Netflix’s Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous brings the excitement of Jurassic Park to life like never before. Though the animated series is geared towards kids, the thrills, dino scares, and references to the original Jurassic Park franchise make it just as much fun for adult fans of the franchise.
A group of six teenagers is invited for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend Jurassic World’s very first summer camp event – Camp Cretaceous! Whether they are famous Youtube stars, teen athletes, or winners of video game contests, the characters come from all different places and privileges, but some are more likable than others. With the release of season 5, fans of the show can really get some perspective on the characters by looking back at their earliest days in the series.
The Most Likable Camp Cretaceous Characters
Ben Pincus
Flighty and anxious, Ben quickly grows into a beloved and endearing character through his friendship with the newly hatched Ankylosaurus that he tenderly dubs “Bumpy.”
Ever compassionate, despite his fears, Ben consistently puts Bumpy’s safety above his own and stands up to the rest of the group to make sure that she is kept safe. If it wasn’t for Ben, the baby dinosaur probably wouldn’t have survived.
Sammy Gutierrez
Bubbly and enthusiastic, Sammy is almost intimidatingly friendly. She immediately attempts to befriend the standoffish Yasmina and shows genuine empathy for her loneliness.
Different from the other characters who are wealthy or well-known, Sammy claims to be there because her family owns the ranch that supplies the beef to the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. It is later revealed that the ranch is on the brink of ruin, and she is there to try to save it by spying for another rival corporation, giving her a compelling motivation and backstory.
Frederick Bowman
Though he isn’t a major character in the series, Frederick Bowman’s legacy is evident throughout the show. A good father who clearly spent a lot of time focusing on a strong relationship with his son through their shared love of dinosaurs, he shaped almost everything about who his son is during his stay at the camp.
Frederick is also the only reason that Darius is at Jurassic World. They originally planned to visit the island resort together, but that changed when Frederick became ill and passed away before they could go on their trip.
Yasmina ‘Yaz’ Fadoula
Easily one of the most mentally tough members of the group, Yasmina Fadoula is a talented athlete attending the camp because Jurassic World is her sponsor. Quiet and disciplined, Yaz prefers to keep to herself and brushes off Sammy’s attempts at friendship, despite secretly longing for companionship.
Once she opens up, Yaz is a fierce friend who will stop at nothing to protect people she cares about, especially Sammy. Along with being a sports star, Yaz is a determined survivor. She continues to walk and even run on her seriously injured leg despite limping and falling repeatedly.
Darius Bowman
Darius Bowman is kind, empathetic, and intelligent, and one of the most consistently likable characters in Camp Cretaceous. He is motivated by good intentions, rather than selfishness. His extensive knowledge of dinosaur species and behavior regularly helps the group, but when he makes a wrong guess that leads them into danger, Darius is visibly upset and guilt-ridden.
Unlike Kenji or Brooklynn, Darius is not there because he is rich or successful, but because he won the trip by beating a Jurassic World video game. His determination to get the most out of his camp experience is because of his father, and their shared love for dinosaurs.
The Least Likable Camp Cretaceous Characters
Kenji Kon
Seemingly the eldest member of the campers, Kenji is the son of a rich businessman and never lets any of the other kids forget that he’s a VIP of Jurassic World. Constantly taking credit for other people’s accomplishments, Kenji is desperate for validation. His main contribution to the group is that he knows secrets about the park, like the location of underground tunnels.
Kenji admits that his parents more or less ignore him, which is probably why he demands attention. Though he does have sympathetic qualities, there could have been so much more development in his character.
Roxie
As the head camp counselor of Camp Cretaceous, Roxie is hard-working and organized. Her main focus is on safety and staying on a strict schedule.
Though she has the makings of a great counselor and protector for the kids in the early episodes, her decision to leave the children all alone at camp to talk to Claire Dearing puts them all in incredible danger. She’s not as bad as some people working at the park, but it’s still deeply irresponsible.
Dave
As the assistant camp counselor that works at Jurassic World with Roxie, Dave is more playful and “fly by the seat of his pants” than his counterpart. He is a bit of a prankster and clearly wants to be liked by the kids.
There is nothing particularly wrong with Dave, other than the fact that he does not stand up to Roxie and insists on staying behind with the kids. He simply doesn’t have enough development or layers to be one of the really likable characters on the show.
Brooklynn
A famous Youtuber and Internet Influencer, Brooklynn is hip and social, but very self-involved. She is the only teenager allowed to bring her phone to Camp Cretaceous to take pictures and film due to her status as a Youtube star with 27 million followers, aka “Brooklanders.”
Initially appearing to be obsessed with her phone and selfies, she later admits her intense need for people to like her, and the insecurities that her online fame causes. She bonds most with Darius throughout the eight episodes, but his more sympathetic qualities outshine a lot of hers as a result.
Eddie
Being one of Dr. Henry Wu’s assistants at the lab means that Eddie is unfortunate enough to have the Jurassic World disaster happen on his birthday. Selfish and easily spooked, Eddie complains about the other workers leaving him alone, but has no problem doing the same thing to the kids.
When the park begins to shut down after the assets escape containment, Eddie steals the van and leaves the kids to face the angry dinosaurs on their own. It’s the kind of sin that would usually result in a grisly fate in the Jurassic Park movies.
