10 BEST ZITS CHARACTERS, RANKED

Zits is one of the most iconic suburban-set comic strips of this generation. Debuting in 1997, the strip centers around high-school junior Jeremy Duncan. For many comic strip fans, comics like Family Circus and For Better or For Worse hold a relatable nostalgia that makes them superior to other comics. Zits' twenty-seven-year run has certainly earned the comic strip series a spot in the Hall of Fame when it comes to family-friendly comics.

Whether it's the hysterical Jeremy Duncan or his lovable parents, fans of the Zits comics all have their favorite characters. Creators Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman did a spectacular job of honing in on each character's personality and making them wildly individualistic and different.

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Autumn Is A Character You Love To Hate

Hector Deserved Better Than This

Hector's girlfriend, Autumn, is notorious for being rude and borderline gross. As the series goes on, she grows armpit hair almost as long as the hair on her head. She also regularly insults Jeremy for not being a vegetarian and calls him terrible names, even going as far as to call him a "cannibal." Her antics often cause Jeremy to regularly beg Hector to break up with her, especially when Autumn turns her nasty attitude around on Hector.

Hector, despite all this, loves her anyway. Her freak-out sessions definitely give fans a good laugh. However, her character is the most one-dimensional out of all of them, with most readers disliking her character for the most part. Therefore, Autumn falls at the bottom of the ranking.

D'ijon Gave Valuable Representation in Zits

Fans Wished She Appeared More

Black comic strip fans struggled to find representation in comic strips for decades. As comics began introducing more Black main characters and side characters, various comic strips were recognized for providing much-needed representation for the Black community. D'ijon from Zits was one of these many iconic characters.

D'ijon was simply hilarious. As Pierce's girlfriend, she is similar to him in many ways, mostly in her rebellious and out-there personality. Her only downfall was that fans wished she appeared in the comic strips more. Every comic strip featuring D'ijon is notoriously funny, and her appearance could have bolstered the comics.

Clapton is The Perfect Cat

Jeremy Couldn't Have Chosen a Better Companion

Clapton may be among one of the best comic strip cats ever. His personality is terrifyingly similar to Jeremy's, with his routine revolving around Jeremy when he's home. Clapton first appeared in April 2021 as a foster cat, but the family would quickly go on to adopt Clapton themselves.

Clapton is named after guitarist Eric Clapton, despite some other suggestions for her name, including "Cinderella" and "Miss Meow." Her deep connection to Jeremy is so sweet and can be rather funny, as seen in the comic strip featured above. Jeremy's family hadn't introduced a pet for a long time, so introducing Clapton was exciting for many fans.

Everybody Knows A Phoebe

School Isn't Everything, Kids

Phoebe is a stereotypical work-a-holic character in the Zits comic strips. Her determination to get into a good college drives her to do some pretty outrageous and hysterical things in the comic strip series. For fans reading Zits while in school, Phoebe was ultimately an extremely relatable character, as everyone knew someone with the same scary level of drive.

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Phoebe is so insanely dedicated that she has an espresso machine in her locker, which regularly irritates her classmates. Many characters with personalities similar to Phoebe's have a strong sense of right or wrong, such as Susie from the Calvin and Hobbes comics. Phoebe is different, however, as she will do absolutely anything to get into a good school. This leads to her committing actual crimes to ensure her success, such asdownloading bootleg reports online.

Pierce Betters The Entire Band

Under That Punk Look Is A Sweet Kid

While Jeremy doesn't seem to refer to Pierce as a best friend, Pierce does appear to be Jeremy's closest friend outside of Hector. He also plays the drums in Jeremy's garage band, making him a frequent character in the Zits comic strips. He's known for being more rebellious than the other two boys, sporting a much more alternative look than Jeremy and Hector.

However, Pierce does have a strange underlying subplot that makes fans laugh hysterically. In a 2008 storyline, Jeremy discovers that when Pierce isn't around his friends, he takes all his piercings out and dresses like a prep school kid. That subplot would align with other odd traits of Pierce's, such as his spontaneous compassion for others and his deep-rooted need to help people.

Jeremy's Perfect Girlfriend is Sara Toomey

She's Absolutely Lovable in Every Way

Sara Toomey is perfect because of all her imperfections. On far too many occasions, comic strip creators will choose to portray wives and girlfriends as wonderful, flawless angels that are entirely unattainable in real life. On the other hand, Sara is a true reflection of a high school girl, and her relationship with Jeremy reflects this. While they have broken up before, they always find their way back to each other and learn how to solve their problems.

When they are together, Sara and Jeremy's relationship is sweet. Sara deals with some pretty hard problems, especially considering her parents are divorced, but Jeremy's gentle nature makes it easy for him to ride the waves of Sara's emotional turmoil. Their relationship and Sara's raw, authentic character is what earns her the Number Five spot on this list.

Connie Duncan Raised Jeremy Right

She's One Of The Best Comic Strip Moms

Connie, Jeremy's mom, is one of the most hilarious comic strip moms ever. She constantly uses quick wit and sarcasm to counteract Jeremy's nonchalant attitude about life. Ironically enough, she has also begun writing a book entitled Coping Effectively With Your Teen. Jeremy often interrupts her while she's working on her book, typically leading to hysterical reactions from Connie.

Although Jeremy doesn't share much with his parents, Connie is always ready to listen whenever he wants to talk to her. She has the best intentions when it comes to raising Jeremy. However, she is often perceived as being hilariously intrusive and overprotective. Despite this, there are many sweet, sentimental moments between the two of them throughout the comic strip series.

Jeremy's Dad Inspired Jeremy's Love of Music

Walt Always Supports Jeremy's Dream

Jeremy's parents are always there to embarrass him, albeit accidentally. Jeremy's father, Walt, is particularly proud of him. Jeremy's love of music, whether he acknowledges it outright or not, is definitely something he got from his parents. Walt's relationship with his wife, Jeremy's mother, is lovely, as they get along well and make for a very wholesome comic strip relationship.

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While Walt may be an orthodontist in the present day, he often alludes to having a much crazier past. He spends much of his time misusing slang to embarrass Jeremy and complaining to Jeremy about his lack of work ethic. However, under his fatherly nature, he is a pretty cool dad who often retrieves relics and merchandise from Jeremy's favorite bands for him.

There's No Better Best Friend Than Hector Garcia

Jeremy Got Lucky With Hector

Hector often plays guitar in the band he shares with Jeremy or helps Jeremy work on the '62 Volkswagen van in his garage. The dynamic duo have great plans to take cross-country road trips together and become rock stars. Hector constantly motivates Jeremy to follow his dreams and is right there by his side to help him achieve them.

In the comics, fans see that Hector spends a lot of time with Jeremy. Hector is soft-spoken and kind, appearing to be the perfect best friend. Jeremy benefits greatly from his friendship with Hector and cares for him greatly as a result. For fans of the comic strip series, Hector is the kind of friend a person can only hope to have. His dedication and loyalty are unlike any other character in the Zits comic strips.

Jeremy Duncan is The Main Character For A Reason

He's One Of The Most Likable Comic Strip Characters

Jeremy Duncan is legitimately the best character in the Zits comic strip series. Whether playing with his band or messing around in class, Jeremy always elicits laughter from fans. The world constructed around his story is relatable, providing readers of any age with valuable insight to carry on for the rest of their lives. As Jeremy figures his life out, fans figure theirs out along with him. This interesting relationship with the reader has made Zits one of the greatest newspaper comic strips still running today.

With the storyline coinciding alongside Jeremy's life, it's hard not to love Jeremy as a character. Fans get to see the meticulous details of everything Jeremy does and his interactions with every other character. It's also extremely rare for strips not to feature Jeremy. Other comic strips will have frequent moments where side characters take over the story, but Jeremy is always in the forefront. Because of the spotlight on Jeremy, it's only right that he takes the top spot.