From the relatable plotlines to the extremely catchy soundtracks, High School Musical is one of the most popular Disney movies of all time for a reason. Not only did it shoot the main actors into stardom, but the movie musical provided fans with many unforgettable moments that still live rent-free in their heads.
The movie offered many different social dynamics, including the jock-to-theatre kid pipeline, and fans loved how multi-faceted the main characters were. With all of the friends in the group being vastly different from the others, they all exhibit characteristics of the different Chinese Zodiac signs.
Dog – Troy Bolton
Troy Bolton, the High School Musical drama jock, is a multi-faceted character who fans love to try to figure out. As the main character, Troy had many positive attributes, including friendliness, kindness, and bravery.
Although he was apprehensive to pursue his theatrical dreams, Troy exhibits the true easygoing nature of the Dog Chinese Zodiac as he navigates high school as well as his passions. Through his undying diligence and strength, he was able to discover his true passion and path in life by the third movie.
Rabbit – Gabriella Montez
Though many fans debate whether Gabriella was the worst High School Musical character or not, she has an undeniable spunk to her. From her brainiac skills to her ability to push others to be their best, it’s hard to deny that Gabriella was a good role model for the most part.
However, like most Rabbits of the Chinese Zodiac, they are quick to leave a risky situation before things get hard, which is an obvious trait of the “I Gotta Go My Own Way” singer. Overall, the Rabbit can be a happy-go-lucky charmer that can also be quite frustrating to deal with, due to their lack of commitment.
Snake – Sharpay Evans
Although it’s a point of debate whether Sharpay was truly a bad character or not, it’s undeniable that she was a hard worker and opportunist through and through. Her undying dedication to her love for theatre and success was nothing short of inspiring.
Like a true Chinese Zodiac Snake, she took her bad experiences and learned from them. Between dealing with Troy’s wishy-washy nature in the second movie to reclaiming her well-deserved spot in the play from Tiara in the third movie, she always knew what to do with the cards she was dealt and even benefited from those negative situations in the end.
Ox – Ryan Evans
Known throughout the movie series as Sharpay’s sidekick brother, Ryan barely made waves and mainly kept his head down in his theatre work. Ryan was a generally nice person, but he made sure to not be a doormat to others.
Like the Ox of the Chinese Zodiac, Ryan knows the difference between right and wrong and he sticks to what he knows. Though he didn’t start coming out of his shell until the second movie, fans loved when he did, as he is a likable and genuine character.
Horse – Chad Danforth
While Chad was mostly considered Troy’s best friend, he had a tendency to be independent and off in his own social world. Chad wasn’t shy to showcase his shortcomings in a few of his and Troy’s frequent disagreements.
Like a true Horse Chinese Zodiac, Chad had a likable personality as a popular jock, but he was quick to let people know what he thought, namely Troy. Though he was not at all slow to give others advice, he was reluctant to take any advice from others, as he was seen being stubborn and self-righteous throughout a few of the movies.
Tiger – Taylor McKessie
Taylor is a highly-intelligent best friend to Gabriella, who was often seen pushing Gabriella to do the right thing for herself. On the side of the same coin, she could also be highly judgemental and quick to tell people off.
Like the Tiger of the Chinese Zodiac, Taylor was undoubtedly brave, while also being hard on herself and others. Taylor was a black and white thinker through and through, but there’s no doubt she was always there for her friends and wanted the best for them.
Rat – Kelsi Nielsen
Throughout the films, Kelsi has served as a loyal helper, mainly to Troy and Gabriella. Even in the early days, she was quick to help Sharpay and Ryan, despite Sharpay not treating her the best. Kelsi is one of the most popular High School Musical characters.
Like the Rat of the Chinese Zodiac, Kelsi is always highly-observant and keen as to what is going on, yet she is timid and finds it difficult to stand up for herself. The water sign is also diligent, yet optimistic when it comes to passions and careers.
Monkey – Coach Bolton
A true rational thinker, Coach Bolton always thought he knew best when it came to Troy’s future. Wishing for him to pursue a career path in professional basketball while Troy fell in love with theatre was always difficult for him to watch.
Coach Bolton’s Chinese Zodiac of the Monkey depicts his diligence and alternatively, his ignorance. While this metal sign can be a good listener, their stubbornness makes it difficult at times to hear others out, which Coach Bolton was luckily able to do by the end of the film series.
Dragon – Ms. Darbus
Seemingly fearless, Ms. Darbus played the role of the confident and highly logical drama teacher. Although she seemed to portray a more silly side of theatre in the first movie, by the end, fans were able to see her real strength and wisdom through the arts.
As the Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac, it’s clear that Ms. Darbus thrives in a powerful role and she gives great advice and life lessons to her students. Especially in her mentor role toward Troy, she serves as a great source for him to pursue his dreams and to uplift him to his full potential, as it was clear to her that he had a real knack for theatre despite his doubts.
Rooster – Mr. Fulton
Mr. Fulton was an interesting High School Musical character in the sequel, to say the least, but mainly, he always did whatever it took to make the country club look good. He would get easily stressed whenever anything ever went awry, but he was always quick to find a solution.
Similar to the Rooster Chinese Zodiac, Mr. Fulton is no stranger to being the leader and thinking he’s in the right. Despite his shortcomings, he was always upfront with the rules of the club and his innermost thoughts.
Pig – Martha Cox
From the very beginning, it was made clear that Martha had an intense love for dance. Her kindness shined through and she was always quick to build others up.
Much like the Pig Chinese Zodiac, Martha is insanely trustworthy and hard-working when it comes to her craft. Between her love for life and undying optimism, it’s evident that Martha made many friends in the film series, and it’s not hard to see why.
Sheep – Zeke Baylor
It’s clear that Zeke has arguably the most kindhearted nature out of every character in the whole series, as he even showered Sharpay with love, despite her often shrugging him off. Zeke’s motivations in life are quite simple: he loves adventure and good times with good friends.
Like the Sheep of the Chinese Zodiac, he is gentle and highly understanding of others, no matter how many times he is shut down. Polite and truly loving, Zeke is a background character that fans believe should have received more of the spotlight, and they even aspire to be more like him.
