Here Are 25 TV And Movie Characters People Once Despised, But Now Love

"When I first watched Friends, I felt like I automatically had to hate Janice, but then I realized that she wasn't that bad."

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV or movie characters they hated, but now love! Here are some of the best responses:

1. Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls

Warner Bros.

"When I first watched Gilmore Girls years ago, I thought Lorelai was the funniest, coolest, kindest woman in the world and I detested the way she was treated and criticized by Emily. But as I have gotten older, I have pretty much the opposite opinion. Lorelai seems to be immature, selfish, and really mean-spirited toward Emily. She’s so funny and fierce, and she genuinely cares for Lorelai. I just love her."

—angelag4063fa962

2. Janice from Friends

NBC

"When I first watched Friends, I felt like I automatically had to hate Janice because all of the central characters did. But after I watched it again, I realized that she wasn't that bad! She legitimately cares for Chandler and he repeatedly breaks up with her for stupid reasons."

—sierram4c6cc1fca

3. Hades from Hercules

Disney

"When I was little I wouldn’t watch Hercules because I hated Hades. Now it’s my favorite Disney movie because Hades is so relatable. From his short temper to his sass, he’s one of the funniest Disney villains."

—rachelz4f09ef47c

4. Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove

Disney

"She is honestly my icon now. When I was younger, I hated her and thought she was despicable. But now, as an adult, I realize that she had to put up with so many idiotic men standing in her way. Honestly, sounds pretty relatable. Also her outfits are always on point and she manages to get young, gorgeous men to work for her! She’s extra as hell and amazing."

—graciem4b0187b39

5. Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel / Disney

"I wasn’t a big fan of Loki in Thor and The Avengers, but after a while, he really grew on me. He’s such an interesting and complex character and I’d love for him to get his own movie!"

—kxllynxcxlx

6. Miranda Bailey from Grey's Anatomy

ABC

"I hated her so much as a kid because I thought that she was so mean, but now I realize that she works so hard because she loves her job. Yes, sometimes her job distracts her from important life events, like her wedding day, but she is a strong woman, a loving mother, and a total badass."

—saraf46cbcaf4c

7. Sharpay Evans from High School Musical

Disney Channel

"I used to think Sharpay was just a horribly stuck up teenager and I genuinely disliked her. But now, I appreciate how she fought to get what she wanted and I felt bad that after years of commitment to theater, Troy and Gabriella swooped in last minute and stole her spotlight! Sharpay was fabulous, fierce, and talented, and should've been given the roles she deserved."

—annabelk4db3057b0

8. Regina Mills/The Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time

ABC

"I hated her at first, but then I realized that she was treated like a villain because the other characters didn't understand her. She had trouble opening up to others and she was just looking for someone that loved her despite her flaws. She became an inspirational and incredible character that deserved a happy ending."

—brxdge

9. Karen Filippelli from The Office

NBC

"Obviously Jim and Pam are 'soup snakes' and I don't think Karen should've ended up with Jim, but honestly, she was hella cool. I really only hated her because she didn't like Pam. I'm sorry, Rashida Jones. I should have known better."

—arndtellie

10. Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants

Nickelodeon

"The dude just wants to be successful, guys, let’s be honest. Not his fault he’s a small little guy in this big bad world and that he couldn’t think of anything as good as the secret Krabby Patty formula."

—cassc4b5b550b0

11. Emily Waltham from Friends

NBC

"I used to hate Emily so much but then I realized that I would be pissed too if I went through what she did! Her fiancé said the wrong name at the altar! I mean, it was kind of unfair to ask Ross to stop seeing Rachel, but like c'mon! I wouldn't have been comfortable with Ross and Rachel hanging out with my husband after that either."

—brip477d912f8

12. Zazu from The Lion King

Disney

"When I was little I thought that Zazu was the BIGGEST buzzkill. But, now that I'm older, he's so relatable and is clearly just trying to keep Simba out of trouble."

—lilyakf

13. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

Disney

"When I was younger I was always terrified of the scene in Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent turns into a dragon and sends green flames all around the castle. I hated her character out of fear. But, after seeing Maleficent, I’ve realized she’s just misunderstood."

—mkea28

14. Meredith Blake from The Parent Trap

Disney

"She was 26, killing the game, and met a handsome older man with a freaking vineyard. Like, sign me up! All Meredith was doing was trying to relate to Hallie and Annie, but they weren't having it. Also, how would YOU feel if your fiancé started flirting with his ex-wife?! And, Hallie and Annie basically tried to drown her while camping, which was just un-cool. I'm forever Team Meredith."

—katem94

15. Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Disney

"Honestly, I can relate to Ursula like no tomorrow. She tried to help people for a living but King Triton kept messing with her shit. Also, she was sarcastic as hell and super relatable. Basically, when I rewatched the movie I realized that Ursula was great and King Triton was the real villain."

—lunawolf1216

16. Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants

Nickelodeon

"The older I got the more I felt a bond with Squidward, especially when I started working in retail. I can understand his lack of empathy and utter annoyance at customers. All he wants to do is relax, but he's constantly harassed by annoying acquaintances. It's true what they say: you either die a SpongeBob or you live long enough to see yourself become Squidward."

—monikap6

17. Toni Topaz from Riverdale

The CW

"When she was first introduced I thought her only purpose would be to break up Betty and Jughead. But, after she went through some character development and started dating Cheryl, she quickly became one of my favorite TV characters ever!"

—emmanz

18. Roy from The Office

NBC

"When I first watched The Office, I was all about Jim and Pam and thought Roy was a total dick. Now, as I’m rewatching it, I realize that Roy really wasn’t that bad. He just wanted to be happy with his fiancé. And there are some really sweet moments with Roy. I’m not saying that Pam and Roy were soulmates, but he definitely doesn't deserve the bad reputation that most viewers give him."

—jiliank2

19. Regina George from Mean Girls

Paramount Pictures

"While I hated Regina when I first watched Mean Girls, I realized that she didn't deserve anything that happened to her. Cady began doing mean things to Regina only because some people she had just met told her she made up a rumor back in eighth grade. A rumor that most people likely forgot about. So, how is Regina the villain again?"

—phandabox

20. The Witch from Into the Woods

Disney

"She used to make me so mad because of how evil she was toward my favorite fairytale characters. But now that I'm older, I understand just how misunderstood she was. She was the voice of reason amongst people who either couldn't make a decision or were giving in to their every temptation."

—zakm4ce3617ad

21. The Beast from Beauty and the Beast

Disney

"I used to think The Beast was an asshole to Belle, but watching the movie as an adult has changed my mind. Belle breaks into his house, then decides to be so annoying even though it was her idea to stay in the castle in the first place. And then, she gets mad when he yells at her for invading his privacy! Like are you kidding me? As a mom, I can totally relate to wanting at least one area of your house to be off limits and only yours."

—nadinel45b1c5436

22. Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill

The CW

"I really hated Nathan Scott when I started watching One Tree Hill. Even when he became a better person, I still didn't like him and thought Lucas was the better brother. But when I rewatched the show, I realized how horrible Lucas was. He cheated on Brooke and Peyton multiple times! Nathan changed and apologized for all his actions and became a good father, husband, friend, and son. I'm sorry I chose the wrong Scott brother in the first place!"

—sa410

23. Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones

HBO

"She started out being just evil and manipulative in all the worst ways, but when I rewatched the series recently, I noticed how relatable all of her actions and decisions were. She just wanted to look out for herself and her kids. Yes, she is a villain, but look at everything she's lost. Maybe not the queen we want but damn, she's the queen we might deserve!"

—isaacbuse

24. Rizzo from Grease

Paramount Pictures

"When I was a little girl, I hated Rizzo. I was rooting for Sandy and I thought Rizzo was mean. But, when I rewatched the movie, I realized that Rizzo was not that bad. She was just annoyed with Sandy and Danny being head-over-heels in love with each other. Plus, she was so scared when she thought she was pregnant and no one was there to help her. She wasn’t as friendly as the other Pink Ladies, so everyone thought she was mean. But in reality, she was confident in herself and now I love her!"

—mpudelka14

25. Miss Hannigan from Annie

Columbia Pictures

"This poor woman was stuck in The Great Depression with 100 small children and she couldn’t even have a cocktail because of prohibition. I’d be cranky as hell too! No dating life, no wine, and all of a sudden one of the orphan's you're caring for becomes a mega billionaire?! Meanwhile, all she was trying to do was instill some discipline in these young girls. Miss Hannigan is a saint for putting up with that next-level bullshit."

—Ana Mueller, Facebook

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