7 Most Unfairly Hated Movie Characters of All Time, Ranked
It takes more than a great movie premise to pull in an audience. If the viewer doesn’t care about the characters, nothing else matters. There have been many iconic heroes and villains over the decades, but there are also those characters fans hate, and not for the right reasons. Some films have been criticized for creating protagonists who were supposed to be cheered, but were instead so annoying that the viewer turned against them. These seven, however, don’t deserve the hate. Rather than disliking them, it’s time to see them for the complicated and realistic characters they are.
7
Jenny Curran in ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994)
Forrest Gump holding his new pair of Nike sneakers up next to Jenny in Forrest Gump.Image via Paramount Pictures
Forrest Gump was one of the biggest movies of 1994, winning multiple Oscars. Based on Winston Groom’s novel of the same name, the story follows Gump (Tom Hanks), a mentally disabled man who rises above his limitations to live an extraordinary life. He’s even given a love story with Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), who begins as Forrest’s childhood friend, then appears and disappears from his life over the next several decades. Many fans don’t like Jenny because of how she treats Forrest. Sure, she’s kind to him when others aren’t, but she’s also abandoning him and outright rejecting him over and over. This makes her easy to dislike until you take a deeper look at who she is. Jenny lived a hard life as a kid, which included sexual abuse. She is suffering from that pain and finds it hard to open herself up to love. It doesn’t excuse the fact that she didn’t tell Forrest he was the father of her child for so long, but Jenny eventually grew and found love with her soulmate in the last days of her life.
6
Karen Nelson in ‘Halloween’ (2018)
Ray Nelson, played by Toby Huss and Karen Nelson, played by Judy Greer, in ‘Halloween’ (2018)Image via Universal Pictures
In 2018, the Halloween franchise returned with David Gordon Green directing the eleventh film. After the disastrous Rob Zombie entries, the new movie started on the right track by bringing back Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Here, Laurie is a broken woman traumatized by a terrifying past. For four decades, she has been waiting for Michael Myers to return, and her PTSD was taken out on her own child, Karen (Judy Greer). The 2018 Halloween shows a complicated relationship between Laurie and Karen, and many fans can’t stand Karen’s portrayal. She’s seen as whiny, her dialogue flat. All she does is complain, with an aura of detachment, about how her mom treated her growing up, and how she can’t let go. Why wouldn’t Karen act this way, though? She didn’t get to have a normal childhood because of Laurie’s obsession and was even taken away by the state. All Karen has ever wanted was a normal life with a mom who focused on her. In the end, she fights against the Shape, showing how much she was listening to her mother all of those years.
5
Cho Chang in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)
Cho Chang smiling softly in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
In the Harry Potter books and films, Cho Chang (Katie Leung) first appears as a fellow student at Hogwarts whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) has a crush on. Sadly, for Harry, he waits too long to act, and Cho becomes the girlfriend of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson). Then, in a shocking moment, Cedric is killed. Some time later, Cho and Harry become a couple. They’re not meant to be, though, and fans couldn’t wait for Harry to get away from her. Moviegoers and readers alike were frustrated with Cho’s character in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They were bothered that all she did was whine and cry about the past, while being jealous about Harry’s friendship with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Did fans expect perfection from the character? Her boyfriend was murdered! Why would she not be grieving, especially as a scared and confused teenager? Acting all happy, as if nothing happened, would have been nonsensical. Her jealousy over Hermione shows how afraid she is to lose someone else she cares about.
Collider Exclusive · The Sorting Hat Awaits
Which Hogwarts House Are You?
Gryffindor · Slytherin · Hufflepuff · Ravenclaw
Four houses. One destiny. The Sorting Hat has considered thousands of students — now it’s your turn. Answer honestly and discover where you truly belong at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Gryffindor
Slytherin
Hufflepuff
Ravenclaw
PLACE THE HAT →
01
What quality do you value most in yourself?
Answer as honestly as you can — the Hat always knows.
ACourage — I act even when I’m afraid, because what’s right matters more than what’s safe.
BAmbition — I know what I want and I have the drive and cunning to get there.
CLoyalty — I show up for the people I love, no matter what it costs me.
DWisdom — I think before I act and I’m always hungry to understand more.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
A friend is being treated unfairly. What do you do?
How you protect others says everything about who you are.
AStep in immediately and confront whoever is responsible — I won’t stand by.
BWork out the best strategy to address it — a smart move beats a rash one.
CBe by their side, support them, and help them through it however they need.
DAnalyse what’s actually happening and find the most reasoned, fair solution.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
What does success look like to you?
What you’re working toward defines who you’re becoming.
ABeing remembered as someone who fought for what was right, whatever the odds.
BAchieving the goals I set for myself — influence, status, and earned respect.
CA life where the people I care about know I was there for them, always.
DMastering my field, contributing something meaningful, and never stopping learning.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What is your greatest fear?
Fear is the most honest thing about a person.
ABeing a coward when it mattered — looking back and knowing I did nothing.
BMediocrity — fading into obscurity without making my mark on the world.
CLosing the people I love or letting them down when they needed me most.
DIgnorance — being wrong and not knowing it, or never reaching my potential.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
The rules say no. Your gut says go. What do you do?
Every institution has rules. What you do with them is a choice.
ABreak the rules — if it’s the right thing to do, no rule should stop me.
BFind a way to get what I want without getting caught. Rules are guidelines.
CProbably follow the rules — but I’d find a way to help within them if I could.
DThink it through carefully — is the rule unjust, or is my gut just impatient?
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What kind of friend are you?
Who you are to the people you love is who you really are.
AThe protector — I will go to the ends of the earth for the people I care about.
BThe strategist — I give sharp advice and I’m the one who figures out how to fix things.
CThe constant — I’m always there, always reliable, and I never make it about me.
DThe guide — I help people think things through and see perspectives they’ve missed.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
You look into the Mirror of Erised. What do you see?
The mirror shows the deepest desire of your heart.
AYourself standing victorious, having faced the greatest challenge and won.
BYourself at the height of your power — respected, successful, and in control.
CYourself surrounded by everyone you love, whole and happy and together.
DYourself with all the answers — every book read, every mystery solved.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The Sorting Hat pauses. It whispers: “You could do well in any house. But what matters most to you — truly?”
This is your tiebreaker. The Hat always listens.
ABravery. I want to be the kind of person who acts when others won’t.
BGreatness. I want to leave my mark and be more than ordinary.
CBelonging. I want to be part of something good and never let my people down.
DUnderstanding. I want to know the truth of things and keep growing forever.
REVEAL MY HOUSE →
The Sorting Hat Speaks
Your House Has Been Chosen
After careful deliberation, the Sorting Hat has made its decision. This is the house your values, your instincts, and your particular way of being in the world were made for.
Gryffindor Tower · Scarlet & Gold
Gryffindor
You have nerve. Not the reckless kind, but the deep, quiet courage that shows up even when you’re terrified — especially then.
Gryffindors don’t act because they’re fearless — they act because they understand that some things are worth being afraid for.
You stand up for people when it would be easier to look away.
You charge toward what’s right even when the odds are terrible.
Harry, Hermione, Ron — the heroes of Hogwarts’s greatest chapter — all called the tower with the scarlet and gold home. And now, so do you.
Slytherin Dungeon · Emerald & Silver
Slytherin
You are driven, sharp, and utterly clear-eyed about what you want and how to get there.
Slytherin has long been misunderstood — painted as the house of villains when it is, at its best, the house of those who refuse to accept limits placed on them by others.
You are resourceful, strategic, and you play the long game.
You know your worth. You protect your own fiercely.
The dungeon common room with its view of the Black Lake is yours — and the ambitions that will take you further than anyone expects are yours too.
Hufflepuff Basement · Yellow & Black
Hufflepuff
You are the kind of person that makes the world genuinely better just by being in it.
Hufflepuff is not the “safe” house or the “leftover” house — it is the house of those with the greatest heart and the most unwavering integrity.
You show up. You work hard. You don’t need glory or recognition — you do what’s right because it’s right.
Your loyalty never wavers, even when tested.
Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Newt Scamander — some of the wizarding world’s finest. And now you join them.
Ravenclaw Tower · Blue & Bronze
Ravenclaw
Your mind is your greatest gift, and you’ve always known it.
Ravenclaws are the thinkers, the questioners, the ones who find a puzzle irresistible and a good book better company than most people.
Ravenclaw is not merely about intelligence — it’s about the love of learning, the pursuit of truth, and the rare courage to admit you don’t know something yet.
You see the world with unusual clarity and depth.
Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Rowena Ravenclaw herself — all extraordinary, all original. And so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
4
Summer Finn in ‘500 Days of Summer’ (2009)
Tom and Summer looking at each other in 500 Days of SummerImage via Fox Searchlight Pictures
500 Days of Summer is one of the most realistic and heartbreaking romances. In the movie, Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) and falls madly in love. There’s just one major problem: Summer doesn’t look at love the same way that Tom does. While he’s a hopeless romantic, Summer is guarded, having come from parents who divorced. It leads to a struggle between opposing goals. 500 Days of Summer does not have a happily ever after. Summer breaks up with Tom, and those craving a sweet ending were not thrilled. They took their anger out on Summer, but it’s a hate she doesn’t deserve. She told Tom how she felt about relationships and how she didn’t want to be a girlfriend, yet he continued to pursue her anyway. Over and over, she shared her honest feelings, only to be ignored because Tom was falling in love with the idea of Summer, not the real, complicated, and independent woman. His heartbreak is all his fault and no one else’s.
3
Rose Tico in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’ (2017)
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.Image via Disney
To say that fans hated the latest Star Wars trilogy is an understatement. Some of that hate isn’t unfounded, as Episodes VII through IX are a step down creatively. Still, one character got so much undeserved derision that it hurt the actress playing her. In Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, we’re introduced to Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), a woman mourning her murdered sister who works with Finn (John Boyega) to help in the fight against the First Order. In the era of social media, Kelly Marie Tran received a tremendous amount of ugliness on Twitter. They thought there was zero chemistry between her and Finn and found Rose and the preachy dialogue she was given unrealistic. Worse was the hate the actress received for being a strong Asian woman. It led to her penning a piece for The New York Times where she wrote about the online harassment and her refusal to be marginalized by keyboard warriors.
2
Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.’Image via Lucasfilm
In 1999, after a 16-year absence, George Lucas returned to the franchise that had made him a household name with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The film follows the childhood of the future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who is helped by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). It was also the introduction of one of the most divisive characters in movie history, Jar-Jar Binks (Ahmed Best).
Binks is a goofy Gungan who helps the heroes. He’s there as comedic relief, and Star Wars fans couldn’t stand him. His character was seen as over-the-top and his voice infuriating, and he took up too much time when we wanted to see the bigger stars. Although those are valid arguments, Jar Jar is still a hero and a sidekick who deserves some moments to shine. Is he annoying? Sure. But he’s also supposed to be. No one likes him, yet he keeps trying and fighting anyway.
1
Wendy Torrance in ‘The Shining’ (1980)
Shelley Duvall as Wendy, looking at a typewriter in fear in The Shining (1980)Image via Warner Bros.
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining is considered to be one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Kubrick’s direction is celebrated, as is the acting talent of Jack Nicholson, who plays Jack Torrance, a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel slowly being driven mad by the building’s ghosts. As he turns murderous, it’s up to his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), to protect their gifted young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd). While The Shining was being celebrated, Duvall’s performance was mocked. She even won a Razzie as the worst actress of the year. Some didn’t like her version of Wendy, who whines and cries often. Duvall didn’t deserve the grief she received. Wendy is not meant to be a badass final girl. She’s showing the trauma she’s going through. How is this physically weak woman supposed to act when the love of her life is trying to kill her and her child? Wouldn’t you be terrified and find it hard to move, too? Duvall perfectly sold the trauma as Wendy overcame and fought back. In the end, the Razzies rescinded their “award” and recognized how great the performance was.
تم النشر: 2026-07-26 11:01:00
مصدر: collider.com
