As chipper and humorous as The Big Bang Theory is, its characters had incredibly upsetting moments throughout the show’s 12 seasons. Sheldon was brilliant but he had issues relating to people. Penny had a great circle of friends but had a hard time finding herself. And Raj had an amazing job but was unfulfilled in his personal life.
The show’s characters had amazing development over the years, and it was their hardest moments that allowed them to grow into the people they became in season 12. However, no matter how much the characters grew, fans couldn’t help but feel bad for some characters.
Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Not too many people feel sad for Bernadette. She was tiny but mighty. She had a strong sense of self and knew what she deserved. Among the ladies, Bernadette was the most confident. By the end of the series, Bernadette’s transformation was a positive one but there were small moments that fans were sad over. Not only was she in a relationship with a man who would rather be with his mom than her but she also felt walked-on at work. As a female scientist who was also a mother of two, Bernadette always felt like her job was threatened. And speaking of being a mother, Bernadette was also terrified to become a mom. Her saddest moments were also the most relatable.
Barry Kripke
It’s hard to feel bad for Barry because he exudes confidence and can be rather feisty with the likes of Howard, Sheldon, Raj, and Leonard. However, his rhotacism made him the subject of bullying. Even Sheldon—who later became one of Barry’s friends—made fun of the fact that he had a hard time pronouncing his Rs. The fact that his friendship with the group grew as the series went on gave fans hope but it was sad to think about Barry being bullied.
Penny
Off the bat, not too many fans would feel bad for Penny but when they sit down to think about it, Penny didn’t always have it easy. She moved from her family to Los Angeles to become an actress and it never really happened. Her work and life felt meaningless to her in her younger years. And when it came to Leonard, their ups and downs profoundly affected Penny.
She lost her confidence and didn’t have a sense of direction. It wasn’t until Bernadette helped her get a job that Penny’s life really turned around. And while Penny found herself being a future mom in season 12, fans felt bad for her still because Penny didn’t want to have kids. It was yet another thing that didn’t go smoothly in Penny’s life.
Bert Kibbler
Bert didn’t have the most screen time throughout the series, but he did pop up as the series went on. After being introduced as a geologist in season 6, it became clear that Sheldon loathed him while Amy respected him. Bert became fond of Amy and was disappointed when he found out she had a boyfriend. Fans felt bad for Bert because it seemed like he didn’t have much going for him outside of work. The worst was when he threw a gathering at his home and the only two people to show up were Penny and Amy.
Sheldon Cooper
From afar, it seems like Sheldon has it all by season 12: a wife, his own apartment, an incredible job, and what’s better, a Nobel Prize. What more could he need? Fans loved that Sheldon matured and became more of a humane friend and partner by the end of the series, but he still had troubling aspects that made viewers sad.
Like his friends, Sheldon was bullied at a young age and grew up in a family that didn’t understand his brilliance. His dad drank a lot and died when he was a teenager, he wasn’t on good terms with his brother, and his personality quirks made Sheldon a loner. Sheldon knew he didn’t understand what most people did (sarcasm, jokes, tension…) but didn’t know how to flip the switch.
Howard Wolowitz
As silly and outgoing as Howard is, there’s also a lot of pain behind his eyes. Howard wasn’t the main character but viewers learned that he grew up in a tense situation where his father abandoned his family and he had to become the man of the household at a young age. It didn’t help that his mother was totally dependent on him and resented him when he was gone. Years later, his mother died and Howard never had the closure he needed. To make matters worse, Howard was also bullied in school. He threw himself into his studies and came out on top but he had some troubling times growing up.
Amy Farrah Fowler
Fans felt awful for Amy Farrah Fowler for a multitude of reasons. Not only was she raised in a household that suppressed her true personality but she never quite felt good enough. She was bullied through high school, she was insecure in her looks, and she wanted to move forward in her relationship but her boyfriend never seemed like he’d be ready. Her break up with Sheldon was one of the saddest parts of the show because both Amy and Sheldon were in a lot of pain. And while Amy had a fairytale ending, her youth and her bumps in the road with the girls and Sheldon were upsetting.
Leonard Hofstadter
Leonard had it made in the shade with the girl of his dreams as his wife. But what he didn’t have was the love and affection from his mother, the respect from his roommate, and the kind of recognition at work that he at times deserved. Sure, fans didn’t like when Leonard was whiny but could they blame him? His girlfriend Penny broke up with him multiple times and he was living with someone he had to tip-toe around at all times. Leonard didn’t always have it easy, and fans felt bad for him.
Raj Koothrappali
Raj is another character that fans felt bad for consistently throughout the series. Sure, he had a great group of friends to make him feel at home while being miles away from India, but his friends weren’t always there for him. Howard, in particular, made fun of Raj to the point where his self-esteem was lowering. Most of all, the one thing Raj wanted more than anything was a wife and kids, and he was the only one in the friend group who didn’t get what he wanted. His selective mutism and his parents’ divorce didn’t help things either.
By season 12, Raj found himself and became comfortable being independent but there was still a sparkle missing that made fans feel bad for him.
Stuart Bloom
Stuart is the one character fans feel the worst for. He was down on his luck for a majority of the series and things didn’t pan out for him until the final two seasons. He was running a comic store that was hard to manage, he wasn’t making money, he wasn’t financially able to live on his own, and he had a plethora of health issues. It should also be mentioned that Stuart desperately wanted to hang out with Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj but they rarely invited him. As distant as they were, they were his closest friends. Fans were happy that Stuart finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel by the end of the series.
