Nick Nelson (Heartstopper)

Nick Nelson is one of the two protagonists in the Alice Oseman graphic novel series Heartstopper as well as its 2022 Netflix adaptation, where he is portrayed by Kit Connor.^[1] His first appearance was in the 2014 novel Solitaire.

Nick Nelson
Heartstopper character
Kit Connor as Nick Nelson in Heartstopper
First appearance	Solitaire (2014)
Created by	Alice Oseman
Portrayed by	Kit Connor
In-universe information
Full name	Nicholas Luke Nelson
Nickname	Nick, Nicky
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student
Family	Stéphane Fournier (father) Sarah Nelson (mother) David Nelson (brother)
Significant other	Charlie Spring
Relatives	Diane (aunt) Richard (uncle-in-law) Leo (cousin) Tillie (cousin) Claude Fournier (paternal grandfather) Yvette Fournier (paternal grandmother) Rose Nelson (maternal grandmother) Roger Nelson (maternal grandfather)
Nationality	British/French
Education	Truham Grammar School for Boys Leeds University

Character overview

Nick Nelson is the boyfriend of Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) in the graphic novel series Heartstopper and its 2022 Netflix adaptation. In the franchise, Nick is bisexual and a member of his school's rugby team. Nick cares deeply about his relationship with Charlie and vows to protect him at all costs. Nick's character is very caring and sweet, and he is fond of rugby, Formula One, Marvel, rain, and animals. He is very tall, his hair is dark blonde, and his eyes are brown. Nick struggled with his sexuality before meeting Charlie, who helped him identify as who he is, allowing him to come out to his mother. Outside of the Heartstopper franchise, he also appears in other works by Alice Oseman, such as "This Winter" and "Nick and Charlie" and "Solitaire" and a minor reference in "Radio Silence."

Character history

Nick was born on 4 September to Stéphane Fournier and Sarah Nelson and is the younger brother of David Nelson.^[2] His father is French and mother is British, making Nick British-French. He is fluent in both French and English.^[3] Sometime before the events of Heartstopper, he became a talented rugby player, his parents split up, his brother moved out, and he got a dog named Nellie and later, Henry. Nick has a rocky relationship with his primarily absent father, and his brother, who was homophobic and is unpleasant.^[4][5]

Personality

Nick is a hulking, strong rugby player, standing at 6.1 feet (1.9 m) and is initially stereotyped to be rude and abrasive, but when Charlie gets to know him, Nick is shown as kind, cheerful, and caring, being extremely open-minded and sweet to peers. Nick often tries to find practical solutions to problems, which sometimes backfires, but he is always fuelled by good intentions. Alongside rugby, Nick is good at baking, his favourite movie is The Avengers, his favorite character is Iron Man, he is a fan of the FA Cup, Six Nations, and Family Guy and his MBTI type is ESFJ/The Caregiver. His favourite band is Vampire Weekend.^[6][7]

Appearances

Literature

• Solitaire (2014)
• Nick and Charlie (2015)
• This Winter (2015)
• Radio Silence (2016) (cameo)
• Heartstopper (2019–present)
  • Volume 1 (2019)
  • Volume 2 (2019)
  • Volume 3 (2020)
  • Volume 4 (2021)
  • Volume 5 (2023)

Television

• Heartstopper (2022–present)

Reception

Nick has generally received positive acclaim as a solid bisexual representation and is generally seen as a likeable, well-developed character. Beatriz Gatz of Culture wrote "Nick Nelson is a character that brings representativeness to young people, makes them feel seen, and causes reflection" and heavily praised a scene where Nick comes out to his mother.^[8] Madison Diaz of CBR praised the character's kind attitude writing "Throughout the show, Nick does struggle with his internal battle of understanding what his sexuality might be, but he remains transparent with Charlie at each step." further adding that "He stays true to his word, which makes him a worthy heartthrob for impressionable teens."^[9] He was ranked 2nd in a 2023 ranking of the 10 Best Heartstopper Characters, Ranked by Likability by Collider.^[10] Hannah Mackenzie of Teen Vogue praised the character's pride in his bisexuality, stating "That's why seeing a main character voice and name their bisexuality proudly, despite the erasure he faces, feels so important — especially in a show aimed at young people who may be grappling with complicated feelings about their own sexualities".^[11]

Kit Connor's performance has also been well received. Radio Times listed him as one of their "Rising stars of 2023".^[12] Connor won the Leading Actor – Male Award at the RTS Programme Awards 2023.^[13]

Footnotes

See also

• Charlie Spring
• Heartstopper (graphic novel)
• Heartstopper (TV series)