If there's one thing that Sex Education does perfectly, it's creating characters that are easy to relate to. Whether it's through their high school drama, complex relationships, or even their own journeys of self-discovery, every character has something that audiences can see themselves in.
Every character has a different story, and every single one of these stories is grounded in a reality that's often painfully relatable - but the show finds the perfect balance of comedy and drama to allow audiences to engage with these characters and their lives in a way that often reflects our own.
Otis' Need for Privacy
Whilst not everybody will be able to relate to Otis' unique experience of having a sex therapist for a mother, his need for privacy is something that's bound to resonate with all audiences. Particularly in the first season, Otis is a character that likes to keep himself to himself and doesn't open up with anybody other than his closest friends.
Especially in a high school environment where having too many people around can often feel intimidating, Otis' private nature is a trait that many will relate to. With all the drama that's happening around him, it's unsurprising that the series needs to show that even the main characters deserve downtime.
Jackson Feeling the Pressure
Anybody who's ever been involved in any sort of high school sports will attest that it can be an extremely stressful environment, and often leads to toxic relationships with both teammates and superiors. Sex Education doesn't shy away from these deep issues, instead directly addressing this one through the character of Jackson.
Despite being one of the most popular kids in the school, Jackson still struggles with the pressures of failure that come along with the sporting world. He feels it from his parents, his fellow students, and even from the teachers who push him to greatness, even when he doubts himself.
Aimee's Academic Struggles
Aimee isn't presented as the most intelligent student at the school, but the show proves that it's not necessary to be academically gifted to be a good person. Her relationship with her friends, particularly Maeve, shows that her best qualities come in the form of kindness and generosity.
Struggling with school is such a common problem, and there are plenty of characters in the show that go through a similar thing. It uses its characters to show that academics are only one part of life, and that there's much more to being a good person - a message which is sure to be relatable for many audiences.
Jean's Fear of Commitment
In Sex Education, it's not just the teenagers that are going through a tough time. The relationship between Jean and Jakob is one of the central elements of the show, and their conflict in the second season further proves that adults don't have all the answers either. They have different ideas of what a relationship looks like, and Jean's fear of commitment is one of the driving factors of their split.
While the show primarily focuses on teenage drama, it also uses its adult characters to explore issues that teenagers encounter as they progress into adulthood, and this is a prime example. Jean and Jakob's relationship is an effective tool to portray the more mature and intimate problems that so many people experience in their lives.
Maeve's Relationship with Her Sister
Maeve's sister Elsie may not get the most screentime in the show, but her influence on the Wiley family dynamic is extremely important in understanding just how complex and difficult families can be. In the wake of her mother's disappearance, Maeve is forced to adopt a maternal role and take care of her sister - an experience that will be relatable for many people without a traditional family structure.
This dynamic really comes to the forefront in the show's second and third seasons, when Maeve's family plays a much larger role in the show's overall narrative. It shows that families can be extremely unconventional and dysfunctional, but Maeve's love for her sister is always the driving force in keeping them together.
Eric's Social Exclusion
In the first season of Sex Education, a lot of the main narrative centers around Eric and his exclusion from his peers. He's bullied regularly for both his personality and sexuality, which causes him to become less and less confident in himself. It's a sadly relatable storyline, particularly for those who don't feel like they fit in with the popular crowds.
Thankfully, Eric has an important friend in Otis, who teaches him to rebound from this emotional abuse and to be proud of who he is. It's an important message that runs through the entire show - with close friendships and a strong sense of who you are, everything that's happening around you becomes less and less important.
Adam's Reluctance with Eric
The relationship between Eric and Adam is one of the show's most intriguing and important assets, particularly when it comes to both characters' individual experiences with their sexuality. Whilst Eric is openly proud of being gay, Adam has several outside factors that prevent him from coming out without consequence. This causes tension in their relationship.
Sex Education does a great job of developing the relationships between its characters in truly interesting ways, and this is one of the most compelling of them all. Both characters are at completely different points on their respective journeys of self-discovery, and the show makes it clear that this is normal. It speaks to people in a similar position, particularly through Adam's self-doubt.
Ruby's Need to be Popular
The character of Ruby is intriguing, because she really has two very different sides. There's the side that is seen when she's with her friends at school, and the side seen when she's alone. Popularity is extremely important to her, and the show makes it clear that her school persona is merely a facade of a girl who wants to fit in.
High school is often a toxic environment, and Ruby represents what can happen when somebody becomes a little too obsessed with this status-fuelled world. It's a situation that any teenager will find themselves in at one point, and the character's development throughout the later seasons shows that this can be overcome.
Lily's Self-Expression
Lily represents what happens when someone doesn't fall victim to the homogeny of high school - she remains herself, even when that means that she's bullied or teased because of it. Her unique outfits and cartoon drawings all prove her individuality in a way that many will find cathartic.
The struggles that she faces as a result of staying true to herself are often hard to watch, but they represent the many problems that people face every day as a result of being themselves. It's not just a problem that's contained to the high school environment, but it's one that people will sadly relate to in many different circumstances.
Ola's Distance from Otis
Despite their parents' apparent compatibility, Ola and Otis have often struggled to make their relationship work. Whether it's because of Otis' fixation with Maeve, or Ola's questioning of her own sexuality, the pair always seem to have some sort of problem rising to the surface.
Ola and Otis are an example of a relationship that just happened at the wrong time - a phenomenon that is sure to be painfully relatable for plenty of the show's viewers. Otis has always seemed more interested in Maeve, which has always left Ola at a noticeable distance from him, unable to connect on any sort of deeper level.