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This article is about Ava Jalali, a television character. You may be looking for Ava Jalali (Book Character).


You're right, it does look like we've lost everything. Like we failed. But until now, I've never had friends like you guys. Friends who feel like family.
Ava to Caitlin and Dylan

Ava Jalali is a main character in the television series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on Freeform. She is portrayed by Sofia Carson.

A stylish trendsetter with a big personality, Ava hopes to own a clothing line someday. But she has an edge over her fellow fashionistas: a brilliant technological mind, which she uses to blog and code.

Biography

Ava was raised in a seemingly picturesque, wealthy household by her mother and adoring father. Her dream from the time she was in high school was to attend Beacon Heights University and it was always her top pick. During her senior year, Ava toured the campus with her father, Michael Jalali, who was being investigated at the time. The F.B.I. believed he had been secretly embezzling millions of dollars from his company to fund his family's lavish lifestyle.

Evading capture by the FBI, Michael fled the country without informing Ava, who awoke one day with her family gone. Her mother, afraid of the scrutiny, fled the country soon after, leaving Ava to fend for herself. With nothing more than a bag of money and an apology note from her father, Ava developed a sharp tongue and an obsession to become perfect. To pay for her education, she started a YouTube channel and her status as an influencer grew, with her schoolwork taking a backseat.[1]

During her freshman year at BHU, Ava used her middle name as an alias so that no one knew who she was. It was during this time that she met Nolan Hotchkiss, and the pair befriended each other. She became one of Nolan's fake friends, however she was the only one of his "perfect posse" in the end who he held affection for. Also in Nolan's friend group was his girlfriend Caitlin Park-Lewis and Dylan Walker. One day, a fellow student discovered who she was and told the entire school. Ava awoke to reporters at her door and her name in the press every day. She relied on Nolan to help her through her difficult time. Eventually, Nolan and Caitlin broke up, and Nolan and Ava fell in love. However, Nolan, desperate to impress his mother and be "perfect" he blackmailed Caitlin to pretend to be his girlfriend in public and she could secretly date her true love, Jeremy Beckett. Meanwhile, Nolan made an arrangement for Ava to be his girlfriend in secret, but in public he and Ava would be just friends.

Personality

Ava is an intelligent, empowered, self-possessed, confident young woman who is a blooming fashion designer. She has a lot of secrets that she is determined to keep.[2]

She cares deeply for those she loves but is reckless in her emotions, often overlooking bad qualities to focus solely on the good ones. While mourning Nolan, Ava fell into a cycle of depression and began abusing alcohol, claiming that she no longer cared about anything or anyone. She also became increasingly more acerbic in her remarks. At her core, however, Ava is a young woman who uses her crippling loneliness and abandonment issues to drive her to be the biggest and best in the world.

Physical Appearance

First Look Ava

Ava is a gorgeous young woman aged 19. She has almond-shaped brown eyes and long straight black hair that reaches down her back. Ava is a stylish woman and a trendsetter. She frequently wears high-profile fashion-forward clothing such as skirts, dark leggings, and is usually seen wearing either denim, leather, or a faux-fur jacket over her outfit.

Ava favors patterns that are matched with eye-catching pieces to accentuate the outfit and her figure. She also prefers heels and heeled boots. Ava opts for deep nudes with heavy blends when doing her makeup but usually ties her look together with a matte lip and mascara. For accessories, she wears small earrings and an occasional slim necklace. She usually dons a black manicure.

Series

Season 1

Pilot

Ava Jalali, an aspiring fashion designer resides in her dorm. She is still up sketching but crumbles up her drawings in frustration after her pencil breaks. Ava warns the high-stakes pressure will drive someone to kill, as shots are shown of a crime scene and a trio running from police sirens.

In a lecture hall, Ava is present in her English class. Her new teacher, Alison DiLaurentis noticed that Ava was distracted on her laptop. She calls on her, and Ava wasn't paying attention. She noted that Dylan is always right much to the laughter of their peers. Alison presses for more, and Ava gives an intellectual yet vague and incomprehensible answer. She explains she didn't have time to read the book as she was growing her YouTube channel, which helped pay for school. Alison understands but says she has to come to class more prepared.

After class, Ava joins Nolan, Caitlin, and Dylan outside. Before they part, Nolan tells Dylan that the arrangement from last year still stands: Dylan would do Nolan and Ava's papers. Dylan says he can only do Nolan's as he needs the time to focus on getting a summer symphony chair. Ava tells Nolan not to worry, however, Nolan insists Dylan is smart enough to handle it. He kisses Caitlin goodbye and Ava promptly leaves soon after.

Sex, Lies and Alibis

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While standing at Nolan's crime scene, Ava continues to sob uncontrollably while on the ground. Caitlin notices and attempts to coax her up saying that they have to go, but Ava abruptly gets up and holds out her arm, stopping Caitlin. She iterates that Nolan's death is exactly how Caitlin planned it. Before Caitlin can defend herself, the intercom announces that all students must return to their dormitories. Dylan offers to walk Ava back to her dorm while Caitlin offers to go somewhere and talk, but a heartbroken Ava refuses their offers before leaving the scene.

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Over the next three days, Ava locks herself away in her dorm mourning the death of her lover. As she sits on her windowsill wearing Nolan's old jersey while listening to sad music through her air pods. As she sits, she tearfully remembers their last good moments together in the Hotchkiss pool. They kissed, swam together, and he told her that she was going to be somebody one day. Later that day or the next, Dylan learns that Nolan's death was ruled a homicide and attempted to call Ava, however, his call goes straight to voicemail.

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Ava remained in her dorm drinking whiskey. She remembered her and Nolan's less favorable times together. The most notable was her walking in on him having an affair with one of her models. She remembers him calling her desperate and to get over it. As she drinks she clears her missed call log, as she has multiple missed calls from Dylan, Caitlin, Alison, and a girl named Zoe. She moves in front of her mirror, setting her cup down as she does, before pulling Nolan's jersey up to her nose, breathing it in while looking in the mirror. She goes back to the window, looking out for a moment before yanking the curtains shut. She sits on the bed but ultimately slides to the floor holding her cup once again. Across campus, Dylan attempts to find out where Ava is from another student.

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Ava is sound asleep in her uggs, Nolan's shirt, and black sweats when she hears creaking behind her and awakens suddenly. When she turns the light on she is both relieved and angered to see Dylan and Caitlin standing behind her, having attempted to sneak into her room. She demands to know how they got in her room, to which they inform her that she's been locked in her room for days so it didn't take much to convince the RA to let them in. As they try to convince Ava to believe that they didn't kill Nolan, Dylan makes Ava a cup of coffee to help counteract the alcohol in her system. Caitlin admits that she wants Ava to keep up her act like Nolan's perfect friend, to which Ava heartbreakingly tells her that she loved him. Dylan reminds her that they are all suspects in Nolan's murder. If they want to keep their secrets buried they needed to keep up their act as the perfect posse. Caitlin convinces Ava at last by telling her that she didn't need to worry about it - as long as she didn't have any secrets to hide.

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The next day, the Perfs arrive and Nolan's funeral. Ava painfully watches Caitlin be consoled by a tearful Claire, before being instructed to sit upfront. She pauses in the aisle when she sees the casket and his picture and begins to cry again. Caitlin reaches out from her booth and takes Ava's hand reassuringly, and Ava sits in the booth alongside them. They talk about how Alison has persistently called each of them, ultimately texting them from within the church to remind them she is there if they need to talk. The group looks over their shoulder at Alison who smiles and waves to them. They quickly refocused on the service. As they listen to the service, Caitlin opens her palms to both of them and they hold hands while listening.

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After the service, Ava, Caitlin, and Dylan are about to leave the service when Ava noticed that she someone who was in attendance. Ava made her way over to the woman and called her out by name, Dana Booker. Ava coldly called Dana a lowlife for taking advantage of her grief over Nolan's death, to question her once again about her father. Dana gave Ava her condolences for the death of her classmate. She then informed Ava of her departure from the F.B.I. - and her new job as the head of security at BHU. Dana assured the now present Dylan and Caitlin, as well as Ava, that she would find Nolan's killer and bring them to justice.

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Back in the student union, Dylan questioned Ava about Dana Booker, and she told him that Dana was one of the FBI agents on her fathers' case. She discussed Dana while she poured clear alcohol out of her flask and into her coffee. Ava elaborated by saying that Dana questioned her multiple times as she thought that Ava knew her fathers' location, to which Dylan asked if she does. Ava simply responded no and the group talked about Dana leaving the FBI to work at BHU, with Ava pointing out that Mrs. Hotchkiss probably gave Dana the okay to do whatever it took to bring down Nolan's killer. Claire's permission meant that she could get away with bending the rules. The conversation quickly turned to Dana finding out about Caitlin and Dylan's secrets. Ava admitted that she knew where Nolan hid his weed, and if Nolan had a hiding spot for their secrets, it would probably be there. She described the spot in detail, and when Caitlin asked if she wasn't coming with them, Ava stated that they're not her secrets.

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That night, Ava was walking through the ground when she saw a swarm of students that held candles and walked toward a memorial for Nolan. She waited a moment until she saw Dylan and Caitlin. She joined them and made a comment about them going all out for the grief show, and asked if they found Nolan's stash. Dylan informed her that someone beat them to the stash, someone who knew that they were coming. Ava scoffed and said that the secrets were gone then, and made a comment about them not getting any service now. Caitlin called her out for being drunk again, to which Ava said she didn't know before retaliating by asking if either of them planned any murders lately. Caitlin informed her that someone stole her and Dylan's secrets, so Ava had better hope that Nolan didn't have anything on her too. The three then hear a creepy low voice that told them, "it's just like you imagined it". They looked around for the source but no one else around them seemed to have heard the voice. Ava frantically asked who it was that said it.

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From the memorial, the group headed back to the woods where they had discussed Nolan's murder. Ava and Caitlin both pointed out that someone had spied on them and then killed Nolan just how they imagined, it to frame them for his death. The heard a rustle in the woods which caused Caitlin and Dylan to gaps. Ava, however, only stepped back and stood there with her arms crossed looking at the source intensely. A fawn scampered out and Ava leaned over in relief before she remarked on how paranoid they all are. Away from the women, Dylan discovered three identical gum wrappers in a discreet area. He remarked that someone was definitely with them that night and handed the wrappers to Caitlin to examine. Ava peeked over Dylan's shoulder at the wrappers and scoffed saying that they could rule out students with braces. She sarcastically thanked Dylan and said they were on a roll. Dylan called her out for being negative, asking if she was always this way and he had never noticed. Ava told him to paint her dark because she didn't care - not about either of them or anything. She didn't even know what she was doing out there and turned to leave when Dylan grabbed her to stop her.

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"I've got... me."

She stopped abruptly and scoffed at him, and he instantly apologized and took a moment. He continued by saying that he knew it was harder on her since she loved Nolan. Ava sadly remarked that she still couldn't believe Nolan was gone. Dylan started to say that they should stick together, but Ava cut him off and said there was not sticking together. She tearfully explained that Dylan had Andrew and Caitlin had her family, but all she had was herself - and that's just the way it is. She then turned and left the remaining two Perfectionists.

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She returned to her dorm from the woods with a new bottle of alcohol. She sat on her bed and listened to her voicemails. She was surprised to hear Dylan's voice telling her that he was available to talk for the rest of the night if she needed him. The next voicemail was from Caitlin, who offered to spend time with her if she didn't want to be alone. Ava seemingly did not react as she drank before laying down on the bed sobbing.

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The following morning she attended her English class and sat in her usual spot just above Caitlin and Dylan. She pulled out her phone and texted the duo, thanking them for their kind messages the following day. She explained that even though she didn't take up their offers, she appreciated them. The group shared a comforting smile, and Alison began class. A sneeze is heard which cut Alison off, and Ava is instantly uneasy by the sight of Dana Booker. Dana requested to speak with Ava, Caitlin, and Dylan outside, noting that there wasn't a better time since she was investigating a murder case. Ava and the remaining Perfectionists rose from their seats and followed Dana outside.

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Once in the courtyard, Dana proceeded to question them about their whereabouts the night of Nolan's murder. Ava looked to the others who also don't have an alibi, but before she could admit anything, Alison intervened. She explained that she didn't thank them for stopping by her house last Thursday. She elaborated to Dana and the now confused Perfectionists that they meant to simply drop off a welcome basket, however, Alison monopolized their evening by talking for hours. Ava simply stood with her arms crossed in the cold weather and smirked at Dana condescendingly. After Dana left Alison glared after her before she whispered, "bring it on, bitch". Ava looked at Alison first in shock and then with a smile on her face, as she watched Dana leave. She then looked back at Alison, as she and her friends waited for their teachers' next move.

...If One of Them is Dead

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Ava was present in Alison's living room along with the other Perfectionists, as they discussed their recently given alibi. Alison dismantled and unplugged her Beacon Guard security system, which she technically wasn't supposed to do. Ava sat on the couch watching her teacher and listened to her converse with Dylan and Caitlin. Alison stated that the night of the murder they communed at her house where they had coffee and pie. Caitlin questioned her as to why she was helping them, something that Ava was interested in knowing as well. Alison explained that there was a Beacon Guard blackout the night of Nolan's death, which meant that their alibis were secure for now. Ava called Alison out by saying that while it solved their alibi problem, she didn't answer the question - why she covered for them. Alison explained that she has terrible impulse control, but added that authority figures who abuse the system are a trigger for her. Ava commented then about how that description described Dana Booker. Alison asked the group where they were the night of the murder. Ava claimed that she was walking home but seemed uneasy about answering the question. Alison tells them to act normal as if is everything is fine. Caitlin doesn't believe she can but Alison assures her that they all can. Ava then asked Alison what she was going to do since Ali didn't want them doing anything. Alison coyly stated that she wasn't going to do anything she hadn't done before.

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The next morning, Ava is walking through the fields of campus alongside Caitlin and Dylan. They talked about Alison and how she provided them an alibi. Ava told Dylan to forget about Alison for now, especially since they don't even know if they can trust each other. She also remarked that Nolan's death didn't make them instant best friends, to which Caitlin suggested that they have a seat for a moment. Ava listened and Caitlin asks how they're both holding up, to which Ava stated that the whole thing sucks. While Caitlin and Dylan converse about how they're going to get Nolan's stash back, Ava asked what the plan of action was. Dylan suggested acting normal and Caitlin reminded them about the care package drive they're supposed to help her with. A confused Ava looks over at Caitlin, and when Caitlin explained, Ava merely said that she assumed the deals Nolan made before he died were void. While she understood and sympathized with Caitlin about needing help, she had to work on her Vogue application that was due later that day. She started to put her jacket on when Dylan told them about his romantic anniversary surprise for Andrew - he was writing a musical piece for him. Ava smiled at him, and both she and Dylan stand a few moments later, as they have to get going. She apologized quickly to Caitlin for blowing off the care package drive, but she just couldn't squeeze the work into her schedule. She gave an apologetic look before she left.

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Ava arrived at her English class and took her usual seat, her face weary from the night before. Nolan's usual chair was in the row below her, empty as a sign of respect toward him. Mason Gregory arrived a few minutes after Ava and didn't hesitate to take Nolan's old seat. Ava fidgeted in her seat but didn't say anything for a moment, while Caitlin looked incredulously at him. Ava, who looked at Mason with a serious look on her face, demanded that he get out of Nolan's seat. Mason was surprised to hear her and questioned what she was talking about. Ava lept to her feet and her bag clattered to the floor. She repeated herself, telling Mason once again to get out of Nolan's seat. Mason scoffed and remarked that the seat was up for grabs now that Nolan was dead. His comment enraged Ava, who was still grieving the loss of her lover. Overcome with emotion she aggressively moved at Mason intending to attack him. Seconds before she could touch him, Dylan grabbed her from behind and restrained her. She angrily yelled at Mason to get out of Nolan's seat, still restrained by Dylan. Dylan whispered to her to calm down while he gently, yet firmly, held her in place. Her wild eyes darted around the room and she centered herself after a moment before she yanked away from Dylan, grabbed her bag, and ran out of class.

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She day drinks in her dorm when Zoe arrives, asking if Ava plans to tape her vogue audition that's due tomorrow. Ava is nonchalant about the ordeal. Zoe stutters but Ava interjects - with Nolan dead, life goes on. Zoe says she's never seen Ava drinking so early, but Ava retorts that she's seen Zoe wear her coat a lot. She tells Zoe to keep it though. Zoe, surprised, questions if she's serious since her dad gave her the coat - she concludes that Ava's already wasted. Ava rhetorically asks if it's sorority rush, but Zoe reminds her it's Volunteer Day. Ava gets up and tells her to go volunteer somewhere. Zoe is worried for her but leaves at her insistence. Ava sits down to drunkenly record her interview.

The Ghost Sonata

The Patchwork Girl

Lost and Found

Dead Week

Hook, Line and Booker

Lie Together, Die Together

Enter the Professor​​​​​

Appearances (10/10)

Season 1 (10/10)

Romantic Relationships

Nolan Hotchkiss: Ex-Boyfriend (see: Hoti)

Zach Fordson: Boyfriend (see: Zava)

Relationships

The Perfectionists

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Dylan Walker - (see: "Dava") Originally, Ava and Dylan were fake friends per their mutual relationship with Nolan Hotchkiss. They stayed away from one another and only knew the basics of their personalities to pass as friends. After Nolan's death, the pair grew closer, especially when Dylan helped her through her grief about Nolan. Dylan performed at her fashion show, and later, the duo trudged through the sewers under Beacon Heights to help Caitlin. They have since formed a beautiful and lifelong friendship.

Caitlin Park-Lewis (see: "Cava") -

Other Friends

Alison DiLaurentis - (Avson)

Zach Fordson - (see: "Zava") -

Trivia

  • Ava was the first main character to be announced.
  • Her goal is to become a fashion designer, however, she is also a YouTuber and a coder.
  • As of Pilot, Ava has 137,304 followers on YouTube.
  • She is the third known hacker to be in the series, preceded only by Caleb Rivers and Mona Vanderwaal.
  • Ava is the first-ever YouTuber in the Pretty Little Liars universe.
  • Her actress, although of primarily Colombian descent, has some Lebanese ancestry.

Book Comparisons

  • In the book, Ava is a Iranian-American teenager, who is said to be very beautiful with a curvy body. She has dark brown hair, medium brown, and brown eyes. In the show, Ava is not Iranian-American and has a slim build.
  • In the show, Ava is a stylish trendsetter with a big personality. She's also a blogger and a hacker. However, these character traits never existed in the books, as she was a former party girl who rose up to fulfill her academic potential after the death of her mother.
  • In the show, her father has been secretly embezzling millions of dollars from his company to fund his family's lavish lifestyle. Evading capture by the FBI, he fled the country without informing Ava. However, in the books, Ava's father was not a thief and he never abandoned her.
  • In the books she dated Nolan and they broke up a year before the events of The Perfectionists. In the show, Ava is Nolan's secret affair.

Quotes

Ava: Welcome to Beacon Heights University. Where excellence is not an option, it's a requirement.


Ava: We thrive under pressure. And the pressure is building to a breaking point. And someone is about to snap. And kill.


Ava to Dylan and Caitlin: I don't care about you. Or about you. Or about anything, really, I honestly don't even know why I'm out here.


Ava: Why am I the perfect choice for vogue? The choice for Vogue... Who am I? I... am a person. Who am I not? [pause] I am not someone who allows myself to be defined by what other people think of me. By what other people think, of me. Mm-mm. No, sir, mm-mm. Hmm, I nailed that. [high fives herself] That was good.
[A drunk Ava films her Vogue application]


Let's get something straight. I'm not a perfect choice for the Vogue internship. I'm not a perfect choice for anything, really, but… That's kinda my point. Spending your whole life chasing perfection and surrounded by people with that same impossible goal… It makes it seem as if every setback is a defeat. And every roadblock is a sign that you've chosen the wrong path… that you’re inadequate… a failure. But sometimes we overcome and we realize that we’re not alone. That you can rely on others to lift you up and that it’s okay to ask for help because even in our darkest moments of grief and loss. We persevere and we make connections. Look, I’m a work in progress. But I'm realizing that success isn't about never making mistakes, it's about learning from your mistakes. So no, I am not a perfect choice for anything. But I am the right choice for this.


Ava (to Caitlin): My family left me alone to live with their mistakes. And I carry the burden of their shame every day. Publicly. And then I got into BHU, and that was my chance to start over. And you stole that from me. And I got shamed over and over again. Do you know what shame feels like? No... No, of course, you don't. Because you're Caitlin Park-Lewis. Saint Caitlin. Every second of your life perfectly curated to pass any background check. Seemingly perfect. Now I know who you are. Now get out.


Gallery

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Ava Jalali has a photo gallery.


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Characters (The Perfectionists)

References

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