Lord of the Flies may be a story that has been told and retold over the years — including in shows that have become massive hits for Showtime and Prime Video — but leave it to Netflix to come in and do something comoletely new and intriguing.

Adapted by the now Emmy-Award winning creator of Adolescence, Jack Thorne and director Marc Munden, the series brings a conceptually fascinating take and fresh eyes to a classic tale that has haunted readers for years.

After a group of British schoolboys is stranded on an island after a plane crash, one that conveniently kills all of the adults who were also on the plane, they must endure the unpredictability of nature — and human nature — while awaiting rescue. Can they come together to weather the elements and wait out a savior? Or do their animal-instincts kick into high gear and create issues?

This is the question at hand when pressing play on Episode 1, “Piggy,” which introduces the viewer to one of the key characters inside this twisted story. Piggy is just one of the main characters, though, as the series establishes a group of more than a dozen boys stranded on the tropical island.

Given that, it might be hard to keep them all straight, especially as they slowly don themselves in more mud and disguises… you’ll get what we mean by the end. For that reason, here’s a quick guide to the intergral characters in Netflix’s Lord of the Flies….

• David McKenna as Piggy

  The first character introduced to the viewer in Episode 1, Piggy — who receives the cruel nickname from his fellow islanders — is one of the main protagonists in Lord of the Flies. One of the earliest to call for order and structure in the series, Piggy is instrumental in organizing a system for eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, even as he is met with cruely and pushback from the others. Piggy is also primarily responsible for taking care of the “littluns,” a.k.a the smallest children who were stranded.

• Lox Pratt as Jack

  The primary antagonist of the show, Jack is a stubborn and snippy older boy who other boys follow around religiously. Jack has a certain cult of personality, which makes him both a compelling leader and a strong foe, especially as things on the island get rocky between the boys. A bully who has his own struggles — daddy issues to the max — Jack is the biggest threat to the boys’ safety thanks to his general apathy and hastiness.

• Winston Sawyers as Ralph

  The careful leader of the group to start, Ralph is a sensible boy who uses his cool-headedness to guide the other boys, at least at the start. He also takes the initiative to work with the others, namely Piggy, to focus on the essentials of food, water, and shelter. Ralph does, however, struggle with getting his words out, something that Jack often pounces on at any chance to undermine him.

• Ike Talbut as Simon

  The odd, slightly reserved boy of the group, Simon starts the series as a smaller character, only for his importance to grow as the story moves along. In tune with nature in a way that many of the other boys aren’t, he uses his abilities — which feel somewhat supernatural — to help the others navigate internal and external struggles.

• Thomas Connor as Roger

  Roger is Jack’s right-hand man. A true follower through and through,Roger doesn’t establish himself as an individual character in any other way than mimicking Jack and trying to make a joke out of everything.

• Noah and Cassius Flemyng as Sam and Eric

  Sam and Eric — a.k.a. the twins — are two middle-aged boys who work closely with Piggy and Ralph to do what’s best for the group, refusing to bend to Jack’s will like many of the other boys. Kind and caring, they help to maintain order in the first few weeks of their situation.

How To Watch The Lord Of The Flies

Netflix offers three subscription plans to fit your streaming needs. The plans start at $7.99/month for standard with ads and go up to $24.99/month for unlimited ad-free streaming in up to 4K UHD quality.

All episodes of Lord of the Flies are now streaming on Netflix.