| “ | Wanna come over to my house and play? | ” |
| — Rowley to Greg in the first book | ||
| “ | Hey, Greg! You want to come over and play? | ” |
| — Rowley to Greg in the first film | ||
Rowley Jefferson is Greg's best friend and is usually the deuteragonist of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He has had a major role in nearly every book (with the exception of the 9th, 12th, and 15th books). He has overprotective parents who aren't fond of Greg's behavior (specifically Mr. Jefferson, but his mother can also seemingly get annoyed by Greg too), assuming that he is a bad influence (which for several reasons he is). He was the main antagonist in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the secondary antagonist of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck. He is often seen as an anti-hero in the series, despite being the main character's best friend, as he often does idiotic, nonsensical things, which results in getting Greg in trouble while he gets off scot-free. Despite his idiotic behavior, though, Rowley always wishes the best for everyone and is a very nice and innocent kid. Rowley is an immature boy in several ways. For example, he sleeps with his stuffed toys, he likes his Dinoblazer Action Figure and he even quit writing his popular comic, Zoo-Wee-Mama, because he needed time to play with his Dinoblazer Action Figures. He also likes a singer called Joshie, whose audience is young children, mainly girls. On Christmas, he gets many childish things, even giving Greg childish toys like a Big Wheel. In the second film, he got very scared after watching a horror movie called "The Foot," and had to get his parents to take him home.
In the fourth book, he kept his eyes covered the entire time while Greg tried to watch the horror movie, Hello, You're Dead. Also, when he was sleeping in a beach lodge, he got a nightmare that there was a chicken underneath him, which made him scream out loud. His parents calmed him down and Rowley went and slept in their room. In the movie, he goes with his parents to nearby places. If not, then he'd have to follow Greg. In the book, he went in kiddie rides for little kids while Greg was in the Cranium Shaker, a ride that was meant to terrify and disorientate its riders. In Dog Days, his dad scolded Greg for not showing up for 10 minutes.
He is the main character of his own spin-off called Diary Of An Awesome Friendly Kid, which also had a sequel called Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure.
Background
Rowley Jefferson was born in Ohio to Robert and Linda Jefferson. When he turned 5 he moved to Plainview, where he meets Greg Heffley. He told him knock-knock jokes and Greg didn't understand what he was doing. Greg decided to take him under his wing, mostly because he'd get to do the stuff Rodrick used to do to him when he was younger. He made friends with Greg in fourth grade.
When it's his birthday, he goes to childish places and invites kids in his karate class who are half the age of him and is happy even when he gets childish toys. In Old School, it turns out during the events of The Ugly Truth, Rowley had a birthday party in Old-Timey Ice Cream Parlor. He is also a fun, loving boy, that many like more than Greg Heffley usually. He is a good friend of Greg and despite the fact, Greg often uses him (carry his stuff, give him piggy-rides, write English work for him, and scout for dog droppings) he still doesn't question or go against Greg and is willing to be much like Greg. Rowley is quite immature and seems a bit naive which Greg takes advantage of him by manipulating him, but he's charming, cheerful, and innocent nature makes him more popular with other students (particularly the girls) than Greg. His friendship with Greg is arguably more legitimate and developed in the films than in the books. In the novels, Greg primarily uses Rowley for personal gain and always pushes him around, though they are legitimate friends nonetheless. In Dog Days, he smashes "The Muddy Hand", which is really Greg's hand. He is sometimes an enemy, but most of the time he's a "good guy". Rowley has a pure soul and knows that Greg loves him deep down.
Rowley also seems to get along well with his parents and feels very bad when he disappoints them. So far, he has only got in trouble with them three times: the first was in the first book, where he made a mess in the basement as part of a failed Halloween attraction and was banned from watching TV for a week. The second was in Dog Days, where he along with Greg spent 83 dollars at the country club and he forces the two of them to pay it off. The third was also in Dog Days, where he and Greg wandered out of the arcade without Rowley's parents' knowledge and were mad and concerned as to where they went. As a consequence, they were both sent to bed early. At this point, Greg thinks that Rowley has never gotten in trouble with his parents before, but he must have forgotten about the other two occurrences.
Appearance
In the movie series, Rowley is a boy with a thick build and long bowl-shaped hair that is orange and is wider than Greg's, but his hair is golden brown in Rodrick Rules and Dog Days.
In the book series, he has 7 strands of hair that is flat on his head and is wider than Greg's. He has two large teeth and his mouth never appears to be closed, except for a few occasions.
In the spin-offs, he is skinny (but not as much as greg). He is even more immature than the original books. Rowley also gets mad at Greg more often. When Greg says his tap dancing is bad, he starts bawling. He likes math and is in love with Ms. Beck. Greg and Rowley got in trouble by her and she punished the boys. Greg gets detention but he doesn't care. Rowley cries like a baby when Ms. Beck said she was disappointed.
In Hard Luck, since he started dating Abigail Brown, he combed his hair differently and had 8 strands rather than 7. After the break-up, his hair got messed up, and had a tired expression before he went back to his original look.
Trivia
- His original name is Roland.
- He appears in all of the books and movies, and the online version as well, to date, but he only made a small appearance in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End.
- He’s the only character outside of Greg’s family to appear in every book.
- He is Jeff Kinney’s favorite character, which is what part of what inspired him to write Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal.
- It is never revealed what country Rowley went to on his trip to South America in the book series, but the online book states that he went to Brazil. It is said in the first film that Rowley went to Guatemala, although Guatemala is in Central America.
- Rowley is younger than Greg, as his birthday is in October while Greg’s is in June.
- Rowley has never had detention, but he almost had one in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid.
- In the online book, Rowley is said to own a PlayStation with 42 games. However, in the movie, Rowley is shown to have a Wii, meaning that he possibly upgraded his console.
- Rowley ate cheese but Greg told everyone he (himself) ate it.
- Rowley goes on frequent vacations to other countries.
- Rowley has closed his mouth five times, twice in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Online, once in Cabin Fever, once in The Third Wheel, and once in Hard Luck.
- Rowley serves as the main antagonist of the first book, due to his and Greg's fight, The Ugly Truth because they separate in Dog Days and get back together in the book, and was a major antagonist in Hard Luck because he was ditching and betraying Greg for his new girlfriend Abigail Brown, who served as the main antagonist.
- Rowley is shown to be more naive than Greg, as he was allowed in the student council.
- According to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Online, Rowley came from Ohio.
- On page 33 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Online book, Rowley's age is revealed as 12.
- Jeff Kinney said that he named Rowley after a city in Massachusetts because he thought it would fit the character as being "slow and innocent and pure".
- His journal in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is most likely a different one shown from Rodrick Rules.
- It is shown he has lived on Greg's street since the fourth grade.
- In the German translations, Rowley's name is Rupert. Coincidentally, Greg alludes to this in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal when he says he will change Rowley's role into a made-up kid named Rupert who is an overexaggerated parody.
- In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, Greg once planned on calling Rowley "Rupert" in his biography, Greg Heffley: A Life. Rupert is again shown as an imaginary character in Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal.
- Rowley's phone number is 453-5341.
Gallery
For more images, see: Rowley Jefferson/Gallery