25 TV Characters Who Are Easy To Hate

Some TV characters are so irritating, manipulative, or flat-out awful that they become impossible to ignore. That is exactly why they stick in viewers' minds long after the credits roll.

This list rounds up 25 more characters who manage to be memorable for all the wrong reasons, from smug know-it-alls and controlling parents to outright villains and chaos agents. Some are written to be hated, while others just seem to earn it naturally.

Either way, these are the kinds of characters that make audiences roll their eyes, yell at the screen, and keep watching anyway. Read on.

1. Ezra Fitz from "Pretty Little Liars"

It's bad enough that he's dating his student, but it's somehow made even WORSE when we find out through flashbacks that he is also a creep who already knew who Aria was, AND HER AGE, before they hooked up. He is 100% a predator and pervert.

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

It's really simple: If you are intimate with a CHILD, you are the worst kind of pervert.

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2. Tess Harding from "Roswell"

Tess is one of those characters whose entire purpose seems to be to piss everyone off. She just showed up out of nowhere, got in the way of Max and Liz's relationship, and freaking killed Alex.

20th Television

3. Dwight Schrute from "The Office"

Dwight is just downright annoying, with all his excessive and constant brown-nosing to Michael, but ultimately, he's pretty harmless.

NBC

4. Chuck Bass from "Gossip Girl"

Most of the main characters on Gossip Girl are inherently unlikeable, and the teenage alcoholic womanizer is no exception.

The CW

5. Livia Soprano from "The Sopranos"

Livia Soprano was not the greatest mother; she was ruthless and passive-aggressive, even with her own family.

HBO

You suck, lady.

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6. Riley Finn from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Most fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer focus on Angel vs. Spike when they argue over who Buffy should have ended up with, completely ignoring or more likely forgetting about Riley, the boring 'Nice Guy.' And in true 'Nice Guy' fashion, Riley actually wasn't all that nice, and his ego couldn't handle being weaker than Buffy.

20th Television

7. Lt. Loren Singer from "JAG"

Lt. Loren Singer was not one to let anyone or anything get in her way of becoming a Supreme Court Justice, and she had no problem letting everyone know it, too.

NBC

8. Rachel Berry from "Glee"

Regardless of her talent, Rachel Berry was insufferable. She had to remain at the center of attention at all times, and when she wasn't, she acted like the whole world was against her and made it everyone else's problem.

FOX

9. Dr. Robert Romano from "ER"

Dr. Romano was sarcastic and downright cruel. He seemed to enjoy making those around him feel less than.

NBC

10. President Charles Logan from "24"

President Charles Logan was terrible; he was a coward and totally inept. Not only did he take credit for Jack Bauer's work in stopping terrorist attacks, but he also caused several incredible characters to be killed.

FOX

It’s kind of like telling your best friend about their mutual friends’ shady, flirty behavior.

Boo this man, boooooo

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11. Skylar White from "Breaking Bad"

Skylar White seemed to be the most hated character for no real good reason other than the fact that she had her moral compass pretty much intact and was a drag on everyone's favorite anti-hero when all she wanted to do was keep her family safe.

AMC

12. Larry David from "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm makes it pretty clear that Larry David (also the head writer for Seinfeld) essentially wrote George Costanza as his alter ego. David's character somehow manages to be 10 times worse than George Costanza.

 

HBO

13. Dana Brody from "Homeland"

Another stereotypical angsty, moody teenager for the list, but her attitude and behavior seemed out of place on a show that had such high stakes.

20th Television

14. Benjamin Linus from "Lost"

Ben wasn't a likable character from the get-go. He came across as untrustworthy and seemed to have an ulterior motive all the time.

 

ABC

15. Emily Gilmore from "The Gilmore Girls"

Emily Gilmore was a great love-to-hate character, being the only consistent antagonist on the show. Her obsession with her status helped ruin her relationship with Lorelai, as she couldn't ever seem to forgive her for making the family look bad after becoming a pregnant teenager who ran away.

The CW

Her priorities are partly what make her suck.

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16. Jack Shephard from "Lost"

Jack was one of those main characters who came off as pretty boring compared to the more interesting supporting characters. It didn't help that he was incapable of ever admitting when he was wrong; his stubbornness made for a really obnoxious character.

Disney–ABC Domestic Television

17. April Nardini from "Gilmore Girls"

People really hate surprise child characters introduced late within a series. Regardless, she was pretty annoying with her Sherman-Palladino-inspired precociousness.

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

18. Jerry Tyson from "Castle"

There's not much about being a psychopathic serial killer that can be endearing, and Jerry Tyson was no exception.

ABC

19. Lori Grimes from "The Walking Dead"

Lori's morality was not so great throughout her time on The Walking Dead. It seems like her moral compass went awry when she had the affair with Shane, even if she thought Rick was dead.

AMC

20. Alexis Carrington Colby from "Dynasty"

Alexis is thought to be TV's ultimate she-devil. She made it her business to know everyone else's business and controlled everything, all while she tried to destroy the lives of her ex-husband and his new wife.

 

ABC

She is the worst.

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21. Brenda Walsh from "Beverly Hills 90210"

Brenda got herself into a lot of trouble and liked to play the victim, no matter if her trouble was self-inflicted.

FOX

22. Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall from "Outlander"

"Black Jack" Randall was a knight who also happened to be evil incarnate. He enjoyed torturing Scottish Highlanders, particularly Jamie Fraser, whom he viciously and sadistically tormented whenever he could.

Starz

23. Louie De Palma from "Taxi"

De Palma may be one of the greatest TV antagonists in history. He was loud, cruel, and obnoxious; he stole from the company and bullied the employees.

ABC

24. Hannah Horvath from "Girls"

Hannah Horvath was apparently based loosely on the show's creator and star, Lena Dunham. Horvath was selfish, extremely emotionally immature, and totally unsupportive of her friends.

HBO

25. J.R. Ewing from "Dallas"

J.R. had a massive ego with little remorse, a stereotypical oil baron villain who wanted to win at all costs, no matter who he needed to get out of the way, family included.

CBS

He outright sucks.

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With so many TV characters designed to get on our nerves, it really speaks to the talents and skills of the writing staff on our favorite shows. Even if that talent is “writing inherently unlikable and terrible characters.”

If you want more characters we love to hate, check out this list. If we missed your favorite TV character that you love to hate, or just straight-up hate with absolutely no room in your soul for understanding and empathy, drop their name in the comments section below.

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