‘Outer Banks’ Season 5 Cast: Who’s Returning for the Final Season?

Outer Banks is returning for its fifth and final season, bringing the fan-favorite teen drama series to an end. Season 5 premieres August 20 exclusively on Netflix, with Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Davis, Drew Starkey and other familiar faces returning.

Season 5 picks up after the events in Morocco, where the Pogues lost both Blackbeard’s Blue Crown and one of their closest friends. With Chandler Groff still on the run, John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope and Cleo are grieving while setting their sights on revenge. But Groff isn’t their only problem: Dalia and the Corsairs are closing in, tensions with the Kooks are rising back home in North Carolina and the group will have to form an uneasy alliance with Rafe Cameron if they want to make it through their final hunt.

As the Pogues race to reclaim their home and avenge JJ, Season 5 will bring back much of the show’s longtime ensemble, with recurring cast members J. Anthony Crane and Cullen Moss promoted to series regulars.

Here’s your guide to the Outer Banks Season 5 cast, who they play and where their characters stand heading into the final season.

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‘Outer Banks’ Season 5, Confirmed Cast and Characters List

Warning: The following cast guide contains spoilers for previous seasons of Outer Banks.

Here’s your guide to the cast and characters for season 5 of Outer Banks:

Chase Stokes as John B. Routledge

Known for: Uglies, Marked Man, Valiant One

Chase Stokes returns as John B. Routledge, the leader of the Pogues. His obsession with treasure hunting began with the disappearance of his father, Big John, whose search for the Royal Merchant and its legendary gold sent John B and his friends on their first adventure.

Since then, John B has led the Pogues through a series of increasingly dangerous treasure hunts that have taken them far beyond the Outer Banks. He will do just about anything for his friends, though his impulsive nature and willingness to take risks often land the group in less-than-ideal situations. Despite countless close calls and recently losing his best friend, JJ, he is still determined to see each adventure through.

Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron

Known for: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Glass Onion, Boy Erased

Madelyn Cline returns as Sarah Cameron, the daughter of the late Ward Cameron and younger sister of Rafe. Although Sarah grew up as a wealthy Kook on Figure Eight, her rebellious streak eventually led her away from that world and into the Pogues’ treasure-hunting adventures.

Over the course of the series, Sarah has become a Pogue in her own right, joining the group on searches for lost artifacts around the world. Her relationship with her family has also been complicated, particularly as Ward and Rafe often found themselves at odds with the Pogues.

Sarah also enters this final season pregnant with John B’s baby, meaning that the couple has even more at stake as the Pogues pursue Chandler Groff and Blackbeard’s Blue Crown.

Madison Bailey as Kiara Carrera

Known for: Black Lightning, Time Cut, Maintenance Required

Madison Bailey returns as Kiara “Kie” Carrera, a member of the Pogues who, like Sarah, comes from a wealthy Kook family. Despite growing up on Figure Eight, Kiara has always felt more at home with the Pogues and frequently clashes with her parents over the friends and lifestyle she has chosen.

Kiara is fiercely loyal to her friends and has joined them on their hunts from the very beginning. Her friendship with JJ eventually developed into romance, making his death in the Season 4 finale especially devastating for her. She will likely begin Season 5 heavily grieving that loss, with her pursuit of Groff becoming even more personal as she seeks justice for JJ’s murder.

Jonathan Daviss as Pope Heyward

Known for: Do Revenge, Age of Summer, Edge of the World

Jonathan Daviss returns as Pope Heyward, the brains of the Pogues and one of John B’s closest friends. He’s known for being the more thoughtful and academically driven member of the group and he has repeatedly put his own plans on hold for the Pogues, even walking out of a crucial scholarship interview to help his friends during their first treasure hunt.

Pope’s family history has also become intertwined with the Pogues’ adventures. In Season 2, he discovered that he is a descendant of Denmark Tanny, a formerly enslaved man with ties to the Royal Merchant and the Cross of Santo Domingo. Since then, Pope has remained an essential part of the group, using his intelligence and quick wit to help unravel the mysteries behind their searches.

Drew Starkey as Rafe Cameron

Known for: Love, Simon, The Hate U Give, Queer

Drew Starkey returns as Rafe Cameron, Sarah’s older brother. Rafe has been one of the Pogues’ most notable enemies throughout the series, with his violent and unpredictable behavior repeatedly putting the group in danger.

Following Ward’s death, Rafe has attempted to build a life of his own while taking control of the Cameron family’s remaining assets. In Season 4, he becomes involved with Sofia, but their relationship falls apart after he discovers that she helped Hollis Robinson manipulate him into a bad real estate deal.

Heading into Season 5, Rafe and the Pogues find themselves with a common enemy in Chandler Groff. While the Pogues want justice for JJ’s murder, Rafe has his own score to settle after Groff betrayed him and left him for dead in Morocco. Their mutual desire for revenge is likely to lead to an alliance, albeit an uneasy one.

Carlacia Grant as Cleo Anderson

Known for: Greenleaf, Game of Silence

Carlacia Grant returns as Cleo Anderson, a former crew member aboard Captain Terrance’s cargo ship who eventually becomes a member of the Pogues. She first meets Sarah and John B in the Bahamas during Season 2 and later reunites with the group before becoming a permanent part of their crew.

Resourceful, quick-thinking and skilled in a fight, Cleo has proven to be a valuable member of the Pogues on their treasure hunts. She also has become particularly close to Pope, with their friendship eventually developing into a romantic relationship.

Cleo enters Season 5 carrying losses of her own. In addition to grieving JJ, she is still dealing with the death of her former captain and father figure, Terrance, who was killed by the mercenaries pursuing the Pogues in Season 4.

Austin North as Topper Thornton

Known for: Beautiful Disaster, I Didn’t Do It, Beautiful Wedding

Austin North returns as Topper Thornton, a wealthy Kook from Figure Eight and longtime rival of the Pogues. He was introduced as Sarah’s boyfriend in Season 1, but their relationship ended as she grew closer to John B, which only fueled his hatred toward the Pogues.

Topper’s relationship with the group has remained complicated ever since. While he has occasionally come to their aid, he has also been responsible for some of their most dangerous conflicts. In Season 3, his anger boiled over when he set fire to John B’s family home while the Pogues were inside, though they managed to escape.

Fiona Palomo as Sofia

Known for: Control Z, Bad Actor, Journey to Bethlehem

Fiona Palomo returns as Sofia, an Outer Banks local who is drawn to the wealthy Kook lifestyle and becomes Rafe Cameron’s girlfriend. Introduced in Season 3, Sofia grows closer to Rafe as he attempts to move forward following his father’s death.

Their relationship takes a major hit though in Season 4 when Hollis Robinson convinces Sofia to help manipulate Rafe into investing in a questionable real estate deal. Although Sofia eventually feels guilty and warns Rafe about the scheme, Rafe feels betrayed by her involvement and ends their relationship.

J. Anthony Crane as Chandler Groff

Known for: The Big Easy, The Runarounds, But Not for Me

J. Anthony Crane returns as Chandler Groff, JJ Maybank’s biological father and the Pogues’ biggest enemy heading into Season 5. In Season 4, Groff is initially presented as the son-in-law of Wes Genrette, who hires the Pogues to find Blackbeard’s legendary Blue Crown.

As the season unfolds, Groff’s true connection to JJ is revealed. He is JJ’s biological father and was once married to JJ’s mother, Larissa Genrette. Groff is also pursuing the Blue Crown for himself, putting him at odds with the Pogues during their treasure hunt. His actions ultimately culminate in the Season 4 finale when he fatally stabs JJ and escapes with the crown.

Groff returns as a main cast member in Season 5 after appearing in a recurring role in Season 4. With the Pogues determined to avenge JJ and Rafe seeking payback after Groff betrayed him and left him for dead, Groff enters the final season with enemies on multiple fronts.

Cullen Moss as Sheriff Shoupe

Known for: Hidden Figures, Your Honor, Assassination Nation

Cullen Moss returns as Victor Shoupe, the sheriff of Kildare County and a familiar face in the Outer Banks since Season 1. Shoupe begins the series as a deputy under Sheriff Peterkin before taking over as sheriff following her death. His relationship with the Pogues has often been complicated, as he has alternated between investigating them and helping them when their paths cross with more dangerous criminals.

Over the course of the series, Shoupe becomes increasingly aware that the Pogues’ seemingly unbelievable stories often have some truth behind them. After appearing in a recurring role throughout the first four seasons, Moss is promoted to the main cast for Season 5, and with trouble escalating between the Pogues and Kooks back in the Outer Banks, Shoupe could have a larger role to play as the group’s final adventure unfolds.

Is Rudy Pankow Returning as JJ in ‘Outer Banks’ Season 5?

No, Rudy Pankow is not returning as a series regular for Outer Banks Season 5. In the Season 4 finale, his character, JJ Maybank, was fatally stabbed by his biological father, Chandler Groff, after the Pogues found Blackbeard’s Blue Crown. Since then, there has been no indication that Pankow will return for the final season.

JJ had been one of the original Pogues since the beginning of Outer Banks and was John B’s reckless but unwaveringly loyal best friend. JJ grew up believing Luke was his father and endured his abuse for years, but Season 4 revealed that Luke was actually his adoptive father and that Groff was JJ’s biological father.

Although JJ won’t be part of the Pogue crew anymore, his presence will still loom large over the final season. Netflix says Season 5 begins with John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope and Cleo grieving their friend and seeking revenge against Groff. The show’s creators have also said that JJ’s death was designed to set up the fifth season and that the final chapter will honor the friendship his character represented.

Netflix has not announced Pankow as part of the Season 5 cast, though that doesn’t necessarily rule out a flashback, memory or other surprise appearance.

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