The Most Hated TV Characters of All Time

Is there a more iconic moment in history than Joffrey Baratheon dying in his mother’s arms after being poisoned? The young man who abused Sansa Stark (after killing her father) got what he had coming to him. From the very beginning, Baratheon was a despicable character. Fans were frustrated by Stark constantly defending him at first. She was desperate for the attention of someone who was going to become king when his father died. His rise to power happened too quickly, and he abused everyone in his path until his dying breath.

Watching a kind character slowly turn evil as time goes by is eye-opening. That’s just what Walter White put viewers through while watching “Breaking Bad.” The former teacher was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to leave money behind for his family after he died. He turned to a lifestyle as a drug lord to gather funds. However, even after beating the disease, White was hooked on the power of his drug lord position. He became such a powerful drug dealer that he couldn’t let it go. No matter how hard he tried or who persuaded him, there was no going back. White lied, stole, murdered, and did almost everything else in between to keep his power. It became impossible to root for White by the end of the show, even though it was so easy at first.

Sansa Stark didn’t have the best luck with men in “Game of Thrones.” Right after Joffrey Baratheon, she found herself stuck with Ramsay Bolton. He had a power complex and couldn’t help but abuse anyone and everyone in sight. He didn’t need to abuse anyone, either. He was simply doing it for fun. Bolton made Stark watch as he tormented people before feeding them to his dogs. Stark became so traumatized by what she witnessed that she was never the same. Bolton had a satisfying death as well. He was fed to his dogs by Sansa, who enjoyed the moment.

Being a cold, bitter old lady is one thing. Having a vendetta against your own son is different. Livia Soprano tried to manipulate, lie, and cheat in every circumstance for her own self-gain and her own personal interests. Nobody in the nursing home liked her, which only made her temperament worse. Most people would try to fix their situation to get people on their side. Soprano did the complete opposite, making fans hate her even more.

Encouraging your son to abuse others and strike fear into his partner is one of the worst things a mother can do. However, that’s just what Cersei Lannister did with her son, Joffrey Baratheon. Even after he died, Lannister didn’t care who was in her way. She was so self-centered and willing to destroy everyone that got in her way. Her relationship with her brother also struck a nerve in viewers watching, as she was cheating on her husband at the time with her own twin. Lannister was forced into a walk of shame that brought satisfaction to just about everyone watching the show.

There’s something terrible about a character who can control people (no matter the circumstance) that makes them compelling. However, the way The Governor did this in “The Walking Dead” made fans hate him. There was never any sympathy shown towards others. He only cared about keeping himself safe, regardless of what happened to those around him. Once he had a victim in his grips, they couldn’t escape. It felt like he was a cult leader, damaging everyone and everything he came across and touched.

One of the lighter shows on this list is “Glee.” Rachel Berry wanted to pursue a career as a singer and had the talent to do so. However, rather than continue getting better with her talent, Berry decided it was best for her to continually complain about why she hadn’t made it big yet. Berry made it everyone’s problem, which is why her character is so hated. She didn’t have the confidence in herself to make it big in the music industry. If she hadn’t been such a complainer, fans wouldn’t have been annoyed whenever she came on screen.

Another easygoing show to make this list is “Gossip Girl.” One of the main storylines sheds light on Ivy Dickens as she enters the Van der Woodsen household. From the start, she was lying about who she was. While her lies were frustrating to fans, they were taken to the next level when Dickens essentially stole all the Van der Woodsen’s money. She refused to give it back to the family, and they had to battle long and hard against her. When they finally got it back, she had the audacity to try and stay connected to the family.

Being deceived by someone you care about is heartbreaking. When that person has inside information on how to take you down and kill you, it becomes terrifying. This is the life Grant Ward had in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Season 1. He joined the team wanting to help and ultimately ended up turning on everyone. Thankfully, he was taken out. What makes Ward different from other villains is how emotionally close he appears to get with the rest of the team.

It’s rare for characters to become universally hated after one episode of television. However, Lou Smith is different. There are plenty of people who relate to Will Smith’s character when it comes to being abandoned by a parent. What makes Lou different is he gave the vibe he wanted to be around as a father. Lou’s words made Will think he was going to fulfill his dream of having a father-son relationship. Lou went on to dip out on Will without an explanation. It prompted one of the most iconic scenes in television history. Will asked his Uncle Phil, “How come he don’t want me?” The moment wasn’t scripted because Will’s character genuinely felt the emotion attached to abandonment as he said it.

Jenny Humphrey was a power-hungry teenage girl on “Gossip Girl” before she left the show. Her insecurity and bad attitude are the reasons she’s so hated. She started off like any other teenage girl, trying to fit in and become more popular on campus. She succeeded, but it changed her in ways nobody could have seen coming. In fact, the way she was written off the show is that she realized the monster she had become was too much for her family to bear. Humphrey had chances to be good and show mercy, but she rarely ever did.

Using people for the purpose of greed is one thing, but pitting family members against each other with no regard for them is pure evil. That is just the life Petyr Baelish lived in “Game of Thrones.” He tried to play himself off as the good guy who worked hard to get where he was in life. In reality, he was a selfish man who only cared about himself. He finally got caught (much to the enjoyment of fans) when Sansa and Arya Stark realized what he was doing. For someone who claimed to love Sansa and Arya’s mother, he had an odd way of showing it.

There was once a time when network television was in jeopardy. “Lost” was one of the programs that saved ABC, believe it or not. One of the most fascinating yet hateable characters on the show was Benjamin Linus. He came across as a good guy at first. However, as time went on, his true colors were shown. People began disappearing after Linus became a player in the game. He didn’t want people interrupting his life or privacy. Linus became toxic and dangerous as time progressed.

Few characters enrage viewers as much as Georgina Sparks. She never was up to anything good. She was always willing to hurt other people and she knew exactly what she was doing. There was never any remorse from her, regardless of what happened. She made Dan Humphrey think her unborn child was his. He took care of the child as if it were his own until he learned the truth. She then left him at the drop of a hat without hesitation. It wasn’t just Dan she went after, either. Georgina tried to ruin everyone’s life, and she almost did before the show ended. To read more about the most likable TV characters of all time, click here.