"Euphoria" Season 2: Meet the Characters and Learn Where They Are After Season 1

Euphoria season 2 has finally arrived after nearly three years, and we're off to the races with a new and returning Euphoria cast.

Season 2 picks up on New Year's Eve, in the same year as the first season. As we saw in the two Euphoria special episodes on Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) respectively, Rue relapsed after Jules left town. She has since returned after her dad dragged her back and is seeing a (very good) therapist. Meanwhile, Rue has been having some long, deep talks with her NA sponsor Ali, though she continues to use drugs (and has found a new enabler in Dominic Fike's Elliot).

Everyone else in the ensemble cast is also prepped and ready to make some not-so-great decisions as they continue to reckon with their past traumas and who they want to be as adults. Kat and Ethan are in sweet, beautiful love, but will it last? Nate is back on his violent bullshit, with a potential new victim in Cassie. Maddie might finally divest from Nate. Kat and Jules are rediscovering the easy beauty of their friendship. And what exactly is going on between Lexi and Fezco?

Below, meet the young characters of Euphoria season 2 and where we find them in episode 1. Small spoilers for the first episode are ahead.

Zendaya as Rue Bennett

The Emmy-winning Zendaya returns to reprise her role as Rue, a high schooler a few months out of rehab who has begun using drugs again. At the beginning of season 2, things aren't looking good, but before they get worse they have to get a little better. “You start the season off giving Rue everything she ever wanted,” Zendaya told Entertainment Weekly about where Rue stands with Jules and new friend Elliot (Dominic Fike). "She's got someone that she can do drugs with, she's got her relationship that she can have, and she's just trying to keep both afloat because she thinks that that's how that's the best way to live."

Somehow, we get the feeling that stasis might not last, if the chaotic trailer is any indication. Zendaya told Teen Vogue in 2021 that “it's a challenging season. It's gonna be hard and it's gonna be devastating sometimes…” And she stressed on social media before the premiere that the show, especially this season, is for mature audiences: “Please only watch it if you feel comfortable.”

Zendaya returns to Euphoria after a slew of projects in the intervening years, including Malcolm & Marie, Dune, and the third Spider-Man film, which she's been promoting alongside Tom Holland with iconic look after iconic look.

Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn

By the end of the first episode of season 2, Rue and Jules seem to (temporarily) be working out their feelings in a way that allows their romance to blossom. But Hunter Schafer basically told fans not to get too comfortable with the positive steps.

“I think they are entering this new stage in their relationship and hitting all of these really exciting points that kind of happen after that," Hunter told Decider. "But, none of that is really untainted by the same issues that they have been wrestling with since Season 1, despite what they might be saying to each other or not saying to each other to make them think otherwise. So, it’s hard to be whole-heartedly, you know, supporting them as a unit.”

Plus, Jules has plenty to work out on her own. Her special episode (which Hunter co-wrote and co-produced) was one of the series' strongest yet, painting a nuanced picture of who Jules is and who she wants to be. The way she processes gender and femininity is continuously evolving, and in season one she gets to a point where doesn't want to center men in her identity. It'll be excited to see how that journey continues in season 2.

Next up, Schafer will film a horror movie starring Gemma Chan and John Malkovich, titled Cuckoo; she's also stretching her director muscles with an as-yet unreleased music video.

Dominic Fike as Elliot

Musician Dominic Fike enters his first acting project as Elliot in Euphoria season 2, a new classmate and friend first to Rue, and then to Jules. He and Rue first meet at a party in episode one, when she catches him doing drugs on the washing machine; they subsequently get high together, and when Rue teeters on the edge of an overdose, Elliot saves her life. 

We can expect to see more of him as season 2 progresses, even though Zendaya has said she was initially skeptical of a character who might come between her ult ship, Rue and Jules. Z told Entertainment Weekly that Elliot "is a beautiful addition to this triangle, because he's also a catalyst for so much that's gonna come to a head, and without his character kind of cracking that open, there's a lot of changes within these characters that wouldn't happen and need to happen. And a lot of realizations that wouldn't be made without him coming into the fold."

Prior to Euphoria, Dominic had established himself as a rising singer-songwriter to watch. In addition to his 2020 debut album, he has also worked with Halsey, Justin Bieber, and Brockhampton.

Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez

Alexa Demie's Maddy went through a lot in season 1 of Euphoria — she was choked by her boyfriend Nate, subsequently exposed by police who arrested him, and then was manipulated into lying about who actually did it. She and Nate are broken up at the beginning of season 2, leaving some room for Cassie and Nate to begin their, er, relationship while hiding it from Maddy. Where does that leave Maddy? (Hopefully still rocking her signature killer style, at least.)

“I think she's lost a lot of her drive for a moment,” Alexa, known for her work in Waves and The OA told The Knockturnal. “She's really reflecting on the relationships she has had in her life. She's a bit more internal this season, and more than anything is just super hurt by it all and is figuring out, 'Okay, so where do I go next without these people if they're not in my life and not supposed to be in my life?'"

Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard

“She's completely losing it,” Sydney Sweeney told The Knockturnal about Cassie in season 2 of Euphoria. We see some of that in the trailer, which gave fans immediate meme fodder in the form of a teary-eyed bathroom rant: “I have never, ever been happier!”

In the second season, Cassie is trying not to be a relationship girl, she might be having a nervous breakdown, she's maybe single… until Nate Jacobs comes along with his penchant for destruction. She's clearly got a lot to figure out about herself, and we're sure that with Sydney Sweeney — who last year pulled off an extremely memorable turn in The White Lotus — at the wheel it will be both entertaining and vulnerable to watch.

“Cassie needs to get it together,” Sydney told Teen Vogue in 2021. “I have mental debates over Cassie, because I’m very much a hopeless romantic, teen heartthrob girl at heart, so sometimes I want what’s bad for Cassie because I know it’s what would make her happy. Even though it’s unhealthy or bad, that’s what her heart yearns for because I know how she would feel if she gets it. At the same time, I’m like ‘Oh my god, you need to stop everything, Cassie.’”

Barbie Ferreira as Kat Hernandez

As Kat, Barbie Ferreira took us on a while ride in season 1. Kat transformed from an outwardly shy, sexually inexperienced, insecure teen to a camming, latex-rocking konfidence kween — at least on the surface.

She seeming left camming behind in season 1 and is now focused on her new relationship with Ethan (Austin Abrams). But we can't help but feel like so much lurks under the radar with Kat, and there's a lot to explore in season 2 even as the character who got the happiest ending the first go-round. A boyfriend likely can't solve the way she thinks about herself on the inside. “How do I know what I want?” Kat asks in the trailer. “I literally have no idea who I am,” she says with a relatable cackle.

A former model, Barbie has been pursuing more acting projects as of late — in 2020, she acted in the poignant comedy Unpregnant, and she'll also be in Jordan Peele's forthcoming film Nope.

Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs

Ah, Nate. The ultimate villain in the Euphoria's high school hellscape, the character most bent on f*cking up everyone's life, a person whose motivations often seem to be pure, inexplicable cruelty. An “emotional terrorist, a narcissist, a sociopath, a freak,” as Jacob Elordi once called him, aptly.

Nate is back to his old games in the first episode of Euphoria season 2, this time with a new target: Cassie. Meanwhile, he's in conflict with Fezco, who has threatened to kill him; there's also the matter of his dad's massive secret, Nate's decision to blackmail Jules, and the fact he rarely receives any consequences. It's hard to tell if season 2 will illuminate Nate further on a character level. Even his family, the people who influenced his behavior, doesn't grasp who he is. “Nathaniel, your whole life's a secret, a mystery,” Cal Jacobs says to him in the trailer. “You're a part of me I will never understand.”

In 2021, Jacob wrapped up The Kissing Booth series, and he has a couple movies forthcoming that might free him from high school.

Angus Cloud as Fezco

In the first episode of season 2, we finally get some major background about Angus Cloud's compassionate, drug-dealing Fezco, who up until now has been shrouded in a fair amount of mystery. We knew he took care of his bed-ridden grandmother and his little brother Ashtray while running the convenience store and its side business, but we didn't know what led up to all of that.

Now, we know it's a family business, and Fez's grandmother raised him (after she shot his father). His grandma taught him everything he knows, inducting him into her business deals from an early age and giving him somewhat prodigious math skills. And though Fez has a heart of something like gold, he's not afraid to deliver some violent justice when duty calls; Nate's going to remember that for a while.

Angus, who was cast off the street for Euphoria, told GQ that his character was actually supposed to die in season 1. Instead, season 2 will bring out a new aspect of who Fez is. “I'm excited for y'all to see how he kind of comes out of his hard shell a little bit and he kind of exposes his softer side,” he told the outlet. “You see a little bit of his innocence and you see that he's kind of been forced into this life, but he's... What am I trying to say, exactly? He's still a kid like everyone else. He might be a year older, but he had to act like an adult from such a young age. But his inner kid is still in there and you get to see it come out slightly.”

You can catch Angus in a handful of forthcoming films, including the adaptation of Tim O'Brien's beloved novel, The Things They Carried.

Javon “Wanna” Walton as Ashtray

We now know how Ashtray got his name. First introduced as the kid running the actual drug deals behind the scenes, Ashtray seemed like a tough-as-nails, face-tattoed kid wise beyond his years. And he is — but he also came from difficult circumstances, abandoned at Fez's grandmother's house by a mom who used him as collateral to buy drugs. In the first episode of season 2, baby Ashtray sits in the sink, munching on a cigarette butt from a nearby tray while no one is looking.

Javon is 15 now, and in case you weren't aware, he's a successful competitive boxer and gymnast who aspires to compete in the Olympics one day.

Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard

If you've been waiting for Lexi to get her moment, you might be in luck with Euphoria season 2. Maude Apatow (daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann) plays the meek and observant Lexi, who is often sidelined by both her childhood best friend Rue and her beautiful older sister Cassie.

“I finally feel like for the first time in my life I'm doing something for myself,” Lexi says in the Euphoria trailer. In most of the first episode of season 2, Lexi is worried about Cassie after they had an argument before the New Year's Eve party. But she also has time to bond with Fez on the couch, and the unexpected pairing might be the start of a beautiful new friendship. As Fez puts it, “Damn Lexi, you fearless.”

Between Euphoria seasons, Maude acted in The King of Staten Island alongside Pete Davidson and in Ryan Murphy's Hollywood. She'll next appear in the series Pantheon with Paul Dano.

Storm Reid as Gia Bennett

Storm Reid returns as Rue's younger sister Gia, who was the one to discover Rue passed out in her room after an overdose that occurred before season 1. 

Their relationship is loving yet complicated, and the first season saw Gia experimenting with boys and drugs, both of which triggered Rue's protective instincts. “I think she will be evolving as a character and as a human and hopefully get her own episode and we start to see a little bit more of her storyline,” Storm told Variety last year about what we can expect from Gia in season 2.

The 18-year-old USC student recently starred in The Suicide Squad and has several exciting projects on the horizon, including a starring role in Darby Harper Wants You to Know.

Austin Abrams as Ethan

Iconic Euphoria season 1 moment: Kat and Ethan slowly getting together at the school dance while BTS member Jungkook's “Euphoria” sets the scene. Season 2 brings back Ethan, and in the first episode, he and Kat are adorable and cozy and generally invoking nausea at how perfect and sweet they are. How long will they get to keep it?

Austin Abrams — known for roles in Paper Towns and Chemical Hearts — is back as the cute, smart, occasionally awkward Ethan. He'll next act in Strangers, alongside Maya Hawke and Sophie Turner.

Demetrius Flenory Jr. aka Lil Meech as Travis

In the first episode of Euphoria season 2, Demetrius Flenory Jr. (known by the moniker Lil Meech) appears just in time to make a move on Maddy outside the bathroom at a party — much to Cassie's chagrin from where she hides in the shower. The 21-year-old rapper and actor (formerly a college student studying business) is best known for playing his real-life dad Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory in the Starz series Black Mafia Family; Big Meech is currently in prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking and money laundering ring.

“It was an amazing experience. I really probably can’t say exactly what my part is, but it was an amazing experience because I got to work with Zendaya, Hunter Schafer,” Lil Meech told AllHipHop. “And people will get to see a whole different side of Meech. It’s not the same Meech, that’s why I tell you, it’s definitely a whole different side.”

Algee Smith as Chris McKay

Also making an appearance in episode one of season 2 is Algee Smith, reprising his role as McKay, a college freshman and football player who dated Cassie in season one until they fought over Cassie's pregnancy. 

In the episode, McKay and Cassie tie up some loose ends in a conversation that confirms their breakup. "I just felt like we were in two different places or something," Cassie reasons. McKay is confused, pressing her to nail down what she calls “a feeling."  She finally admits, "I shouldn't be anybody's girlfriend… I don't know if I'm a good person." He seems to take the hint that she cheated on him when they were together, walking out of the room and straight into a weird Alpha male conflict with Nate, of course.

Smith is a singer and actor with a slew of roles in high-profile projects, including Judas and the Black Messiah and The Hate U Give.

Euphoria is available to stream on HBO, with new episodes airing Sundays at 9 p.m. EST.

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