Original TV show characters
You might be surprised that some of these characters don’t exist in the book – it’s hard to imagine The 100 without them!
Finn Collins
The most significant original character in the show, Finn combines elements of book-Bellamy and Wells, while still being a unique new character in his own right.
Since Wells was killed off so early on, the show (and Clarke) needed a counterpoint to the more ruthless Bellamy. While Finn started off as a wannabe bad boy, he quickly transformed into the a moral compass of sorts, always ready to offer a peaceful alternative to Bellamy, Clarke and Raven’s violent solutions. He is not altogether heroic, however, as his motivations are at least partly driven by romantic interest in Clarke, and a desire to ‘win’ over Bellamy (Bellamy, meanwhile, has much bigger problems than Finn’s ego).
Once you’ve watched the show, it’s hard to imagine a version of The 100 without Finn, because he is so vital to the storylines of both Clarke and Raven. He also serves the function of providing some common sense, without actively vying for power, unlike most of the other central characters in the story.
Finn’s relationship with Clarke is also very important to both of their character evolutions, and adds a lot of tension to the story. The show is much more sparing with romance than the book, and the low-simmering love triangle between Finn, Clarke and Raven is much less in-your-face than the Wells/Clarke/Bellamy triangle in the book.
Abby Griffin
In an interesting twist, Abigail Griffin not only has a name and personality in the show, but also a dark secret: she was the one who told Chancellor Jaha about her husband’s discovery, thereby causing his execution.
As she explains to Clarke, she was hoping that Jaha would talk Jake out of making his discoveries public, but instead Jaha chose to execute him. This left Abby very bitter, but she stayed on as Councilwoman, and did her best to stay rational in order to best protect her daughter and her people.
She was against Kane’s decision to cut off life support for some citizens, to improve the chances for the rest of the Ark. But by the end of the season, she and Kane have made peace, and are among the very few Ark survivors who make it to Earth. Abby is a strong, independent person, who will undoubtedly rise up as a natural leader like her daughter.
Marcus Kane
Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) is initially presented like the TV show version of Vice Chancellor Rhodes. He’s ruthless, cold-hearted, and hates Abby enough to try and have her executed. However, by the end of the season, circumstances have forced him to confront the choices he’s made, and the lives he’s inadvertently destroyed.
Kane’s plan to suffocate a small number of people to better the chances for the rest might have made sense on paper, but once the Chancellor went ahead and followed Kane’s plan, and once they saw how many people volunteered to give their lives for their loved ones, Kane struggled with the fact that he had essentially caused the death of hundreds of innocent people.
He has been ready to sacrifice himself many times since then, but ultimately he makes it to Earth side by side with Abby – now his friend and ally.
Raven Reyes
Finn’s girlfriend Raven (Lindsey Morgan) starts her story on the Ark, where Abby employs her to build a vessel that can transport them both to Earth. Raven ends up going to Earth alone, only to find that her boyfriend (believing her to be dead/lost to him forever) has begun to fall in love with someone else.
Still, Raven plugs on, and becomes one of the most valued members of the 100: not only is she a skilled mechanic, but she can make bombs and bullets!
She was gravely injured towards the end of season 1, and we don’t know if the Mountain Men took her, or whether they left her for dead. We hope she’ll recover, because she’s awesome.
Lincoln and the Grounders
Since the Grounders aren’t introduced until the final chapter of the book, we don’t know (unless we’ve read Day 21, but let’s pretend we haven’t) if there’s a Lincoln in the original story.
In the show, he’s introduced as the “good” Grounder – because of his obsession with Octavia, he is more open to actually talking with the delinquents, as opposed to just killing them. He and Octavia escape the battle in the season finale, and are allegedly on their way to Lincoln’s people.
While there are Grounders in the book series as well, the Grounders that appear in the show are original characters. Their tribal, primitive lifestyle and conflict with the Reapers adds a depth to the Earth mystery we’re very glad the writers added to the story.
Jasper and Monty
No characters like Jasper (Devon Bostick) and Monty (Christopher Larkin) exist in the first book, although Day 21‘s Eric comes close. In the show, the pair is a classic sidekick-BFF combination, which adds some much-needed levity to the grim plot.
Jasper in particular becomes helpful to the main characters, both because he can shoot a gun and because he is an electrician. Not as skilled as Raven, but when she succumbs to her injuries in the season finale, Jasper steps up and saves the day.
Jasper and Monty are a great addition to the ensemble, because they bridge the gap between the nameless extras (redshirts, as Lost and Star Trek fans would call them) and the main characters.
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