The central characters are the former glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), school principal Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), and Glee club graduates Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), and Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet).
Jenna Ushkowitz, Naya Rivera, Becca Tobin, Jacob Artist, Melissa Benoist, Blake Jenner, and Alex Newell who have portrayed, respectively, Tina Cohen-Chang, Santana Lopez, Kitty Wilde, Jake Puckerman, Marley Rose, Ryder Lynn, and Wade "Unique" Adams, were demoted from the main cast this season with Ushkowitz, Rivera, and Tobin recurring throughout the season, Newell appearing in one mid season episode then joining Artist and Jenner for a brief appearance in the series finale.
The episode included the songs "It's Too Late", "So Far Away", and three mash-ups: "Hand In My Pocket / I Feel the Earth Move", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Head Over Feet", and "You Learn / You've Got a Friend".
[20] Former previous main cast members who return as guest stars include Jenna Ushkowitz, Dianna Agron, Mark Salling, Jayma Mays,[30] Naya Rivera,[31] Heather Morris,[32] Becca Tobin,[33] Harry Shum Jr.,[34] Mike O'Malley, Alex Newell,[35] Jessalyn Gilsig, Jacob Artist, and Blake Jenner.
[36] Past recurring guest stars returning during the season include Iqbal Theba,[37] Lauren Potter,[38] Max Adler,[39] Gloria Estefan,[40] Romy Rosemont,[41] Brian Stokes Mitchell, NeNe Leakes, Ivonne Coll, Jonathan Groff,[42] Vanessa Lengies,[43] Ashley Fink, Samuel Larsen, and Dijon Talton.
[36] Five new major recurring characters were introduced: Roderick (Noah Guthrie), a shy teenager with a good voice, Spencer Porter (Marshall Williams), a "post-modern gay" football player, Jane Hayward (Samantha Marie Ware), an ambitious girl who originally intends to join the Warblers, and twins Mason (Billy Lewis Jr.) and Madison McCarthy (Laura Dreyfuss), cheerleaders who are strange but positive.
Special guest stars include Ken Jeong and Jennifer Coolidge as Brittany's parents, and Gina Gershon as Blaine's mother.