Top Ten Favorite Characters of One Tree Hill

In 2003, when I was 25, I came across a show that is one of my favorite shows ever. Nine years later, the show is coming to an end. To commemorate and celebrate the preceding eight seasons of One Tree Hill, I wanted to mention and explain some of my favorite things about the show. I am sure people will disagree with me, and that is totally cool. Just know that I am not trying to slight anyone else's favorites, but just to talk about mine. I would love to hear what everyone else thinks.

Today, I am starting with my top ten favorite characters. I am only including characters who have been in the main credits or major recurring characters, not other minor characters.

[10] Peyton- While I do love Peyton, she has never been one of my favorite characters. She is way too mercurial in my opinion. I do love Peyton and I love that she chases her dreams, but she can get way too bitchy with people for my personal likes.

[9] Lucas- See Peyton above. He spends so much time brooding and in his own head that he is paralyzed and doesn't act the way he should.
[8] Rachel- Yeah, she's a total bitch, but she's so much fun. I didn't like the way she was treated post high school, but it did make a sort of sense given who she is.
[7] Karen- She is the mom of the show. She is the biological mother to Lucas and a major parental figure for Haley, Brooke, and Peyton and helps Nathan and Jake out when needed. I really miss her, but do think having her leave was great for her character.
[6] Mouth- I loved him as a character in high school. He is the everyman, the ordinary guy with no major skills who lets us ordinary schmucks have access to the extraordinary world of One Tree Hill. He has turned into a total flake post-college and I really hope they have him settle down more this season.
[5] Jamie- In the first few episodes of Season 5, he brought a totally new life and vibe to the show. His eternal optimism and wonderful spirit has been great for the show, Seeing the world through the eyes of a child has just been incredible.
[4] Haley- As one half of the emotional center of the show, mother to Jamie, teacher, singer, producer, inspiration, and so much more, she has more than earned her place here. Despite a few missteps, she has grown tremendously into a wonderful and caring mother and wife.
[3] Brooke- She has been one of the people who has grown the most over the course of the series. When introduced in the second episode, she was the sexualized party girl who couldn't care less about anyone else. Over the past 8 seasons, she has grown into a large hearted mother and wife, the founder and owner of a multi-million dollar corporation, and someone who always follows her heart. I am so proud of her.

[2] Nathan- Like Brooke, he was introduced as a bad guy who started dating Haley in order to get at Lucas. Within half of a season, he had already grown into a guy who was working his hardest to be the good guy who would be worthy of a girl like Haley. There have been some major falls along the way (Seasons 2 and 5), but he has evolved into an awesome dad, loving husband, and someone who is unafraid to change his dreams without any bitterness.

[1] Dan- It might be surprising that he tops my list, but he is easily one of the most inspired characters to inhabit television. He is the bad guy. He is seemingly soulless, bitter, angry, and a horrible father. And this description is not too far off. However, he does care about 2 people more than anything else: Nathan and Karen. He only transitions into a decent person after they completely reject him when they found out that he killed Keith. He never loses his edge, but he does learn how to be a decent guy and a good grandpa to Jamie.

Next one will be my favorite couples.