, Daria feels his straight-laced nature is not compatible with her blooming oddball interests.
Mr. DeMartino: Chaotic Evil
Lawndale High School history teacher Mr. DeMartino is a coarse and embittered man who loves to take his woes out on his students. He shouts about every fifth word, which causes his right eye to bulge.
Much of Mr. DeMartino’s rage comes from being an underpaid and underappreciated public school teacher. He thinks his students are all imbeciles, and he chastises them like a pet owner would chastise their dog. Mr. DeMartino is suspicious of everyone, even accusing Daria of cheating because she knows the answers to questions on a test.
Ms. Li: Lawful Evil
Mrs. Li is the principal of Lawndale High School, and she makes numerous efforts to turn her institution into a money-making venture. She’s also obsessed with implementing security measures, displaying little regard for the rights of her students. As principal, she wants Lawndale to represent the best of the best, no matter what.
Mrs. Li likes being on time, and she uses her authority to impose tyrannical, absurd rules. She clashes with Lawndale students over her choices on many occasions, and Mr. DeMartino is actively opposed to her style. He even stages a protest against her.
