Euphoria: The Main Characters' Skins Counterparts | Screen Rant
HBO's Euphoria is the hit teen drama of the moment and is known for pushing boundaries and highlighting hard-hitting issues. From drug abuse to abusive relationships, the show highlights the harsh realities of being a teen of Generation Z.
Several years before fans were introduced to Rue and her friends though, Skins broke new ground in similar ways back in 2007. While the show has more of a balance between comedy and dark stories than Euphoria, it focuses on teens and stories involving mental health, sexuality, and substance abuse and some of the characters from the two shows have similarities.
In season 5 of Skins, Rich has an 'edgy' dress sense and is quite sullen and cynical. That being said, after getting into a relationship with Grace he begins to show a softer side and it's clear a lot of his cynical characteristics come from his fear of rejection. From what is seen of his relationship with Grace, Rich is a committed and supportive boyfriend.
Ethan is also an all-around 'nice guy' like Rich and is also a committed boyfriend to Kat. Although his affections aren't appreciated in the same way as Rich's, they both stand out as caring and grounded young men who are often overlooked in favor of the more colorful characters they are surrounded by.
Cook is one of the most complex characters from Skins and Jack O'Connell who portrays him has become one of the most successful cast members from the show. Although he certainly has a loving and caring side, he is violent and often selfish.
Similarly, Nate Jacobs has a violent streak and is a manipulator in almost every relationship he has. While Cook is more lovable than Nate, they both act without thinking and their anger issues often lead to dire consequences. While Cook's extreme anger often comes from a desire to protect himself or the people he cares about, Nate is driven more by toxic masculinity and his deep-rooted insecurities.
At the beginning of her story, Pandora is awkward, eccentric, and naive. Her peers often make fun of her without her realizing and she is usually in the shadow of her best friend, Effy. That being said, in a bid to be noticed she begins to explore her sexuality, even sleeping with Cook (who is also involved with Effy).
Similarly, Kat is sexually inexperienced and somewhat in the shadow of her best friend, Maddy in season 1 of Euphoria. However, throughout the show, she begins experimenting and grows to be more confident with her identity, even becoming a cam-girl. Both Kat and Pandora are accused of 'changing' by their friends.
Tony is the main character of the first generation and is one of the Skins' characters who got a fitting ending. He is overly confident and gets a thrill out of manipulating people and causing chaos. Although he is a good person for the most part, he is quite selfish and has a habit of hurting the people he loves.
As Elliot is a new character to Euphoria, very little is known about him so far. That being said, it's clear he is confident and self-assured, and much like Tony, he enjoys interfering in other people's relationships. Almost instantly, Elliot develops an attraction to Rue but actually ends up hooking up with her girlfriend, Jules which is a true Tony Stonem move.
Emily is shy and reserved when she is first introduced in season 3 of Skins. She is somewhat of an outsider and is often overlooked in favor of her twin sister, Katie. That being said, when Emily finds love she becomes more confident in herself and steps out of her sister's shadow.
Lexi often describes herself as an observer and feels like she is in her sister's shadow too. When she develops a romantic connection with Fezco in season 2 though, she grows in confidence and puts on a play about her sister and her peers, despite knowing the uproar it will cause. Emily and Lexi both fight to be heard over their more abrasive sisters but ultimately do stand up to them.
Michelle is Tony's on-off again girlfriend in the first two seasons of Skins and their relationship is particularly turbulent. Despite his cheating and her subsequent relationship with his best friend, the couple can't seem to stay away from each other. Michelle is particularly besotted by Tony, no matter what he does.
Cassie is similarly obsessed with her appearance and also deeply insecure. Just like how Michelle's insecurities constantly lead her back to Tony, Cassie often finds herself in toxic relationships (like with Nate in season 2) stemming from her desperation to be loved.
Katie is the more confident and aggressive of the Fitch twins and is never short of attention. She often acts first and thinks later and her iconic line: 'I'm Katie f**king Fitch, who the f**k are you?' isn't dissimilar to something Maddy from Euphoria would say.
Maddy is shown to act violently when she's upset, just like when she pushes Cassie face-first into a wall after discovering her relationship with Nate. She is half of one of the worst couples on Euphoria and much like Katie, often puts on a front. Despite their aggressive and confident natures, both girls have a fear of being alone and want to be loved (not that they'd let anyone else know it).
Cassie is eccentric and often mocked and isolated by her peers. She is often judged for her mental health and despite being deeply unhappy on the inside, she tries to maintain a sunny disposition on the outside.
Jules has quite an alternative style and is quite content with being an outsider but similarly to Cassie, she has some deep-rooted issues. She also has trauma from her childhood which still affects her in the present. Jules and Cassie are both dreamers and romantics but are often on the outside.
Matty rebels against his family and falls into a life of crime and drug abuse. As a result, he is often alone and other people struggle to get close to or understand him.
While Matty commits crimes out of rebellion, Fezco has been brought up with this being the norm and has dealt drugs from a young age. Fezco is calm and collected for the most part but does have a violent side as seen when he brutally beats Nate Jacobs. Both boys are sullen and remain on the outside of the main groups of their shows.
When viewers are first introduced to Effy in the first generation of Skins, she barely says a word and simply observes what's going on around her. In the second generation, she comes to the forefront and begins acting out, taking drugs, and partying. Effy's mental health also deteriorates and in a particularly harrowing scene, she tries to take her own life.
Rue is one of the most chaotic characters on Euphoria and uses drugs to try and numb the pain of her past trauma. She often pushes away the people closest to her and like Effy, has a close relationship with her sibling. Both girls embrace chaotic behaviors and both have deep-rooted issues they find difficult to confront.