The Big Bang Theory: 10 Things Fans Love About Leonard (According To Reddit)

The Big Bang Theory‘s Leonard Hofstadter is most known for his relationship with Kaley Cuoco’s Penny, his friendship with Jim Parsons’ Sheldon, and his time at Caltech as an experimental physicist. Like many of the characters in the show, Leonard’s character arc was flattering, as he essentially got everything he always wanted by being able to do incredible things in science and date Penny.

Sadly, The Big Bang Theory has a bad reputation on Reddit, and it doesn’t always receive the kindest reviews. Nonetheless, there’s something about Leonard in particular that fans can’t help but have a soft spot for. He’s endearing and logical and beautifully flawed, and he was someone fans could relate with more than Sheldon. Over time, Leonard’s true fans have came to his defense on Reddit and noted all the things they loved about him.

10 His Relationship With Sheldon Was Special

The most relatable part about Leonard and Sheldon’s friendship was the number of ups and downs they had. Just because they were roommates and colleagues didn’t mean they had to constantly get along. Since the two were very comfortable with each other, it wasn’t a surprise that they experienced many highs and lows, but fans loved their relationship despite the occasional bad times. In fact, some even think that it was Leonard who should have won the Nobel Prize with Sheldon, not Amy. Throughout the course of the series, these two worked side by side and helped each other through every obstacle, and their friendship was a large storyline in the show.

9 He Accepts His Childhood Issues And Tries To Move Past Them

Most of Leonard’s insecurities come from his mother. As a neuroscientist, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter put Leonard through a series of tests for her own research when he was a child, which left a lasting negative effect on him.

But unlike most TV characters, Leonard realized how damaged he was from his mother and chose to work on himself to conquer his insecurities. He attended therapy and even had a conversation with his mother about wanting to move forward for his betterment. This growth was encouraging for fans and made them respect him for wanting to heal.

8 His Confidence Was Contagious When He Was With Priya

Leonard has spurts of confidence depending on what he’s going through in life. At the start of most of Leonard’s relationships, he’s confident in the relationship because he’s excited that he secured a woman in the first place. With Priya, it seemed like he finally found someone who was on the same intellectual level as him, understood him, and knew his friends. Sadly, the couple eventually fell apart, as Priya didn’t like the fact that Leonard was interested in gaming and comics. Nevertheless, for a short time, fans loved the way Leonard was when he was with Priya.

7 He Acts As The Audience Surrogate In The Show

In most sitcoms, there’s a character who represents the perspective of the audience, and Leonard filled that role in The Big Bang Theory. He’s logical, asks similar questions that fans would ask, and often overthinks situations what the group is thrown.

One fan noted that Leonard has more social skills than his friends and is more or less more “normal” in comparison. Whenever Howard says something sexist or Sheldon does something embarrassingly outlandish, Leonard is always the one standing there looking perplexed.

6 He Has Great Eyebrows

Unfortunately for Howard, Leonard is the one who attracts the most girls. He’s had the most promising relationships and is way more comfortable with women than he puts on. Aside from his big heart and attention to detail, Leonard’s eyebrows also do most of the talking.

In a few scenes where Leonard is sad, confused, or merely curious, his eyebrows raised in a way that’s resembled a sad puppy dog. In one scene when Penny wanted to talk about their relationship, Leonard’s eyebrows made him too adorable to break up with.

5 He Is One Of The Most Consistent Characters

Leonard’s consistency could be seen as a positive and a negative with fans. On one end, it’s a bonus that he was so consistent with his friends, job, and relationship, as fans knew what to expect from him. But on the other end, Leonard’s consistency could be lackluster. He deserved more character growth and positive traits like his friends. Still, most fans on Reddit seem to enjoy the fact that Leonard didn’t change much and stayed true to himself. It was a comforting aspect of the series that many audiences liked.

4 His Style Is Better Than The Others

It’s a popular opinion on Reddit that the guys of The Big Bang Theory have an awful sense of style. Each character (including the women) wore the same basic kind of thing in every scene. Raj wore vests, Leonard always wore a jacket inside, Sheldon loved his t-shirts, and Howard was never without a dickey. However, some fans felt that the haters for Leonard’s style were too strong. One fan in particular was impressed by his style and tried emulating it themselves.

3 He Is A Good Friend

Leonard and Sheldon got into some gnarly fights over the course of 12 seasons, but Leonard was always a good friend to Sheldon in the end. In underrated moments from The Big Bang Theory, Leonard drove all the way to Arizona to release Sheldon from jail, and he also stayed in apartment 4a for longer than he wanted because of Sheldon’s needs. Additionally, Leonard was very caring and protective of Howard and Raj. Fans loved the dynamic of this friend group and how dedicated Leonard was.

2 He Had A Hilarious View Of Howard And Raj

As the audience surrogate of the series, Leonard’s interactions with Howard and Raj often reflected how the average person would respond to these two. For example, Howard and Raj always found themselves in predicaments where it seemed like they were lovers instead of best friends. Knowing that the two were strictly platonic pals, Leonard would always watch in bewilderment at their moments — just as the viewers did.

1 He And Penny Became Sheldon’s “Parents”

Leonard and Penny’s relationship gets ripped apart and dissected on Reddit, but it deserves more credit than this hate would suggest. Penny and Leonard have one of the most popular romances in sitcom history. After years of crushing on each other and finding a balance between friends and lovers, Leonard and Penny finally committed to each other. As their romance grew, so did their bond with Sheldon, quickly becoming parental figures for him. Reddit loved that Sheldon acted as their adult son, which not only helped their own communication but made things more civil while living together.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
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Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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