15 most hated TV show characters 

Love them or hate them, some TV characters leave audiences with unforgettably imprinted lines. Some are written out as villains, making frustrating choices, or merely personalities that viewers don't like. However, these characters inspire debate, arguments, and even memes. But at the end of the day, they are important for making the show memorable. After all, to stir things in a great story, he or she needs to have made such an impression, whether it is out of love or frustration.

Some of these characters are outright designed to be hated, leaving us glued to the screens with their manipulation and cruelty. Some of them are protagonists who evoke mixed reactions from the audience, some of course call them misjudged while others find it completely disgusting. And then there are these characters who are supposed to be funny in the movie but unfortunately do not bring any laughter to the viewers and instead stress their nerves.

Here are fifteen popular hated TV characters who certainly made waves in pop culture, however, for better or worse.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised. Recommendations are welcome in the comments below.

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1. Joffrey Baratheon (Game of Thrones)

Few television characters have ever inspired as much universal disdain as Joffrey Baratheon. Born of incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister, he was privileged but chose to use his privilege for cruelty instead of leadership. From having Ned Stark, a fan favorite executed, to torturing Sansa Stark, Joffrey's time as king was marked by sadistic behavior. His snide haughtiness and total lack of feeling made him detested even among his friends. Fans were jubilant when he was done in horribly during the infamous Purple Wedding, poisoned before an audience a scene which is still one of television's most "rewarding".

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2. Skyler White (Breaking Bad)

Contrary to the wide-following of Walter White as an antihero, Skyler White encountered an entirely different reaction. Viewers, regardless of her justifiable suspicions and concerns, found her nagging, hypocritical, and self-righteous attitude exasperating. Her affair with Ted Beneke fattened the fire against her as she appeared to be unfaithful while Walt was busy building his drug empire. Some fans contend that she was hated more because of a prejudice against women because she was only trying to protect her family. Others say she was just plain unlikable because of her controlling tendencies.

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3. Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones)

While Joffrey may have been the most hated child villain on the show, Ramsay Bolton was a different sort of sadist. While Joffrey could be categorized as little more than a spoiled brat, Ramsay was someone who took pleasure in torturing others, physically and psychologically; a master manipulator, he was not above breaking others just for entertainment. His infamous abuse of Theon Greyjoy was an atrocity that stripped Theon not merely of his dignity, but allowed Ramsay to strip Theon of his identity and apply the derogatory name of "Reek" to him.

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4. Janice Litman (Friends)

Even in a series full of offbeat characters, Janice Litman was one to remember—and not necessarily for good. Her nasal voice and her legendary catchphrase ("Oh. My. Gawwd!") made her an over-the-top personality who irritated even the show's characters. Though she wasn't actively evil, her lack of self-awareness, poor timing, and capacity to appear just when Chandler believed he was done with her made her a thorn in everyone's side. Despite this, some fans have come to enjoy her for the comedic relief she added to Friends, but there is no denying that she is one of TV's most annoying characters.

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5. Lori Grimes (The Walking Dead)

Lori Grimes began as a sympathetic figure, but as The Walking Dead went on, her ability to make decisions made her one of the show's most infuriating characters. She moved on from her assumed-dead husband, Rick, in a hurry by beginning a relationship with his best friend, Shane, only to later treat both men unjustly. She was indecisive, manipulative, and tended to leave others to clean up after her. Her failure to properly look after her son, Carl, in a threatening world just served to exacerbate the irritation of fans.

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6. Caillou (Caillou)

Even though he's the star of a kids' show, Caillou has gained a remarkable amount of parents' and even children's disdain. Unlike other popular cartoon characters, Caillou is infamous for his non-stop whining, tantrums, and refusal to obey. Parents complain that he's a bad influence on young children, encouraging entitlement over learning and development. His attitude is so infamous that some television stations have canceled reruns of the show because of outrage. Although the show was designed to be accessible to preschoolers, Caillou's spoiled personality has solidified his status as one of television's most annoying characters.

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7. Andrea (The Walking Dead)

Andrea could have been a force to be reckoned with, just like her comic book counterpart. Her on-screen performance did not quite do her justice. She kept making bad decisions, the worst being siding with the Governor, a villain, despite warnings. She chose not to see the danger and instead believed him blindly, with fatal results. Her ego and refusal to hear reason meant that her demise was sealed. Though she was intended to be a great survivor, she was eventually perceived by fans as foolish and careless. When she died tragically, fans had already lost interest in her.

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8. Scrappy-Doo (Scooby-Doo Franchise)

When they introduced Scrappy-Doo in Scooby-Doo during 1979, he was supposed to be the reincarnation for the franchise; instead, he was destined to become one of the most hated cartoon characters of all time. Unlike Scooby-Doo, who is the most lovable thing that ever walked or moved, Scrappy is an aggressive, boastful little pup always looking for a fight and contrary to the mystery-solving spirit of the original series. "Let me at 'em!" became a quickly annoying catchphrase that was found to be more irritating than endearing by fans. The backlash was so severe that rather later adaptations turned Scrappy into a villain in Scooby-Doo, as if even the creators were aware of the fact that he was so despised.

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9. Dawson Leery (Dawson’s Creek)

As the star of Dawson's Creek, Dawson Leery was to be the sympathetic, lovesick optimist. Instead, he was presented as whiny, narcissistic, and entitled. His incessant emotional displays, particularly in matters of love, made him grueling to watch. He frequently regarded himself as the moral authority, but he was judgemental and manipulative whenever life didn't suit him. His notorious "cry face" became a meme, showing just how melodramatic his emotional responses were. Some fans felt bad for him and his woes, but most people thought the other characters, particularly Pacey and Joey, were much more interesting than Dawson himself.

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10. Ross Geller (Friends)

An irrefutable characterization that can be clashed over regarding Friends pertains to Ross Geller's. Although he did have extraordinary charming and hilarious moments, his attitude toward relationships was what drove most of his fans against him. He seemed immature and controlling and his possessiveness over Rachel and that much-talked-about excuse, "We were on a break," did him no good in the eyes of fans. Jealous, arrogant, and self-pitying for most of the time over his previous marriages, it simply became dull-drudgery. Being a wise paleontologist, Ross acted more like a child and proved to be hypocritical at times.

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11. Tariq St. Patrick (Power)

Few characters have managed to anger fans as much as Power's Tariq St. Patrick. The son of drug lord Ghost, Tariq began as a spoiled but naive child but soon turned into one of the series' most infuriating characters. His perpetual rebellion against his father, in addition to his narcissistic and irresponsible choices, resulted in disastrous outcomes, including Ghost's demise. Most fans thought he was irritating and ungrateful, doing more harm than good. Even when Power Book II: Ghost provided him with more depth, most of the audience still cannot forgive him for what he did.

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12. Hannah Baker (13 Reasons Why)

Hannah Baker was, in a sense, a tragic figure within 13 Reasons Why, to focus on serious issues like bullying and mental health. As the show went on, it became a troublesome portrayal for many viewers. Some viewers took issue with the tapes because they seemed to be more about revenge than awareness: Hannah seemed to blame people who weren't entirely responsible for her tragic fate. Others contended that the show trivialized her plight instead of facilitating any serious discussion about mental health. Some audiences empathized with Hannah, while others regarded her actions as manipulative, thereby making her one of the most debated characters in recent television history.

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13. Artie Abrams (Glee)

Artie Abrams began life as a likeable nerdy character on Glee, but as the show progressed, he grew more and more problematic. His character's insensitive and occasionally comments irked fans, particularly his treatment of female characters such as Tina and Brittany. He seemed to assume an automatic right to a relationship with girls, which made some of his narratives hesitant to watch. Also, his aspirations of being a dancer—inspiring though they were—were unrealistic to many, considering the show never really tackled the actual problems of his disability.

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14. Piper Chapman (Orange Is the New Black)

As the central figure of Orange Is the New Black, Piper Chapman was intended to be the viewer's entry into the universe of Litchfield Prison. But she soon turned out to be one of the least popular characters on the show. Her entitled, narcissistic personality made it hard for people to empathize with her problems. She would frequently put herself first even above others and didn't appear to have a clue about the consequences of her actions. Other characters developed and grew more interesting, but Piper was frustratingly naive and arrogant.

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15. Cousin Oliver (The Brady Bunch)

Cousin Oliver is the classic case of a show self-destructing with the introduction of an unwanted new character. Appearing in the last season of The Brady Bunch, Oliver was intended to instill some new energy into the series, but he turned out to be a pest. His goofy, "cute kid" stuff felt contrived, and he intruded on the screen time of the original Brady kids. Audiences perceived him as a last-ditch effort to resuscitate a dying series, something that ultimately failed. The character was so unpopular that "Cousin Oliver Syndrome" was a term applied to unwanted, eleventh-hour additions to failing TV shows.