23 TV Characters Who Started Out As The Worst But Slowly Stole Our Hearts As The Show Progressed

Not to be dramatic, but now WE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR THESE CHARACTERS.

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what TV character started off as the worst but became the best as time went on. Here are some of their answers:

1. Theon from Game of Thrones

HBO

"Theon's redemption arc is not talked about enough. I hated him so much at first, then felt sorry for him, and in the end when he died, I cried for days."

—yaelmeyermail

2. Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

NBC

"Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but he gets better literally in that same episode!"

—elongb2015

"Every Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan loves (or should love) Captain Raymond Holt and his family — Kevin, his fluffy boy Cheddar, and son Jake!"

—spideytomlover03

3. Steve Harrington from Stranger Things

Netflix

"He starts off as your typical teenage douchebag who you actively root against in '80s films, but he drops the facade and by the end of Season 1 you realize he's really not such a bad guy after all. He's a goofball with an enormous heart. Team Harrington!"

—delaneyc4cc25179b

"Steve Harrington from Stranger Things started out as one of the worst TV characters I’ve ever seen! He was such a jerk in Season 1 — but a cute one though. Then, he totally turned it around and is one of my favorite characters of all time! I absolutely love seeing him fighting the bad guys with the kids, and he’s SO funny too! Mama Steve for the win!"

—ericastevenson323

4. Caroline from The Vampire Diaries

CW

"She was the worst at first, so shallow and annoying. Her character grew up so much and turned in to the smartest, kind and relatable characters of the show. She ended up being my favorite."

—palomaencinasc

"Caroline Forbes started off really self-absorbed, shallow, and had a terrible relationship with her mom. As the show went on and she became a vampire, her character development got so much better. She became strong, and her relationship with her mom became one of the most heartfelt on the show. Her mom's death was one of the saddest scenes. I also liked how she got to be a mom."

—juliajenkins

5. Sawyer from Lost

ABC

"Sawyer was such a gross and despicable character at first, but DAMN was he my favorite by the end! So much growth. I absolutely loved his arc and development!"

—micahdr

"He started off as such a selfish, loner character. By the end, he cared about people, took care of them, and was very connected to them. One of my favorite redemption arcs of all time."

—brentus86

"At the start of the series, he’s just a dirtbag with decent jokes. By the end, your heart is breaking when he jumps out of the helicopter to lighten the load, and you end up stanning his and Juliet’s relationship."

—laurenm4b7b568d6

6. Bellamy Blake from The 100

CW

"When they first got to the ground in Season 1, he was arrogant and on a bit of a power trip. He was always a leader, but over the course of the show, he evolved so much and became a more well-rounded and compassionate one."

—annikaxrogers

7. Pennsatucky from Orange Is The New Black

Netflix

"Pennsatucky went from a racist, anti-gay, Bible-bashing bully to a kindhearted, sincere, nonjudgmental human being. I was devastated that she didn't get her happy ending."

—leannesfitbit79

8. Eli Pope from Scandal

ABC

"He rubbed me the wrong way based off first impressions. Over the course of the series, I ended up being a fan."

—laurlaur11

9. Dr. Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy

ABC

"He was an absolute jerk in the beginning! He was selfish and awful to Izzie. But his character development was beautiful, and he showed us that he did have a heart under that tough exterior."

—totallyih

"Dr. Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy. At the beginning he was a total ass, but then he became your favorite."

—finn_hudson

10. Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries

CW

"I couldn’t stand Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries at the beginning of the show. I think they were all pretty shallow high school kids in the first season. She was whiny and boring. Don’t get me started on how many times she said 'Grams.' But at some point she became this utter badass who saved everyone on the show and literally the world multiple times. She had a good sense of humor, great friendships, and a killer death stare. I was more invested in her relationship with Enzo than any other one in the show. For me she salvaged the later seasons of the show and eclipsed Caroline as best badass of the show."

—abbyj6

11. Prince Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender

Netflix

"This is a pretty common one, but Prince Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender. In the beginning, he was obsessed with regaining his honor by capturing the Avatar and he was horrible to his uncle, but by the end he had become a completely different person. He went from trying to capture the Avatar to teaching him fire bending, and he apologized to his uncle for how horrible he was to him! An absolutely amazing redemption arc for an excellent character."

—mariapie

12. Quinn Fabray from Glee

ABC

"Her character development was honestly the best in the entire series. She went from the most untrustworthy hypocrite to everyone's best friend. I feel like the last episode did us all wrong by not showing us how her life turned out."

—wethuaqm

13. Nellie from The Office

NBC

"She started out by stealing Andy’s job but eventually became one of the funniest, deepest characters and is the only reason I ever go back to Season 9."

—addyh44c8c5dfb

14. Petra from Jane the Virgin

CW

"She was legitimately the worst person when the series started. She was my very favorite of the whole cast at the series finale. What a great character arc!"

—nicolesue

15. Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill

CW

"Nathan Scott! He started out as a complete jerk and by the end was caring, loving, and someone who would do anything for anyone. I love how you could see that his relationship with Haley and his growing bond with his brother were able to turn him into a better person. He had amazing development!"

—myprovincialife

16. Cordelia Chase from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

WB

"At the beginning, she’s an awful bully who has no filter and by the end (including her time on Angel) she’s a badass warrior who’s not afraid to speak her mind, but is also loving, kind, and has a fearsome loyalty to her friends."

—anyarosem16

17. John Murphy from The 100

CW

"John was totally the bad guy in Season 1, but as the show went on, he grew into one of the smartest and most likable characters. Richard Harmon really sold his development into a real hero while still being truly Murphy. Scars, snark, and all. He still makes mistakes, but instead of just surviving he tries to protect as many people as possible."

—llin422

18. Dwight from The Office

NBC

"Dwight was such a suck-up and a mean jerk who didn't know how to interact with other people. You see his literal hero’s journey and by the end, you’re rooting for him to get everything he wants because he actually earned it. Also, he gained respect from his coworkers and most importantly he finally has respect for them. I never thought watching the first few seasons Dwight would be my favorite character, but here we are."

—brittconn92

19. Alexis from Schitt's Creek

Netflix

"Granted, the whole family went through great character development, but Alexis's was the best. She started off as this annoying, self-centered, ignorant girl, but grew into an independent, badass boss woman who put others before herself. You never would have guessed how amazing she would become by the last season."

—katcloud

20. Damon from The Vampire Diaries

CW

"In the beginning, he seemed to be the main antagonist. But in the end he was almost everyone’s favorite guy."

—abbysiddons1128

21. Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones

HBO

"Jaime Lannister! In the first episode, we see him having sex with his sister and pushing Bran out of a window! But over the course of the series, he is revealed to be an honorable man, saving King's Landing from destruction and jumping one-handed into a bear pit to save his captor’s life (and falls in love with her and knights her.) Jaime is complex and gray, but at the end I cried for his loss and am still mourning what could have been. Nikolaj’s performance made Jaime more than a villain, he showed the depths of emotion and honor of the last Lannister lion. It’s been a year and I still miss him."

—elissak4cc3926bd

22. Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls.

CW

"When I started to watch Gilmore Girls, I always sided with Lorelai and saw Emily and Richard from the perspective of Lorelai. Now I see they cared for their daughter a lot and just were trying to do what was best for her, while Lorelai loved to play the victim and mock the way they lived their lives."

—sabina3000

23. And finally, Dina from Superstore

Hulu

"Her character seemed mean and overly abrasive in comparison to the rest of the characters in the beginning. However, as time goes on, we learn more of her history, and she forms better relationships with the rest of the characters. She’s one of the best and funniest characters on the show!"

—nicolet4a9e170b3

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Note: Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.