Family Guy: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Peter (& 5 Times We Hated Him)

Peter Griffin is the face of Family Guy and the complex patriarch of the Griffin family. His character is centered on a complex middle ground between being a genuinely caring father and husband, and a crazy, violent and lazy slob. There are certain parallels between him and Homer Simpson, but Griffin takes things to their extremes.

As such, there are plenty of times when we have absolutely hated his guts thanks to some evil ideas and actions. There are also many times when we felt sympathy for Seth MacFarlane’s creation. We’ve listed five of each.

10 FELT BAD FOR HIM: When Chris Was Bullied

Peter Griffin might be one of the most ill-equipped and irresponsible fathers in the world, but he does prove time and time again that he actually does love his son.

We feel sympathy for Peter at first, when he learns that Chris is being bullied- no one wants to see that happen to their child. Admittedly, things take a bit of a turn when Peter actually becomes an even worse bully himself.

9 HATED HIM: He Nearly Killed Brian

Family Guy brings a lot of surprisingly violent scenes to the foreground, including one particular moment in season thirteen that could have resulted in Brian’s death. Peter ties Brian to his car, forcing him to run after the car until he smashes very brutally into a fire hydrant, losing all of his teeth and destroying his nose in the process.

8 FELT BAD FOR HIM: When Brian Died

There have been a lot of controversial moments in the history of Family Guy that have had the show’s fans up in arms, but none were met with as much rage as Seth MacFarlane’s attempt to kill off Brian entirely.

While it was Stewie’s reaction that really broke our hearts, it was impossible to forget that Brian was Peter’s friend too, and that he was having to come to terms with the loss.

7 HATED HIM: He Caused Loretta’s Death

Cleveland Brown’s ex-wife, Loretta, wasn’t exactly the nicest or most sympathetic character in Family Guy, but she was still a human, nonetheless. Peter Griffin had found himself in possession of a Brontosaurus skeleton, which he dropped on her house, making her fall out of the bath and break her neck. He didn’t seem to suffer from many repercussions about this manslaughter.

6 FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Got Plastic Surgery

The episode ‘He’s Too Sexy For His Fat’ shows Chris struggling with insecurities about his weight. Rather than helping with his diet, Peter suggests plastic surgery and becomes addicted to it himself, sculpting himself into the ‘perfect’ figure.

Behind Peter’s outrageous decision making is obviously a similar level of insecurity about his own weight.

5 HATED HIM: He Tried To Marry Chris

This one is weird on so many levels, but it comes from an era of Family Guy that isn’t exactly associated to great quality. In order to attempt to get a share of Carter’s fortune from Chris (the person he named his heir), Peter literally proposed marriage to his own son. His motivation is terrible in the first place, but just the idea of marrying your son is… weird.

4 FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Got Beaten Up By The Giant Chicken

If there is one visual that fans of Family Guy are familiar with, it is Ernie the Giant Chicken and his bloody battles with Peter Griffin. Despite the fact that Peter wins every single fight (while causing catastrophic damage to their surroundings and people nearby), it’s hard not to feel a pang of empathy when he wanders off panting, covered in blood and graphically injured.

3 HATED HIM: He Blew Up A Children’s Hospital

Halfway through the seventh season of Family Guy, Peter Griffin blows up a children’s hospital. Yes, you read that right.

At first, he seems to suggest that his intention is to blow up a billboard, but as soon as he presses his big red button, it is the hospital next door that goes up in flames. He looks pretty shocked at first, but then a second explosion forces flame onto the targeted billboard, and he’s happy again.

2 FELT BAD FOR HIM: When Peanut Butter Jelly Time Doesn’t Cheer Him Up

Brian Griffin singing ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ is enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face, whether they exist in the fictional world of Family Guy or not. However, after one of his many betrayals, Peter is wallowing in self-pity. Brian tries his best, but he doesn’t even crack a smile when his anthropomorphic dog sings him a song about peanut butter.

1 HATED HIM: He Bullied Meg

This isn’t one specific moment in Family Guy history. In fact, it would be easier to pick out the times when Peter wasn’t in the midst of a tirade of cruelty against his daughter. Whether he’s farting on her head or encouraging a variety of situations that could lead to her literal death, he is pretty much the worst parent one can ever possibly imagine.