TV shows work hard to ensure audiences connect and engage with their characters, but some of the best characters on TV started as completely terrible people before growing on the audience. One of the most satisfying things that can appear in any TV show is a significant character arc. Seeing someone shift from one state of being into another, more mature, more aware, or just more self-aware and confident is incredibly satisfying. And while seeing a good character develop into a great one is enjoyable, it’s even better when an annoying character becomes a fan favorite.
Creating a character arc where someone annoying or downright unlikable progressively becomes more entertaining and fun is challenging. The right actor needs to be cast to effectively play both sides and make it believable, along with a natural character growth that doesn’t feel forced or unrealistic. Some of the best characters begin as annoying or extreme personalities before growing on the audience and earning their place as one of the standout great characters from a series. However, whenever a character starts out on a show, they have the potential to become a fan favorite over time.
10
Andy Bernard
The Office
The Office
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The Office is the U.S. remake of the British comedy mockumentary series of the same name. The show follows the misadventures of a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania, led by their unconventional and clueless boss, Michael Scott. The series covers nine years of footage as they find themselves recorded through their work days and off times.
- Release Date
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March 24, 2005
- Network
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NBC
- Writers
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Mindy Kaling
, Paul Lieberstein
, Michael Schur
, Ricky Gervais
, Greg Daniels
, B.J. Novak - Showrunner
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Greg Daniels
Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) may be the lovable goofball who eventually becomes the office manager and finds his place among the team in The Office, but that is not how the character was introduced. When Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) moved to a new branch in Stamford, Andy had a desk nearby. He was loud, far too competitive, and desperate to try and assert his dominance over Jim, but he came off as annoying, weird, and frankly, a jerk. But, over time and getting to see Andy join the Scranton branch, he became a more endearing character.
9
Adam Sackler
Girls
Girls
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Created by Lena Dunham, Girls is a coming-of-age comedy-drama series that follows a group of four twentysomething-year-old girls now discovering that they’re on their own and must find their way through life. Central to the show is Hannah Horvath, who, after graduating college, is cut-off financially from her family. Hannah will soon discover trying to make it as a writer in Brooklyn is far more challenging than she thinks.
- Release Date
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April 17, 2012
- Network
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HBO Max
- Writers
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Judd Apatow
- Showrunner
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Lena Dunham
Adam Driver’s breakout role was appearing as Adam Sackler in the HBO series, Girls. Sackler is not a good guy, in fact, he frequently displays violent, obsessive, controlling, and perverted behavior at the beginning of the show. He is unkind to Hannah, whom he is frequently intimate with, but over time, getting to see more of the character, and particularly Driver’s performance, Sackler ends up becoming one of the most likable and pivotal parts of the entire show. However, he does still have a lot of those toxic traits in later seasons, but Driver’s performance overpowers many of the negatives.
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8
Sansa Stark
Game Of Thrones
Game Of Thrones
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros – as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night’s Watch, led by House Stark’s Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the “Golden Age” of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base.
- Release Date
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April 11, 2011
- Writers
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D.B. Weiss
, George R.R. Martin
, David Benioff - Showrunner
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David Benioff
, D.B. Weiss
There is no doubt that Sansa Stark endured some of the most difficult challenges after her father was killed and Joffrey took over in Game of Thrones. She was essentially forced to become Joffrey’s new bride and live under the same roof as the people who divided her family. However, she was also entitled, snobbish, and unpleasant at the beginning of the series. Whether her hardships made her more sympathetic, or she genuinely became a more likable character over the run of the show, she was much more beloved by the end.
7
Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai
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Set decades after the events of the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai shifts gears and puts viewers into the perspective of a former rival/antagonist, Johnny Lawrence. In his 50s and down on his luck, a chance encounter with a bullied young man leads Johnny back to Karate. Agreeing to help him, Johnny takes the opportunity to revive his former home, the Cobra Kai dojo – becoming a refuge for outcast teens.
- Writers
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Josh Heald
, Jon Hurwitz
, Hayden Schlossberg
, Michael Jonathan
, Mattea Greene
, Bill Posley
, Stacey Harman
, Joe Piarulli
, Bob Dearden - Showrunner
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Jon Hurwitz
Eli Moskowitz had an interesting journey in Cobra Kai. Early on, Eli was shy, quiet, and reserved, with major confidence issues. Then he makes a drastic change in his appearance, shaving his head and styling a colorful mohawk to redirect attention. However, along with the stylistic change, Eli became a whole different person, becoming cruel to his friends, and finding pleasure in other people’s pain. Later, he would come to regret his negative actions and earn his friend’s trust back, but there was a long time when he was one of the meanest characters on the show.
6
Howard Hamlin
Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul
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Set in times before, during, and after Breaking Bad, the AMC crime drama spinoff follows the trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) as he looks to make a name for himself at his firm located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The show digs deeper into the events that crafted Saul and the repercussions of his actions.
- Release Date
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February 8, 2015
- Network
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AMC
- Writers
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Peter Gould
, Vince Gilligan - Showrunner
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Peter Gould
Howard Hamlin initially appears to be at odds with Jimmy McGill, sabotaging his career and opportunities to progress in Better Call Saul. However, when it is revealed that Howard was acting on the wishes of his business partner, Chuck McGill, to help his friend, there is a sudden shift in how the character is viewed. Howard was not vindictive, or unkind, in the way that both Jimmy and his brother Chuck were, and despite his hard work and honesty, he got caught up in the crossfire and ultimately killed due to the trouble that the McGill’s brought into his life.
5
Jamie Tartt
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso
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Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is an American football coach who moves to England when he’s hired to manage a struggling soccer team despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, Ted will have to convince them that he’s fit for the job. Ted Lasso has become one of Apple TV Plus’ most successful shows, earning over 10 Primetime Emmys.
- Release Date
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August 14, 2020
- Writers
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Brendan Hunt
, Joe Kelly
, Bill Lawrence - Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
Jamie Tartt is one of the most repulsive and ridiculous characters to appear in Ted Lasso during the majority of season 1. He is disrespectful to his teammates, his coach, and even his girlfriend, Keeley Jones. But the show reveals that this overconfidence and cockiness is largely a defense mechanism when Jamie’s relationship with his abusive father is revealed, which immediately softens the character. Of course, he doesn’t progress fully on this arc until he becomes a team player and opens up, but Tartt makes big changes and becomes one of the best characters by the series’ end.
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4
Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
The Bear
The Bear
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Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop’s employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri.
- Release Date
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June 23, 2022
- Network
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FX
- Writers
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Christopher Storer
- Showrunner
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Christopher Storer
Richie initially appears to be a loudmouth, stubborn, and brutish character in The Bear. However, while many of those observations are accurate, he becomes a likable character when he opens up to his “cousin” Carmy, and his genuine passion for the shop is revealed. Richie doesn’t mean to be anti-change, but he wants to preserve the shop that his deceased best friend Michael built. As he gets on side with Carmy and puts his whole heart into creating the new restaurant, the character is shown to be one of the most dedicated and hard-working members of the team.
3
Steve Harrington
Stranger Things
Stranger Things
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Inspired by 80s pop-culture and elements of Stephen King’s works, Stranger Things is a supernatural action-drama TV series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. When a young boy goes missing, his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic powers who recently escaped from a mysterious facility. They soon realize that she may be their only chance at stopping an impending doom that threatens to engulf Hawkins whole.
- Release Date
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July 15, 2016
- Writers
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Matt Duffer
, Ross Duffer
, Paul Dichter
, Kate Trefry - Showrunner
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Matt Duffer
, Ross Duffer
Initially, Steve was a typical jockish bully in Stranger Things, asserting dominance over his girlfriend and belittling others. But between Joe Keery’s performance and the evolution of the character, Steve quickly became a fan favorite. Steve is a bit of a goofball, and when he realized how he had mistreated others, he worked hard to earn their trust and make amends, ultimately becoming great friends with people that he once looked down on and treated poorly. This character transition was one of the best to come out of Stranger Things and helped launch Keery’s career.
2
Pete Campbell
Mad Men
Mad Men
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Mad Men is the award-winning show created by Matthew Wiener that stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, a masterful ad man in the high-speed advertising world. Set between the 1960s and 70s; Mad Men explores this “Golden Age” of advertising, where everyone has something to sell, and those who don’t score a quick win are out of the game. The series also examines the world from a few other character’s perspectives, such as Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a young woman who starts as a secretary for Don despite the difficulty for women to be taken seriously in business during this time, rises to the challenge to become an ad woman of her own.
- Release Date
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July 19, 2007
- Network
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AMC
- Writers
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Matthew Weiner
, Jonathan Igla - Showrunner
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Matthew Weiner
Pete Campbel spends the entire first season of Mad Men establishing just how awful he is as a character. From cheating on his wife, to slyly trying to manipulate Don Draper, and constantly appearing entitled, Campbell seems like a clear villain. However, thanks to spectacular writing and the development of the character, he grows to become one of the most enjoyable characters on the show. Pete is one of the most honestly written characters and experiences genuine growth throughout the show that makes him more endearing and appealing by the series’ end.
1
James “Sawyer” Ford
Lost
Lost
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Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
- Release Date
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September 22, 2004
- Network
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ABC
- Writers
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Jeffrey Lieber
, J.J. Abrams
, Damon Lindelof - Showrunner
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Damon Lindelof
, Carlton Cuse
Initially, Sawyer is one of the most repugnant and aggravating survivors on the island in Lost, but over time, his character softens, and he becomes an important part of the group. As a con man, liar, and someone who frequently used abusive or belittling nicknames, there was not much to redeem Sawyer when the show began. However, when he formed closer relationships with the other survivors and started to reveal his softer sides, he quickly grew on the audience. This shift and growth revealed a greater depth to a character that initially appeared shallow, and made for a great character arc.
