Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.

Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham). Max had a difficult childhood, which was made worse by the arrival of his younger brother Jack (Scott Maslen), as Max and Jack vied for the attentions of their father. When Max was blamed for stealing and losing a medal that Jim's mother was given during World War II in honour of his late father for bravery, Jim severed all ties with his son and even once locked him in a coffin as a punishment for having a black friend. Max got his girlfriend Rachel pregnant at seventeen, which led to them marrying and becoming parents to their son Bradley (Charlie Clements) in August 1987 at just eighteen. Max lost touch with his parents, but kept in touch with his siblings, particularly Carol (Lindsey Coulson). Max began an affair with Tanya Cross, and after discovering that Tanya was pregnant in 1993, Max divorced Rachel and lost all contact with Bradley. Max married Tanya on 6 August 1994 and became a father to their children Lauren (Madeline Duggan until June 2010, Jacqueline Jossa thereafter), in March 1994, and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald), in June 1996.

Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal.

Bradley was conceived when his parents, Max and Rachel, were just 18 years old. The three of them lived happily as a family for nearly six years. However, Max could not cope with being a young husband and father and eventually began an affair with an 18 year old girl, Tanya Cross. When Tanya became pregnant, Max left his wife and son to marry his mistress. Bradley never fully recovered from his father's abandonment.

Bradley moves to Walford from Tring to live with his grandfather Jim (John Bardon) and his step-grandmother Dot (June Brown) when he gets a job as a banker in the city. Later that year, Max (Jake Wood) moves to Albert Square, and at first Bradley wants nothing to do with him, but they eventually bond. Bradley befriends Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) upon his arrival, and eventually a romance develops between them. Stacey discovers she is pregnant by Bradley, but he persuades her to have an abortion, and tells their friends and families that she had a miscarriage. They drift apart and when Bradley doesn't invite Stacey to his work's Christmas party, she turns up and embarrasses him, leading to their breakup.

Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning, Carol Jackson, Derek Branning, Suzy Branning and Max Branning. The character was introduced to the show during a period when EastEnders was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Scott Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character, with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter. Tabloid media have praised the character for his role as resident Romeo, commenting frequently on his good looks and attractiveness, although broadsheet press have been more critical of Maslen's acting.

Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden. Phil was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990, and was followed by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy. Phil was one of the major introductions made by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho, male leads. Phil and his brother Grant became popularly known as the Mitchell brothers in the British media, with Phil initially portrayed as the lesser of two thugs. Storylines featuring the Mitchell family dominated the soap opera throughout the 1990s, with Phil becoming a popular and long-running male protagonist into the 2000s and the 2010s.

Phil's most prominent storylines include his battles with alcoholism and addiction, various feuds and criminal dealings, having an affair with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) who was married to Grant (a storyline popularly dubbed Sharongate), a failed marriage to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), a strong rivalry with his former step-son Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), and being stalked by his son Ben, leading to an arrest for the murder of Stella Crawford (Sophie Thompson), who abused Ben before jumping from a factory roof. One of the most culturally significant storylines featuring the character aired in 2000 and was dubbed Who Shot Phil?. The plot saw Phil gunned down in a whodunnit? mystery, with the would-be assassin eventually revealed as his former girlfriend Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). The storyline captured viewer and media interest and the assassin-reveal episode was watched by 22 million viewers.

James "Jay" Mitchell (né Brown) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 December 2006.

Jay is the son of Karen Brown and Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord), and grandson of Bert Atkinson (Dave Hill) and Evie Brown (Marji Campi). Karen died in 2004 of breast cancer. Jay was first mentioned on 5 December 2006, when a dying Evie told Bert that he had a grandson.