I Never Expected To Feel Sorry For These 10 TV Characters, But I Was So Wrong

Redemption arcs are often some of the best-written storylines in TV shows. I always love watching a character I initially disliked become sympathetic as a show progresses. Since multiple seasons allow writers to break a character's progression into small steps, redemption arcs in long-running TV shows are rather satisfactory to watch. Often, it's not even about redemption per se, but just the opportunity to perceive a character differently after they have revealed an unexpected backstory or gone through a harrowing experience that makes them sympathetic to me.

For example, Kevin from This Is Us is often misunderstood as a character, and unfairly hated despite his gradual change over the seasons. I wasn't prepared to ever like him, but he changed so much that, eventually, I was equally invested in his wellbeing as I was in the other characters' wellbeing. Misunderstood couples in sitcoms also often fall under this category, like Ted and Alexis from Schitt's Creek. I wasn't rooting for them because Alexis cheated on Ted, and I felt he deserved better, but she grew up so much, and their breakup still hurts to think about.

10 Tommy Shelby

Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)

Gangsters rarely appeal to me, so I'll admit that I had no reason to expect Peaky Blinders to appeal to me. My favorite gangster movie is possibly The Untouchables, so watching the law do its job and bring mobsters to justice is more my speed. Peaky Blinders glorifies gang life quite significantly, and if Cillian Murphy wasn't so charismatic, I don't believe I'd have kept watching the show. However, I'm glad I did, because not only does the show become less celebratory of the gangsters' lawless behavior, it starts holding characters accountable at times.

Thomas and Arthur Shelby from Peaky Blinders

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Tommy Shelby is difficult to empathize with, given the scale and manner of cruelty with which he deals with his affairs. He's often hypocritical about his morals, holding others to standards he doesn't live up to. However, he makes serious efforts to change his ways, and he goes through harrowing experiences throughout the seasons. From Grace's death to his son's kidnapping, he experiences tragedy daily. Though he still lets the ends justify the means right until the end of the show, there are moments I felt rather sorry for him, because circumstances keep getting in the way of his redemption.

9 Lucifer Morningstar

Lucifer (2016-2021)

Tom Ellis' charming screen presence almost makes the insufferable titular character of Lucifer a tolerably fun persona. But, much like Det. Chloe Decker, I grew impatient with his shenanigans after a point. Despite knowing his real identity and understanding some of his motivations, his pompous demeanor and incessant self-destruction made him frustrating. The way he almost intentionally misunderstands hi therapist so he can keep being his childish self is particularly annoying to put up with. However, Ellis' natural charisma, Lucifer's witty tongue-in-cheek dialogue, the side characters like Maze and especially Ella, and the spin on Biblical lore kept me hooked.

Fox canceled Lucifer in 2018 after Season 3 ended, but then Netflix revived it in 2019, and the switch in platforms introduced more experimental forms of storytelling, but the final season, also by Netflix, failed to live up to the standards set by the previous seasons.

I'm grateful it did, because when Lucifer finally decides to grow up and reprioritize his life, it's a beautiful arc of character development that never stops. The circumstantial roadblocks to his happiness become formulaic, but I'll always feel sorry for Lucifer because of the ending. He became responsible and figured out meaningful solutions to every problem, and even then, he had to live in Hell for eternity. I'm still bitter about the convoluted time-travel plot that forced Lucifer in Season 6 to abandon Rory, and Chloe too, for the rest of her life and stay as ruler of Hell forever.

8 Michael Scott

The Office (2005-2013)

The part of The Office in which Steve Carell's Michael Scott is present, is undoubtedly the greatest workplace sitcom in TV history that will define the genre for years to come. It is perfect television in my opinion, except for one glaring flaw – the very first season. Ill-conceived humor and normalization of problematic comments are some of the reasons why The Office Season 1 didn't age well.

He eventually cares about his employees and goes the distance to ensure they have satisfactory work lives.

However, The Office is the perfect example of patience paying off. Even though it comes up to less than two and a half hours of content, the first season is genuinely hard to get through, but once I did, things got remarkably better! Michael Scott continued making objectionable jokes, but people would call him out on it now. He eventually cares about his employees and goes the distance to ensure they have satisfactory work lives. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself even feeling sorry for him when he's misunderstood or taken advantage of.

7 Lord Viren

The Dragon Prince (2018-2024)

Characters who let the ends justify the means are often rather difficult to like. I don't think I ever really liked Lord Viren, simply because of the number of unspeakably cruel things he did. However, his sacrifice at the end does kind of redeem him to me, and his character arc is a truly powerful story of someone dedicated to making amends for his mistakes. I hated Lord Viren when the show began, because of how he treated his children, and his lack of guilt about killing for the sake of his magic.

However, by the end of the show, I'd softened up to him more. I won't say he earned forgiveness, but I did feel sorry for him watching his genuine efforts get doubted and Soren refusing to entertain him anymore. For characters like Viren, though, people's refusal to accept amends is understandable because they caused tremendous hurt. All seasons of The Dragon Princecontain cautionary tales about dark magic, but Viren intentionally ignores all warnings and keeps using it. But, eventually, he sacrificed his own life to save his son and the city, and I did sympathize with him then.

6 Theon Greyjoy

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

It's hard to pick just one particular complicated character from Game of Thrones whose impression changes over the course of the show because they're all so complex. However, few characters have had such a satisfying turnaround as Theon's. It's especially more satisfying considering that it continues until the end of Season 8. He is possibly the only character whose arc wasn't completely ruined in the final season, which remains one of the worst final seasons in TV history.

Custom image of Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones

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I was indifferent to Theon Greyjoy when the show started, but it takes almost no time to absolutely hate him for everything he does. His lack of integrity and his unfair cruelty make him rather unlikable. That being said, Ramsay Bolton is perhaps the character in the show who I hate the most, and even someone as despicable as Theon didn't deserve to be tortured by him. I felt very sorry for him when he became Reek, but it's also heartwarming to see how much he puts effort into changing for the better once he escapes from Bolton.

5 Howard Hamlin

Better Call Saul (2015-2022)

The world that Vince Gilligan created for his seminal work, Breaking Bad, is cruel. So, I wasn't surprised that Better Call Saul has a similar approach to the characters' mortality and morality. Having seen him do his best to protect his clients, regardless of how criminal their lifestyle is, I was naturally a fan of Jimmy McGill aka Saul Goodman. A consequence of that was mistakenly thinking of Howard Hamlin as Better Call Saul's villain for antagonizing Jimmy so much. Saul may be morally gray, but he mostly uses his lack of moral rigidity to help others.

Better Call Saul serves as a prequel to Breaking Bad that explores Saul Goodman's life before his appearance in the latter show, while simultaneously showing what happens to Saul after the events of Breaking Bad.

Howard, on the other hand, not only came across as condescending but also uncaring and capitalistic in contrast to Jimmy. Only the brilliant writers know how and when they managed to make this cold character so sympathetic with his arc of unraveling. His rigid morality looks like a strength at times in a world where Jimmy plays fast and loose with the law. I felt particularly sorry for Howard when Kim and Jimmy went out of their way to sabotage his career, which eventually led to his death, because he was only there when Lalo came, so he could confront them.

4 Loki Laufeyson

Loki (2021-2023)

Loki was a tortured soul with daddy issues, reacting to Odin's lack of approval for his cunning schemes. Be it Thor, The Avengers, or Thor: The Dark World, he comes across as entitled, although that jail cell scene in the latter shows his vulnerable side. His actions after Frigga's death seem well-intentioned and by the time Thor: Ragnarok happened, Loki'd started to feel much less like a villain, which Tom Hiddleston says Loki never was in the MCU. I was enjoying his redemption arc, and his death at Thanos' hand early in Infinity War made me feel sorry for him.

So, when it was announced that he'd be getting his own TV show, I got super-excited. To my disappointment, it focuses on Loki from The Avengers, the pompous man who enjoys torturing and sees himself as better than everyone. To the credit of the showrunners, they have given him one of the most compelling redemption arcs in recent times. Watching him grow out of his larger-than-life persona, prioritizing others' needs, and eventually sacrificing his freedom for the universe is bittersweet in the best way. Loki's role as a tragic hero in the end made me feel sorry for him again.

3 Prince Zuko

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Avatar: The Last Airbender's primary antagonist from its first season, Prince Zuko, did the arc of redeeming a character with daddy issues who values honor and will do anything to prove himself worthy of his father's appreciation before the MCU's Loki. The similarities between the two characters are striking, but there are more differences than commonalities. However, the most prominent similarity is the strongest aspect of their arcs – they both learn to value themselves and course-correct.

Whether Zuko would have become a spoiled brat hellbent on hunting down the Avatar without his father being absent and a literal war commander, I can't say. In the same way, it's impossible to predict whether Zuko would have redeemed himself without his uncle's wisdom. What I do know for certain, however, is that he decided to reject his father's ways, and to stop vying for his attention, and became one of the Avatar's most committed allies. Watching him fight Azula makes me feel sorry for him every time, but I feel very proud of how far he's come.

2 Villanelle

Killing Eve (2018-2022)

Jodie Comer's charisma gives Villanelle an air of likability from her first appearance. Yes, she's a ruthless killer with no remorse who seems to derive genuine pleasure from ending lives, but it's hard to dislike her. I was taken by her fashion sense, work ethic, air of authority, and sensuality from the beginning. However, in the moments when she's being an active serial killer, her lack of a conscience really makes it hard to care for her. She's just a charming person whose screen presence I enjoyed, but I never expected to feel sympathy for her.

As a reinvented person, she should've been able to leave and live happily.

Then came the season 1 finale. Villanelle tells Eve that all she wants is "Normal stuff. A nice life. Cool flat. Fun job. Someone to watch movies with." But, she gets stabbed by Eve right after. The latter immediately regrets it and tries to help her, but it's impossible to not feel sorry for Villanelle. She doesn't quite properly redeem herself until late into the third season, but she's a female TV show character who deserved a better ending than what she got in the Season 4 finale. As a reinvented person, she should've been able to leave and live happily.

1 Jesse Pinkman

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Jesse Pinkman is my favorite fictional TV character. He went from insufferable stoner to responsible tragic hero to redeemed free man. I don't even think I ever hated Pinkman, but he never failed to get on my nerves because of his lackluster attitude and his irresponsibility. Walter had to manage his double life and makeup for all of Jesse's mistakes all the time. But, then, Jesse goes through his redemption arc slowly and intentionally, making meaningful efforts to change his ways and keep his faith in the good in people despite going through harrowing events in the final season.

Custom image of Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad

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The greatest pleasure of watching Breaking Bad is watching the characters gradually change. I'm glad we got to see Walter descend into gang lord mentality while Jesse was cleaning up his act and preparing to go straight. Watching Jesse change for the better after suffering such pain, and keep getting punished till the end, made me more sorry for him than I ever thought I'd be. I'm so glad he got a happy ending in El Camino. Jesse Pinkman's the real hero of Breaking Bad, and if there's one character whose redemption arc feels well-deserved, it's him.

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