Emily Has Changed A Lot Since 'PLL' Season 1

Pretty Little Liars has been a constant part of fans' lives for a pretty long time at this point. The trailer for the Season 6 winter premiere of Pretty Little Liars recently hit the web, and it serves as a reminder of how far the girls have come and hints at the all of the changes on the horizon. And all I have to say is "wow," because this clique has really been through a lot. But who has had the greatest evolution out of the core four? I'd said it's Emily Fields, who has changed so much between Season 1 and 6.

When the show first started, the girls were just sophomores in high school and now they are young adults. And on top of everything else that comes with growing up, the girls are de facto detectives for multiple murder cases. If that doesn't cause some character changes, I don't know what would.

When it comes to Emily, played by Shay Mitchell, she started out as a shy pushover who was unsure of herself and her sexuality. But throughout the years, she has been through so much and has evolved into a badass role model who is finally comfortable in her own skin. A lot has changed with Emily since Pretty Little Liars Season 1. Take a look.

1. She Used To Be Considered The Weakest Link & Now She's A Fighter

In Season 1, it was a pretty well known fact that Emily was considered the pushover of the clique. The devious A used to pick on Emily the most and refer to her as the weak link in the group when she exploited her vulnerability. It was even shown in flashbacks how much Allison used to take advantage of Emily's passive nature by bossing her around and manipulating her for her own amusement. Now, Emily has been through a lot. She had to cope with the death of her first real girlfriend, Maya St. Germain. Then she was forever changed and got revenge on Maya's murderer/stalker, Nate, by killing him. The Emily we first met would never have had the guts to step up in this way.

2. She Started Off With A Boyfriend & Now She's Out As A Lesbian

When we first met Emily she had a boyfriend and was trying to maintain the facade of a stereotypical All-American girl. Then we saw her developing feelings for her neighbor and eventual girlfriend, Maya. Emily's exploration of her sexuality was delicately and realistically handled. She has found herself and is an out and proud lesbian.

3. She Was Nervous To Pursue Her Crushes, But She Transformed Into A Serial Dater

Emily was very hesitant to make any sort of move on Maya when her crush first developed. She even tried avoiding the object of her affection. Then it was revealed that Emily had a crush on Allison before her disappearance that she tried to hide that from everyone. Those days of secret crushes are behind her now. Emily has had the most relationships out of all the girls. Nowadays when she has a romantic interest she makes it known and just goes for it.

4. She Was A Strict Athlete & Now She Is More Multifaceted

Emily was very devoted to swimming for the beginning of the series. She really embraced the athlete lifestyle with and that extended to her style. But as time went on, Emily became more balanced and wasn't just about sports. She really started to embrace her womanhood and as a result she started dressing with a more feminine style and became more comfortable with her romantic interactions.

5. She Kept Opinions Her To Herself, But These Days We Know Where She Stands

Emily was a follower in every respect. She never said how she felt and she let herself be bossed around. She never stood up to the more dominant personalities in her clique or any adversary. That was before she went through more than any teen girl ever should. The murder mysteries, loss of swimming scholarships, homophobic discrimination, and cyber bullying have toughened her up. She realized that she needs to stand up for what she wants and she has no issue expressing her opinions now.

6. She Was Straight-Laced & Now She's More Wild

Emily was definitely the "innocent one" when Pretty Little Liars started out. A lot of this had to do with her discipline to remain a top athlete, but she was also not very comfortable with herself. She went from being the innocent girl next door to trying weed with Maya, getting a tattoo when she was underage, shooting guns at the range, and black out drinking. Needless to say, she loosened up quite a bit.

All of the Liars have been through a lot, but Emily has definitely been through the ringer on this show. Even with all the adversity she has faced, she has been able to triumph and come out of the other side as a stronger person with a greater sense of self. Emily used to be very hard on herself and so unsure of who she was, but now we can all see how much she has grown to love who she is as much as the fans do.

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