Character development is a major aspect of the Good Place, especially since so much of the plot revolves around the characters improving. A core element of the show is moral philosophy and each character trying to learn about ethics to become better people. While it can be debated which character improved the most, it is certain that each main character demonstrated great amounts of character development. Eleanor grew out of being extremely selfish, Chidi learned to overcome some of his indecisiveness, and Tahani began to care less about the opinions of others. Additionally, Michael learned how to act morally and care for others. Janet literally improved hundreds of times, since she was rebooted so often and becomes better each time. While all these characters improved, I will be focusing on Eleanor’s character development in this post. 

Before she died, Eleanor was exceptionally selfish and apathetic. She rejected being a member of any group, consistently ditched friends, and blamed all her shortcomings on her parents. She once broke her promise to dog sit to go to a Rihanna concert, which lead to the dog overeating and becoming obese. 

She also took her roommate’s dress without permission, ripped it, and when her roommate freaked out, Eleanor proceeded to make t-shirts, calling her the “Dress Bitch”. Overall, Eleanor didn’t care about the consequences of her actions or how she negatively impacted others. 

In the afterlife, she initially acted very similarly: inconsiderate and self-serving. She didn’t pay attention to others when they told her about themselves, even her soulmate. Immediately, Eleanor told Chidi that she didn’t belong, causing a great amount of anxiety and discomfort in Chidi. Chidi’s reaction made Eleanor guilty and, for the first time, she made the conscious choice to partake in an activity to make herself better– philosophy lessons.

In her early days in the Good Place, Eleanor tried to be better because she felt like she needed to be; as time went on, Eleanor started to want to be better and then began actually acting better without consciously deciding to act thoughtfully. With each lesson, Eleanor progressed exponentially. In the second season, Eleanor’s growth is specifically evident when she is tested by the judge. Eleanor passes by recognizing that she wasn’t with the real Chidi, a task that proved that she became less self-obsessed and pays attention to the needs of others.

After returning to Earth and then back to the afterlife, Eleanor only continued to develop. She became a leader and a source of strength for the group. In being a leader, she makes countless selfless decisions, such as sacrificing her relationship with Chidi and stepping up to play the architect, both to save the experiment.

While Eleanor’s circumstances are obviously extremely unique and unrealistic, there is something to be learned from her growth. Eleanor’s transformation from insensitive and selfish to compassionate and loyal shows that anyone, no matter what their situation is, can become a better person and serve to improve the lives of others around them.