Heartstopper: Volume One

Nick Nelson is the deuteragonist of Heartstopper and Charlie’s friend and crush. Nick is tall, muscular, has light-colored hair, and is often shown with a friendly smile on his face. He is first introduced in the story’s prologue when Charlie is seated next to him in his registration class. Nick is in year 11, is 15 years old, and plays on the school’s rugby team. He is popular and is mainly friends with the other athletic boys. Still, Nick is more open-minded than his other friends and much friendlier. He does not uphold the jock stereotypes of rude, loud, and judgmental. Instead, he welcomes Charlie to his table and says “hi” to him politely. Because Nick is not as shy as Charlie, he continues to be the one to say hello each morning, breaking the ice a little bit more each day. On day five, Nick’s pen explodes all over his hands and shirt. Charlie goes to help him clean up, and the two boys joke together. From this moment on, they become friends.

When Nick sees how fast Charlie can run, his open-mindedness shows again when he asks Charlie to join the rugby team. Charlie is skinny and not at all muscular, and the other boys on the team are skeptical. Nick believes in Charlie and helps him learn the sport, which brings them even closer to one another. Nick is also very perceptive of Charlie and what he is going through. When he notices Charlie is upset after class one day, he follows him and finds him being assaulted by Ben. He defends Charlie and tells Ben to back off, expressing his genuine care for Charlie. That night, he texts Charlie to make sure he is okay and does not take his “I’m fine” as an answer. He already knows Charlie better than that. He ends the conversation with a text that reads, “Not a problem <3” (114) with a smiley face. Nick’s openness and approachability are largely what brings Charlie closer to him. However, Nick’s inner conflict also creates distance between him and Charlie.

Nick is battling with his sexuality. He is unsure whether he is gay because he has never had romantic feelings for a boy before Charlie. Nick feels embarrassed and ashamed because he knows people will bully him the same way they bullied Charlie. He feels lost and alone with his feelings and does not know where to turn. One moment he is wrestling with Charlie and complimenting him affectionately; the next he is pulling away or hesitating. Still, Nick does not let his inner conflict get in the way of his friendship with Charlie. They spend more and more time together and Charlie describes Nick as “a lot more… idk… physical? We hug now?” (196). Nick invites Charlie to a birthday party, and his friends begin teasing him about Charlie. Nick decides to take Charlie somewhere quiet instead. The two finally kiss after a series of questions from Charlie about who Nick likes, and Nick enjoys the moment but soon becomes overwhelmed and confused again. He once again pulls away, leaving Charlie alone at the party. Nick’s struggles with his sexuality are a testament to the shaming and ostracization that can occur as a result of intolerance toward gay people. His and Charlie’s bravery to pursue their relationship despite this barrier provides a sense of hope for those who may be having the same challenges.

Ben is the boy Charlie is seeing before he meets Nick. He and Ben meet up in the hallways or empty classrooms to kiss between classes. Ben has not come out at school or anywhere else and feels ashamed of being gay. He demands that his relationship with Charlie be kept a secret. When they meet up, Ben is assertive and often angry or rude. He constantly puts Charlie down and tries to control him, demanding that they meet up even when Charlie tries to decline. When Charlie sees Ben with a girl and says he does not want to see Ben anymore, Ben starts spamming him with text messages: “Charlie!! Don’t ignore me!!!!!” (27).

A few weeks later, Ben sends Charlie a message demanding that they meet up to talk. Charlie reluctantly agrees, and when he goes to meet Ben, Ben forces himself on Charlie. He starts kissing him and grabs his collar. Charlie tells Ben to stop multiple times, but Ben continues, saying things like “You’re so hot when you’re angry” (80). Charlie is terrified and begins to cry, not knowing what to do or how to make Ben stop. Nick intervenes and pushes Ben away, and in this way, Ben serves to bring Nick and Charlie closer. It is the first time Nick demonstrates true concern and care for Charlie. Ben also serves as a steppingstone for Charlie to become self-confident and assertive. When Charlie runs into Ben at the birthday party, Ben again tries to force himself on Charlie. This time, Charlie does not back down and pushes Ben away, saying, “Do not fucking touch me” (231).

Ben’s character offers a distinct contrast to both Nick and Charlie. While Charlie is openly gay and has accepted and pushed through the bullying that resulted from his coming out, Ben is not brave enough to admit his attraction to Charlie in public and maintains a relationship with a girl in the public eye. He is highly aggressive, impulsive, and does not accept no for an answer while Nick is patient while he works through his feelings for Charlie. Being in an all-boys school and being ridiculed for his sexuality, Charlie may initially feel that Ben’s aggressive affection tinged with shame is all he will get and all he is worth. However, once Nick’s gentler form of affection comes along, Ben proves to be simply a lesson in what Charlie does not want in his romances.

Tao Xu is Charlie’s friend at school. He has a negative and skeptical attitude and can be judgmental of others, particularly people like Nick, who is considered a jock. When Charlie confides in Tao that he likes Nick, Tao says Nick “calls everyone ‘mate’ and probably throws food at people on the bus” (23). He does not know Nick at all and does not even want to give him a chance. There are hints of jealousy in Tao as well, as if he does not want Charlie’s attention to be drawn elsewhere. He gets particularly upset when Charlie and Nick start spending all their time together, including lunch, which he used to spend with Charlie. Tao does have genuine concern for Charlie, but he shows it in somewhat rude and slightly controlling ways. He continuously tries to convince Charlie that Nick is straight, even though he does not know for sure: “I’m not being funny, but, like, he’s straight” (122). When Charlie confides that he thinks Nick might like him back, Tao mentions that Nick has a crush on a girl at another school. Even though Tao is open toward Charlie being gay, he still stereotypes Nick and labels him as straight because he likes sports and hangs out with the boys. Tao gets even more direct with Charlie when he tells him to give up on Nick. Charlie is torn because in one sense, he agrees with Tao, but in another, he feels like Nick likes him.

Tara Jones is the girl who everyone thinks Nick has a crush on. She goes to an all-girls school nearby and knew Nick when they were in middle school. They kissed at a dance, but they hadn’t spoken since that night until Harry forces them together again at his birthday party. When Tao Xu starts suspecting that Charlie is falling for Nick, he tells Charlie that Nick actually likes Tara. This upsets Charlie and sends him into a spiral of doubt. Déjà vu leaves Charlie vulnerable to the same feeling again when the topic of Tara is brought up at the birthday party. Tara is at the party, and Nick’s friends pressure him into talking to her. This is one of many instances of peer pressure in the graphic novel. Nick talks to Tara and finds out she is actually a lesbian who has a girlfriend. The two of them laugh it off, and Tara mentions how she heard about Nick and Charlie spending a lot of time together. She tells Nick, “You can always talk to me about it if you need to” (222), showing her support and solidarity for Nick as he struggles to figure out how he feels.