"I Can’t Be Mad At A Dude Avenging His Family" — People Are Sharing The 17 TV Villains That Are Actually Pretty Hard To Hate

    "I was rooting for him 'til the end."

    Elizabeth Cotton
    by Elizabeth Cotton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Recently, we asked you to tell us about a TV "villain" that you actually ended up loving. Of course, the responses were so good that we decided to roundup some of the best ones:

    1. Arnold Rimmer — Red Dwarf

    Character Rimmer from Red Dwarf with a hologram 'H' on his forehead, in a military-style jacket
    BBC Two

    "He's not a villain really, more of a deeply irritating coworker, but his particular brand of 'uptight weirdo with no self-esteem' is embarrassingly relatable."

    —gemface

    2. Hama — Avatar: The Last Airbender

    Character from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is depicted – an elderly person with long white hair
    Nickelodeon

    "Was she a serial killer who forced Katara to learn her technique under duress? Yes. Was she awesome? Also yes. She was held captive in appalling conditions and found a way out all by herself, I can't fault her for that. She can have a little vengeance, as a treat."

    —sushigal007

    3. Jenny — The L Word

    Actress in a black outfit with embellishments sits at a bar in a TV show scene
    Showtime

    "She is the worst, but I also kind of love her self assured manipulative bullshit."

    —peacefulgoose73

    4. Kelly Kapoor — The Office US

    Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor in 'The Office' wearing a sequined top, sitting in an office setting
    NBC

    "She’s supposed to be annoyingly perky and obnoxious but Mindy Khaling is absolutely brilliant and her execution, especially her painfully relatable dysfunctional relationship with Ryan, leaves me cracking up every rewatch."

    —kaiafister

    5. Angela Moss — Mr. Robot

    Woman with long hair looks concerned in a forest setting
    USA Network

    "Yeah, I was upset about what she did to Elliot and others at the end, but her story was kind of tragic. She was so consumed by her need for revenge, love, and attention that she ended up finding it in the wrong ways which ended up causing her downfall, which was very heartbreaking."

    —tanyam44ab2253d

    6. Hank — Breaking Bad

    Actor in character sits at a table, wearing an orange prison outfit, in a tense scene
    AMC

    "He was a total asshole for majority of the show, rude to his wife, and always said such crude things but I loved him. He was funny and actually turned out to be a decent person in the end."

    —t41a84a475

    7. Peter Hale — Teen Wolf

    Photo of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne in a scene from a Batman film, looking intently forward
    MTV

    "The writers tried to turn his character around in season two but throughout the series he remains a backstabber. But even in season one when he’s the main villain, I can’t be mad at a dude avenging his family."

    —sleepinglight72

    8. Squidward — SpongeBob SquarePants

    Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants looks frustrated while holding a broom, standing indoors
    Nickelodeon

    "He is miserable and mean to SpongeBob, but really he is most adults. Hates his job and just wants to be left alone."

    —prettyp

    9. Mr. Big — Sex and the City

    Chris Noth seated, casually dressed, reading a newspaper in a well-lit room
    HBO

    "When I was younger, I hated him, but now, rewatching as an older person, he's wrong about the affair, but previous to that? Carrie was 100% the problem in their relationship. He was always very clear about what he wanted and what his boundaries were, and she steamrolled over them every single time... and even then, he still didn't leave her! SHE was the one leaving HIM, and then she gets upset because he married someone else. He's not nearly as bad as he's made out to be, and it blows my mind because it seems clear as day to me."

    —casachess

    "No, she didn't leave him, he snuck off and married a much younger woman when he got back. But yeah, I get it...Carrie was the one who sucked. It was a toxic relationship."

    —lenaw4a651b06e

    10. Joffrey Baratheon — Game of Thrones

    King Joffrey from Game of Thrones wearing a crown and royal attire, looking surprised
    HBO

    "I know we’re supposed to hate him, he was such an insufferable little brat but the actor played him so well, I really enjoyed him. I was probably the only person who was sad when he died on the show."

    —rivers82

    11. Morgana — Merlin

    Close-up of Morgana from "Merlin" in green attire with a necklace and earrings
    BBC

    "She just needed someone to help push her in the right direction, she was manipulated and turned evil, but if anyone had helped her, she would have been a great hero."

    —senpainoticedu

    "THIS! This, this, this. She's a classic example of not having anyone to turn to, being sidelined and ignored, and then when she finally got given a taste of power and control, it went right to her head because that was all she had in the end. Oh I love Merlin; what a brilliant show."

    —ravenbard

    12. Klaus Mikaelson — The Vampire Diaries / The Originals

    Actor Joseph Morgan in character, giving a slight smile in a scene from the TV show
    The CW

    "He had this aura about him, he was lovable for a villian. The way he spoke, his eyes, I was rooting for him 'til the end. Also when he said 'love' I melted into a puddle. Klaus will always hold a place in my soul."

    —rachway

    13. Henry — Horrid Henry

    Animated character boy holding a hamster in his hands, surrounded by toys in a colorful room
    CITV

    "He should be on this list. He was supposed to be seen as the 'horrid' boy but when you look back on the series, it's clear his parents were the horrible ones!"

    —senpainoticedu

    14. Gus Fring — Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul

    Gus Fring from Breaking Bad stands in a room with a concerned expression
    AMC

    "He's a ruthless drug lord responsible for some brutal murders, but his style and calm professional demeanor are so magnetic."

    —axj66

    "Let's be honest, Gus was the real kingpin of the show. Ran his business for years right below the cops' noses. He really had everyone sold on the 'friendly, humble restaurant manager' act. His only mistake was getting involved with Walt."

    —witchycentipede62

    15. Kashigi Yabushige — Shogun

    A close-up of an actor expressing concern in a period drama scene
    FX

    "He is clearly a snake and kills someone the first episode for no real reason, but Tadanobu Asano plays him so well and somehow makes him relatable. It’s impossible to forgive him for what he causes in the penultimate episode, yet he’s still one of the best characters in the whole show."

    —banana_bebop

    "I agree. He was extremely likable and had no right to be, considering all he did. I was sorry his story ended the way it did."

    —bethechangeyouwanttosee

    16. Grand Admiral Thrawn — Star Wars Rebels / Ahsoka

    Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars stands in a uniform, with red eyes and blue skin
    Disney+

    "He’s such an awesome character, truly one of the best villains Star Wars ever created IMHO. He has such a cool backstory and epic lore around him, and he was fleshed out more to not be a run-of-the-mill, 2-D villain. He has goals and reasons behind what he does, and he is a strategic genius. He’s one of the ‘bad guys’ that you can’t help but like, and I really hope Disney does his character justice in the future!"

    —empresspenguin

    17. Mellie — Scandal

    Mallory Keaton from Family Ties wearing a red outfit and pearls
    ABC

    "Her character went off the rails in the later seasons (all characters did) but in the first seasons it really upset me how they were painting Mellie as the bad guy for *checks notes* being upset that her husband was cheating. Olivia and Fitz were the real villains, I was NOT rooting for their relationship. Mellie left her career to support a husband that cheated on her and didn't even treat her as an equal, when she was clearly smarter than him. Fitz dismissed everything Mellie said, never supported her personally or professionally, ignored Mellie and his kids to be with Olivia, and then took all his frustrations out on Mellie whenever Olivia dumped him. It still annoys me. I need a prequel series about Mellie being the badass lawyer she was (she graduated top of her class at Harvard!) and Fitz as the villain that ruined her life."

    —grhngrg

    Do you have any more to add? Let us know in the comments below!

    Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.