1. Nathan Scott

I figured I would start out with one of my favorite characters: Nathan Scott.

Anyone who has watched this show knows that he has one of the best character development arcs ever, going from a selfish, seemingly stereotypical jock to the most loving husband, friend, brother, and father. He's also one half of the best ship on the entire show.

He went through so much in his life and his family, and still came out with one of the most caring hearts of any of the characters. Everyone deserves a Nathan Scott in their life.

2. Brooke Davis

Moving on to my second favorite character, and another one of the best cases of development ever. Brooke went from being another stereotype, the cheerleader who seemed to only care about boys, to being one of the most vulnerable yet strong women on the show.

She grew into an amazing mother and wife, despite her lack of a caring mother growing up. She was a warrior in every way, overcoming assault, heartbreak, and everything else that was thrown at her in her life.

I miss her iconic quotes and the way that she cared about everyone around her. All women should be inspired by Brooke Davis.

3. All of the Characters

I'm throwing all of the other characters into one category, because I don't have enough time or space to express my love for each of them separately. This show had an amazing cast, and the range of characters throughout the nine seasons of the show was amazing.

Also, this show took the time to thoroughly develop every character over the seasons. Even people who seemed like minor characters in the beginning, like Mouth and Skills, all had their own stories and development. I definitely miss watching these characters age and grow, especially since not a lot of shows nowadays have that same level of development.

4. Naley

Nathan and Haley were one of the most surprising and amazing couples on this show. Even though they got together in the first season, they were the couple that lasted the longest on the entire show. They definitely had their ups and downs, but they got through it all, making them the strongest couple on the show as well.

They came out of nowhere. Haley was just his tutor, and then when he dramatically kissed her in the front yard, everything changed.

They got married, had a rough patch, got remarried, had a child in high school, had another rough patch years later, but they always pushed through. They were never a boring couple. I will always miss their beautiful relationship and their beautiful family that they created.

5. Leyton

Onto my next favorite ship: Lucas and Peyton. They also went through so much, and unlike Naley, they took 4-5 seasons to actually get together and be happy, after many ups and downs. The moment where Lucas confesses "it's always been you" to Peyton is one of the most iconic moments of the show, along with her confession to loving him while bleeding out in the school library.

I love them as a couple because they were best friends first. They tried to be together in the early seasons, but the timing wasn't right. However, when they eventually did get together, they already had that banter that best friends have, making their marriage even more cute.

Even though they left the show at the end of season 6, they still remained one of the top couples, and I'll miss their dramatic and fun relationship.

6. Brulian

Last ship, I swear. This one goes out to Brooke and Julian, another one of my top relationships on the show. They were extremely cute, and we spent seasons wanting Brooke to find the perfect guy after realizing it wasn't Lucas. And then Julian came in and changed everything. And we finally got to see Brooke happy after her being hurt so many times before.

They had another one of the most heartwarming moments, and it's when Brooke finds out that she's pregnant, despite being told that she wouldn't be able to get pregnant. That moment then leads into twins, and another cute family was added to the show.

7. The Time Jump

This was one of my favorite aspects of the show. Once the characters graduated high school, I figured it would lead into their struggles for the next few years. But instead, in the same episode, it jumped four years into the future.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about it at first, I always hate plots that have so many holes and time unaccounted for, but the show made sure to fill them in.

It was also a really interesting device to use for character development. Seeing how the characters changed over the jump and how they continued to change in the real world and their later adult lives really made the characters and the plot more interesting. We also got to see Jamie Scott as a child, who was a great addition in terms of being the sweetest and cutest child on the show.

8. The Relationships

This includes all romantic relationships, friendships, and even family relationships. Every single one was so dynamic and individual and given their own stories and journeys, it made the show that more interesting to watch.

They kept us interested with new characters and new relationships., and not to mention all of the family drama and all of the cute families that were formed throughout the series.

9. The Music

This is another one of my favorite aspects of the show. They merged music so well into the storyline, like Haley's entire singing career, and then Peyton's love for music and her record label, and the concerts that were throughout the series. I also loved the random appearance of Fall Out Boy for a concert.

Music was just another way for this show to artistically express its story, and it's something everyone can relate on and appreciate. Also, the soundtrack was just really good in general.

10. The Realness of it All

Despite the series being a drama, and having everything that could go wrong actually go wrong, this show hit on some deep, real points.

It expressed the struggles of high school, from anxiety of not being good enough to the pressures of stereotypes. It also hit on strong realities later in adulthood, like the struggle of finding your passion and your dream job and the struggles of relationships, family, and life in general.

Sadly, one of the most realistic and human moments of the show was the school shooting episode. This was made in around 2006 or 2007, but it's unfortunate that this is our reality now. Stuff like that happens all the time now, and seeing it displayed on a TV show, as tragic as it may be, makes it feel even that much more real.

11. The Quotes

This entire show was filled with iconic, inspirational quotes. Most about the struggles of life and all of the obstacles you'll encounter. Others about how to achieve happiness, some about the struggles of love and heartbreak.

I remember watching this and having dozens of pictures of these quotes on my phone because I loved them so much, and I related to a lot of them, and I know many others did, too. If you ever need a dramatic, inspirational quote about life, just look up the many quotes from this show.

12. "I Don't Wanna Be"

Anyone who has seen this show knows the importance of this song, which is why I gave its own part. "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin Degraw is the song that plays during the opening credits of the show, and is also brought back throughout the later seasons, such as young Jamie playing the piano and singing with Gavin Degraw.

One of the most iconic moments (yes, this show has a lot) with this song, though, is in the series finale, when Gavin Degraw performs this song. What makes it even more special is when it switches to the crowd, where the cast is singing along at the top of their lungs. I think that moment will always make me emotional, because it truly marked the end of this amazing show and era.