20 TV characters that audiences universally love

There are loads of characters on Game of Thrones to root for and against, but pretty much everyone who’s ever watched the show wants to see good things happen to Daenerys Targaryen. She’s an icon of the series. 

Sure, he’s a little dense, but Homer Simpson is a family man at heart, and that’s easy to root for. Homer has stood the test of time. He’ll always be a fan favorite. 

Long before there was Homer Simpson, there was Fred Flintstone. Just an average guy doing his best to get by. Those are the guys you want to see win. 

Tony Soprano is a complicated character if there ever was one. But despite all his faults, audiences love him. Fans of the series wanted things to work out for Tony, even the things no one would want to happen in real life. 

Lucy Ricardo is a transcendent TV character. It helps her legacy that she was the titular character of the show, but I Love Lucy wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if audiences didn’t fall in love with Lucy. 

Walter White is another complex character who has audiences on his side despite every poor decision he makes. He’s definitely one of the best TV characters of all time, if not the best, and he’ll always have a place in the hearts of the Breaking Bad fandom. 

A character would have to be really insufferable for audiences to hate someone who slays vampires, but it’s very easy to love Buffy Summers. She’s the reason fans still binge her eponymous series. 

Fans wouldn’t have learned Spock’s iconic hand gesture if they didn’t love him. It’s difficult and uncomfortable, but it’s worth learning if you love Spock. And basically every Star Trek fan does. 

Leslie Knope could murder someone in broad daylight, and fans would still be on her side. It helps that she’s played by Amy Poehler, a comedian who’s universally loved. 

No one ever has any clue what Scooby-Doo is saying, but that doesn’t make him any less lovable. In fact, it probably helps him. There are plenty of other characters who’d be more well-liked if they couldn’t talk. 

If you don’t like SpongeBob SquarePants, you’re not a fan of the show. Actual audiences know that he’s not annoying. He’s lovable and passionate about being a fry cook. 

Ask any Friends fan to rank the main characters. There’s a good chance Chandler Bing will be at the top. And if he’s not at the top, he’s definitely not at the bottom. 

Audiences love Roy Kent so much that they know the fictional song his football fans sing when he’s on the field. He may be gruff and have a hard exterior, but he’s got a heart of gold, and it’s easy for fans to see that. 

Spencer Reid is so beloved as a character that audiences aren’t sure whether they love him or his portrayer, Matthew Gray Gubler. For many fans of the show, it’s basically all one person. 

Glee really took a turn in its last few seasons, but fans stayed to see through the storylines of characters they’d become attached to, like Santana Lopez. Yes, she had many flaws, but ultimately, they were easy to overlook given everything else that made her so great. 

Most of the New Girl characters are likable, but Winston Bishop is especially likable. His arc is a little wonky, but he’s always looking out for his friends and making audiences laugh. 

Have fans ever been so sad to see a character leave? Some Grey’s Anatomy viewers left when Dr. Cristina Yang left, and they’ve never returned. That’s how powerful and universally beloved a character she was. 

Gossip Girl fans will tell anyone new to the series to ignore season one Chuck Bass. He does not reflect the Chuck Bass that fans universally love. 

Dwight Schrute can be grating and annoying, but his dry humor is hysterical, and he’s got a great arc. He’s a character some have to grow to love, but eventually, every Office fan does just that. 

Seth Cohen was the reason audience members fell in love with The O.C., and he’s the reason they watched the last season. He’s funny and charming, and he doesn’t know how handsome he is. A dream of a character.