Who Are Your Most Hated Fantasy Characters

[[deleted user]]

So it's not hard to decide your favorite fantasy characters (okay that's a dirty, dirty lie...it can be downright excruciating trying to narrow down the field of wonderful characters) but what characters in fantasy did you absolutely despise and why? Were they just absolutely evil in every way, form and fashion? Is someone just a complete bumbling idiot that annoyed you beyond belief? Perhaps your most hated character is the hero that ultimately let you down in the end or who turned out to be a villain...no matter what the case or reasoning, sound off on the characters you love to hate!

[[deleted user]]

Not to start yet another debate on the merits of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant or how woefully lowbrow some of us are for despising the series, but my most hated character in fantasy by a longshot is good ole Thomas Covenant, ye prattling, whiny, pathetic rapist of the century. Nuff said :)

[whimsicalmeerkat]

I'm going to stretch the definition of fantasy to include CS Lewis and go with Susan from The Chronicles of Narnia. She was always annoying and became a downright bitch by the end. I really hated her when I was a little kid and still do for the most part.

[[deleted user]]

Not a stretch there at all. Plus I totally agree ;)

[Valerie]

Richard from Sword of Truth.

If we're including Harry Potter, I could never get on board with the Draco love. Even though the narrative was biased in Harry's favor, I still thought he was just a whiny brat who really wasn't interesting at all.

[Chris]

I'll definitely agree with Richard. He was such a whining doofus.

Kahlan rocked. I couldn't figure out what she saw in that putz.

I'll agree on the Draco hate. While I love a good villain/antagonist, he's not it. Boring. There are enjoyable villains in that series, but Draco isn't one of them.

Definitely definitely agree with the Covenant hate. Damn, I struggled to get through that first series and I managed to lug through the first book of the second one. Then I was like, why am I torturing myself? I like a flawed character, and I love anti-hero characters. I even like wicked, nasty villains.

But Covenant takes the worst qualities of all of these things and rolls them into one. All the flaws, none of the intrigue.

[Chris]

I suppose with all that ranting I should add a lameass to the list.

Here's the first one I came up with: Tristan Kendrick of the Moonshae/Forgotten Realms trilogy by Douglas Niles.

He's the hero. And he's so blah he makes me root for the bad guys. Every time.

I can't even remember anything about that series since it's been so many years since I read it. But the hate for that character remains long past the memories of anything else.

[Valerie]

Chris wrote: "Kahlan rocked. I couldn't figure out what she saw in that putz."

Goodkind wrote some fantastic female characters in general - it's just terrible how they're treated. Either they get raped, suffer attempted rape, or die. It's really unsettling.

I'm not even going to attempt to read Thomas Covenant, because I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking "BUT YOU'RE A RAPIST" throughout the entire series. Am I missing out? Ehh, maybe, but there are plenty of other books out there...

[Laurel]

I hate that every woman from Wheel of Time is constantly drinking tea, smoothing her skirt, tugging her braid, and giving the nearest man a severe tongue lashing! Faile in particular makes me furious. Women can be strong without being bitchy caricatures!

[Chris]

Valerie, even without his biggest flaw that you mentioned, he has not one single redeeming quality. Not one. No, you're not missing anything. Donaldson is also a very annoying author. He uses big words and has a very extensive vocabulary. But all he manages to do with it is create sentences that literacy high-brows will appreciate. There's no actual substance to it.

Laurel, well said! I love Egwene, but mostly in later books. Some of the others would be alright too, without the excessive stuff you mentioned.

What's the name of that group of female sea lords? Because they definitely belong on the 'hated character' list. The whole group of them. Those and that fucking Knitting Circle both. I'd love to see a Forsaken balefire the whole lot of them.

[Traci]

I don't want this to turn into a bashing of all things Twilight but I hated Jacob. To me he was a creepy stalker who tried to win Belle over too long after she had chosen Edward. Although I also had issues with how weak Belle was. I hate female characters who fall into the Juliet mould. If I could pick a hated character from any genre it would be Romeo or Juliet. I had to give up on Wheel of Time because none of the women seemed to have any self respect.

[Valerie]

I was fine with Jacob until Eclipse, when he randomly turned into a douchebag. However, there wasn't a single moment when I didn't want to drop-kick Edward off a cliff. I thought he was a manipulative, condescending, overly-controlling asshole and I can't see what fangirls see in him.

[Laurel]

@Chris,

I'm one book away from Sanderson's books for Wheel of Time. I'm hoping he'll write female characters that the series deserves!

[Tracey]

It's funny - No one came to mind immediately, at least no one who had me hissing and spitting in fury. I'm sure I'll think of someone that'll make me slap my forehead, but so many writers work in shades of grey, so that even the darkest characters are given some redemption, that it's hard to well and truly hate anyone in their books; then again, the ones that work more in black and white make it hard because the villains are often almost non-entities (blah blah dismemberment disemboweling blah whatever fine let's go kill him).

(It's been too long since I read Thomas Covenant to add my whacks to that dead horse (great cartoon, Grant), but I loved the books when I was in my teens and then hated them the next time I tried to read them...)

That said, there are some, of course -

In a sort of general sense, I despise Mordred in everything Arthurian I've ever read or seen. But I'm supposed to. There are a few characters in McCaffrey's Pern I loathed - some of the really nasty types, or the overly political types, and that blond couple in Southern - as I'm supposed to, but not really enough to remember them a year after having reread the series.

A little poking around in what I've read lately-ish turns up these ...
- I developed an instant hatred for Marla Whatsit, from T.A. Pratt's - oh, Marla Mason books: I didn't make it more than a couple of chapters in, I loathed her so much. She was just a raving bitch, and I didn't want to give her any time. At all.
- Everyone in the "fantasy" things written my Yasmine Galenorn: upon them I wanted to call down slow, painful, fiery death from the heavens, because they were shallow, stupid, annoying, and poorly written. So maybe the fiery death is more deserved by the author.
- Pete Garey from Boyett's Ariel; I didn't quite hate him as I was reading, but once I finished the book the loathing grew.
- The child princess from Fiona Patton's Painter Knight, who was the single most irritating child I've ever read, and few people can write children without being annoying.

- Those were all hateful because of what I find bad writing or poor choices by the writers. One character I hate because the writer is so good at what he does is Rushkin from Charles de Lint's Memory and Dream - or at least the thing calling itself Rushkin: he/it was seriously evil.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Laurel wrote: "I hate that every woman from Wheel of Time is constantly drinking tea, smoothing her skirt, tugging her braid, and giving the nearest man a severe tongue lashing! Faile in particular makes me furi..."

Oh my god, I cannot agree more. I *hate* that aspect of the books. And enough with the eyebrow raising and the sniffing!

[Tracey]

Traci wrote: "If I could pick a hated character from any genre it would be Romeo or Juliet"

Because they were young and stupid?

[Traci]

@ Tracey And because our culture teaches that Romeo & Juliet is a story of true love. No wonder so many girls are screwed up.
@Nicki I hated Belle's father too. I think he was in love with Jacob.
I like romance in books fine, just not these two. Iam reading Royal Assassin & Iam liking the relationship between Fitz & Molly alot.

[Valerie]

Nicki wrote: "It surprises me how much Edward-hate there is compared to Jacob. Edward is exactly the kind of creepy control freak I'd run, not walk, from, but with Jacob I think I'd want a fucking weapon and res..."

Yup, hence my "he randomly turned into a douchebag" comment. Both of them are terrible choices for teen heartthrobs...

[Dawn]

Hmmm, most hated.. Good question! I honestly can't think of any characters I absolutely loathe right now. There are lots that I dislike, but usually that dislike makes them interesting to read about. There have to be some that cause me to rolls my eyes whenever they enter the scene... I'm at a loss as to which ones though. I'll have to think about it and revisit this topic later!

[Maggie]

Mallick Rel...the opportunistic betrayal monger from the Malazan series who is responsible for ten of thousands deaths all in the name of power advancement

[Dawn]

Thinking more, I'm pretty sure there are some people I hate in ASoIaF, but I can't remember who right now. It's been too long! Luckily I'm starting a series re-read tomorrow :)

[Traci]

The characters from AsoIaF that have the most hated qualities are the ones I like the most. :)

[Dawn]

Usually that's true for me, I hate them so I love reading about them.. But I think ASoIaF had a couple I hated all around. Reek? Theon? I can't remember for sure.

[Maggie]

the mountain! he has no virtuous qualities

[Valerie]

I think I remember Theon. Eeeek.

[Kelly]

Frederik Pohl's book Jem. The main protagonist. Although he is supposedly on the planet to learn to speak with the native intelligent species. He actually sits back the whole book allowing them to shoot main and otherwise harm every single individual of one species until the 'tribe' was completely killed.
I imagine that he was supposed to be so mean, but being a person who loves all critters (including human ones) I couldn't stand someone with that mentality.

[Chris]

I always differenciate between a character I hate when reading and one I'd hate if I knew them in real life.

The Mountain is a cool villain. I enjoy the character. If I knew him in real life, I'd hate his guts. As a reader, I enjoy him.

Same with Theon. He's layered enough as a character that I like to read about his stuff.

Now, Reek I pretty much couldn't stand.

Most of GRRM's villains are delightfully villainous though. Especially The Hound. He's my fave.

[Chris]

Oh wait. I hated Joffrey. I wanted to punch him in the head every time he showed up.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

I'm with you both on that one. I thought about him earlier, but Susan won out...barely.

[Dawn]

I hate Joffery as well. I can't remember Theon enough to remember whether or not I hated him.. Reek I'm pretty sure of though. And I agree with Chris on The Mountain, he made for a great villian.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Of course, there is Thomas Covenent...raping bastard.

Alvin & his brother (and the random helper girl) from Alvin the Maker.

The father in Deerskin (view spoiler)[(another raping bastard that raped his daughter because she looked like her dead mother and then blamed her) (hide spoiler)]

[Mach]

I hate Cersei Lannister. i really hope she gets whats she deserves, I also didn't like Jaime (view spoiler)[ That incestous bastard got what he deserved when they chopped his hand of, but he did grow on me in the end so hate is a too strong word for my feeling toward him.. His sister or should i say lover, on the other hand i really hate, i liked what happened to her in the last book ... (hide spoiler)]

[whimsicalmeerkat]

See, I always found The Mountain rather flat as a character. I agree about Cersei though, but Jaime grew on me pretty quickly.

[Chris]

The Mountain was rather flat. What made him cool was his reputation.

[[deleted user]]

So many people ended up liking Jaime but I still despise him and hope he meets a violent death in the series, the douchebag. I absolutely love the Hound tho. Super, super interesting character that I think could carry a standalone novel singlehandedly. Joffrey on the other hand, is a walking talking tightly clenched sphincter.

I actually liked Alvin Maker. The books weren't great and they dragged to say the Very least but I liked what he embodied.

Mordred is just evil incarnate. Though Morgaine la Fey tops him in Arthurian evil in my mind.

As for the Wheel of Time well come to think of it I always disliked Nynaeve. I wouldn't say I hated it her but I found her ridiculously obnoxious. She seemed to embody every overbearing personality flaw a woman could have.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Grant wrote: Mordred is just evil incarnate. Though Morgaine la Fey tops him in Arthurian evil in my mind."

This is why I LOVE The Mists of Avalon. I love the fact that Morgaine isn't a crazy psycho evil bitch in this one. It gives a plausible reason why the two would have ended up in the bed together and makes women look a lot better...

I hate that the Arthurian tales all have that the only way a woman can have power is if she is an evil bitch. Hated Gwyn, always...so insipid and pallid.

[Dawn]

From WoT, both Nynaeve and Elayne always annoyed me.

[Mach]

I didn't mind Nynaeve but Egwene really pissed me of, she has to high thoughts of her self, and her chapters are the most boring.

[Maggie]

It is so funny how everyone has a different Aes Sedai they didn't care for...
and everyone has a different Lannister they didn;t care for as well...
but NOONE likes Thomas Covenant!

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Grant wrote: "So many people ended up liking Jaime but I still despise him"

Let me clarify. I ended up liking the character development. The guy himself remained a dick in my opinion. Tyrion, however, I genuinely came to like.

[[deleted user]]

Ah, that I understand. Tyrion is hands down my favorite character in the series :) Hopefully things end up peachy keen for him

[[deleted user]]

Walder Frey. Backstabbing bastard. I hope he and his ilk get what they deserve. Every last one of them tortured to death and their treacherous line ended in pain.

[Lou]

I actually agree with Grant here. Thomas Covenant is quite possibly the most despicable protagonist ever invented. Mostly because the dickhead author wants him to be a sympathetic figure through most of the novel. You have no sense that Donaldson wants the reader to despise this man. Not to mention the whole series is rather cliche.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Ala wrote: "Walder Frey. Backstabbing bastard. I hope he and his ilk get what they deserve. Every last one of them tortured to death and their treacherous line ended in pain."

Hear, hear!

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Lou wrote: "I actually agree with Grant here. Thomas Covenant is quite possibly the most despicable protagonist ever invented. Mostly because the dickhead author wants him to be a sympathetic figure through m..."

Oh I soooo agree! When I was reading it I felt that the author was ok with the character's actions...not that the actions repulsed him as he was writing but that it would be the same excuses he'd use for a (very bad) friend.

[Kevin]

I think you all know that I hate Kvothe.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Kevin wrote: "I think you all know that I hate Kvothe."

You're a strange cat, Kev...

[[deleted user]]

*mumbles grumpily to himself*

[Bets]

Valerie wrote: "I was fine with Jacob until Eclipse, when he randomly turned into a douchebag. However, there wasn't a single moment when I didn't want to drop-kick Edward off a cliff. I thought he was a manipulat..."


Yeah. As if Edward wasn't a creepy stalker. Never read the covenant series b/c I don't do rape. Not unless someone wants to do a real, grit, honest to god of what the effects are. Pretty much everyone annoyed me in Narnia. I'll continue my own unpopularity contest to say I liked Draco better than Harry. I didn't like Harry. He may have had to deal with Raul Dahl ripped family torture in the muggle world, but it didn't really affect the fact he was a selfish, self centered, narrow viewed, priviledged little prick who got everything his own way and didn't have the sense to listen to Hermione and go talk to Dumbaldore. Though I can't actually vouch for the last few books. I had better things to do with my time.

After that rant, however, I have to go down that hate road and say I hate Edward worse. I'm sure someone has had a larger impact, but these are the ones in my head right now.

[[deleted user]]

*sigh*. I hate that Twilight is even in the faintest of ways associated with the fantasy genre. It's not. Not Remotely. Not by the broadest of definitions. It's YA supernatural romance and is neither epic, s&s, urban or any of the other many sub genres of fantasy.