Real Name: Ryan Atwood Parents: Dawn Atwood(Mother); Sandy and Kirsten Cohen(Guardians) Age: 17 Born: ? Status: Single Home: With the Cohens in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA When we first meet Ryan, he is being told to still a car with his big brother Trey. They are caught by the police and Ryan is sent to juvy. Ryan is then introduced to Sandy Cohen, his court appointed public defender. Sandy gets Ryan out of juvy and when Ryan's mother, Dawn, arrives giving Ryan hell for being locked up, Sandy give Ryan his card and tells Ryan to call if he needs anything. Dawn then kicks Ryan out of her house and Ryan has no place to go, so he calls Sandy. Sandy gives Ryan shelter for a few nights at his home in the posh New Port Beach but Sandy's wife, Kirsten, doesn't like Ryan living there and being around their 17 year old son, Seth. Seth is the misfit of New Port Beach and doesn't have any friends but everything changes for Seth when Ryan arrives and Seth doesn't want Ryan to leave. Ryan doesn't want to leave Seth because in Seth he has found a really good friend. Kirsten tells Sandy to take Ryan back home but when they get to Ryan's home we find that Ryan's mother has moved away and left Ryan. Sandy takes Ryan back to his home telling him they will have to place him in social services.
Ryan in turn runs away not wanting to go to a foster home. Seth catches Ryan trying to leave and tells him that he will help him. When Seth and Ryan are leaving they run into Marissa Cooper, the girl next door, and she gives them a ride to one of Kirsten's model homes. This is where Seth is going to hide Ryan. The plan goes to hell when Marissa arrives wanting to be with Ryan and he tells her to leave and then Luke, Marissa's boyfriend, show's up and gets into a fight with Ryan, setting the model home on fire. Ryan and Luke get back to the Cohens and Ryan is arrested once again. Kirsten gets Ryan out of jail once she sees how badly he is being treated in there. Sandy and Kirsten both say they need to find Ryan's mother but Ryan doesn't want to see her again. Sandy does find Ryan's mother and she agrees to clean up and Ryan gives her another chance. At Casino Night, though, Dawn begins to drink and in turn makes a fool out of herself and Ryan. The next morning, Dawn realizes her errors and knows that Ryan needs a new mother, Kirsten. Dawn leaves Ryan behind again but Kirsten tells her family that Ryan will be living with them. Sandy and Kirsten become Ryan's new parents. Ryan finally has a place to call home.