Vivian is a 16-year-old junior at East Rockport High School who initially keeps her head down to avoid trouble. Raised by her single mother, she is considered a dutiful student who obeys the rules. Inspired by her mother's rebellious past and frustrated by the toxic culture at her school, Vivian secretly creates the feminist zine Moxie.

Lisa is Vivian's sensible mother who works long hours as a nurse at an urgent care center. During her youth, she was an outspoken fan of the Riot Grrrl punk movement, a past she keeps boxed away in her closet. She works to provide a stable life for Vivian while beginning to date a doctor from her clinic.

Lucy is a junior who recently moved to East Rockport from Houston. She is a confident Latina student with a bubbly personality and a developed social conscience from her time in a feminist club at her previous school. She quickly becomes a vocal critic of the school's preferential treatment of athletes.

Claudia is Vivian's petite Latina best friend who has known her since kindergarten. She is a cautious, rule-abiding student who prefers to keep quiet and avoid making waves with the administration. Her preference for blending in creates friction as feminist disruptions begin happening around the school.

Seth is a new student who recently moved to the coast from Austin. The son of progressive artists, he does not fit the typical mold of the local, football-obsessed boys. He is sensitive and intelligent, offering an outsider's lens on the small town's traditions.

Principal Wilson is the aggressive head of East Rockport High School and a former Texas history teacher. He prioritizes the success and reputation of the football program above all other educational needs. He enforces strict dress code checks for female students while ignoring the misconduct of male athletes.

Mitchell is the star of the East Rockport high school football team and the principal's son. He is arrogant, entitled, and a frequent instigator of harassment within the school. Protected by his athletic status, he frequently disrupts classes and targets female students without consequence.

Emma is a fellow junior who serves as the head cheerleader. Blonde and athletic, she appears perfectly adapted to the school's social hierarchy. She represents the ideal standard of beauty at the school and handles male attention with practiced ease.

Meemaw is Vivian's grandmother, a traditional Texas woman whose kitchen features rooster decorations. Despite her old-fashioned values, she recognizes the defiant energy in her daughter and provides a stable, loving environment for Vivian through regular family dinners.

Grandpa is Vivian's traditional grandfather who lives next door. He frequently uses funny sayings and holds old-fashioned views about gender dynamics, reflecting the ingrained cultural attitudes of the town.

Kiera is a Black student and former grade-school friend of Vivian before their social circles diverged in middle school. Frustrated by the lack of funding for the girls' soccer team compared to the football program, she becomes an enthusiastic participant in the underground feminist movement.

John is a doctor who works with Lisa at the urgent care center. He drives a car with a conservative political bumper sticker, causing Vivian to view him with immediate skepticism when he begins dating her mother.

Jason is the captain of the high school football team. He benefits from the school's athletic favoritism and engages in harassing behavior, openly participating in the "bump 'n' grab" hallway game.

Sara is one of Vivian's friends from the "nice girls" group. She becomes highly distressed when she is publicly humiliated during one of the administration's arbitrary dress code checks.

Zoe is Seth's mother, a beautiful woman who dresses in a funky, artistic style. She and her husband moved their family from Austin, bringing progressive political and social beliefs that contrast sharply with the local culture.

Alejandro is Seth's laid-back father who works as an artist. His relaxed parenting style and progressive household rules provide Vivian with a sharp contrast to her own traditional family structure.

Frank is an employee at the copy shop who helps Vivian figure out how to run the printing machines. He becomes a quiet supporter of her anonymous project.