Top 10 Animated Characters that Get Picked On

On the Island of Sodor, smaller engines don’t always get the most respect, and Percy knows this very well. Percy’s a little saddle tank that likes pulling the mail train and playing jokes. Unfortunately, those jokes come back to get him in a messy way. When he isn’t being cheeky, he’s a target for teasing by troublesome freight cars and devious diesels that try to get under his skin… or metal, pushing him around for his clumsiness. Even his ‘best friends’ will poke fun at him when he feels afraid of the unknown. Percy isn’t perfect, but he’ll show them all that little engines can do the biggest things.

Dib is a dedicated paranormal enthusiast, and has no trouble figuring out that Zim’s an alien. Zim’s not exactly a master of disguise, so everyone else is sure to believe Dib, right? Unfortunately, no. Not only do they not believe him; they deem Dib crazy and mock him for his beliefs. The most frustrating part? Dib is literally the only one trying to save the Earth, and all he gets is ridicule from a bunch of boneheads who barely even notice the obvious signs – and we MEAN obvious. It’s aggravating, but it won’t stop Dib – or his gigantic head – from trying to foil Zim’s plans and save the world.

Who knew the son of a CIA agent could be such a wimp? Steve is your typical high school geek trying to be cool… unfortunately his overconfidence usually leads to his downfall. Steve is a punching bag for cheerleaders, bullies, and even animals. He’s also completely hopeless in finding love – even if he comes close to it, that hope is instantly dashed. Not to mention his “best friend” Roger humiliates him, and his own father barely respects his less-than-perfect son – he’ll try to change Steve, but it usually backfires, with Steve paying the price. Despite that, Steve still loves his father and just wants to be accepted… though that could take a while.

You’d think Hank Hill has enough to worry about with someone like Bill Dauterive as a friend; but what about having a son like Bobby? Bobby’s a good kid; he’s just slowly going through his awkward teen years… and we mean awkward. Hank wants him to be an achiever in athletics like he was, but Bobby would rather make it big in entertainment… though he tends to fluctuate between entertaining and outrageous. While he may earn a few giggles, not everyone is amused by Bobby’s antics. But despite their differences, and his oddness, Bobby and Hank have a strong father-son relationship… even if the boy may not be right.

It’s not easy being the new kid in school. Having been to 12 schools previously, Gus gets a whole new set of friends with the Recess Gang. Unfortunately, Gus is naive about the ways of the playground, which makes him an easy target. Despite his family’s military background, Gus is a small and timid kid who couldn’t hurt a fly… Well, not on purpose anyway. However, when push comes to shove, he will stand up for himself and his leadership skills will surprise even T.J.… as long as that power doesn’t go to his head.

Arnold, the titular protagonist, tries to look for the best in any bad situation. Unfortunately, there’s always someone who’ll try to knock him down, be it Harold, Wolfgang or the 5th graders. However, the one who likes to pick on him the most is Helga G. Pataki. She’ll call him names, she’ll throw spitballs at him, and she’ll antagonize him at any given opportunity. What Arnold doesn’t realize, however, is that it’s all just a front to hide her deepest, darkest secret – she loves the little football head with all her heart. As far as he knows, she hates his guts; but if he ever found out, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.

Springfield is not without its fair share of fresh meat for the bullies. When it’s not the ever-so-smart Martin Prince getting tormented, the brunt of it goes to Milhouse, a blue-haired geek who isn’t too bright. Even though he lacks social skills, he has some friends, namely Bart Simpson – though Bart sometimes takes advantage of Milhouse and either leads him to trouble or humiliates him. Of course, Milhouse really has no trouble embarrassing himself. To top it off, he also has a huge crush on Lisa Simpson… Bet you can guess how well that goes for him. Though things seem grim for the little geek, eventually everything will start coming up Milhouse.

Charlie Brown is a lovable blockhead who can’t catch a break. Every time he tries to do something simple like fly a kite or kick a football, it usually ends in failure. The other kids – especially Lucy – enjoy ragging on him about his faults. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz wrote the character to be relatable for those “more acquainted with losing than winning,” and our boy Chuck could really use a win. He hardly ever succeeds, becoming discouraged and self-conscious. But in spite of it all, he never stops trying to find that one special thing he’s good at. Good thing he can rely on his best friend, Linus, and faithful beagle, Snoopy, to have his back.

In the earlier days of “South Park,” Kenny was considered the butt of the series’ joke, what with him constantly dying and all. In later years, however, that title is mostly reserved for Butters. He is the lone innocent character in a sea of foul-mouthed children; ever the optimist, but prone to anxiety. Unfortunately, that also makes him susceptible to being taken advantage of or hurt by other kids… like Cartman. His home life is no better as his family will ground him for the most absurd reasons – or even worse than that. We should probably be worried about him snapping from all the abuse he takes… except being evil doesn’t really suit him.

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Timmy Turner
“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-)

- Dexter
“Dexter’s Laboratory” (1996-99; 2001-03)

- Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
“Total Drama” (2008-14)

Oh, Meg. Meg Griffin is one of the least popular girls at school, just because she’s not the most attractive teen in Quahog. Her home life is no better, as she’s constantly abused both emotionally and physically – mostly by “father-of-the-year,” Peter Griffin. The mistreatment is mostly played for laughs, but the jokes can be taken WAY too far. Even if Meg finally gets respect, it’s immediately forgotten at the end of the episode and the cycle of abuse begins all over again. She can mostly take the mistreatment, but it’s only a matter of time before she can’t anymore…

Do you agree with our list? Which cartoon character do YOU think suffers too much? For more down-on-their-luck Top 10s posted every day, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.