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Warning: This list contains major spoilers for several TV shows.
Summary
- Some TV characters’ popularity can lead to the downfall of a show if their arcs are mishandled.
- Even beloved characters like Michael Scott and Meredith Grey struggle when forced to carry their shows.
- Characters like Baby Yoda and Daenerys Targaryen face challenges with maintaining their popularity over time.
Certain TV shows have become too popular for their own good, and the same thing has happened with some TV characters. In cases like these, the character becomes so beloved by the audience that every writing decision concerning them becomes a huge risk. The writers do their best to continue the character’s arc in a way that is true to what made them popular while introducing fresh storylines organically. However, in some instances, it became too difficult to write a continuous storyline that lives up to past seasons of the show and the character’s previous adventures.
Some TV characters were doomed from the start when their popularity would eventually clash with their demise. Others were situated as the central pillar of the story, and when the show went on for too long, their popularity was not enough to save it. Maybe a character’s popularity has not stood the test of time, and people have realized that they weren’t that great to begin with. Every show wants to make its mark on pop culture, but this can lead to even bigger disappointment if one cherished character’s arc isn’t handled properly.
The 30 Best TV Characters Of All-Time
Though there have been countless characters who have made their mark in television history, Ranker has highlighted those voted as the all-time best.
8 Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Sherlock (2010-2017)
Sherlock
In this incarnation of Sherlock from creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman assume the roles of Sherlock and Watson as they establish their partnership and begin solving strange mysteries throughout the U.K. and beyond. Set in a more 2010’s modern setting, Sherlock’s eccentric and complex nature is accentuated as he solves seemingly supernatural crimes with unparalleled intellect while struggling to connect with others on a human level. Meanwhile, Watson blogs the stories summarizing their cases while building a strained but caring friendship with his new partner.
- Release Date
- August 8, 2010
- Seasons
- 4
- Showrunner
- Steven Moffat
From the moment he appeared on-screen in the first episode of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch entranced audiences with his take on literature’s most famous detective. His rapid-fire deductions and completely serious announcement of his home address (as though he isn’t referring to one of the most famous addresses in the world) are a perfect introduction to this version of the character. Cumberbatch luckily had the perfect actor to react to him, with Martin Freeman as Watson, who portrays a relatable amazement over Sherlock’s abilities. The two actors led the show to become arguably the most successful Sherlock Holmes property ever.
However, going into the criticized third and fourth seasons of Sherlock, Sherlock’s popularity as a character would become a double-edged sword. Ending the show with the mysterious cliffhanger of the Sherlock season 2 finale would have angered people in a different way, but it would have avoided confronting the fact that pretending to be dead was a terrible thing for Sherlock to do. Other botched subplots, the tacky nods to the real fandom, and Sherlock’s skills becoming too unrealistic were even worse because Sherlock and Watson were once able to carry the show.
7 Michael Scott (Steve Carell)
The Office (2005-2013)
The Office
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.
- Cast
- Mindy Kaling , Jenna Fischer , Kate Flannery , Ed Helms , Craig Robinson , Paul Lieberstein , Ellie Kemper , B.J. Novak , Angela Kinsey , Oscar Nunez , Rainn Wilson , Brian Baumgartner , Phyllis Smith , Leslie David Baker , Creed Bratton , Steve Carell , John Krasinski
- Release Date
- March 24, 2005
- Seasons
- 9
- Showrunner
- Greg Daniels
Michael Scott grew on everyone throughout The Office season 1, becoming an annoying but sympathetic boss. Despite things about Michael Scott’s character that don’t make sense, he is genuinely passionate about Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and the people who work there. With the idea of a boss who makes the workday interesting with his crazy antics combined with Steve Carell’s natural comedic talents, Michael was destined to become one of the most popular sitcom characters ever.
When Steve Carell left the show, the writers of The Office struggled to replace Michael. At this point, it became clear that Michael’s character was what made The Office popular. While other characters have engaging storylines, Michael is the hook for the show. Michael becoming so popular ultimately led to people being let down when he was no longer a part of The Office.
6 Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)
Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Stranger Things
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.
- Cast
- Finn Wolfhard , joe keery , Jamie Campbell Bower , Brett Gelman , Caleb McLaughlin , Maya Hawke , David Harbour , Matthew Modine , Priah Ferguson , Gaten Matarazzo , Winona Ryder , Charlie Heaton , Sadie Sink , Millie Bobby Brown , Joseph Quinn , Dacre Montgomery , Natalia Dyer , Noah Schnapp
- Release Date
- July 15, 2016
- Seasons
- 4
- Showrunner
- Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer
The premiere and acclaim of Stranger Things is synonymous with the rise of Millie Bobby Brown as the definitive Netflix actress. Praise for Brown’s mysterious and terrifying performance as Eleven is well deserved; in many ways, she is the main character of Stranger Things despite the initial plot revolving around Will Byers’ disappearance. However, the extensive and mystery-heavy plot of Stranger Things season 4 raises questions about how long Stranger Things and Eleven’s story should have gone on.
While Brown continues to flourish in other roles, Eleven’s character doesn’t have the impact as she once did. Some people argue that season 4 ruins Stranger Things season 3’s perfect ending for the series by dragging out the story. Brown is ready to leave the show behind, telling Deadline: “Stranger Things takes up a lot of time to film and it’s preventing me from creating stories that I’m passionate about. So I’m ready to say, ‘Thank you, and goodbye.’” With the audience and cast lacking enthusiasm, Eleven’s monumental popularity now only seems to weigh the character and actress down.
10 TV Characters Whose Arcs Were Ruined, According To Reddit
There’s nothing as frustrating as a good character being destroyed by a terrible arc, and these Redditors point out the most egregious examples.
5 Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker)
Sex And The City (1998-2004)
Sex and the City
Sex in the City follows Carrie Bradshaw, a New York writer who finds inspiration for her column from the genuine, emotional, and often humorous exploits of life in the city. Joined by best friends Miranda Hobbes, Charlotte York, and Samantha Jones, Sex and the City follows the ups and downs of the characters’ romantic relationships, being single, sex, and friendship as 30-something women.
- Cast
- Kim Cattrall , Cynthia Nixon , Sarah Jessica Parker , Kristin Davis
- Release Date
- June 6, 1998
- Seasons
- 6
- Showrunner
- Darren Star
The groundbreaking series about a sex columnist and her three 30-something-year-old friends living in 1990s New York opened up a world that was glamorous but relatable. Carrie Bradshaw was instantly beloved because of her striking fashion choices, sassy persona, and words of wisdom on love in her column. Carrie has a combination of desirable traits that make her one of the most popular TV characters ever; she is wise but is still figuring things out, loyal but assertive about what she wants, and always looks amazing.
Then, the Sex and the City sequels broke down the show’s legacy over time, and as a result, Carrie’s popularity collapsed in on itself. While she might have remained enshrined as a relic of 1990s culture if the franchise had left things alone, newer properties made harsh realities about Sex and the City harder to ignore, and the worst things the famous Carrie Bradshaw ever did became more apparent. At the time, Carrie was a radical new character and a welcome change to TV, but this eventually faded.
4 Meredith Grey
Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
- Cast
- Kelly McCreary , Patrick Dempsey , Kevin McKidd , Chandra Wilson , Jesse Williams , Jake Borelli , camilla luddington , Ellen Pompeo , Chyler Leigh , Eric Dane , Caterina Scorsone , Giacomo Gianniotti , Anthony Hill , Kate Walsh , Justin Chambers , Sarah Drew , Greg Germann , Martin Henderson , Katherine Heigl , T.R. Knight , Sara Ramirez , Jerrika Hinton , Richard Flood , Sandra Oh , Kim Raver , Jason George , Tessa Ferrer , Isaiah Washington , James Pickens Jr. , Gaius Charles , Chris Carmack , Brooke Smith , Jessica Capshaw
- Release Date
- March 27, 2005
- Seasons
- 20
- Writers
- Shonda Rhimes , Julie Wong , Jen Klein , Tameson Duffy , Meg Marinis
A year after Sex and the City ended, Grey’s Anatomy became the next big romantic drama series. Meredith and Cristina are endearing because of their shared morbid sense of humor about everything from work to dating. However, they are also both ambitious and intelligent, navigating high-pressure moments daily as they train to become industry-leading surgeons. They also both find themselves embroiled in romantic moments that are fodder for shippers.
Cristina ducks out after season 10, leaving her character’s popularity forever untarnished. On the other hand, Meredith bears the burden of remaining interesting to the audience and leading the entire show as it hits 20 seasons. She does a fairly good job, still demonstrating her signature sarcastic personality and navigating new emotional and professional hurdles. She continues to grow as a character, realizing more about what she wants for herself and her children.
However, 10 seasons after Cristina leaves, Meredith is losing some of her appeal. Her storylines in the earlier seasons are preferable to the ones that happen later on when she becomes a supporting character and the show’s focus shifts to the other characters’ endless drama. She is still the revolutionary doctor she always was, but the character simply couldn’t maintain her unprecedented popularity forever.
3 Grogu/Baby Yoda
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian is set after the Empire’s fall and before the First Order’s emergence in the ever-growing Star Wars universe. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Acting as the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian has become incredibly popular on Disney+, partly due to Mando’s relationship with Grogu, which the internet dubbed “Baby Yoda” upon his introduction in season 1.
- Cast
- Werner Herzog , Emily Swallow , Pedro Pascal , Nick Nolte , Omid Abtahi , Gina Carano , Carl Weathers , Giancarlo Esposito
- Release Date
- November 12, 2019
- Seasons
- 3
When he first appeared in the first episode of The Mandalorian, the so-called “Baby Yoda” was a cultural phenomenon. Undeniably one of the most marketable characters ever, people were in love, and the endless memes proved it. However, Baby Yoda loses some of his charm when Ahsoka reveals parts of his backstory, and his real name, Grogu. From this point forward, he isn’t just the adorable ward of the show’s title character, but has a real storyline.
This didn’t completely ruin the character, but it changed him. It might have been better if Grogu’s past had remained a mystery, and he continued to serve the story by needing to be protected, occasionally helping with a shocking display of the Force. With The Mandalorian season 4 now stalled, Baby Yoda’s popularity is now a distant memory of a short-lived craze.
2 Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke)
Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
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
- April 11, 2011
- Seasons
- 8
- Showrunner
- David Benioff , D.B. Weiss
Many fans will never forgive the writers for Dany’s descent into villainy, due to how popular she was before.
Daenerys Targaryen had the same larger-than-life presence in the real world as she did within the setting of Game of Thrones. Every awe-inspiring display of power and vengeance exacted only made people love her more. It was impossible not to buy into her speeches about “breaking the wheel,” and how she was the only one who could do it. Game of Thrones fans believed in Dany and what she said she wanted to accomplish.
Game of Thrones’ ending goes to show that ruining the storyline of a character like this will ruin everything. Essentially, it robbed the fans of being rewarded for rooting for Dany for almost 10 years. The rest of the series sets up Dany and Jon as the only two people who stand a chance at improving the world they live in. However, the conclusion of Jon’s story at least has a sense of things coming full circle. Many fans will never forgive the writers for Dany’s descent into villainy, due to how popular she was before.
The Most Hated Series Finales Of All Time
What are the worst TV show endings ever? It’s subjective, really. But these are some of the most hated of all time, that’s for sure.
1 Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun)
The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
The Walking Dead
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- Cast
- Steven Yeun , Andrew Lincoln , Chandler Riggs , Laurie Holden , Jeffrey DeMunn , Sarah Wayne Callies , Melissa McBride , Norman Reedus , Jon Bernthal , Iron E. Singleton
- Release Date
- October 31, 2010
- Seasons
- 11
- Showrunner
- Frank Darabont , Angela Kang , Scott M. Gimple , Glen Mazzara
Issue #100 of The Walking Dead was released two years into the show’s run. Therefore, Glenn Rhee had two years to become the most beloved character in The Walking Dead before there was any definite confirmation out in the world that he was eventually going to die. The first two seasons give Glenn enough time to establish himself as being able to strike a balance between doing what needs to be done while still being funny and good at heart. It also showed the adorably awkward beginnings of his relationship with Maggie.
Glenn’s popularity only grew in the following seasons, through more romantic moments with Maggie and his own continued character development, becoming one of the most vital members of Rick Grimes’ group. Ultimately, the show was headed toward an upheaval with Glenn’s death on the horizon, due to the character’s status in the fandom. Robert Kirkman himself planned to kill Glenn earlier in the comics, but put off the heartbreaking moment for years.
When the most talked about moment of the series came, chaos ensued. Glenn’s death would drive the story and fan discussions for years to come. Like several other characters, Glenn became too popular for the fallout of his character arc to be anything less than one of pop culture’s most memorable moments.
Source: Deadline,
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