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Some TV characters had the immense capability to be an international crush. They stayed in your head long after the episode ended. If you were a teenager in the 2000s or 2010s, then you probably had a crush on one of them.
It could be the guy who always looked angry but cared too much. It could be the girl who ruled the school but still felt lonely. It could be the quiet kid who made weird feel okay. These characters felt real because they were messy and unsure and not always likable, but they managed to make us get a crush on them.
They made you feel like someone got it. You watched scenes again just to catch a look or a line from your crush. You waited all week to see what they would do next. You talked about them like they were part of your life. They weren’t just written to be cute. They had something under the surface that made you stay.
This list looks at seven TV characters who became serious teen crushes. They showed up in every hallway conversation and every fan forum. They were more than characters. They were moments your mind never really outgrew from your crush.
7 TV show characters who became a crush for teenagers
1. Jess Mariano – Gilmore Girls
Jess Mariano came into Gilmore Girls as Luke’s nephew who didn’t follow rules or make small talk. He read books no one else in Stars Hollow cared about and often walked away from conversations instead of trying to fit in. He challenged adults and pushed boundaries because he didn’t know where he belonged.
He didn’t fall for Rory right away, but when it happened, it felt different. Jess didn’t try to win her over with gifts or charm. He just showed her the side of himself that most people didn’t bother to look for. That made him stand out. His scenes with Rory had a quiet tension that felt honest and hard to shake.
What made Jess crush-worthy wasn’t just the brooding attitude. It was the way he slowly changed. He left to grow up. He came back with a purpose. He made Rory think about who she wanted to be. That stuck.
2. Damon Salvatore – The Vampire Diaries
Damon Salvatore entered The Vampire Diaries with a smirk and a body count. He didn’t hide the fact that he was dangerous and selfish and ready to kill to get what he wanted. That edge made him magnetic. No one was sure if he would help or destroy a room.
What pulled people in was how much he tried to push people away. His love for Elena turned into something he could never fully control. He hated feeling that way, and yet he never stopped protecting her. Damon wasn’t a romantic lead at first. He became one because he kept showing up.
As the series went on, Damon’s layers became clear. He carried guilt for everything he did. He protected Stefan even when they fought. He struggled to forgive himself. His pain wasn’t used for drama. It shaped every choice he made. That’s why so many teens couldn’t stop watching him.
3. Brooke Davis – One Tree Hill
Brooke Davis looked like the typical queen bee at the start of One Tree Hill. She threw parties. She flirted without hesitation. She lived in a big house where no one asked how she was doing. That image fell apart fast. Brooke’s story became one of the deepest on the show.
She started a company with no help. She faced rejection from her parents and got back up every time. She loved fiercely even when it hurt. Brooke and Lucas had a love story that never felt easy or simple. She kept showing up. She kept growing.
What made Brooke crush-worthy wasn’t her confidence. It was how she rebuilt herself from scratch. She was kind without being soft. She could cry and still lead a boardroom. She turned into the kind of character who didn’t need someone to choose her. She already knew what she brought to the table.
4. Seth Cohen – The O.C.
Seth Cohen didn’t fit in with anyone when The O.C. started. He liked video games. He drew comics. He made pop culture references no one else understood. He stayed in the background until Ryan showed up. Then things started to shift.
Seth never tried to be cool. He made it okay to be awkward. His obsession with Summer wasn’t creepy. It was rooted in actual care and a lot of years where no one really noticed him. He made her laugh. He stuck around. Eventually she saw him in a new way.
Seth didn’t get attention for his muscles or attitude. He made mixtapes. He cared about his friends. His loyalty never felt performative, which made him crush-worthy. He made nerds visible on TV without turning it into a joke. He wasn’t trying to change the world. He just wanted to be himself. That made him one of the most lovable characters on teen TV.
5. Veronica Mars – Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars had every reason to check out. She lost her best friend to murder. She lost her mom to addiction. Her classmates turned on her. Still, she walked into school like she had something to prove. She became the person people feared and relied on at the same time.
Veronica asked hard questions and didn’t blink when she got pushback. She had a sharp voice and a steel spine. She still cared about people who hurt her. Her relationship with Logan was messy but magnetic. She didn’t chase happy endings. She worked for answers.
What made her crush-worthy wasn’t her wit or her toughness. It was how she handled being alone. She never gave up even when she had no one to count on. Veronica wasn’t just the smartest person in the room. She was the one who made you wish you were brave enough to be like her.
6. Stiles Stilinski – Teen Wolf
Stiles Stilinski wasn’t the lead. He wasn’t the love interest. He didn’t have claws or fangs or supernatural powers. But from episode one, he stood out. He was the one asking questions. He was the one driving the jeep into danger while others stood back.
He cracked jokes when no one else would. He panicked out loud. He stayed loyal even when it hurt. His bond with Scott carried emotional weight that kept the show grounded. Stiles wasn’t trying to be brave. He just kept showing up.
His popularity didn’t come from being flashy. It came from honesty. He got scared. He made mistakes. He still stepped up, which made him crush-worthy. His chemistry with Lydia grew naturally. His love wasn’t based on fantasy. It was based on years of watching her and still choosing her. Stiles became the kind of character who made every scene better just by being in it.
7. Jughead Jones – Riverdale
Jughead Jones started out as the quiet narrator of Riverdale. He wore a beanie and stood in the background. He watched everything and said very little. That outsider quality made him easy to overlook. But as the show got messier, he became its emotional anchor.
He didn’t belong to any group. He wasn’t popular or rich. He lived in a trailer and wrote stories to make sense of his world. His love for Betty didn’t start with a big moment. It built slowly through care and shared loneliness. That made it stronger.
Jughead dealt with violence and abandonment but stayed loyal. He made being different feel like a strength that made him crush-worthy. His voiceovers gave context that no one else could offer. He wasn’t trying to solve everything. He was just trying to survive. That honesty turned him into someone teens could crush on. Not because he fit in but because he didn’t.
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