Here Are 22 Teen Drama Characters Who Were Super Unlikeable Until They Had Great Character Development

    Huge shoutout to character development!

    Salimah McCullough
    by Salimah McCullough

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which teen drama characters they couldn't stand at first and then started loving, and they didn't disappoint. Here are some of the best responses.

    1. Justin Foley from 13 Reasons Why

    Justin at prom in "13 Reasons Why"
    Netflix

    "Hands-fucking-down. After reading the book and after the first season of 13RW, I strongly disliked him. I was shocked when Justin became my favorite from Season 2 till the end. His bromance with Clay was all I needed, and I didn't know that then."

    —ajacqueline

    2. Santana Lopez from Glee

    Santana having dinner with Brittany in "Glee"
    Fox

    "I thought she was just there as a bully originally, but the more they gave her a storyline, the better she got. She was the only reason I got so far in Glee, tbh."

    —katerino21

    3. Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls

    Paris standing in front of class in "Gilmore Girls"
    The WB

    "She gave Gilmore Girls depth. At first, I thought she was just an annoying antagonist to throw into the mix. But Paris was honest, complex, and bold. She carried that show, in my opinion."

    —aementzer

    4. Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl

    Blair standing in her red gown in "Gossip Girl"
    The CW

    "I disliked her so much at first, but once you find out more about her family and upbringing and how Chuck treats her, you can kind of understand why she acts the way she does. At the start, I hated Blair and loved Serena, but by the end of it, I’d done a complete 180!"

    —emmab97

    5. Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale

    Cheryl doing interviews for the cheerleading team in "Riverdale"
    The CW

    "At first, she was the spoiled, bratty, rich girl trope. But the more you learn about her, the more you understand her personality and actually appreciate it. I love her sarcastic snaps and her ability to stand up for herself fearlessly. The only reason I even watched Riverdale for three whole seasons was for Cheryl fucking Blossom!"

    —m4db98167b

    6. Caroline Forbes from The Vampire Diaries

    Caroline talking to Bonnie in "The Vampire Diaries"
    The CW

    "In the beginning, she was this bland, jealous character. But she became my favorite character. Her character development was spectacular."

    —phor89

    7. Mariana Adams Foster from The Fosters and Good Trouble

    Freeform

    "I didn't like her when I first started watching. She acted annoying and only cared about herself in a lot of situations. As I kept watching, she quickly became my favorite character."

    —kandksknakxj

    8. Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill

    The WB

    "He started out as a jackass but ended up being the best man on the show!"

    —brittanykelly83

    9. Katie Fitch from Skins

    E4

    "The first time I watched the show, I hated her, but on rewatches, I’ve really grown to love her. She really grew to be a main part of the friendship group, and it’s like she said, 'Sometimes your friends need someone to be honest to them.'"

    —georgea4cf7567f5

    10. Spinner Mason from Degrassi: The Next Generation

    CTV

    "In the beginning, Spinner was your typical "bad-boy/bully" character that spices up every teen drama. He picked on kids and played into every bad-boy stereotype. But once we started to learn more about his background, he became a much more complex character. He had one of the best (if not the best) character development on the show."

    —salimahmccullough

    11. Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill

    The WB

    "She’s entertaining from the get-go, but it takes a while for her to become likable. By the end of the show, she’s one of the most well-rounded characters there."

    —gemmadeanquested

    12. Quinn Fabray from Glee

    Quinn talking to Puck in "Glee"
    Fox

    "OMG, at first I hated her, and she made me so mad, but her character development was so exciting, and she really grew and changed as a person! She had real development, and I began to really love her as the series went on!"

    —that1girlthatmightnotbehuman

    13. Lydia Martin from Teen Wolf

    MTV

    "She was one-dimensional, shallow, and painfully whiny in the first season. I didn’t get why Stiles liked her or the hype about their relationship, but then she became more developed as a character overall. By Season 3, she was one of my favorites."

    —vsoldf

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

    Netflix

    "She was first introduced as this snobby actress who did not give a shit if she hurt anyone's feelings. While my admiration for her ebbed and flowed, it finally went up again for good when she came to terms with her sexuality and found love with Rasha."

    —margannlaurissa

    15. Sadie Saxton from Awkward

    MTV

    "I never actually hated her cause I loved her attitude. She was obviously the mean girl but eventually, you find out she’s going through it like everyone else. Which is exactly what high school is. Sometimes people are awful to be around because they feel awful."

    —lililangston06

    16. Theo Raeken from Teen Wolf

    Theo working out in "Teen Wolf"
    MTV

    "I thought he was so smug when he arrived and started tearing the pack apart....but he had such good development in the end. I'd die for him."

    —liamstark70

    17. Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars

    The CW

    "He was such a douche in the first season that I was initially mad that he and Veronica got together, but by the end, well, let's just say I like to pretend that finale never happened."

    —stella93

    18. Lu Montesinos Hendrich from Elite

    Netflix

    "I absolutely HATED her the first two seasons. I thought she was such an entitled character who was so unnecessarily mean to all the other characters. But in the third season, they really started making her more vulnerable and relatable. I felt like I finally understood where all her anger came from and started to really admire her honesty and confidence. I especially loved her relationship with Nadia. Seeing them go from enemies to allies and then friends going to college together really cemented Lu as one of my favorite characters on the show."

    —strawberrylumps22

    19. Cordelia Chase from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    The WB

    "Her character growth started in Buffy, and by Season 3, you can't help but be amused by her. But then in Angel, she grows so much and becomes so badass as a person you completely fall in love with her."

    —eell

    20. Cisco Ramon from The Flash

    The CW

    "I initially thought he was a basic, nerdy character, but he developed some layers throughout the series. He becomes an onion of sorts."

    —whyisyou

    21. John Murphy from The 100

    John from "The 100"
    The CW

    "I wanted that character dead and gone almost as much as Joffrey from Game of Thrones. But then he found his way on top of my list of favorite characters. My opinion on a TV character hasn’t ever changed as drastically as Murphy."

    —donotgogentleintothatgoodnight

    22. And finally, Dawn Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    The WB

    "She turned up and was such a spoiled, whiney, pain in the butt, but by the end, she was an amazing, strong young woman and integral part of The Scoobies."

    —tessaramsay

    Are there any teen drama characters you absolutely hated at first but then grew to love who didn't make this list? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!

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