We all have our favorite television shows, and while we enjoy most of the characters on them, there are certainly ones that we absolutely hate. However, some of that hate doesn’t always last. Sometimes we can even learn to love them again. 

You have to give credit where credit is due. If an actor can play a character so well that we as viewers actually hate them, that takes a lot of work. What’s even more amazing is when they play someone we hate and do a complete 360 and actually make us like the character.

Maybe it has to do with the writing. Whatever the case is, these once hated characters totally earned our respect for one reason or another.

Wesley Wyndam Pryce

20th Century Television

Hated on: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Loved on: Angel

Without a doubt all of us who have watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer hated when the Watchers Council brought young Wesley in to replace Giles as Buffy and Faith’s watcher. He was already not sitting well with fans because he was displacing a character that we all loved. On Buffy he was the worst. A by the book Watcher with no experience what so ever. Fast forward to the Buffy spin-off series Angel and Wesley was a whole new man. He became an intricate part of team Angel, and his death (spoiler) on the series is one of the saddest moments in the Whedon-verse. He totally redeemed himself with fans, and actually became one of the favorites on the show.

Carol

AMC

Hated on: The Walking Dead seasons 1-3

Loved on: The Walking Dead seasons 4-current

One of the most loved characters on AMC’s The Walking Dead was once one of the most hated among the fans. I have openly and outloud in the past said that I wish that they would just let Carol get eaten by a walker. I have 100% changed my mind on that. When we talk about a complete character change, Carol is the best example. Seen as weak and annoying in the first couple of seasons of the show, Carol is one of the most valuable and skilled members of Rick’s group – or her group depending on how you see it after the last episode of The Walking Dead. Plus she helped save the life of a baby. That’s totally redeeming all on its own.

Claire Matthews

Tumblr

Hated on: The Following season 1

Loved on: Near the end of The Following season 2

Ugh, Claire. I hate to say that I even liked her on this show, but has we got closer to the end of season 2 of The Following Claire was hellbent on getting revenge. One of the main reasons that we as fans hated her was because she never did as she was instructed by people who knew way more about kidnapping and murder situations than her. She got in the way, made messes of things that didn’t need to be made messes of and was just the worst. However when she got into a big fight at the end of season 2 with psychopath Emma and won – sort of – we learned to respect her. At least she didn’t put anyone else in danger at that point.

Hank Schrader

AMC

Hated on: Breaking Bad seasons 1-2

Loved on: Breaking Bad seasons 3-6

What wasn’t there to hate about DEA Agent Hank Schrader at first? He was the typical jock in the locker room going around whipping people with a towel. It wasn’t until he was tracked down by the Mexican drug cartel and shot that he transformed into the ASAC Schrader that we learned to love. The hardest thing to watch was the fact that his relationship with his brother-in-law, Walter White, was so strained because of the, you know, conflicts of interest. Hank was horrible in the beginning. The there was the sad Hank mineral phase. After that, it was down to business. No more beer brewing. Just Heisenberg busting. In the end, Hank was great. RIP.

Cordelia Chase

20th Century Television

Hated on: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Loved on: Angel

Yet another not so loved cast member of Buffy that was totally transformed on Angel. In Sunnydale Cordelia was your typical mean girl. Yes, she changed a little bit as Buffy went into season 3 but she was just so annoying. What did she bring to the table for the Scooby Gang? Nothing really. However she was fantastic eye candy for the viewers. On Angel we find Cordelia, a struggling actress in Los Angeles who totally makes us fall in love with her. When she starts helping Angel with her visions it made her much more important. We can forget that whole being possessed and having a child with Angel’s son weirdness, because her final appearance on the show was another Joss Whedon tear-jerker.

Anakin Skywalker

Lucas Film/Disney

Hated in: Star Wars prequel films

Loved on: Star Wars: Clone Wars

This may have more to do with the acting job by Hayden Christensen, but it’s safe to say that most of us couldn’t stand Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I, II or III. It was a little better when he got dark, but the Anakin Skywalker that was developed in the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars television series was engaging. It was almost sad seeing what he was, knowing what he would become. Watching Anakin as a teacher to Ashoka Tano really showed what he could have been, if not for that whole destiny thing. As someone who couldn’t stand him in the movies, I have to say that he completely redeemed himself on the television show.

Michael Dawson

ABC

Loved on: Lost season 1

Hated on: Lost season 2

Loved again: Lost season 4

At first you couldn’t help but feel for Michael Dawson. A father who was separated from his son when the child was so young, and only to be reunited after the tragic death of the boys mother. He did everything that he could to build a raft to get him and his son off “The Island” and was going to bring help back fro the others. Then “the others” kidnapped Walt, beat up Michael, and turned him into a crazy person that was hellbent on getting his son  back. That would include, but not limited to, screaming “WAALLLTTTT” at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately it also meant that he would end up murdering two people. After that he turned Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley over to the bad guys in order to get safe passage for him and Walt off the island.  BUT, his story wasn’t done. He went back to the island in order to sacrifice himself to save the other people on the island from Charles Widmore and his mercenaries on the freighter. Then he came back in the form of a ghost to talk to Hurley. Yeah, Lost was confusing.