Along with the Büyük Zafer crew, Arka Sıradakiler includes a large array of characters: students, teachers, families, friends, and fictional characters. The main characters, teacher Kemal and the crew, are listed first; all other characters are listed unordered. Only main, supporting, and recurring characters are listed.
Characters Bülent Emin Yarar as Kemal (episodes: 2-124/Season: 1-4), an idealist teacher whose purpose is to recover the students who have problems. He tries to communicate with students. He cares about his students more than himself. He has dedicated his life to performing his duty up to his best and helping his students to be healthy, productive individuals. After the arc of Zehra's being kidnapped, he transferred to another school according to Arka Sıradakiler. He continued his career as a teacher in Öğretmen Kemal TV series. Bülent Çetinaslan as Oktay (episodes: 1-193.../Season: 1-6..), a student who is exposed to violence by his father. He reflects this violence to things around him. His friends regard him as a leader. He tries to create the justice he can't find in his life. He is brave enough to easily take great risks and he does anything to help and protect his friends. In the 160th episode, Pınar caused his death along with his wife, Gamze. Sinem Öztürk as Gamze, Oktay's girlfriend (episodes: 1-193../ Season: 1-6..). She doesn't get herself involved in gang affairs. Her family barely pays any attention to her so she's unhappy at home and when her boyfriend Oktay puts himself into trouble at school she loses her temper. She's worried about Oktay and his friends. Her greatest aspiration is a calm, happy family. In the 160th episode, Pınar caused her death along with her husband, Oktay. Barış Atay as Saffet (episodes: 1-160/Season: 1-4), one of the former students of Büyük Zafer High School. He was kicked out of school after he had bashed one of his teachers up with his friends. He was also left in an orphanage at a very early age. He plays the vagabond with his friends around the school. While he had maintained his territory before appearance of Oktay and his gang, he later waged war on them for the control of the area. He sneaky misses his school years. He is accepted to the school again in further episodes. In the fourth and last season, he gives up on Gamze finally and has an affair with Zehra. Their relationship furthers and they finally fall in love with each other. Their love ends under a train, after Zehra marries her rapist, Sedat, and then kills him. Zehra and Saffet end their lives together unfortunately. Fırat Çöloğlu as İbo (episodes: 1-193/Season: 1-6), one of Oktay's closest mates, a funny guy. As his father left them a long time ago, he is living alone with his mother. His father is an alcoholic and although he shares everything with his friends, he is ashamed of it. He has never known his father. His greatest aspiration is to save himself and his mother by striking it rich the easy way. In further episodes, his father returns. In the fourth and last season, he loses the love of his life: Sibel. Then a woman, resembling her, named Şebnem becomes his lover. Deniz Sarıbaş as Sibel (episodes: 1-150/Season: 1-4), the mysterious girl of Arka Sıradakiler. She's bothered with neither the lessons nor the things happening around the school. She has a great secret that she hides from everyone. She prostitutes herself. She has accepted this way of making life which she had to begin because of a plaguesome man. She thinks she can never save herself. Her greatest fear is that her secret reveals. She saves herself and starts going out with İbo in further episodes. But her stalker kills her, driving his boyfriend, İbo to almost lose his mind. Deniz Sarıbaş as Şebnem (episodes: 155-160/Season: 4), After Sibel dies in episode 150, Deniz Sarıbaş reappears in episode 155 as Şebnem. Temmuz Karikutal as Yadigar (episodes: 1-62;86-154/Season 1- 2½;3-4), a close friend of Oktay. A secretive, trustworthy guy. Although he's rather strict with his friends, he gets unexpectedly easygoing when the case is the girl he loves. He is so loyal to his friends that he can do any sacrifice for them. As keen as mustard on his friends, he's tough, humorous, cheerful, witty. Due to an unfortunate accident, he loses his ability to walk, and he runs away, hiding this secret from his closest friends. When he returns, he wins back the advances of the girl he likes: Eda. Meanwhile, he tries to walk again, with the help of Buket's mother. Sevda Dalgıç as Özge (episodes: 1-160/Season 1-6), a rebel girl determined not to live the rage of puberty in herself. She never holds back from reacting to situations she hates. Pessimistically, she believes she is unlucky. Instead of working to change his bad luck to save herself, she chooses to merely rebelling to this situation and demonstrating her response by anger and violence. In the fourth and last season, she finally returned Pamuk's love. On the 160th episode she and her boyfriend died, due to Şebnem. Pelin Akil as Zehra (episodes: 46-160/Season: 2-4), Kemal's niece. She can't easily accommodate herself to the environment of Büyük Zafer High School after a childhood of freedom in the Netherlands. She sometimes steals to seek adventure and excitement. She doesn't hesitate to lie to reach her aim. Her only passion in life is music and she can easily get bored of anything else. Whimsey, moody, unreliable, she is so fond of her freedom that anything can be expected from her at any moment. Her attitude changes after Sedat's rape. After this incident she was kidnapped and forced for prostitution. As she refused, she was made addicted to heroine. She was saved by Ali and this made her fall in love with him. But this was a misunderstanding, as revealed with a kiss shared with Ali's best friend, Saffet. She chose Saffet, but her stalker Sedat and Ali and Saffet's another friend Memo prevented their happiness. So she decided to marry Sedat, confusing Ali and Saffet. Her intention was to kill him on their wedding day, which she did. After that, having nowhere to go, she arrived at the train station to commit suicide. Saffet joined her and the two lovers ended their lives together. Aytaç Er as Pamuk İlhan (episodes: 1-160/Season: 1-4). His friends nicknamed him Pamuk (Cotton) due to his softness. He wants to be a powerful and an appreciated person. He's happy with Oktay and his gang. His biggest dream is some day becoming a brave leader like Oktay. He's in love with Özge. Despite her rebuffs, he never gives up. And he succeeds. She returns his feelings but soon, they die due to Şebnem. Engin Yavaş as Rıza (episodes: 1-160/Season: 1-4), a son of a rather crowded family. His brain is useful with making money rather than lessons. As his family doesn't compensate any of his needs, he has learnt to take care of himself by working here and there since his childhood. His family isn't bad but because of their moral and material problems, they're in no condition to take care of him. While he was growing up, Rıza learnt that life is a game with ruthless rules and that the only way of winning in this game is cheating. He puts away cheats, lies and cunning when the matter is his friends. In the fourth and last season, he went to the military. He's among the few characters that survived. Demir Kuvvetli as Dizdar (episodes: 1-116/Season: 1-3), also called Shrek. He is the eldest of four siblings in a low-income family. He is not involved much in his lessons but he has a sharp mathematical intelligence. Rather impassively, he ignores his problems most of the time. He does anything for his friends. The greatest thing he is intolerant of is starvation. He nearly can't even think when he is hungry. On the 116th episode, he died at the hands of Kerem. Barış Büktel as Ali (episodes: 1-160/Season: 1-4). Just like Saffet and Memo, he has found himself in orphanage when he's too little. With an orphan child's feeling of loneliness, he has developed a passion for reading and has improved himself as he read. He has no one in his life but Saffet, Memo and Koray. He is a clever, thoughtful, sensible, determined and hardworking guy. He likes reading more than studying. In the third season, he helped his teacher find Zehra. After that, he did fall in love with her. But her betrayal made him a revenger. He faked his death thanks to Sedat and disturbed Zehra and Saffet's happiness. Then it was revealed that he was still alive and he was the one who stole Saffet's money. After he came back, he forced Zehra to make her decision. As she couldn't ruin the friendship of Ali and Saffet, she said she'd go away, which she did. She married Sedat and surprised the two friends. But her intention was to kill him, which she did. After that, Saffet was the one to join her suicide, so Ali survived. Caner Erdem as Memo (episodes: 1-160/Season: 1-4), Saffet and Ali's childhood friend. He has never known his parents. He was left to Çocuk Esirgeme Kurumu (Society for the Protection of Children) while he was only 3. His greatest aspiration is finding his parents. He's lazy, reliable, loyal, sensitive, fond of his comfort and stomach. There is nothing he can't do for Ali, Saffet and Koray. And this made him hate Zehra, as she kind of ruined Ali and Saffet's friendship. He forced her to make her decision, but Zehra chose to go away. Zehra decided to marry her stalker Sedat, but her intention was to kill him on their wedding day, which she did. After that, Saffet joined a Zehra who wanted to kill herself. As the two forbidden lovers took their lives, Memo survived along with Ali.