27 Female TV Characters Who Started Off Kinda The Worst, Then Had Incredible Growth

    We love a good redemption arc!

    Kelly Martinez
    by Kelly Martinez

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which female TV characters they initially hated but eventually ended up loving. Here are some of the best responses:

    Spoilers ahead!!!

    1. Petra Solano from Jane the Virgin:

    CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "She started out as Rafael’s mean wife who just wanted his money. Over the seasons, she morphed into someone both Jane and Rafael wanted standing next to them at their wedding."

    —Elsie Snuffin

    2. Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls:

    Rory and Paris hug at high school graduation and admit they hated each other most of the time
    The WB

    "My dislike for her didn't last too long, but she was definitely a lot to handle in the first couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong — she was still controlling and a perfectionist — but her character growth was interesting, and now I think she's great."

    —hayesgabby19

    3. Cece Parekh from New Girl:

    Fox

    "In the early seasons, she was extremely stuck-up and arrogant, talked down to Schmidt, and didn't seem like a particularly good friend to Jess. Thank goodness for her character development — she and Schmidt became a great couple, and she turned out to be very ambitious and a fierce, loyal friend."

    —HmmFeed

    4. Cordelia Chase from Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

    Cordelia: "I think it I say it, it's my way"
    The WB

    "She was so mean and self-centered at first, but as time went on, she became kind, brave, hardworking, and selfless. Now she's one of my favorite characters from the show."

    —Peynor

    5. Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones:

    HBO

    "She went from being a scared child to a ballsy and self-assured ruler. All hail the queen!"

    —poopooplatter

    6. Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek:

    Alexis tells Ted she can't go to the Galapagos with him but she's so proud of him and thankful to have met him, "I'd like to think that we helped each other get here"
    Pop! / CBC

    "I could not stand her for most of the first season, but I think her character arc is what made her so lovable. When we first met her, she was spoiled and entitled and had a massive ego. But by the end, she made the decision to finish her education, built a career for herself, and developed an ultimately healthy relationship with Ted, but also learned to put herself first before a man. She grew to be an absolute sweetheart, and Annie Murphy did an incredible job portraying Alexis’s arc."

    —let's go lesbians

    7. April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation:

    NBC

    "She had tremendous character growth throughout the seasons. She was annoying to me at first and just seemed mean and selfish. As the series continued, however, she slowly started becoming more caring and compassionate toward others, and she became one of my favorite characters by the end."

    —egc26

    8. Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill:

    Brooke: "I stopped letting boys define me and I started believing in myself and in my potential, somewhere along the way the lost little party girl became the girl on the wall of honor"
    The WB

    "I never hated her, but she had amazing development. She went from being a typical party girl to one of the kindest and strongest characters ever and ended up being an inspiration to so many viewers. I'm still mad at Lucas for what he did to her."

    —RachellllA

    9. Elektra Abundance from Pose:

    Elektra: "You think I was born a butterfly? I am who I am because I know who I am and I refuse to ever let anyone tell me otherwise"
    FX

    "I could not stand her for a while, but honestly, she’s grown on me. She started out super selfish and rude, but as the show progressed, we got to see other sides of her and she became more relatable."

    —magsaloo

    10. Caroline Forbes from The Vampire Diaries:

    Caroline: "Whenever anyone tells me I can't do something I prove them wrong"
    The CW

    "She had such brilliant character growth and ended up being the real heart of the show."

    —Vanessa

    11. April Kepner from Grey's Anatomy:

    Jackson tells April she's changed, she responds: "No I've grown, we haven't BEEN through a lot, we're GOING through a hard part, this is the worse of 'for better or worse'"
    ABC

    "At first I thought she was whiny and annoying, but she became a a strong woman with a beautiful personality. Now she’s one of my favorite characters — she’s a total boss."

    —Zinah El Sayed

    12. Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time:

    ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "She was perfectly evil and horrible early on, but the show did a great job of humanizing her. She was interesting, witty, and powerful. Seeing her love for Henry and her friends was great, and she had the best one-liners and style."

    —horsekream

    13. Naomi Clark from 90210:

    Naomi: "I don't have to care what you or anyone else thinks because I am good enough exactly as I am"
    The CW

    "In the beginning she was made out to be the villain, but as the series went on, she became the most developed character."

    —aaronweeks101

    14. Margo Hanson from The Magicians:

    Syfy / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "She started off as a manipulative, shallow party girl who wasn't looking out for anyone but herself. But by the end of the series, you saw her turn into a badass ruler who found a way to overcome any obstacle put in front of her. She had a way of showing compassion, strength, and snark simultaneously."

    —Vermor

    15. Zoë Rivas from Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class:

    Zoë comes out as a lesbian to the whole school: "I've always been afraid to say it and I'm not anymore"
    Netflix

    "At first she was a mean, horrible, and all-around unbearable character, but her struggle with her trial and coming to terms with her sexuality really gave her depth. By the end of the series, she was one of my favorite characters!"

    —magnoliaj

    16. Lola Pacini from Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class:

    Lola helps Yael figure out their gender identity: "I guess if you're not all boy or you're not all girl why should people refer to you like you are?"
    Netflix

    I never hated her, by any means, but she didn't become one of my favorite characters until her incredible development in Season 3 of Next Class. She started out as the "dumb one" of her friend group, then turned into one of the most levelheaded, compassionate, and mature characters on the show. She made mistakes like any other character, but she ultimately educated herself, spoke up for what she believed in, and became a great friend. Her character growth was so realistic and rewarding — Amanda Arcuri played her flawlessly.

    17. Santana Lopez from Glee:

    Santana comes out to her grandmother and says she walks around so mad at the world but she doesn't want to fight anymore she just wants to be herself: "I love girls the way I'm supposed to love boys"
    Fox

    "I didn't like her that much in the beginning, but her story was so heartbreaking. Her character helped me through my own coming-out journey."

    —camilladaniele

    18. Skyler White from Breaking Bad:

    AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "At first she seemed unbelievably oblivious, and it felt like they were writing her as a one-dimensional victim character. But then she turned out to be more savvy than I expected, and she took as much control as she could in a bad situation."

    —cms479

    19. Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:

    Hilary: "I'm a beautiful woman trapped in an even more beautiful woman's body"
    NBC

    "I used to think she was so airheaded and shallow, but as the series progressed, she became so sweet and hardworking. I relate to her because I'm also bad with money and I love shopping."

    —tanyam44ab2253d

    20. Summer Roberts from The O.C.:

    Summer: "You're my destiny Cohen," Seth: "Go save the world Summer Roberts"
    Fox

    "In the beginning she seemed like she was just a stuck-up popular girl. Once we got to see more of her and her relationship with Seth, however, it became clear how likable she actually was."

    —RachellllA

    21. Lu Montesinos Hendrich from Elite:

    Lu tells Nadia she doesn't need a man or anyone: "Be the badass woman who managed to beat me, be the woman I admire, dammit!"
    Netflix

    "How she acted and what she said to Nadia and everyone else in seasons 1 and 2 was awful — she was horrible, bossy, and manipulative. But her wake-up call in Season 3 made her grow. She went from being selfish to putting other people's needs before her own, even if it hurt her a lot."

    —Daniella

    22. Cayetana Grajera Pando from Elite:

    Cayetana tells Phillipe's mother: "Your son's impulsiveness isn't a matter of biology, it's a matter of education"
    Netflix

    "I disliked her character so much until Elite Short Stories. In the span of 30 minutes, I went from hating her to 'I will kill anyone who touches her.'"

    —Macey

    23. Monica Geller from Friends:

    Monica tells Chandler they're adopting a baby
    NBC

    "The first season, I actually thought she was kind of boring, and nothing she said was really funny to me. But after the show went on, she became a lot more funny and relatable and I loved her."

    —AKatB720

    24. Miranda Hobbes from Sex and the City:

    Miranda: "By the way — never, never call me again; have a nice day"
    HBO

    "I couldn’t stand her. Now she’s my favorite character, and I don’t know why she wasn’t always my favorite."

    —kwit

    25. Lydia Martin from Teen Wolf:

    MTV

    "I couldn't stand her early on, but then she ended up being one of my favorite characters. Also, she and Stiles finally ending up together was so satisfying."

    —KC Hampton

    26. Tabitha Galavan from Gotham:

    20th Cent Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "She was so one-dimensional in the beginning, but she really grew on me. She stepped out of her brother's shadow and became a badass club owner who wasn't scared of anyone. Her relationships with Selina and Butch showed other sides to her and made her much more endearing, and she was great bisexual representation."

    —Slytherin_Siren

    27. And finally, Catra from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power:

    Catra with sword
    Netflix

    "At first she was self-absorbed and a bad friend, but she had great character development and became a better person. Catradora forever!"

    —socialblooderfly75

    Reminder that I, Kelly Martinez, do not necessarily endorse all of these opinions!!

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Not all entries were from Community users.