15 Big Mouth Characters Ranked Worst To Best
"Big Mouth" has become a surprising success for Netflix and has earned nearly universal acclaim from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The coming-of-age series follows a group of high school students making the transition from childhood to adulthood, exploring the way the characters change as they go through puberty along with the trials and tribulations that it entails. The show has proved so popular that Netflix has commissioned a spin-off series called "Human Resources."
Starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney as protagonists Nick and Andrew, the youngsters are guided by hormone monsters — which are essentially the embodiment of the urges, desires, and emotions that come with puberty. Together these middle schoolers and their hormone monsters deal with everything from the changes that happen to the human body during adolescence to sexual consent.
A large part of the reason for the popularity of "Big Mouth" is its large ensemble cast of characters. While all of them are funny and have their own brilliant moments, they are not always the most likable. Some of them are certainly better than others, especially when it comes to the main characters. Here are 15 of the most important individuals from "Big Mouth," ranked from the very worst to the very best.
15. Mr. Lizer
Terry Lizer (Rob Huebel), known as Mr. Lizer to students, is a former teacher at Bridgeton Middle School. From his outward appearances in the series, it seems as if Lizer is a smart and polite gentleman. He claims to be a feminist and acts as if he is a liberal-leaning person who can talk to the kids on their level. During the first two seasons of "Big Mouth," a darker side to his personality is only briefly suggested in comments, though he often demonstrates his disdain for Coach Steve (Nick Kroll) and constantly berates him in front of the students and other teachers.
By Season 3, it becomes very apparent that Lizer is not a very nice person. He sexually harasses numerous female students and then blames them for his behavior in an attempt to stop them from revealing what he has done. A school play he organizes gives a greater insight into his misogynistic and racist views. He is ultimately fired when it comes out that he had an inappropriate relationship with Lola.
14. Lola
Lola Skumpy (Nick Kroll) is a bossy and outspoken girl who acts as a school bully for much of the early episodes. Popular thanks to her friendship with Devin LeSeven (June Diane Raphael), she fears losing out on her place in school and being cast down the social hierarchy. Throughout the show, she has often shown that she can be crude and hateful to those around her, although it is revealed that she comes from an abusive home. Her mother constantly mistreats her, but Lola seems ignorant of the verbal attacks' real intentions and thinks she is only joking.
Obviously, there are plenty of reasons to feel bad for Lola. Her broken home hasn't helped her, and neither have her disloyal friends. Unfortunately, that's no excuse for how she treats other people in "Big Mouth." In the first few seasons, Lola has almost no redeemable qualities and spends her time being pretty terrible to everyone around her. She wants to be the center of attention at all times and struggles to maintain any relationships. Just to add to the negativity around Lola, the character has a shrill voice that rubs some people the wrong way.
13. Devin
Devin LeSeven is the typically popular girl at Bridgeton Middle School, and everyone wants to be friends with her to become one of the cool kids. That is, except for those intelligent enough to see through her outward appearance and realize that she is not a very interesting or friendly person. Devin also dated DeVon (Jak Knight), another one of the other cool kids, and they eventually get married, although the relationship does not last very long. By the Season 4 episode "Four Stories About Hand Stuff" the pair are divorced, with DeVon claiming that Devin treated him badly.
The most apparent example of just how nasty a person Devin can be is seen in her treatment of Lola. While Lola is not exactly an exceptionally kind character herself, Devin is mean to her almost all the time, even though Lola does everything she is asked. Her frequent bad behavior and general mean-spirited demeanor suggest that most of the other characters start to avoid Devin in later seasons, as they realize that they are better off ignoring her completely.
12. Rick
Out of the three main hormone monsters in "Big Mouth," Rick (Nick Kroll) is by far the least effective and most disliked. While Rick's physical age is never stated he appears extremely old, which causes him plenty of problems. Rick walks with the help of a walking cane, is incontinent, and is at least partially blind. Initially the hormone monster for Coach Steve, he becomes Nick's hormone monster — much to the youngster's disappointment.
Whether Rick was ever any good as a guide through puberty is unclear, but he certainly isn't up to much so far. He constantly dishes out bad advice to his clients, such as Coach Steve, all but ensuring that they are set up for failure. It would be fair to describe the character as a disaster when it comes to his work.
Yet, that doesn't mean that Rick is a bad person. Sure he is disgusting and useless as a hormone monster, but he is loyal to his clients and does everything he can to help them — it's just unfortunate that he doesn't have all that much ability. While Rick's heart is in the right place, he is just too awful to be that good of a character.
11. Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington (Jordan Peele) appears in "Big Mouth" not as a living person but rather as a ghost. Based on the real-life composer and pianist of the same name, the character dies in 1974 at Nick's house and decides to stay there as a ghost. He primarily communicates with Nick, although he has interacted with other characters, including Maury (Nick Kroll), Andrew Glouberman, and Jay Bilzerian (Jason Mantzoukas). It's unknown whether there are any rules about who exactly can see and talk to Duke.
There's nothing unlikable about Duke. In fact, he is usually a courteous and pleasant character to be around. A smooth-talker, he spends most of his time advising Nick and others while coming up with new music. The main reason for him being one of the worst characters is that he serves little real purpose in "Big Mouth." Most of his advice doesn't really help anyone, and he doesn't fit in with the rest of the cast, often sticking out like a sore thumb. Still, he does provide some laughs, mostly with his inappropriate and innuendo-laden comments.
10. Shame Wizard
The Shame Wizard (David Thewlis) is another mysterious being who acts as an opposing force to the hedonistic hormone monsters. His very appearance is enough to show that he is an unpleasant fellow, with a flaming red eye and dark robes around his floating body. He appears to the children in the series and seems to feed on their shame, judging them for the negative things they have said or done. He does this with a snobbish attitude that makes his remarks bite all the more.
When first encountering the Shame Wizard, most viewers would understandably think he is a malevolent and cruel individual. He points out the worst flaws in people and seems to take a sadistic pleasure in doing so. His sole purpose is to make those he appears to feel bad about themselves. Yet, when he is off duty, he is actually not evil at all. He even expresses remorse about his job leaving him with no friends to socialize with and that he is only shaming others as it is his role to do so.
9. Coach Steve
Coach Steve is a faculty member at Bridgeton Middle School, where he acts as the PE and sex education teacher. His personality and behavior make him one of the most contentious characters in "Big Mouth." Many people love him, while others find the teacher annoying and pointless. So it only seems fitting that he takes up the middle spot in this list.
Although he is far older than many of the other main characters in "Big Mouth," most of the kids are much more mature than him and even offer him important advice from time to time. A man-child with a very juvenile view of the world, he lacks intelligence and common sense. This leaves him with little knowledge of relationships and even basic human biology while remaining completely oblivious about things like sex.
Despite his flaws, Coach Steve is unfalteringly happy and never has a bad word to say about anyone. You'll never catch him getting mad or showing contempt to those around him, even when they severely mistreat him. Of course, that may well be because he is simply too ignorant to realize what is happening around him, but his demeanor still works in his favor.
8. Andrew
Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) is one of the two main characters on "Big Mouth" alongside Nick, and much of the action follows his adventures with the aggressive hormone monster Maury. A socially awkward teenager, Andrew is something of a nerd who is heavily affected by puberty and often gives in to his worst impulses. This only exacerbates his natural shyness and ensures that he is always just a moment away from an embarrassing situation.
Even though he is one of the protagonists of the series, Andrew has done some pretty terrible things. This is especially true in later seasons, where the character becomes angrier, is often vengeful, and has a superiority complex. He falls out with Nick and other boys for approaching his love interests, such as Missy (Ayo Edebiri), and tends to complain about just about everything. Andrew does have his funny moments, and his frequent inappropriate masturbation has led to some of the most hilarious scenes in "Big Mouth." Still, the character has too many negative traits to be considered one of the best in the show.
7. Jessi
Jessi Glaser (Jessi Klein) is another of the main characters in "Big Mouth." Intelligent and liberal, she is a friend to Andrew, Missy, and Nick and always wants to do the right thing. However, she does tend to go about it in the wrong way at times, occasionally with negative consequences. This is largely due to her being an outspoken character who is not afraid to let others know her views. She lives with her mother after both of her parents divorced, although the character initially wanted to go with her dad, causing some resentment.
A natural pessimist, Jessi regularly sees the worst in people and has a dark worldview that can make her gloomy to be around. However, she is also a great and loyal friend, sticking up for those she cares for. Jessi has struck up a strong relationship with her hormone monster, Connie, and has dealt with a lot so far in the series, leading to the occasional emotional outburst or angry rant. Jessi has arguably developed the most in "Big Mouth," with a good example being when she experiences depression as a result of her parent's divorce and starts seeing a therapist.
6. Nick
Nick is the last to start going through puberty in his friend group, making him something of a late bloomer in "Big Mouth." This could well be because he is the youngest out of the main characters of Andrew, Jessi, Jay, and Missy. The fact that his evolution into adolescence comes later than most causes some profound insecurity, with Nick having trouble coping with the fact that he was still considered a child by students in school. Already onto his second hormone monster, puberty has been particularly unkind to Nick.
Despite all of this, Nick has remained one of the more likable characters on "Big Mouth." Unlike Andrew, who has shown himself to be petty and bitter, Nick is a far more grounded individual. One of the sensible kids in his group of friends, Nick is a rational person who takes his responsibilities seriously. While he can be somewhat immature at times, he has managed to confront those around them when he thinks they have done something wrong.
5. Jay
As "Big Mouth ” has progressed, Jay Bilzerian has become a more important character, to the point that he now can easily be considered one of the main characters. Jay has a passion for magic and can often be seen performing tricks, though he also has a darker hobby. The character regularly has sex with various inanimate objects, most notably a pillow that is personified as a woman. Like Lola, he has suffered an awful upbringing and is constantly neglected by those who are supposed to protect him.
That broken home makes Jay a sympathetic character with audiences, who can relate to his self-destructive behavior and emotional insecurities. His heart is usually in the right place, though, with Jay generally being a good friend and someone that others can rely on when they need him. In the same way that Jessi has gone through a lot of character development, Jay goes through his journey when discovering his sexuality and his attempts to accept his identity — something that he continually struggles with throughout every season.
4. Matthew
Matthew MacDell (Andrew Rannells) is another of the main characters from "Big Mouth." He starts in a smaller role but eventually carves out his own spot in the animated series. In Season 4, Matthew is in a volatile relationship with Jay and was previously dating Aiden (Zachary Quinto). Incredibly observant of what is happening around him at Bridgeton Middle School, he is the character who knows what is going on. For the majority of the show, Matthew is the sole openly gay student and always fights for the rights of marginalized groups.
Knowledgeable and insightful, Matthew is known for giving wise advice to his friends and is supportive of his classmates, for the most part. Matthew tends to want to do the right thing and strives to make himself a better person. Yet, he can also be snarky and sarcastic, providing witty one-liners and withering put-downs. All of that combines makes Matthew one of the best characters on "Big Mouth" as he has provided many heartwarming and hilarious moments.
3. Connie
Connie (Maya Rudolph) is a female hormone monster who typically helps girls through puberty. She is Jessi's hormone monster and takes on Nick as a client for a short time. The character has a contentious dynamic with Maury, although the pair do have a casual sexual relationship. Throughout the show, she has provided Jessi with lots of advice to help her deal with her issues, and it often leads to laugh-out-loud moments — even if the advice is not particularly sound.
What makes Connie work is the voice acting of Rudolph. She brings the sassy and bombastic monster to life in a way that few others ever could. Living life to the max, Connie is not one to settle down and wants to enjoy everything that the world can offer. She genuinely cares about the kids under her supervision and wants what's best for them, despite the fact that her methods might seem strange. Honest and caring, Connie makes sure that Jessi is proud of who she is and does not feel shame about her actions.
2. Missy
Missy Foreman-Greenwald started off in "Big Mouth" as a geek who was pretty innocent when it came to sex. A loving person who wants to see the best in everyone, Missy craves acceptance by the rest of the students at Bridgeton Middle School, who largely dismiss her. However, Missy is almost impossible to dislike her because she is pure and warm-hearted, unlike many of the other characters in the show, who often have a variety of undesirable traits. When she finally begins to go through puberty, Missy becomes more assertive and confident in herself.
As well as being shy and sweet, Missy can stand up for herself and those she thinks are being wronged. She is highly intelligent but lacks common sense and is largely ignorant of sex. Now that she has her own hormone monster, Missy is evolving and will likely develop further in future seasons as her storylines explore more mature themes. Few characters in "Big Mouth" are as easygoing and pleasant as Missy, making her one of the best individuals in the series.
1. Maury
According to the show, Maurice Beverley is a hormone monster who could be millions, maybe even billions, of years old. Known as Maury to most within the show, he guides various boys through puberty, helping them come to terms with the changes they are going through. First introduced when he becomes Andrew's hormone monster, he is arguably the funniest and most important character in "Big Mouth." He later takes on Matthew as a client and has an on-again, off-again relationship with Connie when she shows up.
While Maury undoubtedly cares about the kids under his care, his advice is often not the best. He is a sex-crazed individual who wants nothing more than to experience pleasure and does everything he can to get Andrew and Matthew to give in to their urges, with hilarious consequences. Just about every scene featuring Maury will make viewers laugh, making him the best character on the show. Without Maury, "Big Mouth" would simply not be as great as it is, as he and his unhinged personality is a vital part of what makes the series work.