Yellowjackets and The Wilds are two shows about teen girls surviving in the wilderness. Yellowjackets, which came out in 2021 and had its third season wrap in April 2025, explores the lives of a group of girls after their plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness on the way to a national soccer championship. On the other hand, The Wilds, which came out in 2020 and had its last season wrap in May 2022, explores the lives of a group of girls after their plane crashed in the ocean and they retreat to a nearby island instead of their planned women’s empowerment retreat in Hawaii.
Both shows have phenomenal main casts of girls with unique personalities, but there are certainly some similarities between the two. There is much to compare and contrast! So, without further ado, here are The Wilds characters and their Yellowjackets counterparts.
Shelby Goodkind in ‘The Wilds’ and Jackie Taylor in ‘Yellowjackets’
Shelby Goodkind and Jackie Taylor both maintain a feminine, popular girl exterior image, but each have internal struggles that they don’t let on easily. We don’t see as many of Taylor’s inner battles as we do with Shelby because, well, Jackie dies. I do hypothesize, however, that both struggle with their sexuality. Neither Jackie nor Shelby are very fond of their boyfriends. We learn that Shelby is a lesbian, and she goes on to date Toni. Jackie, on the other hand, doesn’t get the chance to explore her deep and compelling bond with Shauna after their fight. Aside from their sexuality, the characters are very similar in their demeanor. Both are enthusiastic, positive, and friendly to the other girls. While Shelby adapts far easier to the wilderness than Jackie does, the parallels are undeniable. Shelby is my favorite character in The Wilds for her depth, kindness, and character growth.
Nora Reid in ‘The Wilds’ and Misty Quigley in ‘Yellowjackets’
Nora Reid and Misty Quigley are two very smart girls who both struggle to make connections with the others in their groups. However, the reason for this disconnect differs. Nora is quiet and observant, while Misty is loud and awkward. Their most obvious similarity is that they both betray the others. Nora is secretly a part of the social experiment that is the reason why the girls are stuck on the island. Misty destroyed the transmitter that could have saved the soccer team after the crash. Both hold the key to survival but are too guilty to share it and believe they are doing what is best for others. Nora wants to help her sister, while Misty wants to prove she can be useful and finally feel like part of the group.
Rachel Reid in ‘The Wilds’ and Taissa Turner in ‘Yellowjackets’
Rachel Reid and Taissa Turner are both competitive, athletic, and extremely driven. Their explosive anger causes them to have problems with members of the group and leads to destruction in their relationships. Rachel and Leah Rilke have a particularly strained bond, while Taissa notably clashes with Allie Stevens, which leads Allie to break her leg in the pilot episode. However, both care very deeply for the ones they love and experience immense loss in the shows. Rachel loses Nora, her sister, in the finale of the first season and Taissa loses Van, whom she has a romantic relationship with, in the finale of the third season.
Dot Campbell in ‘The Wilds’ and Natalie Scatorccio in ‘Yellowjackets’
Dot Campbell and Natalie Scatorccio are the leaders of the group. They are the most clear-headed and grounded, despite having immense trauma. Both of them lost their fathers, although their relationships with their fathers were vastly different — Dot’s far healthier than Natalie’s. Dot and Natalie both provide a voice of reason when the others go, well, a bit insane (far more in Yellowjackets). They are deeply caring for the group, strive for unity, and know how to survive. Natalie is my favorite character in Yellowjackets for her kindness, bravery and resilience. Afterall, she is the one who made the call that finally got the group home.
Fatin Jadmani in ‘The Wilds’ and Mari Ibarra in ‘Yellowjackets’
Fatin Jadmani and Mari Ibarra are two funny, sarcastic, and relatable characters who are criminally underrated in my opinion. Originally, both annoyed me a bit, but they quickly grew on me. They are very resourceful, as Fatin found the water source for the group and proved to be a reliable, smart friend. Mari, on the other hand, takes on the role as the cook for the group. Both cling on to certain parts of their lives from before, like Fatin with her reluctance to let go of her toothbrush and Mari with her everlasting craving for burgers and Slurpees, but end up adapting quite well to the wilderness (almost… R.I.P. Mari).
Leah Rilke in ‘The Wilds’ and Shauna Shipman in ‘Yellowjackets’
Ah, the two most disliked characters in their respective shows. Wow, this one was hard. I feel bad comparing anyone to Shauna Shipman after the third season. However, there are some obvious similarities between Leah Rilke and Shauna. Both are deeply emotional and mourn the losses of two people they loved (Jackie-Shauna is real, argue with the wall). They also have very frequent crash-outs and are extremely angry from holding in pent up emotions, leading them to be perceived as crazy by the others. The biggest difference between them is, of course, that Shauna does not want to leave the wildness while Leah desperately wants to escape. However, their demeanor is quite similar.
Martha Blackburn in ‘The Wilds’ and Lottie Matthews in ‘Yellowjackets’
Martha Blackburn and Lottie Matthews are both deeply emotional, connected to animals, and traumatized. Both characters start out very kind and have strong bonds with other members of the group who keep them grounded. Martha has her best friend, Toni, while Lottie has Laura Lee before she tragically dies in a helicopter explosion. Both girls have sharp shifts in character. They each unlock a new part of themselves. Martha becomes the hunter of the group while Lottie, no longer having access to her schizophrenia medication, has a mental health crisis. In turn, she becomes the group’s visionary. Despite their violent actions, both want to support the group and care deeply for the others.
Toni Shalifoe in ‘The Wilds’ and Van Palmer in ‘Yellowjackets’
Toni Shalifoe and Van Palmer are funny, fresh, and not afraid to back down when they believe someone else is in the wrong. However, they both have a soft side and are very sweet with the people they love. Toni masks her soft side with aggression towards anyone except Martha, her best friend, until Shelby and Toni connect romantically. Then, Toni becomes much sweeter and more comfortable. This is very similar to what happens between Van and Taissa in Yellowjackets as they formed an endearing relationship. Truly, both Toni and Van are both big softies, even if they initially come off as sarcastic.
Despite the similarities between these characters, there are so many differences between the shows, and every girl is so complex. I highly recommend you watch both and stay tuned for updates on Yellowjackets season four! So, venture into the wilderness from the comfort of your own home to check out The Wilds and Yellowjackets.