6 Characters We Love to Hate Because They’re So Terrible but Brilliant but Mostly Terrible
There are some characters whose wicked ways are just too much fun to look away from. They may do some truly despicable and morally dubious deeds, but at the end of the day, you still kind of root for them anyway? They may do crime. They may end lives. They may try to end the entire world. Yet somehow, you still want to hang out with them and plunder their collection of excellent capes. Anywho…here are some our favorite characters we love to hate!
Locke from The Folk of the Air Trilogy
by Holly Black
Everyone’s favorite Master of Revels has charisma to spare, enough charisma to mask his twisted insides. Locke just wants to watch people dance, both on the dancefloor and in his plots. Quite frankly, watching him manipulate others makes for a great time (even if several lives do get ruined in the process).
The Darkling from The Grisha Trilogy
by Leigh Bardugo
He’s just so suave, you know? Not gonna lie I was fully shipping Alina and The Darkling straight through all three books. Mal is great and all, but he does not have The Darkling’s cape game. Sure, The Darkling also has serious rage issues and a general disregard for humanity. BUT. THOSE. CAPES. (Also, dude has dance moves for days.)
Blair Waldorf from the Gossip Girl series
by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Oh, Blair. You scheming, maniacal mess of a human, you. Between the Audrey Hepburn delusions and her seemingly endless list of nemeses, Blair and I have a lot in common. Perhaps that’s why I’m willing to forgive her propensity for destroying other people’s dreams to make hers come true.
Annalise from The Half Bad trilogy
by Sally Green
You’re really not supposed to hate the main character’s “love interest.” And yet, here we are. Annalise and I were totally copacetic for all of Half Bad and the majority of Half
Wild. Would I have preferred for Nathan and Gabriel to ignore her completely and find a nice place in the countryside? Absolutely. But then she pulled that move at the end of book 2, and you know what: I had to stan.
Kavinsky from The Dream Thieves
by Maggie Stiefvater
If you’re feeling particularly self-destructive, Kavinsky can for sure show you a good time. The odds of him manifesting literal nightmares is pretty high, though. On the other hand, he does drive a fantastic set of wheels. Either way, your life will probably be in danger (Ronan’s definitely was), but you’ll make some excellent memories that will be gone by morning.
Allison from You Must Not Miss
by Katrina Leno
You all know Allison. She’s the uber popular girl from every high school movie. For pretty much the entirety of the book, you don’t fully know what her deal is. She’s just straight up awful to Magpie, like a mythic witch with a capital B. Let’s just say Allison has her reasons for behaving the way she does. She may be out for blood, but I’m still in awe of the power she has over people’s everyday lives.