Donna Jo Margaret “D.J.” Tanner is the oldest girl in the Tanner household. She has blond hair, and her wanting to be the best in everything came from her mother, Pam Katsopolis-Tanner. When Pam died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, D.J. was ten, Stephanie was five and Michelle was a baby.
Shelly: I’ve got to tell the guys this one.
D.J.: And I’ve got to find a new school.
Being the big sister isn’t always easy, but she pulled it off with aplomb.
D.J. handles many tough situations with general ease. Though she gets upset at times over her father prying into her affairs or otherwise embarrassing her (and usually runs off to isolate herself in her room), she is always quick to apologize when she has acted rudely.
Sometimes D.J. gets very mad about the limits her father places on her; in many episodes, she ignores these limits. Nonetheless, however, she does eventually learn her lesson (usually the hard way). This structure of one of the “Tanner sisters” learning a life-important lesson is shown in many episodes.
