Similar to other workplace sitcoms like The Office, Superstore, The IT Crowd, Party Down, Cheers, and Better Off Ted, one of Abbott Elementary's greatest strengths is that the show boasts an ensemble cast. In fact, the ABC comedy series boasts so many great characters that it is fun to rank every Abbott Elementary teacher because there are so many reasons why viewers can love some over the others.
Even though the show already has a stellar ensemble cast, that doesn't mean that more fantastic characters can't be added to the mix. Based on what has already been revealed about the sitcom's upcoming season, new Abbott Elementary characters will be joining the show's cast almost immediately.
Abbott Elementary season 5's second episode will add a new character
Before Abbott Elementary's upcoming October 1 premiere, ABC has already put out a press release with a brief synopsis of season 5, episode 2. While that press release teases that the episode, which is titled "Cheating," will feature several elements, it is one part of the statement that truly stands out. According to what has already been revealed, Abbott Elementary's titular school will be welcoming a new guidance counselor.
"Melissa tries to outsmart her students; Tariq causes chaos in Janine’s class, and a new guidance counselor joins the school."
Based on that statement, there is no way to know how long the new guidance counselor will stick around or how much the character will affect the sitcom's main teachers. That said, there seems to be immense potential for a guidance counselor to profoundly affect Abbott Elementary's teacher and student characters.
It is also worth noting that there is no doubt that the guidance counselor won't be the only new character who will be introduced during Abbott Elementary season 5. In September 2025, Deadline reported that Luke Tennie from the show Shrinking will be joining the show in a recurring role. According to the outlet's report, Luke will be cast as Dominic, a new teacher at the show's titular school.
Any Shrinking fan will almost certainly agree that Luke should be a great addition to Abbott Elementary's cast. After all, Luke's Shrinking tenure has proven that he can hold his own with actors as talented as Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, and Ted McGinley. With that in mind, it seems almost certain that Luke will be able to bring something entertaining and compelling to Abbott Elementary.