Teenager Scott McCall's (Tyler Posey) life changed forever when a werewolf bit him, and he became one himself in MTV's supernatural drama Teen Wolf, a reimagining of the 1985 film of the same name. As he balanced normal teenage challenges like high school and relationships, he also protected his loved ones from a variety of other supernatural threats lurking in Beacon Hills. The series first aired in 2011 and lasted six seasons. It was followed up with Teen Wolf: The Movie on Paramount+ in 2023.

Among the other characters in the show were Scott's supportive best friend and the sheriff's son, Mieczysław, a fan-favorite known better by the nickname Stiles who was one of the few characters on the show without some sort of supernatural ability. He was known for his sense of humor, which came through in some of his best quotes from Teen Wolf. But Stiles was more than just the show's comic relief and also had a lot of great things to say about love, death, making mistakes, and more.

10 "You're killing people—to death!"

Season 2, Episode 6, "Frenemy"

The lizard humanoid kanima was the target in “Frenemy,” ultimately revealed to be Jackson. The search for him led Scott and Stiles into Jungle, a gay club, where Jackson was targeting Danny and injured a number of other patrons in the process. Jackson was not aware he was the kanima, however, and after Scott and Stiles caught up with him and locked him in a police van, Stiles tried to explain it to him.

Stiles’ talk with Jackson was typical Stiles—he not only made his point, but overdid it. It was typical of Stiles’ humor, and it was a great, lighthearted moment in an otherwise intense episode with high stakes. It was also a reminder of Stiles’ role in the series, as he was often ready with a joke or sarcastic comment, while his actions in the episode also proved he played a much bigger role than mere comic relief.

9 "Don't think about Allison being in the stands. Or that her father's trying to kill you. Or that Derek's trying to kill you. Or the girl he killed."

Season 1, Episode 2, "Second Chance at First Line"

In “Second Chance at First Line,” Scott and Stiles discovered the transformation into a werewolf could also be triggered by anger, not just the full moon. Scott was preparing for a lacrosse game but was distracted by his new life as a werewolf—on top of everything else that comes with being a teenager. Werewolf hunters were after him, including Allison’s father, who shot him with an arrow on the full moon.

Stiles was the quintessential best friend in “Second Chance at First Line,” ready to give Scott a pep talk when he needed it most—while also managing to draw attention to many of the very things distracting Scott. The goal was to keep his anger in check and keep him focused on the game and Allison, the people hunting him and the mounting body count, but Stiles only managed to keep it all front and center in Scott’s mind.

8 "Someone needs to sex me right now!"

Season 3, Episode 4, "Unleashed"

In “Unleashed,” after a recent string of killings, Scott tried to keep Isaac from having a deadly confrontation with the Twins, but the Alphas ultimately attacked Derek and Isaac ended up staying with Scott. Stiles considered the possibility that werewolves weren’t responsible for the attacks after all and that all the victims were virgins, and although that was incorrect, he continued to try to uncover a link between the killings.

Virginity has long been a common theme in horror movies and shows, and Teen Wolf was no exception. Stiles’ hilariously offered up his theory, as well as some information about his love life—and his desperation to change that fact, presumably to save his life, but with some other added benefits. It was a classic Stiles moment and one of his most memorable, a perfect example of his sense of humor and what made him such a beloved character.

7 "How about, I'm always right, and you should listen to whatever I have to say, and never disagree ever for the sake of your wolvlihood."

Season 1, Episode 11, "Formality"

In "Formality," Scott wasn't allowed to attend the winter formal due to failing grades and forced Jackson to take Allison so someone would be looking out for her and could help keep her out of danger, as she was being hunted by the Alpha werewolf, and she finally learned Scott was a werewolf. Lydia and Stiles went to the dance together. Meanwhile, Kate had Derek chained up in her basement after he attacked her home.

No one likes to hear, "I told you so,” but Stiles had a different choice of words not for that reason but because they simply weren’t enough. In his unique Stiles way, including with a touch of humor, he drove home the point that he’d been right and Scott would do well to listen to him. It was also a good look at Stiles’ character beyond his sense of humor—it showed his intelligence and instincts and how crucial he was to the series.

6 "You called the police before you called me?"

Season 3, Episode 3, "Fireflies"

In “Fireflies,” Boyd and Cora were affected by the full moon. Meanwhile, after finding a lifeguard’s dead body in a pool, Lydia called Stiles—but only after calling police first—who was concerned the death was due to Boyd, Cora or even both. The death led Scott and Derek to seek help from Chris as they tried to determine what happened and keep track of Boyd and Cora and keep them under control.

Calling the police first, as Lydia did, is also what most people would do upon finding a dead body, but apparently, not Stiles. As far as he was concerned, the first call made should’ve been to him instead. It was a funny moment which showed how Stiles thought of himself and his place in Beacon Hills, but it was also a nice moment between Stiles and Lydia which showed their dynamic.

5 "I’m 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bones; sarcasm is my only defense."

Season 2, Episode 6, "Frenemy"

In “Frenemy,” everyone was focused on taking down the Kanima, a humanoid lizard creature, and they soon realized it was Jackson. Scott and Stiles’ search for Jackson led them to a gay nightclub called Jungle, and they realized Danny was his next target—and although he made it out unscathed, Jackson injured a number of other club patrons. In the end, Jackson turned in Scott and Stiles for kidnapping him.

Stiles’ status as a human, not a supernatural being, meant the stakes were very different for him and everything was inherently more dangerous. His comment here hinted at that fact—being human meant he was more susceptible to injury or even death and couldn’t defend himself the same way that, say, werewolves could. But it also addressed Stiles’ sense of humor and love of sarcasm, which made him one of the show’s best and most entertaining characters.

4 "I’m a fan of ignoring a problem until eventually, it just goes away!"

Season 1, Episode 6, "Heart Monitor"

In “Heart Monitor,” Scott was terrified he might accidentally his girlfriend, Allison, during his transformations and turned to Derek for help learning to control them, who in turn wanted Scott’s help in defeating the Alpha. But Stiles didn’t trust Derek and was determined to help Scott himself, using a heart monitor to help keep his anger in check. They ultimately realized Allison kept Scott calm and was the key to preventing an unwanted transformation.

Stiles’ comment on problem-solving in “Heart Monitor” was true to his character, especially his sense of humor. But it wasn’t exactly accurate—he proved that in the episode by working with Scott himself, and he would continue to do the exact opposite of ignoring problems throughout the series. And needless to say, ignoring a problem until it goes away would be a terrible approach regardless, but especially for the people of Beacon Hills, where the problem was often dangerous supernatural creatures.

3 "Unrequited love is a bitch."

Season 2, Episode 5, "Venomous"

When Scott and Stiles learned Erica and Isaac intended to test Lydia with kanima venom, they became determined to protect her in “Venomous.” When the venom had no effect on her, Derek became convinced she was the kanima and wanted to kill her because of it. Scott suggested she was possibly immune, and although Jackson’s reaction to the venom eliminated him as suspect, he was revealed as the kanima in the end.

After Stiles threatened Isaac, Isaac confessed he’d asked Lydia out once and was turned down, leading Stiles to offer up this great comment about unrequited love. Referring to it as “a bitch” was a very Stiles way of putting it, and as someone who also had longstanding feelings for Lydia, Stiles could relate. He also never believed that Lydia was the kanima and had as much evil in her as he saw in the creature.

2 "Some of us have to make mistakes; some of us have to get our hands a little bloody sometimes; some of us are human!"

Season 5, Episode 9, "Lies of Omission"

Stiles and Lydia tried to find the Nemeton and the chimera bodies they thought Parrish had dumped there in “Lies of Omission,” and upon succeeding, Parrish was shocked. Meanwhile, Scott turned to an unlikely ally for help. After Theo told Scott an inaccurate version of events regarding the death of Donovan, a teenager turned into a supernatural creature through scientific experiments who was killed by Stiles in self-defense, Scott confronted Stiles over the incident.

At first, Stiles’ passionate outburst seemed to be about making mistakes, but it was also about something much bigger. As one of the few humans on Teen Wolf, rather than a supernatural creature, Stiles was aware of the limitations that put on him, as well as the other huge differences between the two. As a human, Stiles was limited in the ways he could defend himself against supernatural creatures, but more importantly, it meant the stakes were higher.

1 "You see, death doesn't happen to you, Lydia. It happens to everyone around you, to all the people left standing at your funeral, trying to figure out how they're going to now live the rest of their lives without you in it."

Season 2, Episode 10, "Fury"

After discovering Matt was controlling the kanima, Scott and Stiles, as well as their parents, were taken hostage and held in the sheriff’s office by the kanima and Matt, its controller, in “Fury.” Lydia was willing to do whatever it took to help Jackson, and Stiles had some choice words for her about how dangerous that could be and the impact her potential death would have on those around her.

Styles wasn’t just speaking for himself here—although he had longstanding feelings for Lydia and would have been impacted by her death, his quote also addressed how grief affects everyone who knew a person and what a lasting effect their loss can have. For the deceased, it’s an ending, but for everyone else, it’s the start of navigating a new reality without them.

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