People Are Revealing The Most Unlikeable Main Characters In A TV Show, And Here Are 30 Of Them

Some TV characters are so irritating that viewers can’t help but keep talking about them long after the credits roll. That is exactly what happened when one Reddit user asked people to name the most unlikeable main character in a TV show, and the replies came fast.

The thread turned into a long list of beloved, hated, and endlessly debated leads from shows like Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad, and more. Some picks were funny, some were brutal, and a few were so popular that the arguments practically wrote themselves.

Here are 30 of the main characters Redditors loved to hate.

Someone asked:

u/Competitive_Owl7085

Here are some of the replies from Redditors...

1. "Dr. Phill"

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2. "Jerry on Tom and Jerry."

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The thread quickly moved from simple opinions to full-on character takedowns.

The portrayal of unlikeable characters in media often highlights societal norms and expectations. Characters who defy traditional roles or exhibit problematic behavior can provoke strong emotional responses, prompting viewers to reflect on their own values and biases.

3. "Carrie Bradshaw"

Unbelievably entitled, shallow, spoiled and treated all of her friends like s**t. I don’t enjoy the show for what it is, it’s my favourite hate-watch just to see the new depths Carrie will sink to every episode.Especially heinous was when she got herself into debt by tanking her relationship with the guy who bought and was renovating her apartment and turned down money offered by two of her best friends just so she could b***h out the one that didn’t offer. And for some reason that friend ended up giving her the money.And she tried to cheat on her husband with a guy that she had previously cheated on.And she replaced her old friend with a younger more diverse version when they fell out.Reddit

4. "Ross from Friends. I hate him so much. And, he doesn’t even eat the smaller friends to assert dominance, which makes him suck twice as much."

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5. "Caillou. That bald whiny little punk is the worst."

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That was enough to keep the comments rolling.

A study suggests that unlikeable characters can act as a reflection of our own flaws, prompting audiences to engage in self-examination. This dynamic can enrich the viewing experience, as viewers navigate intricate moral quandaries. Exploring the reasons behind our aversion to certain characters can foster deeper conversations about morality and human behavior.

6. "Raymond on *Everybody Loves Raymond*, a conceited little bastard."

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7. "I cannot believe no one has said Rory Gilmore yet."

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8. "Meredith Grey"

How many ‘dead’ sisters can one b***h have?And her saying ‘I’m a widow so I’ll just have to accept that I have had all the orgasms I ever will’ set feminism back like 5000 years.Reddit

Some of the strongest reactions came from characters viewers clearly loved to complain about.

Empathy plays a crucial role in how audiences connect with characters. Research shows that viewers are more likely to engage with characters they can relate to, even if they're flawed.

9. "Piper Chapman on Orange is the New Black."

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10. "Emily from Emily in Paris"

Watched first episode of first season and NOPE.Can’t believe there’s going to be a third season.Reddit

11. '"Alan from two and a half men"

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And once people started naming names, they did not hold back.

This is similar to the person debating whether to pet sit a friends ferret after a bad experience.

Moreover, exploring these characters can lead to constructive discussions about morality and ethics in storytelling. Engaging with these characters provides an opportunity to discuss personal values and societal norms, ultimately enriching the viewing experience.

12. "Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory"

Went from a clueless socially awkward side character in the first couple of years to a self-centered narcissistic bully. I don’t know why they ever hung out with him.Reddit

13. "Ted from HIMYM is just the worst"

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14. "Peppa Pig"

What an annoying, obnoxious, narcissistic little bratReddit

15. "Dawson from Dawson’s Creek"

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16. "Lena Dunham’s character on Girls"

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17. "Sabrina in the new show"

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18. "Eric from that 70s show"

He’s an a*****e throughout the whole show but toward the end of the series it really ramps up. Wth did Donna see in him??Reddit

19. "It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia"

All five of them are goddamn trash, and I couldn’t love them more.Reddit

20. "Walter White"

Every choice he makes puts his family at risk, he refuses to help out of stupid pride, he’s arrogant, and he wound up getting at least 160 people [taken out]. He’s a brilliant chemist but he’s a s**ty businessman and an evil person.Reddit

21. "Damn near everyone on Shameless, but Frank or Debbie fights for the top spot"

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22. "Some like him but I just hate Andy Bernard from The Office. He’s such an a*****e and so annoying. And I’m not talking about season 9 Andy, but regular Andy after his anger management course"

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23. "Bojack Horseman, though I suppose that’s the point."

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24. "Elena Gilbert – The Vampire Dairies. I can’t stand her lol"

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25. "Jack from Lost"

Total POS who was wrong every goddamn time.Reddit

26. "Jess from New Girl. So whiny, so entitled and the worst part of the show."

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27. "House. A person like that in real life would be unbearable."

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28. "Jerry Seinfeld. Most of the characters were baaaaad people. Still funny as hell."

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29. "Eddy from Ed, Edd, and Eddy, completely uses his friends and annoys people, chats pure shite all for a f*****g jawbreaker"

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30. "As a kid I loathed Dr Smith on Lost in Space. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just f****n [take him out]."

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The Reddit thread received more than 8,000 comments, which shows that it’s not a must to like all the main characters in a show. Which of these characters do you find repugnant, or which do you agree with what has been said about them?

If there are any additional main characters you dislike even though the show’s stories revolve around them, please let us know in the comments.

It turns out that the most hated TV leads can be just as memorable as the most lovable ones.

Ultimately, the discussions surrounding the most unlikeable main characters in television reveal much about our own values and perceptions. Each character, whether it be a self-serving antihero or a morally ambiguous figure, adds depth to the narrative and invites us to engage with the story on a more profound level. This engagement not only enriches our viewing experience but also encourages us to reflect on the complexities of human behavior and the diverse motivations that drive the characters we encounter.

Want more “who pays what” drama, read about pushing for an equal utility bill split with wasteful friends who resisted.