When we spend a lot of time with characters and witness their development, it becomes easy to forget they are horrible people, especially when they are the show’s protagonists. Here are 19 TV characters that are actually horrible people:
Walter White – Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)
If you were to meet a drug kingpin who has no regard for human life but used to be a high school chemistry teacher who started producing drugs because he thought he had cancer, you probably wouldn’t actually like him, right? Also, remember Walter partnered with Neo-Nazis.
Cersei Lannister – Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019)
Cersei is a complex character but still undeniably horrible. For instance, her most evil act, in terms of scale, was probably the Sept of Baelor explosion. And while I understand why she did it (the High Sparrow), it doesn’t justify murdering all those innocent people in the process.
Frank Underwood – House of Cards (2013 – 2018)
Frank Underwood is one of the most despicable characters to ever exist on TV. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember any point at which he did something objectively good or something that wasn’t for his benefit. He schemed, manipulated, and murdered his way to becoming president.
Tony Soprano – The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)
“Horrible” is probably not the first adjective that comes to mind when describing Papa Bing, especially since his therapy sessions show us different sides of him. However, he was a mob boss who defrauded, beat up, and killed people. He often betrays his family and associates while claiming to be a victim.
Gregory House – House M.D. (2004 – 2012)
There’s a lot of debate about whether House is a good person. On this, I’m team “great doctor, horrible person.” And I think that’s the point of the show: even though he saves lives, he is rude to his colleagues and does a lot of questionable things.
J.R. Ewing – Dallas (1978 – 1991; revived 2012 – 2014)
He isn’t just horrible; he’s borderline psychopathic and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Admittedly, that’s what makes the character a good businessman, but I’m pretty sure there are other ways to be a successful oil tycoon without coveting the wealth of others for yourself.
Eric Cartman – South Park (1997 – present)
It’s only fitting that Eric Cartman is a cartoon character because I find it almost impossible to believe that a child can be so offensive and manipulative. For some weird reason, people today overlook the character’s deviousness because he is funny.
Dennis Reynolds – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 – present)
Dennis is a narcissistic sociopath who only uses people for his gain and exerts power over others whenever he can. I am not even particularly bothered by his inability to feel emotions, but his recording of his sexual encounters without the other person’s consent can’t be excused.
Pierce Hawthorne – Community (2009 – 2015)
So many character traits make Pierce a horrible person. And even though he has some good moments, I think he still deserves to be on this list. He is homophobic, misogynistic, bigoted, and selfish. If that isn’t the definition of a terrible person, I don’t know what is.
Joe Goldberg – You (2018 – present)
There’s no doubt about it. He’s obsessive, a stalker, a manipulator, and an occasional murderer. His twisted view of love causes him to frequently abduct his love interests (he even buried one alive!). And no, mental illness cannot excuse his actions.
Lucille Bluth – Arrested Development (2003 – 2006, revived 2013 – 2019)
Adopting a daughter just to mess with a rival has to be up there on the list of terrible things a person can do. Lucille is an alcoholic who manipulates her children for her entertainment. She has clear favorites among her children and is rarely maternal.
Stringer Bell – The Wire (2002 – 2008)
Stringer was a drug dealer and the second-in-command of the Barksdale gang. Focused on making money and avoiding conflicts, he is intelligent but cannot escape his background. However, he is still a drug kingpin with impulsive tendencies and violent rages.
Hannibal Lecter – Hannibal (2013 – 2015)
Hannibal Lecter was already a famous character before his TV debut in Hannibal, first appearing in movies like Manhunter (1986) and The Silence of the Lambs (1988). Rolling Stone even named this cannibalistic serial killer the 18th greatest villain in TV history.
Nina Myers – 24 (2001 – 2010, revived in 2014)
I was hurt when Nina Myers was revealed to be a mole who had betrayed her colleagues and caused the death of so many agents for such greed. She was initially one of the distinguished federal agents that I loved. She ends up the biggest villain in 24.
Roman Roy – Succession (2018 – 2023)
While some may argue that Roman grew more horrible as the show went on (especially due to his actions on election night to help Jeryd Mencken), I’ll argue that he has always been awful. Remember the first episode with the kid playing baseball?
Raymond Reddington – The Blacklist (2013 – 2023)
Raymond Reddington is brilliant, charismatic, funny, and tells great stories. A lot of the time that prevents audiences (myself included) from seeing him for what he really is: a murdering criminal mastermind who somehow got the FBI to do his dirty work.
Beth Dutton – Yellowstone (2018 – present)
I think Beth is consciously horrible. Here’s why: within the family, she seems to be the best or most morally upstanding person, but outside, she’s frankly terrible. Her trajectory has been unfortunate in the show, and her personality has become so vile. I hope she redeems herself before the show ends.
Kilgrave – Jessica Jones (2015 – 2019)
Kilgrave, endowed with mind control abilities, showcases the epitome of violation and manipulation throughout Jessica Jones. He remorselessly compels people to commit heinous acts, fully exploiting his powers for sadistic pleasure and personal gain, devoid of moral restraint or empathy.
Tommy Shelby – Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022)
It’s incredibly hard to watch Peaky Blinders and not fall in love with Tommy Shelby. He rose from Small Heath to Parliament, but he is a gang leader and a criminal mastermind, and no matter how hard he tries, he is not accepted by the London elite.
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