The Office: 5 Worst Characters (& 5 Everyone Loved)

Hit mockumentary The Office has gone down as one of the most beloved sitcoms in history. The British version wasn’t quite as good as the American version, or at least, didn’t reach as many fans — and the US has the awesome characters to thank. Each character has their own personality that adds to the comedy and endearingness of the show, making it feel like home for fans to binge time and time again.

Despite many of the characters being fan favorites, however, not all of them are loved. Some later additions to the show and even some there from the beginning rubbed fans the wrong way.

10 Loved: Stanley

Stanley was the one who was constantly absolutely done with everyone. While others in the office might have tried to tolerate Michael’s bad behavior, lies, and other antics, Stanley didn’t tolerate them at all. His emotions were forever written across his expression, and he was quick to call Michael out. How he lasted so long without storming out or ending up fired is often beyond fans, but no one’s complaining. Someone had to be there to tell Michael when he was wrong without fear of the consequences.

9 Worst: Roy

It was obvious to many fans that Roy and Pam weren’t really meant to be. They were together because they were comfortable, and Roy could often be controlling and jealous — though turns out he had reason to be a little jealous. Even so, he wasn’t the right fit for her, and fans were also pretty angry that he was getting in the way of their OTP.

8 Loved: Jim

Jim Halpert was the furthest thing from perfect during his time in at Dunder Mifflin. He was a bit of a bully when it came to Dwight Schrute, often taking the pranks too far, and he definitely loved to watch people squirm while he wound them up.

Ultimately though, Jim had a heart of gold and was a true romantic who spent most of his time pining over Pam. With such a loveable performance from John Krasinski, how could fans not adore this man?

7 Worst: Jan

Jan was from corporate and for a time, seemed to be one of the most sensible characters who had to constantly dodge Michael’s lies. But when they finally got into a relationship, she was extremely controlling and acted out in ways that didn’t seem to fit the previous character fans had been introduced to, making them truly doubt how much they respected her.

6 Loved: Pam

Pam Beasley might just have been the most loveable character on the show. She was in an engagement where she was clearly unhappy, secretly in love with her co-worker, and had a heart of gold, just like Jim. She seemed to be made genuinely uncomfortable by other members of the office, such as Michael, but she put on a brave face every day and did her best for the place.

She was also hilarious when she got involved in Jim’s pranks.

5 Worst: Andy

When offices merged and Scranton expanded, Andy was introduced to the office and although he wasn’t really any more obnoxious than half of the original characters, he just wasn’t particularly welcomed by fans. His forceful personality and his strained relationship with Angela that didn’t seem to make much sense didn’t exactly endear him to the audience.

4 Loved: Dwight

Objectively, Dwight should have been one of the least liked characters on the show. He was mean, controlling, forceful, and disliked the far more likable characters such as Jim. Fans grew fond of them though, and the seasons wouldn’t have been the same without him as they went on.

He even showed a few vulnerable moments when he comforted Pam, or when he protected Jim from Roy. The man had a heart after all!

3 Worst: Nellie

Catherine Tate, a fantastic and hilarious actress, should have been a great addition to the show. Unfortunately, the character of Nellie just irritated fans. They preferred the original characters rather than a woman who came in to run the place and ruined the entire tone of the Scranton office.

2 Loved: Michael

Michael Scott should have been one of the most hated characters. He was egotistical, selfish, a liar, and often prejudiced in unforgivable ways. Yet fans came to love him — perhaps because they felt sorry for him since he was often ignorant rather than malicious, or perhaps because he was such an iconic staple of the show.

One thing is for sure: if anyone knew a Michael Scott in real life, they’d probably avoid him as much as humanly possible. But somehow, on the show, he has his fans — and many of them.

1 Worst: Todd

Todd Packer has absolutely no excuse for his behavior. He makes gross, bigoted jokes, and seems to regard everyone around him with very little respect. He has no social boundaries and no concept of when he’s taking things too far. The man’s greatest talent is making everyone in the office instantly uncomfortable, and his screentime wasn’t even really that amusing.

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