Out of all the characters in Teen Wolf, Lydia Martin had the best evolution. When the show first began, she was painted as the token "mean girl" who only cared about popularity and social status. Lydia refused to give anyone outside of her circle the time of day, and she didn't become an official part of the McCall pack until season 3.
After she stopped hiding who she was, Lydia's character development took off. She was the brains of the operation and a literal genius with an IQ of 170. Lydia constantly put her life on the line for her friends and cared about their safety more than her own. There were several moments that showed her maturity, as well as those that reminded viewers that Lydia was still a teenage girl.
Typical Teenager: Ignoring Stiles
Lydia was never obligated to return Stiles' crush on her and she didn't owe him an explanation. However, she still shouldn't have treated him the way that she did. Although they had known each other since the third grade, Lydia acted like Stiles didn't exist.
Stiles had always been friendly towards her, but she never even offered him a simple "hello" when he greeted her at school. Lydia didn't necessarily dislike him, but her superiority complex prevented her from interacting with anyone outside of her "clique."
Wise Beyond Her Years: Taking Control Of Her Banshee Powers
While Scott had Derek to help him through his transition, Lydia had no idea what she was or how to control her abilities. Her banshee powers had been laying dormant for years, and they didn't show themselves until she was bitten by Peter in the Teen Wolf season 1 finale.
There was no explanation for what was happening to her, and Lydia couldn't quite put her finger on it herself. Nevertheless, she refused to stop looking until she uncovered the truth, and once she did, her number one priority was finding a way to use her powers to help her friends. Because she could predict death, Lydia then believed it was her responsibility to stop it at all costs.
Typical Teenager: Refusing To Date "Losers"
The first season of Teen Wolf focused on such petty problems that it's hard to see it as part of the same show. Lydia was willing to do whatever it took to get Scott to play in the lacrosse game because she didn't want Jackson to be on a losing team.
Her line, "I don't date losers," is shallow, and it's something Lydia would never be caught saying in the latter half of the series. Lydia's attitude is especially ironic because no one really seems to care about her popularity as much as she does. In fact, Allison began to outshine Lydia as the school's "it" girl just by being herself.
Wise Beyond Her Years: Stopping Stiles' Panic Attack
Lydia was able to remain level-headed during Stiles' panic attack, which can be difficult for anyone to do. She offered a grounding force while Stiles was hyperventilating and kissed him to get his mind off of what was causing the anxiety.
This comes back into play in the series finale when Scott's pain prevents him from healing. In a callback to one of the best kisses in Teen Wolf, Lydia tells Malia to kiss Scott to ground him back to reality too. Her idea works, and because of Lydia, Scott is able to heal and restore his vision.
Typical Teenager: Hiding Her True Self to Fit In
Lydia was willing to do whatever it took to please Jackson, even if it meant making herself appear less intelligent than she was. She did this to fuel Jackson's ego, even though some fans thought it was demeaning.
Allison and Stiles both saw through her facade, but it still took time for her to show the world who she was. Lydia put a lot of stake into what others thought of her, and she believed that her intelligence would ruin the image she created.
Wise Beyond Her Years: Telling Meredith "Not All Monsters Do Monstrous Things"
This is one of Lydia's best quotes because it displays her mature outlook on a world that continues to get stranger by the minute. It says a lot about her character development, as Lydia assures Meredith that people aren't always what they appear.
Scott may be labeled as a "monster," but, as she learned throughout the show, labels are irrelevant. Being a werewolf doesn't make Scott inherently evil, and he's actually the most selfless person in the entire show. A person's actions determine who they are, which also applies to Lydia and Meredith as banshees.
Typical Teenager: Her Attitude Towards Malia
Allison Argent had one of the saddest death in Teen Wolf, and next to Scott, Lydia was most affected by her loss. It's likely that Lydia viewed Malia as a replacement for her best friend, which would cause any teenager to feel some sort of resentment. However, the way she treated Malia was undeserved and her dislike was due to several factors.
While nothing was ever explicitly stated, it was clear that Lydia was somewhat jealous of Malia's relationship with Stiles. Malia had also spent about a decade trapped in the body of a coyote, but Lydia had no patience for her animalistic nature. They do eventually form a friendship, but it took time for Lydia to come around.
Wise Beyond Her Years: Trusting Herself When No One Else Did
One of the best Stiles and Lydia quotes in Teen Wolf is, " I love you," which was shown in season 6, just as Stiles was taken by the Ghost Riders and erased from existence. Thankfully, Lydia did "" despite many people telling her that Stiles didn't exist.
Lydia often struggled to trust her instincts and was worried that she was going to lead people astray. However, when it came to saving Stiles, she continued to fight for him despite having no proof of his existence. Lydia didn't know who was missing, but her love for Stiles remained even after the memories left. She trusted her gut and refused to be swayed by her friends and family. In the end, it was her memories of their kiss that opened a rift and brought Stiles home.
Typical Teenager: Going After Scott
Lydia's hook-up with Scott will always be one of the most uncomfortable storylines in Teen Wolf - especially since he was Allison's ex-boyfriend at the time and she had been dating Jackson too.
While the main plots in Teen Wolf mainly surround the supernatural (with some elements of horror), this storyline did remind fans that it was a teen drama too. Although Scott and Lydia did have to mature quickly because of their powers, this moment did show there was still room for more growth as they made this impulsive mistake and didn't think of the consequences. Although Lydia would always be Allison's best friend, this wasn't a good moment in their friendship.