10 Worst Main Characters We’re Supposed to Sympathize With But Find Them Detestable

The main characters highlight the entire show or movie, but sometimes they are so insufferable and dense that you wonder how they lasted so long. We received surprising answers when we asked viewers which characters they found problematic. 

1. Jerry from Tom and Jerry 

As a child who grew up rooting for Jerry for being able to outsmart the cat, it is no surprise that Jerry is considered one of the worst characters on television. The older episodes especially ring true for this. Tom was often not actively trying to harm Jerry, and if he crossed a line, he would immediately be apologetic and let Jerry save himself.

On the flip side, though, Jerry would use that to his advantage and trick Tom into dangerous situations. A user explains after Jerry turns invisible through invisible ink, he has no problem hitting Spike the dog with a golf club and framing Tom for it. 

2. Emily from Emily in Paris 

Emily is your typical Mary Sue character portrayed and often very hard to relate to. It is no wonder that many people dislike her with passion. Throughout the show, she causes many issues in her personal or work life and hardly suffers any repercussions for her actions. One user says that she does not care for people and uses them for her benefit and has no self-awareness of the pain she causes.

Throughout the series, she has had many instances where she could be truthful and explain her situation, but almost every time, her instinct is to lie and hide. One watcher mentioned that whenever she is in a corner, she would tell the truth about the situation but always play the ‘woe is me’ victim. 

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3. Velma from Velma 

As someone who grew up watching Scooby-Doo, I was excited to watch Velma. Only to be disappointed and displeased with the injustice done to Velma’s character. If you remember how Velma was in the original Scooby-Doo, you would remember her as the smartest and one of the kindest characters, and she also made nerdy look cool. This show has given Velma the most insufferable qualities.

One viewer claimed that in the series, she was egocentric, lacked empathy, and had no intention of growing. The character would frequently force her views on others, expecting everyone to agree with her and claiming she is their savior. Another agrees that the character is self-obsessed, does not own up to her mistakes, and manipulates people around her. Jinkies!

4. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory

As someone who watches The Big Bang Theory as a comfort show, Sheldon Cooper is one of the most infuriating characters in the show. Throughout the show, he is a bully, and if he does not get his way, he throws a tantrum and weaponizes his incompetence to do specific tasks to get people to do things for him.

In season 10, episode 16, Sheldon informs Amy that he earned his driver’s license but tells no one. He wants to feel important when someone, mostly Leonard or Amy, drives him around for appointments and other places.

At the beginning of the series, he would constantly mock everyone around him; even though he ‘improves,’ he would still insult Howard at any given chance. For the most part, he takes pleasure in knowing how much smarter he is than the rest of his friends. 

5. Severus Snape from Harry Potter

Snape is one of the worst recurring characters in the Harry Potter franchise. Snape was just a terrible person with no real depth to his character. When Lily sacrifices herself to save her child, Snape blames Harry and abuses and bullies him for seven years. At the end of the series, the readers and viewers see him still loving Lily.

One commenter pointed out that “Always” was not romantic, especially since he was rejected at sixteen. If Snape truly loved Lily, he would not have abused her only orphaned child for seven years and instead protected him. 

6. Claire from Outlander

Claire does not attempt to be discreet as someone who can travel back to the past. A fan commented how careless, irresponsible, and thoughtless she is. The character goes on to ruin other people’s lives to achieve her own goals. She is stubborn and does not waver in her beliefs, but she repeatedly makes countless enemies due to her lack of tact, putting herself and her family in danger. 

7. Rory from Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is a fan favorite, but many viewers agree that Rory is challenging to relate to. One fan pointed out her whole character was in shambles when she realized she was not made for her career. Instead of self-reflecting and figuring out why she wanted to be in that career, Rory destroys a boat, leaves college, and lives with her grandparents for a while.

If that doesn’t scream privilege, I don’t know what does. Rory’s character falls short of any development as a protagonist.

8. Sierra Burgess from Sierra Burgess Is A Loser 

The idea of the movie seemed fun until it wasn’t. One viewer thought the movie would be a great bonding experience with their child but had to pause and talk about consent because Sierra and her friend tricked the male lead into kissing Sierra instead of her friend. Another viewer believed that Sierra should not have been forgiven for all the horrible things she did. 

9. J.D from Scrubs 

Scrubs is hilarious, and the characters are quirky, as most sitcom characters are. One fan claims J.D. was a flawed character. The character does not treat anyone respectfully and will give them a hard time if they don’t listen to him. His treatment of women was not any better. He is shown as a talented doctor but avoids patients and gets distracted by other antics.

Throughout the series, he is horrible and wants someone always to compliment him.

10. Homer from The Simpsons 

As much as I find Homer entertaining with his lack of mindfulness, as a character, he is a thoughtless fool who repeatedly puts his family and friends in danger. One watcher claims he is a horrible father, a terrible husband, and a drunk. He often forgets Lisa’s hobbies; he is physically abusive to Bart and lies and manipulates his wife. As the seasons progress, any attempt at self-awareness goes to waste, and we are left with the one-dimensional character.

This thread inspired this post.

This article appeared first on The Cents of Money.

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