Sometimes an actor's reputation will overshadow the work that they do, but although Shannen Doherty's time on Beverly Hills, 90210 is short-lived, her character Brenda Walsh is still one of the most beloved teen girls. She says goodbye to snowy Minnesota for sunny Beverly Hills and learns that everyone around her has a lot more money than she could ever dream of. She and her family have to adapt, and that's not easy when high school is already so tough.
Brenda is a compelling character as she can be sweet and mean in the same episode, and she makes mistakes and then redeems herself shortly after. There are a lot of things about her that are irable, along with some things that she could work on.
Best: Confident
Brenda is one reason why 90210 is such a happy, stable home life and that gives her the confidence that she needs to go out into the world and do what she dreams of.
Sure, Brenda experiences the lows that any teenage girl does, from worrying about her hair (she doesn't think that she's blonde enough for Beverly Hills) to her clothing to experiencing heartbreak. But she does seem to have an inner strength that allows her to try new things, such as acting.
Worst: Boy Crazy
Brenda can be boy crazy, especially when she and her best friend Kelly (Jennie Garth) both want to be with Dylan (Luke Perry). She has many love interests during her time on the series, some serious and some not.
Brenda's tendency to fall fast and hard can make her ignore her friends or find any hobbies, which is typical for the teenage experience, but still not great.
Best: Comionate
Even though Brenda can be kind of a jerk sometimes, she's a very comionate person, and it's one of her best personality traits. Brenda shows her comion during her romance with Dylan when she figures out that he doesn't have a warm, caring family like she does and he has always felt alone.
It's very sweet to watch Brenda try to help Dylan and take care of him, and she often offers him the comfort of the Walsh family home.
Worst: Rebellious
From moving into a friend's apartment to getting engaged incredibly quickly to an older man, Brenda has many acts of rebellion over the seasons. Her rebellious nature is one of her worst traits as it doesn't do her any favors.
Brenda is constantly trying to tell everyone around her that she's old enough to do whatever she pleases but when her decisions always end up backfiring, she's not very persuasive.
Best: An Advocate For Others
Brenda's not all about hair and clothing and boys (even though she does spend a lot of brainpower on those things). In season one, she starts working at a call center so she can help some students who are less fortunate than her, and being an advocate for others is one of the best things about her.
This trait is most obvious in the episode "The Gentle Art of Listening" when she helps a girl who has been raped.
Worst: Competitive
Brenda is a competitive person, particularly with her best friend Kelly. She wants to look the best, wear the best clothes, and have the perfect relationship.
Some friendly competition can be a good thing as it can be a motivating factor for success, but in Brenda's case, she needs to take a moment and realize that her actions can be harmful.
Best: Brave
Brenda is an incredibly brave person and will try something new or travel even if she doesn't know how things will work out. She goes to Paris and then takes the leap of faith to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, which is when she leaves the show. Brenda doesn't let her fears get in the way of taking action and that's irable.
Worst: Self-Absorbed
Being self-absorbed is one of the worst traits that someone could have, and this is one of Brenda's most glaring flaws. It can be tough for her to see what other people are going through at times as she's very focused on her own world.
Sometimes Brenda can snap out of it and come back to earth, but other times, it takes her a little longer to see how ridiculous she's acting.
Best: Family-Oriented
The first season of Beverly Hills, 90210 sees Brenda and her brother Brandon (Jason Priestley) being thrown into the tough waters of Beverly Hills. Brenda is a family-oriented person as she's close with her sibling and parents, and she cares about them.
Even though Brenda can be rebellious and selfish, she does love her family and she does want to spend time with them regularly. This sets her apart from her new friends, but she doesn't really care.
Worst: Envious
Everyone gets jealous sometimes, but being envious is one of Brenda's main personality traits and definitely one of her worst ones.
If any girl even comes close to Dylan, she freaks out, especially when new girl Emily Valentine (Christine Elise) catches his eye. She can be really rude (and she calls Emily names because of how emotional she gets here). While there are a lot of great things about Brenda, this isn't one of her better moments on 90210.