Top 10 Beloved TV Characters Who Are Actually Big Jerks
These protagonists may seem nice on paper but they're actually big jerks! For this list we'll be focusing on those well loved small screen characters who may have seemed like nice guys, but are actually kind of the worst. We're not saying necessarily that we think they are jerks, but that we understand why people do.
#10: Jack Shepard “Lost” (2004-10)
Top 10 Times Samurai Jack Went Beast Mode
Is it possible to have both a hero complex and and inferiority complex at the same time? Because, that’s probably the best way to describe Jack. He constantly complains about being the de-facto leader, but doesn’t want to let anyone else make decisions for themselves. In fact, he often keeps secrets from his closest friends to influence their choices. He is super judgmental of everyone around him and acts like he is so much better than them. Some of the best moments of this show are the ones where Jack is nowhere to be found, but of course, being a main character, that doesn’t happen very often. Someone, please, vote Jack off the island.
#9: Arizona Robbins “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
First of all, can we all just agree that she didn’t deserve Callie? Lest we forget when Arizona cheated on Callie, or that time she dumped Callie at the airport, or just Arizona’s general condescending attitude towards her partner all the time. And then she has the nerve to be overly possessive any chance she gets. As the Chief of Pediatric, one might think that she would possess a certain level of sensitivity to those around her, but she is completely lacking in empathy because she is so self-absorbed.
#8: Xander Harris “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
Xander may seem like just the class clown, but deep down he’s an insecure guy who often takes those insecurities out on his friends. He may not be a slayer or a witch, but the Scoobies always saw value in him, and yet he always seemed to find a way to blame them for his feelings of inadequacy. His loyalty to his friends is also questionable. He plays with Willow's emotions when she has a crush on him. He cruelly leaves Anya at the altar because of his own self doubt. And he is often critical of Buffy’s behavior, judging her for dealing with her problems poorly, rather than helping her.
#7: Ezra Fitz “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)
The dude had an affair with a teenage student, need we say more? And yet, we will. The relationship between Ezra and Aria is one of the main romantic pairings of this show, and a beloved one at that, but in reality, the dude is a creep. They didn’t know that they would be in a student/teacher dynamic when they first met, honest mistake, but upon finding out he was her teacher, Aria tried to transfer out of his class. It was he who asked her to stay, then practically stalked her to get her attention.
#6: Michael Bluth “Arrested Development” (2003-06; 2013-)
Top 10 Worst Things Michael Scott Has Done
The great irony of “Arrested Development” is that Michael criticizes his family for doing exactly what he himself does. Michael always thinks he's better than everyone else and therefore knows what's best for everyone. He is also not the best dad: he slept with a teacher George Michael had a crush on, constantly judges his girlfriends, and neglects his son for work. The funny thing is, he complains about how terrible his family was to him growing up, and then turns around and does the same things to his son. Having crappy parents doesn’t really give him an excuse for being a crappy parent himself.
#5: Dawson Leery “Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003)
Top 10 Times Dawson Was the WORST on Dawson's Creek
For someone who prides himself on being overly self aware, Dawson is often pretty oblivious. He spent the first 15 years of his life ignoring Joey's feelings for him, then treats her like property when he finally decides he loves her back. He eventually tosses her away when he decides he wants to sow his wild oats. When Joey and Pacey fall in love, he makes her choose between the two of them, lording their lifelong friendship over her. He is also a jerk to his parents, he is judgmental and neglectful of all his friends, and he throws a tantrum whenever things don't go his way.
#4: Sheldon Cooper “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-)
The Big Bang Theory VS Young Sheldon
Honestly, most of the characters on this show are absolute nightmares, but Sheldon is the one earning a spot on this list. Sure, he may have some sort of social development issue, and doesn't pick up on cues well, but that doesn’t excuse his extreme narcissism. He is always putting down his friends, and doesn’t think anything that isn’t about him is important. He imposes unrealistic rules on others that, of course, only apply when they benefit him. And he lies to all his friends about not having a driver's license so they keep having to chauffeur him around everywhere.
#3: Ross Geller “Friends” (1994-2004)
Top 10 Monica & Ross Sibling Moments on Friends
Everyone’s least favorite friend, Ross was totally possessive and jealous, and he always needed to act like the smartest guy in the room. He didn’t trust or respect Rachel when they were together, and he belittled her job. When he thought Mark was trying to put the moves on her, he started marking his territory. He acted like he should be the center of her world and then slept with someone else (yeah, we know, they were on a break, but still). Even when they weren't together, he acted like she belonged to him and no one else. He was also just generally pretentious and at times super annoying.
#2: Eric Forman “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
Top 10 Most Confrontational Eric Andre Show Interviews
Sure, it was the ‘70s, but Eric never supported Donna's desire to be a modern woman. He expected her to give up her dreams and stay at home with their future children when he was the one with no job, no dreams, and no discernible talents. He got so threatened by any other guy who ever looked her way, when he was the one who had a tendency to stray. He also broke up with her multiple times for seemingly no reason. He left for Africa without even talking to her about it,dumped her while away, then he came back and expected they would just get back together.
#1: Ted Mosby “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
Top 10 Most Relatable How I Met Your Mother Moments
For a guy who's supposed to be a bleeding heart romantic searching for his soul mate, he sure treats women like crap. He continues to pursue Robin for the whole series even though she makes it clear from the beginning that they want different things. He cheats on Victoria to hook up with Robin. He dumps a woman on her birthday twice. He accuses Zoey of trying to destroy his dream of building a skyscraper, but Zoey was already trying to save the Arcadian when they met. He basically uses women as test subjects to find "the one", and blames them for not meeting his ridiculous standards. Ted is the literal worst.