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The original was posted on /r/television by /u/AporiaParadox on 2025-01-04 14:06:11+00:00.

Usually, when the writers want you to find a character sympathetic, it’s not too hard. Be they good guys you’re meant to root for or bad guys that are meant to have a sympathetic motivation or a sad backstory, audiences usually get the intended message. But sometimes due to poor writing choices or questionable acting, audiences could instead see these characters as unsympathetic assholes.

Homer Simpson used to just be a relatable blue-collar doofus who loved his family, his biggest flaw being how he strangled Bart. But as time went on, “Jerkass Homer” became more of the norm, making you wonder why Marge is still with him or why he isn’t in prison. Peter Griffin from Family Guy got even worse in this regard.

A lot of characters on Game of Thrones also had this problem, especially by the final season. Characters were meant to be complex and sympathetic, but often came off as just mean and/or stupid.

What other characters meant to be sympathetic did you find to actually just be bad people who don’t deserve sympathy?