The Characters

The following is a general profile on the important characters (the main ones plus the recurring ones, as well as those who have a major role in individual episodes) of the original show and the alternate season, the must-know to start reading Alt.S2. It will be kept as spoiler-free as possible, except for those characters that only appear in one episode. For more detailed information on a particular individual, go to their own page.

Prudence Halliwell

 * Portrayed by: Shannen Doherty

The eldest of the Charmed sisters, Prue was born on October 28, 1970 in San Francisco, California. She is the firstborn child of Patty Halliwell, a witch, and Victor Bennett, a human. As a witch, Prue developed the magical power of telekinesis, which allows her to move things with her mind. Prue came into her power with a mixture of shock and anger at her sister Phoebe, whom she blamed for her introduction to the Craft. Out of the three sisters she struggles with her powers and her destiny the most, especially when dealing with her mother's past and death. Being the eldest sister, she sees herself as the head of the household. She is conservative, cautious and dislikes surprises, and it is often left to the middle sister Piper to arbitrate between Prue and Phoebe, whom Prue regards as immature, irresponsible and unpredictable.

Whilst Prue was involved in a romantic relationship with Andy Trudeau, a detective within the SFPD, for most of Season 1, this relationship was tragically ended when Andy sacrificed his life trying to protect Prue and her sisters. Prue, devastated, blames herself for his death.

Prue currently works at Buckland's - an auction house, and although she is very successful at what she does, the job is not her passion.

Piper Halliwell

 * Portrayed by: Holly Marie Combs

Piper is the second child of Patricia Halliwell and Victor Bennett and as a new witch, Piper develops the power of molecular immobilization, the slowing down of molecules to the point where an object appears frozen.

As the middle sister, Piper is meek, shy and very much the arbiter between her sisters, Phoebe and Prue. While Prue acts as the fearless lead witch and Phoebe is the eccentric and reckless spell-caster, Piper takes up the reins as the moral compass and voice of reason for the Charmed Ones. Unlike her sisters, Piper has always been the most reluctant to embrace her destiny as a Charmed One. She is always craving some bit of normalcy in all of her relationships.

Piper has fallen in love with a ghost, a warlock, and most recently with her Whitelighter Leo Wyatt. Forced to part because of his Whitelighter status, the state of their relationship remains unclear. Whilst the two have admitted their love for one another, his role as whitelighter and her role as a Charmed One create difficulties for their romance, compounded by the restrictions imposed by “The Founders” – Leo’s bosses.

After being overworked and overstressed in her most recent job as restaurant manager of Quake, Piper has quit, and striking out on her own is in the process of opening a new nightclub.

Phoebe Halliwell

 * Portrayed by: Alyssa Milano

Phoebe is the youngest child of of Patricia Halliwell and Victor Bennett, and as a new witch she has the power of premonition, a passive power. Her premonitions are triggered by objects or strong psychic auras, making them a form of psychometry. This originally only encompassed precognition, the ability to see the future, but has grown to include retrocognition, the power to see the past, too. Unlike her sisters, Piper and Prue, Phoebe is more susceptible to turning evil because she is the only one of the the three who was born in the Halliwell Manor, and thus on the spiritual Nexus is holds.

Since becomming a witch, Phoebe has been very careful to remain single. Shielding her heart to protect herself from harm, she has remained distant from men, instead channeling her energy into finding out as much as possible about her recently revealed Wiccan heritage. Despite her efforts, a romantic interest is just around the corner, and true to character, Phoebe will throw herself head-first into a relationship, regardless of the potential negative consequences.

Phoebe has worked multiple odd jobs since her return to San Francisco. These have included being a bartender, a hotel lounge psychic and an executive secretary at SWA properties, a real estate company. Wanting more from her life, Phoebe has recently enrolled in a local college, undertaking a bachelor of arts in psychology. She is hoping that this will give her some much needed purpose in her life.

Leo Wyatt

 * Portrayed by: Brian Krauze

The Charmed One’s Whitelighter, Leo was originally known to the sisters as a handyman. Forced to keep his true identity a secret, his handyman ruse enabled him to watch over them without causing suspicion. Spending so much time at the manor, it wasn’t long before Leo began developing feelings for Piper. These feelings were reciprocated, and the two began a romance. However, relationships between Whitelighters and their charges are strictly forbidden, and, assigned another charge, Leo left Piper and her sisters.

Leo still watched over and guided the Charmed Ones, and when he returned and Phoebe discovered him using his levitation to change a light bulb, he confessed the truth to her. Later injured by a Darklighter, he sought out Piper for aid, and she learned the truth of his identity. Near death, Leo confessed his love for her, and swapping powers with him, Piper was able to heal his injuries. Although Leo offered to give up being a Whitelighter to be with Piper, she didn't want him to turn away from his calling and the two parted ways.

Darryl Morris

 * Portrayed by: Dorian Gregory

An inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Darryl was Andy Trudeau’s partner until Andy’s untimely death. Working with Andy has meant he has been exposed to many unsolved murder cases with which the Halliwell sisters have been co-incidentally connected with. Curious, he has so far kept his suspicions to himself out of loyalty to his deceased partner.

However Darryl knows something is going on, and the more the sisters’ names are connected to ‘unusual’ cases, the more suspicious he becomes. He is starting to ask more and more questions concerning the sisters, and soon his loyalty to his former partner may not be enough to keep his burgeoning curiosity in check.

Ryan Hunter

 * Portrayed by: Mark Vanderloo

A professor of Psychology at USC, Ryan is one of Phoebe’s first year psychology lecturers. Intelligent, charming, and incredibly handsome, Phoebe was initially drawn to him. However, it was her sister, Prue, whom Ryan immediately developed a connection with. From the moment they met, the two experienced an instant attraction. Although it was clear they both felt something for eachother, Prue’s prior experiences with relationships and the recent loss of Andy have made her reluctant to open herself up to anybody.

Ryan, however, is persistent, and his attraction to Prue is hard for him to ignore. He likes her, and he knows she likes him. Passionate and driven, he is willing to take a chance and risk it all in an effort to romance Prue.

Yet Ryan’s past is shrouded in mystery, and he holds secrets which may jeopardize not only his own life, but the lives of the sisters. He is an enigma who prefers to keep his private life well hidden, and his intentions are, as of yet, unknown. What is known, however, is that there is more to Ryan than meets the eye. Whether this bodes well or ill for the Charmed Ones is yet to be seen.

Madame Executive

 * Portrayed by: Ali Larter

Much of Madame Executive’s past remains shrouded in mystery. For reasons known only to her, she believes the Charmed Ones wronged her, and her hatred for them fuels her every move. She despises them with a passion and her one motivation is hurting them – to make them pay for the pain she endured.

She is the epitome of severe, business-suit style, with a model's posture and a gladiator's stare. To look at her is to be deceived. Stunningly attractive, her smile lights up a room and speaks of youth and fun. She was like that once – a witty and trusting girl who believed the best of people. But now, nothing remains of that carefree girl. She's learnt the hard way that you can never trust anyone, and the only person you can truly rely upon is yourself.

Her heart has been tempered by hurt. Under her confident façade, Madame Executive is a broken woman, shattered into many parts by a past event so brutal and horrid that it has tormented her every day since and shaped her into the woman she has become. She will do anything – use anyone – to achieve the one thing that means more to her than her own life – revenge for what was done to her. A cunning and merciless manipulator, she scrutinizes everything and everyone. Everyone is a pawn in her game, whether they realize it or not.

She may be seen as an ice princess, but this is far from the truth. She may show little emotion, may even appear aloof and cold, but there’s a fire within her. She is determined to see justice done for what happened to her, and nothing will stop her from reaching her goal.