People Are Sharing TV Main Characters That They Just Couldn't Stand, And Here're 30 Of The Most Hated Ones

Sometimes, we watch shows featuring characters we wish we could invite over for dinner and become best friends with. Other times, we watch shows revolving around people we would slap in the face if we had the opportunity. But it can be hard to determine whether script writers and creators of a show intended to make their main characters unlikable, or if the audience just collected decided that they hated them.  

Certain shows, like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos were created to feature a villain in the main role. But when the audience gets to decide whether they love or loathe a protagonist, there are several factors that can make them much less likable. According to Chris Winkle at Mythcreants, one of the most common reasons audiences don’t feel the need to root for a main character is because they have “too much candy”. This “candy” refers to “anything that glorifies a character”, Chris explains. If everyone is constantly praising the character and everything seems to always work out for them, the audience won’t find them relatable and will likely begin to hate them.   

On the other hand, when a character has “spinach”, or anything that creates sympathy for them, audiences tend to like them more. Each character should have a balance of candy and spinach, so they are seen as capable and competent but also relatable and fallible. No matter how unrealistic a plotline is, audiences probably won’t accept a character who is glorified without seeming to earn or work hard for their accomplishments. 

Another trait that can quickly tank the approval rating of a  protagonist is when they are too hard on other characters. Three common examples Chris notes of this are when they have arguments between other protagonists, when they tease, criticize or give another character a hard time, or when they try to convince another character to handle their personal problems differently or go about their life differently. “Problems in this area are especially likely if there is an imbalance of power,” Chris notes. “If one person is a leader and another a subordinate, then the leader will be held to a higher standard when they get in an argument.”

We also tend to have zero sympathy for protagonists when it feels like they caused or are exacerbating their own struggles. For example, if a character is in debt and could easily ask their rich parents to help them out but they refuse to out of pride, audiences might roll their eyes. We won’t feel bad for them as they struggle to find another solution. 

There is a fine line when it comes to creating hardships in a protagonist’s life, because if they got themselves into a difficult situation due to being selfish or incompetent, we probably won’t care. But if they ended up with more problems by trying to help or look out for someone else, audiences will usually allow that. Chris notes that protagonists often refuse obvious or simple solutions because it would eliminate the story’s conflict, but audiences will see right through plot holes like this.

There are some shows that masterfully depict an unlikeable protagonist. Dexter, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and Barry are some of the most popular examples. As long as the audience can understand the motivation behind a main character’s morally questionable actions, we might still find a way to root for them, or at least stay invested in the show despite hating them. The team at Industrial Scripts breaks down how to create an unlikable protagonist without having your audience turn on you in this article they wrote examining how we manage to sit through some of these famous shows starring anti-heros. 

Aside from making their motivation reasonable, anti-heros can also win an audience’s affection by being relatable to them. Characters like Tonya Harding in I, Tonya and Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network don’t necessarily act in the best interest of others at all times, but we might relate to the struggles they face in the world. Tonya has dealt with abuse from her mother and husband that make audiences want to root for her, and despite his arrogance and selfishness, Mark’s determination and lack of social awareness can be seen as redeemable traits by some audiences.  

Do you prefer watching shows with anti-heros you hate or loveable heros? Regardless of your preference, I’m sure you can relate to despising some of the main characters on this list. Keep upvoting the responses you wholeheartedly agree with, and feel free to share any more protagonists that you can’t stand in the comments below. Then if you’re looking to rag on even more unlikable characters, don’t forget to check out this Bored Panda article next.