Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide - Characters & Cast

Ned's primary motivation is to navigate the pitfalls of middle school without epic failure and to help his friends and classmates do the same. He is driven by a desire to deconstruct and understand the unwritten rules of school life. As the series progresses, his motivation also becomes more personal, particularly in his efforts to win the affection of his longtime crush, Suzie Crabgrass, and later, to sort out his feelings for Moze.

Initially, Ned is an average kid who is simply trying to survive seventh grade. His creation of the guide starts as a personal project but evolves into a school-wide mission. Across the seasons, he grows from a reactive problem-solver into a more confident and proactive leader. His arc is defined by his increasing understanding that the guide's tips are not rigid rules but flexible advice, and that true survival depends on friendship. His long-developing crush on Moze forces him to confront his own feelings and vulnerabilities, moving beyond being just a helpful friend to becoming a more mature young man who understands the complexities of relationships.

Moze is motivated by a desire to excel, whether it's in sports (especially volleyball) or academics. She is also driven by a need to find her place socially, particularly in making female friends so she doesn't have to rely solely on Ned and Cookie. She seeks a balance between her competitive nature and her desire for a normal, less chaotic school experience.

In season one, Moze's primary struggle is her identity as a "tomboy" who is better friends with boys than girls. Her arc across the series is one of embracing her strengths while also exploring her femininity and building strong female friendships, notably with Suzie Crabgrass. She develops from being "one of the guys" into a well-rounded individual who is confident in both her athletic abilities and her social life. Her romantic journey, from crushes on jocks like Seth Powers to her eventual realization of her feelings for Ned, marks her growth in understanding emotional intimacy beyond simple friendship.

Cookie is motivated by his love for technology and his desire to use it to solve problems, though often with overly complicated and disastrous results. He is also driven by a deep-seated desire to be seen as "cool" and to win the affection of his crushes. His loyalty to Ned and Moze is unwavering, and he often uses his skills to help them with their schemes.

Cookie begins the series as a stereotypical tech nerd, relying heavily on his gadgets for almost every situation. His character arc involves him slowly learning to step out from behind his technology and engage with the world more directly. He becomes more confident, takes on various alter egos, and learns valuable, albeit often painful, lessons about social interaction and romance. His long-standing crush on the brainy Lisa Zemo, and their eventual relationship after she undergoes a makeover, shows his ability to see beyond superficiality (and his own social awkwardness).

Gordy is primarily motivated by a desire to do as little work as possible and to capture the school weasel. However, he is also motivated by a hidden affection for the main trio, often stepping in to help them out of a jam, providing tools, advice, or a convenient distraction, before quickly returning to his slacking.

Gordy, the school's lazy janitor, does not have a traditional character arc of growth but rather serves as a consistent, albeit eccentric, source of support and comic relief for the trio. His development is less about personal change and more about the audience's deepening understanding of his character. He is revealed to be more than just a janitor; he is a confidant, a reluctant helper, and a surprisingly wise (in his own strange way) mentor figure who has given up on catching the school's elusive weasel. He remains a perpetual man-child, representing an adult who never quite escaped the middle school mindset.