Community: Chang’s Different Phases, Explained

Community had many characters that came and went throughout the series. Most notably, Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) played a huge role from the beginning before leaving in season 5. But there are even some minor characters that will pop up from time to time, like Garrett, Fat Neil, Vicki, Magnitude, Leonard, Subway, Starburns, and contribute to whatever shenanigans the study group are up to.

One side character who stuck around through it all was Ben Chang. But depending on what season of Community you’re watching, viewers might refer to him as something else, like Señor Chang or even, for a few episodes, Kevin. Chang’s arc is so all over the place it’s hilarious. His character changes like the weather, making him one of the most unpredictable characters in the show. To help keep track, here are the many phases of Benjamin Franklin Chang.

Ben Chang the Spanish Teacher

From the very first episode, viewers see Chang for the first time as the future study group’s Spanish 101 teacher, Señor Chang, aka, “El Tigre”. Here, Chang is an absolute menace. He does things like assign ridiculously long essays out of spite of his students, with the least bit of professionalism of any college professor on Greendale’s campus.

Chang is also the study group’s Spanish 102 teacher for the second semester, but at the end of the school year, the secret is revealed that Chang never had the proper credentials in the first place to be a teacher at any level. He confesses to Jeff in “English as a Second Language” (season 1, episode 24):

Ben Chang the Greendale Student

After getting fired, Chang decides to enroll as a student at Greendale Community College. He pops up in nearly every class that various members of the study group are in, but they refuse to let him join. Oh, and he’s living in the vents of Greendale’s building with Troy’s pet monkey. Needless to say, he’s not the best student, and this part of his journey is arguably the start of his mental downward spiral.

Ben Chang the Security Guard

As Dean Pelton learned Chang was struggling with having a place to live and securing a steady income, he offered the former Spanish teacher a job as a campus security guard, a decision he would come to regret. Of course, Chang let the position get to his head — even though it didn’t hold any real power. He enforced his authority all over campus, even recruiting his own little henchmen, the Changlorious Basterds, to do his bidding.

Ben Chang the Dictator

Eventually, the security position got to Chang’s head to the point of no return. He kidnapped Dean Pelton, replaced him with a decoy, and took over the school as a ruthless dictator, using his new power to get the study group expelled. But in season 3, episode 21, “The First Chang Dynasty,” the study group orchestrates a rescue mission for the Dean during Chang’s birthday party, while also foiling his plan to blow up the school. They eventually save Pelton, but Chang gets away, disappearing for some time.

Ben Chang (aka Kevin) With Changnesia

Chang is gone for the rest of that school year, and doesn’t come back to Greendale until halfway through the following semester. But some may argue he never came back at all. While Chang was away, he claimed to have been diagnosed with a rare memory loss condition known as Changnesia, and he now goes by the name Kevin. After failing to convince everyone at school that it was a ruse, Jeff Winger gave up and accepted Kevin as a new student. Everyone forgave what Chang had once done as the dictator of Greendale.

But it was all just a ruse, as Chang was actually working with Dean Spreck from City College to bring Greendale down. But in season 4, episode 12, “Heroic Origins,” Abed figures out that it was Chang who made it possible for them all to attend Greendale in the first place. Once he learns this, Chang cuts ties with Dean Spreck, and is (almost) welcomed into the study group, which is enough for Chang to finally be a semi-normal student.

Ben Chang in the Study Group

Through most of season 5, Chang, once again a Greendale student, does everything he can to be a part of the study group. However, they are constantly turning him down. There isn’t really any definitive point at which Chang does join the study group, but he takes part in enough of their activities — especially after Troy leaves for his voyage with Levar Burton — that he just kind of weasels his way in. Chang does become an official member of the Save Greendale Committee in season 6, although he’s really just there as a body.

Despite all his wrongdoings, or maybe even because of how outlandish his evil deeds were, Ben Chang is still one of the most beloved and memorable characters from Community.

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