Omar Shanaa

* Seson 7
* Season 5
* Season 4
* Season 3
* Season 2
* Season 1

**Omar Shanaa** is a main character on the Netflix series *Elite*. He is Nadia's brother. In both the first and second season, Omar's storyline revolves around his identity. His parents are Muslim and are very conservative, particularly his father, who imposes several restrictions on him. He continuously struggles with trying to conceal his sexuality in order to avoid conflict and discontentment at home.

As the series progresses, Omar evolves, becoming more and more familiar with expressing his sexuality openly. He is portrayed by Omar Ayuso.

## Biography

### Background

Omar's family originated from Palestine and are of strict Muslim faith. Omar's father has very traditional beliefs and appears to have a particularly strained relationship with Omar, seeing him as a constant disappointment due to his academics. As a result, Omar conceals his homosexuality from his parents. Prior to the pilot episode, Omar began dealing drugs in order to earn enough money to leave home.

Following the closure of San Esteban, Omar is forced to move to a school elsewhere, while his sister Nadia is given a scholarship to attend Las Encinas.

## Throughout the Series

### Season 1

He is at first portrayed as a drug dealer. He is introduced by Christian to Ander. Omar is best friends with Samuel and his brother Nano. However, believing that Samuel is too innocent, he does not confide in him about his dealing nor his sexuality. After Ander smokes pot, he sets up an online dating profile and matches with an anonymous man who asks him to meet. It is soon revealed to be Omar. However, when Omar recognizes Ander, he rushes away, wary of getting caught and being outed. At first Omar is wary of starting anything with Ander as he sees it to be too much of a risk. The second time they meet, they kiss and Omar reveals that this is his first time meeting with any boy and attempts to imply that he is only experimenting.

Both he and Ander remain cautious but they share a kiss. However, Ander is unsure of venturing any further and this time he is the one to leave. Ander and Omar's connection is clear from very early on in Season 1. However, at Samuel's party, Ander appears unstable, even going so far as to confront strangers on the street looking for drugs. This causes Omar to take a step back. Furthermore Ander's best friend Guzmán behaves with hostility towards Omar as he disapproves of his friend's use of drugs and believes Omar to be a bad influence.

However, Ander continues to pursue Omar and when he receives no response he creates a fake profile on the online dating app he originally used to hookup with Omar. When they match, he asks Omar to meet at a charity event hosted by Guzmán and Carla's parents. Omar arrives and the pair argue briefly but cannot deny their chemistry and start kissing. Guzmán and Samuel come across the two making out. Both are surprised as neither of their friends thought to confide in them about their sexuality.

The following day, Samuel confronts Omar about his secret, becoming confused. Omar accidentally reveals that he is dealing drugs which shocks Samuel further and the pair argue. They soon reconcile after Samuel apologises. Omar's secrets are revealed to Nadia by Guzmán in an argument. Nadia confronts Omar and begs him to stop dealing, she also advises him to 'set aside' being gay for a few years. Omar defends himself and argues that he 'has the right to live his own life'.

Omar starts selling marijuana to Samuel's girlfriend Marina but warns her that it is very strong and to be careful. Marina does not listen however and passes out on two occasions due to its effects. The second time she is caught, it is in front of the principal. Upon interrogation, Marina is forced to reveal that it was Omar who sold her the drugs. Omar and Nadia's father is called into the school and Omar's bad habits are revealed which causes his father to fly into a rage. In disgrace, Omar is forced to remain in the family shop at all times and is treated with hostility by his father. His father also begins planning an arranged marriage for Omar with a Muslim girl, Zahira, who lives in the town. Yusef also makes the decision to remove Nadia from the Las Encinas as he blames the school for his children's deceit.

Omar is miserable working at Frutería Shanaa and eventually sneaks away to meet Ander. The pair are spotted by Ander's mother, the principal of the school. Thus, Ander involuntarily comes out to his parents. He begs his mother to speak to Omar's parents and 'convince' them to allow Omar to be more liberal but she refuses. She does however call Yusef regarding his decision to remove Nadia from the school. When Yusef gets angry at her interference, she accidentally reveals that Omar is gay.

Yusef rushes back to the store and violently confronts Omar, begging him to deny his homosexuality. Afraid of his father's reaction and his disappointment, Omar denies the accusations and is left brokenhearted.

Omar becomes increasingly angry towards his family throughout the course of Season 1. He attends the end of year party at Las Encinas with his sister and his father and uses it as an opportunity to spend some time with Ander. He tells him that he will not have much free time over the summer and his father will be watching him closely, he will however have ten minutes everyday when his father goes to the bank.

### Season 2

Ander and Omar are revealed to still be together at the beginning of Season 2, having spent the summer together. However, Ander grows impatient as he wants to spend more quality time with Omar but does not feel that he can do so until Omar has come out to his parents. Omar does not feel that he can do so as his father has not changed his views. Ander convinces Omar to go clubbing with him. However, Omar returns to his family store to find his father lying collapsed on the floor. He never makes it to the club, but texts Ander to let him know that his father has had a stroke and that he is at the hospital. Ander brings Nadia to the hospital and meets Omar and his mother. Ander almost outs Omar to his mother and makes a number of insensitive comments which annoys Omar, who tells him to leave.

After his father's stroke, Omar temporarily takes over the running of the shop. He remains annoyed at Ander and does not pick up his calls. However, he is convinced by Rebeka to eventually call him. Thinking that Omar is going to break up with him Ander kisses Polo and the two 'jerk off as friends'. Consumed with guilt, Ander tells Omar the truth. Omar is not angry as he feels that he cannot give Ander what he truly deserves as he cannot disappoint his family. However, that same night, Omar goes to meet Ander at the club and kisses him in front of everyone. When he and Nadia return home, their father and mother are waiting for them. They are angry as Omar had left cash in the register over night. Omar becomes aggressive and pushes his father who falls over. His father screams at him to get out and Omar leaves his family in tears.

He goes to stay with Ander at his house. At one point, Nadia begs him to return home but Omar refuses to return to a life where he cannot be himself. Although Ander is happy to have Omar living with him, he is preoccupied with the fact that Polo has confided in him that he murdered Marina. Omar is hurt when Ander is not supportive of his new sense of style or his more feminine personality. When Samuel goes missing, Omar feels somewhat responsible as he did not report the men working for Rebeka’s mother who he thought had hurt Samuel. He is also angry when Ander wants to celebrate Christmas Break despite the fact that Samuel is missing. He decides to leave as he knows Ander is keeping something from him. At the end of Season 2, Ander admits to Omar that Polo had told him the truth about Marina’s murder and that he now feels partially responsible. Omar comforts Ander and they end the season as a couple.

### Season 3

Omar and Ander are still living together at the beginning of season 3. One afternoon Omar notices a lump on Ander’s groin and advises that he goes to the doctor but maintains that he is not worried. When Carla and Polo do not come clean about their actions in court, Omar tries to convince Ander to come forward with the truth but Ander refuses saying that he has bigger problems to deal with. At first he does not reveal the details of his diagnosis to Omar and implies that it was nothing to be worried about. Soon after Ander reveals to Omar that he has leukaemia, Omar proves himself as a constant support to Ander. Omar shows up to Ander’s first session of chemotherapy. He attempts to normalize it and behaves in his usual calm manner.

Omar is scared when Ander refuses to have treatment and asks Guzmán to stop giving him such a hard time. Ander admits to them that he is not having treatment because he feels guilty about concealing Polo's crimes. He is at first angry with Omar for telling Guzmán about his diagnosis but this doesn't last long. However, despite Omar's steadiness and loyalty to Ander, during the course of his treatment Ander becomes increasingly impatient with Omar and this begins to put a strain on their relationship. Omar becomes miserable and unfulfilled, as Ander is often too tired to have sex and is very negative in his outlook.

Nadia has begun dating Malick who takes an interest in Omar - he invites Nadia and her family to dine with him at a Michelin star restaurant and suggests that Omar be included, despite the fact that he has turned his back on the family. Omar is reluctant to come and speaks bitterly of his parents when Nadia and Malick invite him. He resents the fact that his happiness causes his parents such evident unhappiness.

Despite his initial reluctance, Omar eventually decides to attend the dinner for his mother’s birthday. His family are happy to see him, but Omar leaves the dinner in anguish after his father shows his evident disapproval of his relationship with Ander. He attends Lu’s Valentine’s Day party without Ander. At this party he kisses Malick, Nadia’s boyfriend, as he feels unwanted and hurt by Ander. Ander shows up at the party and Omar does not tell him what happened.

Ander tells Omar that he is free to live his life and see other people but Omar brushes this off. However he has sex with Malick at the Black Out Party. This causes a small rift with Nadia, as she feels that Omar did not consider her feelings when he had sex with her boyfriend. Omar explains that he did it in a moment of weakness and thought only of himself in those moments. When Ander receives a negative consultation following his first round of chemotherapy, Omar is upset and cries in their bedroom. He then leaves and hooks up with Malick once again. Malick tells him that he is free to leave Ander whenever he pleases but Omar does not feel that this is an option. Ander finds out about Omar's fling when he reads texts from Malick on Omar's phone. He is upset, instead of confronting Omar he decides to break up with him. He tells him that he hooked up with and has feelings for another cancer patient, he tells Omar that he should leave. Omar is angry and upset and calls Ander a son of a bitch. Unbeknownst to Omar, Ander is left in tears with a broken heart.

After ending things with Ander, Omar tells Nadia that he has failed the year. Nadia suggests that he accompany her to New York. She suggests that he live with Malick until he finds his feet in NY. Malick is surprised by this request and says that he will consider it. At Nadia's graduation, he tells Omar that he would be happy to live with him in New York and that he has feelings for him. Ander overhears this conversation and is left emotional as he thinks Omar has truly moved on.

Later at the graduation party, Omar tells Ander about his plans to move to New York. He asks Ander if he thinks he should go and Ander says that he doesn't think that Omar should pass on 'too perfect' of an opportunity. Omar is disappointed as this was not the response that he wanted. Upon Polo's death, Omar partakes in Guzmán's plan; that each of them should accuse one another of Polo's murder to conceal the truth. He implies to the guards that it was Nadia who followed Polo into the bathroom.
In the aftermath of Polo's murder, Omar offers Ander support and convinces him not to confess to a murder that he did not commit. Ander finally shows some vulnerability and admits to Omar that he needs him in his life. He explains that he lied about meeting someone new in an attempt to push him away. Omar is vexed by this and assures Ander that he is well and truly lost to him.

Omar continues with his plan to accompany Nadia, Lu and Malick to New York. He goes with them to the airport. In the airport, his father expresses sympathy for the breakdown of his relationship with Ander. It is clear that Omar is still brokenhearted. Just as he is about to board the plane, he realizes that he has made the wrong decision and he decides to stay. He rushes to be with Ander in the hospital. When he meets him, he tells him that he is like a boomerang and will always come back to be with him. Ander reveals happily that he is now in remission. The two boys reconcile and get back together.

Two months following Polo's death, Omar returns to high school to repeat his final year alongside Guzmán, Rebeka, Samuel and Ander as he starts attending Las Encinas.

### Season 4

In Season 4, there is a new principal at school who questions Omar's right to be there, looking at his academic history. Omar explains he works and he was taking care of his sick boyfriend last year which is why his grades are low, but the principal demands he take a placement test to pass. Knowing he's going to fail, Omar seeks the help of Patrick, the principal's son, through his boyfriend Ander. Ander and Patrick have a flirtation and Ander decides to club with Patrick to get on his good side so he gets the test answers for Omar. Patrick gives Omar the answers and Omar passes the exam, much to the surprise of the principal.

Omar and Ander ask Patrick to have a three-way and they hook up. After, Ander seems to have a flirtation ongoing with Patrick, and Omar tries to shut it down. However, later, Omar hooks up with Patrick and doesn't tell Ander. The drama leads Ander and Omar to break up. Eventually, they get back together.

In before i go (part ii) Omar and Ander have to say goodbye once more, possibly for the last time, after Omar finds out that Ander gave up tickets to Europe over the winter break. Omar and Ander have a one-on-one conversation on why Ander gave them up, and it is revealed that Ander doesn't want to lose Omar again, since the trip to Europe would be 4-6 months long. In the end, Ander decides to get those tickets back, and decides on taking Guzmán with him.

### Elite Short Stories: Samuel Omar

It's Winter break, and Samuel is about to be evicted from his house after discovering that his mother has not paid the rent on their apartment for the last 14 years, and in order to keep it, Samuel needs to come up with €25,000 or he would be living on the streets. Knowing that his country club salary doesn't even come close to covering the debt, he sets out to find a way to pay it off. He turns to Omar, who assists him in creating an account similar to OnlyFans and begins earning thousands of euros from anonymous risqué photos. It went smoothly for a few days, and they were able to raise the necessary €25,000. However, Samuel becomes addicted to the scene and begins sharing additional photos, this time displaying his face in some of them. It remains secretive until a student from school notices a picture with Samuel's school uniform on and reports Samuel and Omar to Principial Benjamín, who revokes Samuel and Omar's scholarship and prohibits the two boys from returning to the new semester. Omar and Samuel start squabbling about the fact that they were kicked out of school and start blaming each other for starting the account, to the point that they don't speak to each other for a few days. When Rebeka and Cayetana come over to drink with them, the two males eventually make up. In order to get Omar and Samuel's explosion overturned, Rebeka encourages every student in the school to submit improper images of themselves while wearing uniforms in exchange for a date with her. Almost all of the students follow the instructions in the post and submit inappropriate photos of themselves in uniform. It was a ploy to force Benjamín to choose between allowing Samuel and Omar to return to Las Encinas or suspending the entire senior class for uploading similar photographs to Samuel. Fortunately, the plan works out, and at the end of the short, Benjamín phones Samuel to inform him that Omar and Samuel have been let back and will be reinstated as students at Las Encinas.

### Season 5

Omar's personality has started to become more easily frustrated, and a bit vindictive over the month after Ander left. Tension between Omar and Samuel is brewing and reaches its all time high after Omar votes to have Samuel suspended from Las Encinas for 3 days, which in turn Samuel kicks Omar out of their place. Omar's living arrangement is unknown after that. Omar and Samuel decide to put their differences and issues aside when Armando's body resurfaces from the lake where it was dumped a month prior. He starts to hang out with Mencía more, and stays late at the restaurant, informing that he might be crashing there as a place of residence.

### Season 7

Omar is living a new life at university, far away from Las Encinas, but he is still unable to move on. The guilt he feels for Samuel's death and the suffering from that period are still very much present, leading him to undergo therapy. Thanks to an internship, he decides to return to the school where everything happened to confront his demons face to face.

## Physical Appearance

Omar has big brown eyes, a bushy unibrow, and a smile that could almost be described as child-like. He is very charming and has something unique about him. In the first season, he has poor posture and wears dark, baggy clothing, most likely due to low self-esteem. In the later seasons, he begins to wear brighter clothing and is more expressive in his actions and facial expressions.

## Personality

In the first season, Omar is quiet, reserved and kind. In later seasons, he is much more animated, unafraid of voicing his opinions, (e.g. with Ander's parents). He cares deeply for those around him and refuses to leave their side, like Ander who attempts to push Omar away.

In Season 5, his personality starts become more easily frustrated, and a bit vindictive.

## Relationships

### Nadia

Omar is Nadia's brother. The two are fairly close and confide secrets in each other. Nadia sometimes serves as the intermediary between Ander and Omar.

### Samuel

It is assumed that Samuel and Omar are close friends. They regularly are seen hanging out and chattering in a lively manner.

### Ander

(*See more: Omar and Ander*)
Ander and Omar became intimate on several occasions, but at Samuel's party, Ander becames hostile under the influence of drugs which caused Omar to avoid him, but the two eventually reconciled. Guzmán became concerned upon learning that Omar was a drug dealer. At Polo's mothers' party, Guzmán and Samuel oversaw Ander and Omar making out. When Omar's sister Nadia finds out, she feared that his parents would find out, so Omar broke things off with Ander. After witnessing how their father attempts to set Omar up with another girl, Nadia began to empathize with him and encouraged Omar to go and see Ander.

After Omar left his family's home after feeling suffocated by his dad and family, Ander and his mom took him in. Ander was initially happy that Omar is with him and free, but as Omar began to change, Ander pushed him away, missing the "old Omar".

### Christian

In the first season, Omar was Christian's drug dealer. It is also Christian who introduced Omar to Ander, and was consequently responsible for their relationship.

### Rebeka

Rebeka and Omar appear to be close friends. In 66 hours missing, Omar referred to Rebeka as his favourite customer at Teatro Barceló.

## Trivia

* Ironically, Omar shares the same name as the actor who portrays him.
* Omar becomes less conservative throughout the course of the series.
* He worked as a drug dealer in order to save up enough money to leave the constraints of his family home.
* Prior to the pilot Omar's and Nadia had an older sister, Mai, who left home after turning against her parents and her religion. Nadia accompanied her to an abortion clinic.
* Omar had never dressed up for Halloween prior to the events of Season 2. He forces Ander to dress up provocatively with him as characters from *The Rocky Horror Show*.
* Omar tells Lu that he used to be made fun of as a child for having such bushy eyebrows.
* Omar can speak Arabic in addition to Spanish.
* Omar formerly works at Frutería Shanaa with his family.
* Omar's username on a dating app was "Cercano18" ("Nearby18").
* Omar along with Samuel were the last remaining original characters.
* It was confirmed that Omar would return in Season 7, making him the first original character from the previous arc to return, followed by his sister Nadia, who is also set to return in Season 8.
* Omar is the only original character to appear in almost all of the seasons, more than some of his previous castmates Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau, Arón Piper, Mina El Hammani, Claudia Salas and Georgina Amorós, who all appeared in 4-5 seasons.
* He is the second graduated student to become a staff member after Cayetana.

## Appearances

* "Deseo"
* "Sábado noche"
* "El amor es una droga"
* "Todos mienten"
* "Todo va a salir bien"
* "Todo estalla"
* "Assilah"
* "34 hours missing"
* "36 hours missing"
* "59 hours missing"
* "63 hours missing"
* "66 hours missing"
* "84 hours missing"
* "0 hours missing"

* "Samuel and Guzmán"
* "Cayetana and Valerio"
* "Lu"
* "Ander"
* "Rebeka"
* "Nadia and Omar"
* "Polo"
* "Five Seconds"
* "When Lies Dance with Temptation"
* "I'm a..."
* "Reintegration"
* "I Love You All Wrong"
* "Before I Go (Part I)"
* "Before I Go (Part II)"

* "Anything Goes"
* "Tie Me Up"
* "The Body"
* "Please, Tell the Truth"
* "Can't Buy My Love"
* "Toxic" (credit only)
* "Your Side of the World and Mine"
* "Protocol"
* "Bling-Bling"
* "Semicolon"
* "The Family"
* "At Rock Bottom"
* "Just Hug Me"
* "I'm Gonna End This Forever"

* "Nadia Guzmán: Part 2"
* "Omar Ander Alexis: Part 2"

### **Elite Short Stories: Samuel Omar**

* "Samuel Omar: Part 1"
* "Samuel Omar: Part 2"
* "Samuel Omar: Part 3"

## Gallery

* Season 1
* Season 2
* Season 3
* Season 4
* Season 5
* Season 7

## References

1. ↑ *Nadia Guzmán: Part 1*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *66 hours missing*
3. ↑ *Bienvenidos*