It is famously believed that there are no heroes without villains. And for the acting world, making the viewers hate you for the brutality of your character is considered a commendable achievement.
Ranker has recently released a list of the most despised characters in the history of TV shows, based on a survey by 178 thousand voters. Here’s the list according to the latest rankings as of November 11, 2023.
Related: 8 Most Difficult Actors To Work With In Hollywood
1. Joffrey Baratheon – ‘Game Of Thrones’
People have chosen the king to bestow upon the throne of the most hated character. A spoiled child loved excessively by his rich and loyal mother Cersei Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon is shown to have pride for no reason on the show. Besides, his despicable actions and behavior add more to the viewers’ hatred towards him.
2. Ramsey Bolton – ‘Game Of Thrones’
The second spot is also grabbed by another character – also a king of the sorts – from the show ‘Game of Thrones‘. Ramsey Bolton, known for his extremely brutal sadistic exploits and an absolutely wrecked moral compass, comes right after Joffrey Baratheon.
3. Skyler White – ‘Breaking Bad’
Being a show full of moral greys, ‘Breaking Bad‘ has more than one character that got absolute hatred from its fans. However, Skyler White, the wife of the leading man Walter White, has grabbed the third position as the most hated character across the entire TV show universe. Her character’s arc as a wife, mother, and then a crime partner has given the audience enough reasons to hate her.
In case you missed: Top 10 Hollywood Movies That Almost Bankrupted Their Production Studios
4. Livia Soprano – ‘The Sopranos’
As the matriarch of ‘The Sopranos‘, Livia’s manipulative ways have made her one of the most loathed characters in the history of television. Her cunning ways, and the ability to cast a dark shadow over her own family, set her apart as a woman with incredibly sick narratives.
5. Janice Soprano – ‘The Sopranos’
Following her mother’s footsteps, Janice Soprano comes next, securing the position of the fifth most hated character in the history of TV shows. Just like her mother, Janice has a way of manipulating her own family members into getting things done her way. An unapologetically flawed character, she is often seen using divisive tactics that reflect badly on her familial scene.
6. Shou Tucker – ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’
Shou Tucker, an anime character comes next at the sixth position as the most hated. An expert of bio-alchemy, Shou is shown to have exceptional scientific skills, but equally horrendous motifs. He is the kind of genius who uses his gift of brains for all the wrong causes.
7. Cersei Lannister – ‘Game Of Thrones’
Another ‘Game of Thrones‘ character that the audience has chosen to grace the list includes Cersei Lannister. Her cunning ways and merciless actions affect the plot of the show tremendously. Though a woman in love, Cersei commits the most unspeakable crimes with an unapologetic smile on her face.
Related: 10 Most Paused Scenes Of ‘Game Of Thrones’
8. Lori Grimes – ‘The Walking Dead’
Lori Grimes‘ character on ‘The Walking Dead‘ serves as an apt example of a character so entwined in their moral dilemmas, that they go on to make irreversibly bad mistakes. Grimes made it to the eighth spot, perhaps because of how much and how often she ends up destroying her own as well as other people’s relationships with each other.
In case you missed: Is ‘The Walking Dead’ Series Finale Different From Comic Book Ending?
9. Caillou – ‘Caillou’
In a rather surprising entry in the list, Caillou from the show ‘Caillou‘ made it to the ninth spot. Especially given its small size, it’s surprising that an animated character managed to irk the viewers so much. A pre-schooler in the movie, Caillou has certain wicked or rather irritating ways of doing things that got him at the ninth spot.
10. Emily Waltham – ‘Friends’
‘Friends’ certainly is not a show whose character one might have imagined on this list. And yet, Emily Waltham’s character made it to the 10th position here. Emily gets romantically involved with Ross Geller for a brief time on the show and ends up making it complicated for him to navigate his emotions. Though it more or less happens because of Ross’s previous relationship with Rachel Green, the way Emily handles it does not seem to sit well with the viewers.
11. The Governor – ‘The Walking Dead’
The zombie show makes an appearance again on the list. The leader of Woodbury, The Governor terrorizes ‘The Walking Dead‘s survivors in the most brutal ways possible. His despicable ways of violence and manipulation against the show survivors are perhaps what earned him the 11th position on the list.
12. Rachel Berry – ‘Glee’
Twelfth on the list is Rachel Berry from ‘Glee‘. Rachel’s character on the show strives for success and popularity. But her ambitions go to an extent where she inadvertently comes off as a self-centered and cruel character. The complications that arise in her relationships because of her passion make the situation worse.
So these are apparently the most hated characters as per the audiences. The aspects that secured them a place on this list vary from hatred, fear, and cruelty to sheer annoyance. But the actors who played these characters might just be delighted at finding their names here – after all, they have done full justice to their despicable characters.
You might also like to read: Top 25 Best Thriller Series Of All Time
