As one of the central characters in High School Musical, and the villain of the franchise, it was important that Sharpay make her mark. However, it was also essential to humanize her. Sharpay is human, too, even if she is decidedly more determined and motivated to achieve her dream than any of her peers.
Rachel loved performing and knew she wanted to end up on Broadway. One of their most notable differences is that while Sharpay struts down the hallway with all eyes admiring her, Rachel is lucky if she gets through the day without getting a slushie facial.
Similar: Love Performing
Rachel and Sharpay share an absolute love of Broadway. Rachel excitedly took in the city when the New Directions were preparing for Nationals. From the first episode, Rachel made it clear that she was a star and performed big Broadway numbers during glee club.
Sharpay always performed over-the-top musical numbers. However, Sharpay’s wish to reach Broadway is mostly noticeable in High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. In the final High School Musical film, Sharpay’s goal is to receive a scholarship to Julliard as a stepping stone to reach Broadway.
Polar Opposites: Rachel Returns To High School
After leaving Broadway and getting her sitcom canceled, Rachel goes into hiding for months. Humiliated by what had happened, Rachel doesn’t jump back into performing after returning home to Ohio. Instead, she decides to start up the New Directions after seeing what Sue had done to the school.
Luckily, she isn’t alone, and Kurt decides to help Rachel run the club as part of his work-study program. This is something the audience never sees Sharpay do once she has graduated.
Similar: Make It To Broadway
While still attending NYADA, Rachel accomplishes getting the lead role in the play adaption of Funny Girl. But, the storyline goes further, showing that Rachel’s performance is a huge success and the show is a hit. While Rachel does leave the show, a few years later, Rachel returns to Broadway and wins a Tony.
Sharpay’s journey doesn’t go beyond Broadway, and her first leading role closes her story. Throughout Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Sharpay lives in New York City, coaching her dog, Boi, to be the best friend in the musical. Sharpay even becomes Amber Lee Adams’ assistant to solidify Boi’s role, hoping it would lead to Sharpay’s success. After Ambe Lee Adams destroys her own reputation and leaves the show, Sharpay’s talent saves the day and gives Sharpay the chance to shine as the lead in a Broadway production.
Polar Opposites: Friendships
Sharpay may be close with Ryan, but everyone else is more like an obstacle in Sharpay’s way rather than a friend. Even at the end of each film, when it appears Sharpay had made friends with the rest of the group, the following movie ignores those connections, returning Sharpay to being a loner.
Rachel doesn’t start the series with many friends either. That changes with the New Directions. While it does take time, Rachel accumulates friends throughout the group, eventually sustaining life-long bonds. Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Mercedes, and more remain closely involved in her life as adults.
Similar: Complicated Relationships
Sharpay and Ryan’s relationship can be difficult as for much of their lives, Ryan did whatever Sharpay said. When that changed, Ryan struggled to come out of Sharpay’s shadow and be his own person. Sharpay wants Gabriella out of the picture so Sharpay can have the lead. Sharpay’s dynamic with Troy tends to land between wanting to work with him and disliking him altogether.
Rachel had a complicated relationship with Quinn at first. But, as time wore on, they eventually became good friends. After getting the lead on Broadway, Rachel and Santana’s relationship becomes muddled in conflict after Santana earns the part of Rachel’s understudy.
Polar Opposites: Sharpay Is An Antagonist
As many wrong things as Rachel Berry has done, she is not the antagonist of Glee. Rachel’s role in the show was not to tear down the New Directions even if she wanted to ensure she got the female lead vocals. Those are bad aspects of her character, but they don’t make her the villain.
Sharpay Evans is the antagonist of High School Musical. She sabotages Troy and Gabriella’s chances of winning the leads when she convinces Ms. Darbus to change the date of callbacks. Sharpay tries to break up Troy and Gabriella in the sequel and knows her influence will cause Troy to encourage Gabriella to go to Stanford early. Sharpay wants the lead, and she will do anything to get it.
Similar: Sabotage
While Rachel may not be the villain, she has acted in villainous ways. When it comes to Rachel, the viewers see she has trouble giving up the female lead. If Mercedes, Santana, Quinn, or Tina end up getting the main role, she would often be seen causing a lot of drama. While this was an aspect she gradually improved on with time, Rachel’s wrongful behavior can’t be ignored.
However, this was the complete opposite of Sharpay, whose main device is sabotage. She spends all three films manipulating those around her to ensure that she ends up in the best role with the best song. This was her course of action to ensure the Julliard representatives notice her.
Polar Opposites: Romantic Storyline
Although Sharpay has a subplot with Zeke and spends High School Musical 2 trying to be with Troy, there is no solid romantic storyline for Sharpay. Granted, given everything else Sharpay does throughout the trilogy, she doesn’t need one. Sharpay is busy working toward her future and being the best at her craft. Performing and manipulating others to reach success takes up so much time throughout the movies that a romantic storyline would only get in the way.
However, this is the complete opposite for Rachel, who has multiple romantic storylines. The most prominent one is the connection between Rachel and Finn and their journey of figuring out their relationship. While Finn is Rachel’s biggest love interest, she also has a connection with Jesse St. James. Even though Rachel and Jesse date (and break up) in the first season, they eventually get back together and end the series as a married couple.
Similar: Their Emotional Journeys
While Sharpay and Rachel often exuberate in confidence, there have often been occasions where the viewers have seen them show their insecurities and fears. Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventures is seen to explore this as Sharpay realizes that it might not be as easy to break into show business as she initially thought.
This was something that Rachel would have been able to relate to as she also faced a few hardships – from her choking her NYADA audition to her struggling to get an audition. Eventually, both Rachel and Sharpay manage to find the right paths for them, but they did have to go on a journey of self-discovery to get there.
Polar Opposites: Broadway And New York
When Sharpay makes it to New York, her experience is not an easy one. Still, she perseveres through it, waiting for the day she can shine the way Sharpay always believed she would. Of course, she’s right, and by the end of Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Sharpay has become the lead in the musical. Sharpay’s journey ends there, and although fans will never know how the play was perceived or what happens next, they were content with the fact that Sharpay has achieved her dream.
Yet, this wasn’t exactly for Rachel, whose dream was seen to become a sort of nightmare. She isn’t happy anymore, and in response, makes one of the biggest changes in her life. Giving up Broadway for an uncertain television sitcom, Rachel’s choice crashes and burns, leaving her humiliated. Rachel eventually returns to the Broadway stage, but first, she returned to NYADA, completing the education she originally gave up.
