Some TV show or movie characters leave such an impression on viewers that they end up hating them, well maybe because it was intentionally done by the writers. It’s hard to get rid of that image as a character, but not impossible. These 25 TV show and movie characters, listed by the fans, were once hated by the viewers but now are loved, mainly due to their achievements as the story advanced, or just complex writing.
1) Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls
Initially, Lorelai was thought to be the funniest, coolest, kindest woman in the world. Her criticism and treatment towards Emily was terrible. But as the show advanced and viewers grew up, Lorelai seems to be immature, selfish, and really mean-spirited toward Emily. Emily is funny and fierce, and she genuinely cares for Lorelai.
2) Janice from Friends
Janice from Friends was not liked initially because all of the central characters did not really like her, this made viewers automatically hate Janice too. Her character was intentionally irritating but leaving that out for a second, she genuinely cares for Chandler even though he repeatedly breaks up with her for stupid reasons.
3) Hades from Hercules
Many people who watched Hercules as a kid did not really like Hades, but now, as adults, he seems to be a very relatable character. From his short temper to his sass, he’s one of the funniest Disney villains.
4) Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove
This is another character that viewers hated as a kid but can relate to now. Her outfits are always on point and she manages to get attractive men to work for her. She’s extra and amazing.
5) Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Loki is an interesting and complex character, some viewers did not like the character initially but as the franchise advanced, people liked him so much that a Disney+ show starring Loki will be aired soon. Some fans would also love to see a movie about his origin.
Also Read: 10 Characters Who Still Need Origin Movies In MCU
6) Miranda Bailey from Grey’s Anatomy
She was not liked earlier, but as the show advanced we get to see that she is a strong, hardworking woman and also a loving mother. She loves her job so much that it distracts her from important life events, like her wedding day.
7) Sharpay Evans from High School Musical
The audience thought Sharpay was just a horribly stuck up teenager and did not really like her. Sharpay was fabulous, fierce, and talented, and should’ve been given the roles she deserved. After years of commitment to theater, Troy and Gabriella swooped in last minute and stole her spotlight.
8) Regina Mills/The Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time
She was only treated like a villain because other characters did not understand her. She had trouble opening up to others and she was just looking for someone that loved her despite her flaws. She became an inspirational and incredible character that deserved a happy ending.
9) Karen Filippelli from The Office
Viewers believe Jim and Pam are ‘soup snakes’ and don’t think Karen should have ended up with Jim, but honestly, she was a cool character. Honestly, people really only hated her because she didn’t like Pam.
10) Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants
Come on, it’s not his fault he’s a small little guy in this big bad world and that he couldn’t think of anything as good as the secret Krabby Patty formula. He just wants to be successful.
11) Emily Waltham from Friends
Emily went through some upsetting stuff, her fiancé said the wrong name at the altar. Let’s be real, anyone would be pissed if they go through that. It was kind of unfair to ask Ross to stop seeing Rachel, but her acts were justified.
12) Zazu from The Lion King
Viewers who watched this movie as a kid thought Zazu was the biggest buzzkill. But if you think about it, he was just trying to keep Simba out of trouble.
13) Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
Many of us were terrified of the scene in Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent turns into a dragon and sends green flames all around the castle as a kid and hated her character out of fear. She is actually misunderstood and her character is quite different from what we pictured her as a child.
14) Meredith Blake from The Parent Trap
All Meredith was doing was trying to relate to Hallie and Annie, but they weren’t having it. She was not happy with her fiancé flirting with his ex-wife. On top of that, Hallie and Annie basically tried to drown her while camping, which was just un-cool.
15) Ursula from The Little Mermaid
Ursula from The Little Mermaid is a sarcastic and super relatable character. She tried to help people for a living but King Triton kept messing with her shit. If you rewatch the movie you will realize that Ursula was great and King Triton was the real villain.
16) Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants
As they say, you either die a SpongeBob or you live long enough to see yourself become Squidward. As we got older we got to understand the pain of Squidward, his lack of empathy and utter annoyance at customers makes sense. Plus, constantly being harassed by annoying acquaintances.
17) Toni Topaz from Riverdale
Everyone thought she was introduced to break up Betty and Jughead, but as the story advanced and her character went through some changes, she started dating Cheryl and fans loved her character.
18) Roy from The Office
Fans of The Office are often all about Jim and Pam and thought Roy was an unnecessary addition. But after rewatching it, you will realize that Roy is not that bad, he just wanted to be happy with his fiancé. And there are some really sweet moments with Roy. He does not deserve all the hate he receives.
19) Regina George from Mean Girls
Cady was mean to Regina only because some people she had just met told her she made up a rumor back in eighth grade. A rumor that most people likely forgot about. So, how is Regina the villain again? She didn’t deserve anything that happened to her in the movie.
20) The Witch from Into the Woods
Some people might understand now that how misunderstood she was. She was the voice of reason amongst people who either couldn’t make a decision or were giving in to their every temptation. She was hated by the viewers as kids, mainly due to her evil attitude towards fan-favorite fairytale characters.
21) The Beast from Beauty and the Beast
After you will watch this movie as an adult, you will realize that Belle breaks into his house, then decides to be so annoying even though it was her idea to stay in the castle in the first place. And then, she gets mad when he yells at her for invading his privacy…..and viewers, as kids, hated The Beast.
22) Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill
Many viewers liked Lucas over Nathan and thought Lucas was the better brother. Nathan changed and apologized for all his actions and became a good father, husband, friend, and son while Lucas cheated on Brooke and Peyton multiple times.
23) Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones
Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones started out being just evil and manipulative, but her actions were justifiable, she just wanted to look out for herself and her kids. Well, yes, she is a villain, but look at everything she’s lost. Maybe not the queen we want but she’s the queen we might deserve.
24) Rizzo from Grease
Fans used to root for Sandy and thought Rizzo was mean, but she was not that bad, She was confident in herself plus, she was so scared when she thought she was pregnant and no one was there to help her. She was just annoyed with Sandy and Danny being head-over-heels in love with each other. She wasn’t as friendly as the other Pink Ladies, so everyone thought she was mean.
25) Miss Hannigan from Annie
Honestly, all she was trying to do was instill some discipline in these young girls. This poor woman was stuck in The Great Depression with 100 small children and she couldn’t even have a cocktail because of prohibition.
Source: BuzzFeed
