You Love To Hate ‘Em
Some things are so irritating, they take up permanent residence in your brain—like that earworm of a pop song you can’t escape, or the coworker who somehow manages to make every coffee break unbearable. TV isn’t immune to this curse either. Sure, some characters are beloved icons, but these ones? They’re the on-screen equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. Consider this your spoiler warning.
That 70s Show: Randy Pearson
It can be all the more damaging when showrunners introduce a character they think will be likeable, and it backfires. In That '70s Show, actor Josh Meyers was initially brought in to replace Topher Grace as Eric Foreman. This was changed and Meyers was cast as Randy Pearson, making audiences immediately irritated at his cringe-worthy character and lack of chemistry with the rest of the group.
Twentieth Century, That '70s Show
The Walking Dead: Andrea
It’s unclear whether or not Andrea (Laurie Holden) from The Walking Dead was written to be irritating, but it certainly seems like it. Fans of the show have pointed out how obnoxious her character is, and how she consistently makes the worst decisions with seemingly no motivation. However, even a more competent character may not be safe from audience disdain.
AMC, The Walking Dead (2010-2022),
Star Trek: TNG: Wesley Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation is full of grounded characters who had crucial roles and maintained a degree of professionalism. Unfortunately, Wesley Crusher (Will Wheaton) isn’t one of them. His naivety, enthusiasm, and eagerness to prove himself seemingly rubbed fans the wrong way, but he’s not the only annoying prodigy on this list.
Game Of Thrones: Bran Stark
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) was intended to be so significant to Game of Thrones, that he was made king in the end. It’s a shame then, that his character became one of the most hated. Bran was considered boring at his best, as he was given very little to do. For the most part, though, his cold, smug, and manipulative nature made him one of the show’s least-liked characters.
Game Of Thrones: Euron Greyjoy
Book fans had high hopes for Euron Greyjoy—the menacing, almost Lovecraftian figure who promised to bring real terror to Game of Thrones. Instead, the show delivered a watered-down version: less eldritch nightmare, more unhinged pirate with a one-track mind. His grand ambition? Forget world domination—he just wanted to sleep with the queen.
Shameless: Debbie Gallagher
“Crazy” can mean many things, but in this case, Debbie Gallagher (Emma Kenney) from Shameless demonstrates it by becoming increasingly, and annoyingly, self-righteous and manipulative. She frequently dumps her problems onto others without taking responsibility, a trait she shares with another character.
Bonanza Productions, Shameless
Attack On Titan: Gabi Braun
When Gabi Braun was introduced in the final season of Attack on Titan, viewers were quick to dislike her. She was brash, egotistical, and had little regard for the consequences of her actions. While she is meant to parallel the protagonist, Eren, fans found her much more annoying.
The Sopranos: Janice Soprano
As the sister of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Janice (Aida Turturro) parallels him, having many of the same strengths and flaws. However, her lack of power and success cast a poorer light on Janice, and her selfishness and greed became too much for many fans. Of course, she’s far from the only annoying character in The Sopranos.
The Sopranos: Junior Soprano
In The Sopranos, another name that often makes people’s lists of unlikeable characters is Junior Soprano (Dominic Chianese). Viewers were not fans of his constant insecurity, egotism, and jealousy of Tony, despite him initially being the protagonist’s mentor. Unfortunately, similar to a few other characters, he became more irritating as the show continued.
Community: Britta
When Community first kicked off, Britta looked like she was going to be the group’s sensible center—the straight-laced moral compass guiding everyone else’s chaos. But as the seasons rolled on, her “morality” spiraled into over-the-top rants and bizarre choices that made her less wise sage and more lovable trainwreck. Luckily, being hilariously annoying is exactly what cemented her as a fan favorite.
Tomdog, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Office: Toby
It’s easy to feel sorry for Toby (Paul Lieberstein) during the early seasons of The Office, especially with how badly Michael (Steve Carell) treats him. As the series goes on, though, and starts behaving weirdly towards the women in the office. Although, he may not be the most uncomfortable character on the show.
NBC Universal Television, The Office
The Office: Todd Packer
If one were searching for the most inappropriate character in The Office, they wouldn’t need to look any further than Todd Packer (David Koechner). Written as the worst-case scenario for an offensive character, he is consistently disrespectful and derogatory in every way possible. And like a few other characters, he always seems to drop in at the worst time.
NBC Universal Television, The Office
Seinfeld: Newman
The schtick of Seinfeld may be that the main characters are all bad people, but that doesn’t mean the supporting characters are saints. Newman (Wayne Knight) lives just down the hall from Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), and often than his friend. Unfortunately, as was the case with the next character, you can’t always choose your neighbors.
Full House: Kimmy Gibbler
Like Newman, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) in Full House is that unwanted neighbor who always lets themselves in. She’s generally hated by everyone in the house except DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), her best friend. The rest of the family see her as rude, gross, and like our next character, not the brightest bulb in the box.
Jeff Franklin Productions, Full House
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: Hilary Banks
Hilary Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, played by Karyn Parsons) was designed as the spoiled, fashion-obsessed older sister who floated through life without a care—mostly because she never had to think too hard. While her over-the-top snobbiness made her entertaining to some, plenty of fans found her airheaded antics more grating than glamorous. And as it turns out, you don’t need to be clueless to be downright annoying.
Miguel Discart, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon
Even the smartest character can still end up being unlikable. Sheldon (Jim Parsons) in The Big Bang Theory goes through several ups and downs as a character. However, some of his flaws, like how he treats the people around him, have proven unbearable for many fans.
Chuck Lorre Productions, The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019)
Boy Meets World: Stuart Minkus
So many shows have the classic “annoying nerd” side character that nobody likes, and Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris) in Boy Meets World surely isn’t the first. Still, he seems to lean into the trope hard, making it even easier to sympathize with everyone else’s feelings toward him.
Michael Jacobs Productions, Boy Meets World
Family Matters: Steve Urkel
Of course, perhaps the most notorious nerd in TV history is Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) from Family Matters. Although he started only as a minor character, he somehow became a mainstay, despite his obnoxious and often downright creepy behavior. It also didn’t help that he had one of the most annoying voices on TV, but certainly not the only one.
Bickley-Warren Productions, Family Matters
Scooby-Doo: Scrappy-Doo
When the Scooby-Doo franchise faced cancellation in the late 70s, the creators decided to add a new character named Scrappy-Doo. He was meant to bring a fresh vibe to the show, contrasting Scooby and Shaggy with his more “fearless” attitude. Instead, fans saw the pup as an irrelevant character with a grating voice, stealing the spotlight from the core gang.
Friends: Janice
With her nasally voice and unforgettable catchphrases, Janice (Maggie Wheeler) became one of the most recognizable staples of Friends. Sure, she’s annoying—but she turns that annoyance into pure comedy gold, leaning into it so hard that fans couldn’t help but love her. If only every irritating character managed to be this hilarious.
Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob
Spongebob from Spongebob Squarepants may be a beloved character, but there’s no denying he was created to be annoying. With his chaotic antics and obnoxious laugh, it’s hard to imagine that living near him would actually be fun—proving that even main characters can be irritating.
Nickelodeon Animation Studios,
Lost: Dr Jack Shephard
Dr Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) was supposed to be the leader of the group and major protagonist of the show. Unfortunately, his egotism—and frankly his complete lack of humor—turned off a lot of viewers who only saw him as boring. Of course, there are protagonists from other shows who may be the worst in their respective series as well.
Gossip Girl: Serena
Although Serena (Blake Lively) in Gossip Girl is the main character, she turns out to be far from anyone’s most-liked. We’re meant to see the world through her eyes, but her privileged attitude often makes it very difficult to empathize with her.
17th street productions, Gossip Girl
Gilmore Girls: Rory
Similarly to Serena, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) became a much more frustrating character than a favorite. of how she treated everyone close to her, and how poor her decision-making was, especially in relationships. She’s not the only one who’s dumb with love, though.
17th street productions, Gossip Girl
Stranger Things: Mike
Mike (Finn Wolfhard) from Stranger Things might get a pass for being a clueless kid, but that doesn’t mean fans have to like it. His constant missteps—whether it’s brushing off his friends or bungling his relationship with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)—turned from forgivable mistakes into downright frustrating patterns. By later seasons, his charm had worn thin, leaving many viewers more irritated than sympathetic.
21 Laps Entertainment, Stranger Things
Sex Education: Otis
It feels like Otis (Asa Butterfield) in Sex Education is supposed to be an average, relatable character. However, throughout the series, he repeatedly makes bad decisions in all his relationships without learning from them. Although this is meant to contrast his quality as a therapist, it’s easy to get fed up with him. Like a few other characters, he falls into some more typical “nice guy” traits.
The Big Bang Theory: Leonard
Despite it feeling like viewers are mean to side with Leonard (Johnny Galecki) for most of The Big Bang Theory, he sure makes it hard sometimes. His clingy nature and constant need for validation may be relatable for some, but most people don’t want to see that all the time.
How I Met Your Mother: Ted Moseby
One of the biggest culprits of being the “nice guy” is Ted Moseby (Josh Radnor) from How I Met Your Mother. He paints himself as a hopeless romantic, but frequently emulates Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) in disrespecting women, then wonders why he can’t find love. However, he’s not the worst “nice guy” on TV.
Twentieth Century, How I Met Your Mother
Friends: Ross Geller
For one of the most frustrating and unbearable main characters, look no further than Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) from Friends. Sure, his wife did cheat on him, but he seems to carry this victim complex into every other relationship. Still, some of his love interests aren’t any better.
Friends: Emily Waltham
Ross’s second wife, Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale), might’ve sparked a little sympathy at first—but it didn’t last long. Her relentless jealousy and complete lack of trust quickly turned her from victim to villain in the eyes of fans. By the end, most viewers agreed she’d overstayed her welcome, just like a few other doomed love interests on Friends.
How I Met Your Mother: Robin Scherbatsky
Beyond her hatred of other women, her constant self-sabotage, and the fact that she’s in love with herself, Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) is still a horrible example of a Canadian. Even though Smulders is Canadian herself, Robin in How I Met Your Mother is somehow a collection of some of the most lazy Canadian stereotypes.
Doctor Who: Danny Pink
In Doctor Who, Clara (Jenna Coleman) is given a love interest in the form of Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson). Their relationship is supposed to be tragic but, unfortunately, Danny just isn’t likeable enough to care about. At best he’s boring, and at worst he’s jealous and controlling—similar to our next character.
Peaky Blinders: Linda Shelby
Peaky Blinders is full of well-written characters, so even some of the most annoying are still fleshed-out and interesting. This is the case with Linda Shelby (Kate Phillips) as she influences her husband Arthur (Paul Anderson) with her devout faith, maintaining control over him. However, the opposite can be just as irritating.
Caryn Mandabach Productions, Peaky Blinders
Sex Education: Rahim
Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) is one of the most beloved characters in Sex Education. So when his boyfriend Rahim (Sami Outalbali) seemed dismissive of his beliefs and belittled them, some fans became irritated with Rahim’s blasé and smug attitude.
Supernatural: Chuck
By the time Supernatural wrapped up, Chuck (Rob Benedict) had been unmasked as the ultimate big bad—God himself. But instead of radiating menace, he came off more whiny than terrifying, throwing tantrums like a cosmic man-child. In the end, his grand villainy felt less apocalyptic mastermind and more two-bit con artist—eerily similar to another character we’ll get to.
Better Call Saul: Betsy Kettleman
She may not be a kingpin, but Betsy Kettleman (Julie Ann Emery) in Better Call Saul is her own brand of danger. While fans agree that she’s well-written, her delusional, cold, and self-entitled attitude has made her a notoriously irritating villain. She’s not the only master of manipulation, though.
High Bridge Productions, Better Call Saul
The Sopranos: Livia Soprano
In The Sopranos, Tony isn’t the most well-adjusted, but with a mother like Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand), it’s easy to see why. Even though she often plays the victim, her clear disdain for her children and manipulative tactics make her a truly despicable character. But the next villain on this list is an even more abusive tyrant.
Game Of Thrones: Joffrey Baratheon
Every ounce of Joffrey Baratheon’s (Jack Gleeson) character was made to be despised. When he isn’t being a terrifying psychopath, he’s acting like a particularly insufferable child. Of course, he is a child, but that’s exactly why he shouldn’t be a king!
HBO, Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Outer Banks: Rafe Cameron
For another psychotic villain, we need only look to the series Outer Banks and the character Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey). He continuously displays an obsessive need to prove himself, which becomes more and more frustrating as the show goes on. But there’s an even more dangerous, villainous brother that people can’t stand.
Itsyaara, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Attack On Titan: Zeke Jaeger
As one of the best antagonists in Attack on Titan, Zeke Jaeger is an extremely complex and intriguing character. However, as the story progresses, his narrow-mindedness and uncanny ability to survive anything become only more of a nuisance.
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