Even in ensemble casts, nearly every television show has a distinct main character. Because these characters are the ones who get the most time to shine, they can often be controversial figures who either get a lot of love or a lot of hate. There are some main characters who are still underrated and are sometimes misunderstood by fans, like The Summer I Turned Pretty's Belly (Lola Tung) and Never Have I Ever's Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan).
There are some universally beloved (and rightfully so) TV protagonists, whom every fan of the show loves. These include characters like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Midge (Rachel Brosnahan), as well as Only Murders in the Building's central trio of Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez). There are some TV protagonists, though, who are overrated by either fans of the show or characters within the show's universe. These are the 10 most overrated TV protagonists, ranked.
10 Lorelai Gilmore
'Gilmore Girls'
Lorelai and Rory ride in a carriage with blankets and snow in the background on Gilmore Girls.
It's fair to call Gilmore Girls' Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) one of the best TV protagonists of all time. Her backstory is both unique and integral to her character, as she gave up everything in order to raise Rory (Alexis Bledel) on her own terms, the way she wanted. Her personality is what really makes Lorelai such a great character, though, with her frequent quips and her opinions on nearly everything.
That being said, Lorelai is still an overrated main character, particularly when it comes to Gilmore Girls' fanbase. Rory tends to get all of the hate for her actions, and while some of it is certainly justified, Lorelai is a more complicated character than just the well-meaning one who is always right. She is often unfair to Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Rory both, and she can be just as self-centered as Rory.
9 Jess Day
'New Girl'
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day wearing glasses and smiling in New Girl.
New Girl has some of the absolute best and more unique sitcom characters in Jess Day's (Zooey Deschanel) loftmates: Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris). Jess is the perfect character to lead this show, as her optimism is a hilarious contrast to the other characters' personalities, and she ultimately brings something sweeter and more emotional out in all of them.
Still, though, Jess is an overrated and often frustrating main character, particularly when considering New Girl's later seasons. In the early seasons, Jess' quirks and enthusiasm are very fun and endearing, and they make her an easy character to adore. In the later seasons, though, Jess was flanderized quite a bit, and she started to feel more like a caricature of herself than the more nuanced character that she once was.
8 Elena Gilbert
'The Vampire Diaries'
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert, standing in a cemetery looking shocked in Season 1 of The Vampire Diaries.
There are a number of teen drama protagonists who feel overrated, particularly within the universes of their shows, where the other characters are constantly praising them and giving them what they want. There is no character who is a more glaringly obvious example of this than The Vampire Diaries' Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). Even when the other characters point this out, it doesn't make up for the special treatment that she receives throughout the show.
While it is true that Elena is special due to being a dopplegänger, she is regularly treated as the chosen one. She gets away with everything, is regularly being pursued by the Salvatore brothers and told why she's so much better than Catherine (also Dobrev), and is always conveniently at the center of everything. It is somehow her blood that is needed for Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) spell, and her transition into vampirism is treated as a tragedy in a way that the other character's experiences of being turned into vampires aren't.
7 Jake Peralta
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'
Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta in Brooklyn Nine-Nine smiling while holding tickets.
There is a very specific comedy protagonist archetype that works nearly every time: the laid-back and fun character who works in a serious job, but is always pushing the envelope and bending the rules. Some examples include M*A*S*H
Jake is definitely a great character, and he elevates Brooklyn Nine-Nine with his constant jokes and annual Halloween heists. Still, though, Jake's quirks are sometimes pushed too far in a way that is frustrating. He often breaks the rules at his job way too much, leading him to be an irresponsible and reckless detective. His dynamics with the other characters are excellent, but in a workplace environment, Jake gets away with far too much.
6 John Nolan
'The Rookie'
Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, running while wearing a bulletproof vest in The Rookie.
Every network procedural needs a strong main character at its center, and some of the best of these include 9-1-1's Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) and Bones' Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel). A weaker example is The Rookie's John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), particularly in the show's most recent seasons. Nolan started out the show as this inspiring underdog of a character.
As a rookie, Nolan was both likable and grounded, but he has since become infuriating a lot of the time. He has gotten away with a number of mistakes and poor decisions, and the only time that he actually faced any consequences for his actions, he was able to turn it around the following season. Nolan is not a fan-favorite compared to characters like Lucy (Melissa O'Neil) and Angela (Alyssa Diaz), but within the world of The Rookie, he is definitely overrated.
5 Meredith Grey
'Grey's Anatomy'
Derek and Meredith looking off-screen in Grey's Anatomy.
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is the heart of Grey's Anatomy, and after 21 seasons, it's clear that the show wouldn't work without her. She is an iconic character for a number of reasons, like her well-written character development, and the fact that she's had more near-death experiences than probably any other TV protagonist. That said, the in-universe praising of Meredith Grey can sometimes be a bit much.
In the earlier seasons of Grey's Anatomy, Meredith was an intern who was figuring out her career, her relationships, and her place in Seattle. For the last decade or so of Grey's Anatomy, though, the other characters have been making far too big of a deal about how great and skilled Meredith is. Additionally, the flaws that made Meredith compelling in the earlier seasons have been either erased, or are now constantly excused.
4 Michael Scott
'The Office'
Steve Carell in The Office as Michael Scott talking with a camera person.
The Office has a number of fantastic characters, and Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is definitely the best one. He is the character who made Dundler Mifflin such a bizarre and hilarious workplace environment, and he is also one of the most memorable TV bosses of all time. That said, Michael Scott gets so much more praise among fans than other characters in The Office, and not all of it is warranted.
Michael Scott is certainly a great character, but The Office was still enjoyable in his absence. Andy (Ed Helms) stepped into the goofy boss role with success, and the show's later seasons are better than they get credit for. Michael is ultimately a funny and surprisingly heartfelt sitcom character, but he is not the only thing that made The Office great, and it can be frustrating to see the show's lasting fanbase attributed solely to him.
3 Walter White
'Breaking Bad'
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad wearing a black hat.
Antiheroes make some of the very best TV protagonists. They are deeply watchable, as their questionable decisions and willingness to hurt others in the pursuit of their goals makes for some really great television. It's also really interesting and exciting to see whether these characters will get away with their misdeeds, or whether they will ever end up getting their comeuppances at the end of the show.
Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is an objectively well-written character, and his character arc is one of the most fascinating and horrifying on television. Still, though, as an antihero, Walt is pretty overrated. Other TV antiheroes, like The Sopranos' Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), BoJack Horseman's BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) ultimately did this character type with more nuance, even though Walt did get the perfect ending.
2 Jon Snow
'Game of Thrones'
Kit Harington as Jon Snow looking to the distance amidst a battle in Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones has a number of unique and well-written characters. The reason that the ending was so disappointing, and that each major character death hit so hard, is because fans were so attached to the characters. This includes Jon Snow (Kit Harington), whose death fakeout at the end of Season 5 just before the hiatus was a truly upsetting time for the show's viewers.
That said, even aside from his infuriating ending, Jon Snow is ultimately the most overrated Game of Thrones character. He is certainly a sympathetic and well-written character with a number of compelling storylines, but his character arc pales in comparison to some of the other characters' arcs, like Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).
1 Ted Lasso
'Ted Lasso'
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso with brendan Hunt as Coach Beard in the background in Ted Lasso.
Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) sit in empty stands in Ted Lasso's So Long, Farewell.
Jason Sudeikis as Ted and Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard smile and look in the same direction in Ted Lasso.
Brett Goldstein as Roy, Jason Sudeikis as Ted, and Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard cheer in Season 3 of Ted Lasso.
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso sitting at a desk in an office and smiling in Season 3, Episode 5 of Ted Lasso.
At first, Ted Lasso and its protagonist, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), were a breath of fresh air. It was so lovely to see a TV protagonist who was utterly devoted to being kind to others, and to drawing other people out of their shells. When Ted finds out that Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) only hired him as part of an evil scheme and has been working against him the whole time, he instantly forgives her. When Nate (Nick Mohammed) betrays Ted, Ted again just wants to understand why.
The last season of Ted Lasso really tainted the legacy of Ted's character, though. After Season 2 did a deeper dive into Ted's past and the reasons behind his behavior through his therapy sessions, it was disappointing to see him reduced to the same gimmicks and monologues as in previous seasons. Ultimately, after having watched Ted Lasso's first three seasons in their totality, Ted's character just doesn't have the same magic to him, and feels more than a little stale.
Keep Reading: The 10 Most Hated TV Protagonists of All-Time, Ranked
