We often root for protagonists by default, assuming their central role grants them moral high ground. But what if the person leading the story isn’t the one wearing the white hat? Television, with its long-form storytelling, has mastered the art of slowly revealing that the hero we’ve been following might actually be the villain.
From calculated criminals to self-absorbed narcissists, these characters are framed as the ones to watch—but closer inspection reveals patterns of manipulation, destruction, and self-interest. The narrative might hand them our sympathy, but their actions show a very different picture. Sometimes the scariest villain is the one we’re meant to trust.
This list pulls back the curtain on 27 such protagonists—characters who drive their stories forward while quietly unraveling the lives around them. These aren’t just antiheroes. These are the not-so-good guys who, despite being at the center of the story, may be the true threat within it.
1. Walter White – Breaking Bad
Charm and wit mask a darker undercurrent in their choices. In Breaking Bad, Walter White is initially presented in a way that invites the viewer’s empathy. However, that image quickly erodes as we witness a growing list of questionable choices. The character’s justification for their actions often hinges on self-preservation or personal ambition. People around them suffer—sometimes permanently—as collateral to their internal conflicts. There’s rarely a moment of true accountability, even when the consequences are obvious. The narrative may try to redeem them, but their most harmful traits rarely disappear. What makes them dangerous is not villainy in the traditional sense, but their ability to rationalize it. By the time the story reaches its climax, it’s clear that the greatest threat wasn’t external—it was them.
2. Tony Soprano – The Sopranos
In The Sopranos, Tony Soprano is layered with vulnerability and charm. That surface-level humanity quickly clashes with his brutal criminal actions. Justifications come easy for him—family, tradition, business. Yet behind those reasons lies a man perfectly comfortable with destruction. Many characters orbit him, only to be ruined or discarded. Redemption seems always one step away but never quite arrived. At some point, his therapy becomes just another tool for manipulation.
3. BoJack Horseman – BoJack Horseman
What begins as relatability spirals into recklessness. BoJack Horseman invites us into the chaotic mind of a broken celebrity. Sympathy lingers until his repeated patterns of self-destruction begin to pull others down with him. Excuses pile up, but so do the victims. Time and again, people in his orbit are left worse off. Even his moments of growth are tainted by relapse or denial. The show explores this cycle, but it doesn’t excuse it. BoJack remains both pitiful and perilous.
4. Joe Goldberg – You
Framing matters—and You is proof of it. Joe Goldberg narrates his obsessions like love stories. His internal monologue manipulates us as skillfully as he manipulates his victims. Every action is cloaked in romance and logic. Yet behind the poetic words lies stalking, control, and murder. He is a predator dressed in bookish sincerity. Watching through his eyes may distort reality, but it doesn’t change the horror of his choices. This protagonist isn’t misunderstood—he’s dangerous.
5. Dexter Morgan – Dexter
Masks come in many forms. In Dexter, our lead hides behind a code—killing only those who “deserve” it. But the line between justice and ego blurs fast. Dexter enjoys the kill, regardless of his rules. The people close to him often suffer the fallout of his secrets. He may convince himself he’s in control, but the chaos he creates tells another story. There’s an eerie calm to his violence that only deepens the unease. He is not a hero, just a highly functional menace.
6. Frank Castle (The Punisher) – The Punisher
Grief can twist even the most noble of intentions. Frank Castle turns his pain into a mission of vengeance in The Punisher. While his targets may be criminals, the body count extends far beyond justice. Innocents are caught in his warpath. His refusal to change or seek peace prolongs the violence. He isn’t cleansing evil—he’s consumed by it. The moral high ground he claims is built on rubble and blood. Frank’s enemy is no longer just the system—it’s himself.
7. Don Draper – Mad Men
Success and self-destruction often walk hand-in-hand. Don Draper is the epitome of 1960s cool in Mad Men. But his charm masks a hollow center built on lies. He manipulates both women and colleagues with equal ease. His personal demons become professional liabilities. He’s haunted, yes—but also toxic. Each revelation about his past adds layers, but not absolution. Draper isn’t just selling fantasies—he’s living one, at everyone else’s expense.
8. Rick Sanchez – Rick and Morty
Genius doesn’t excuse cruelty. Rick Sanchez bends the universe to his will in Rick and Morty. With intelligence comes power, and with power, detachment. Mortality, family, responsibility—they’re all punchlines to him. His nihilism isn’t just philosophical, it’s harmful. Everyone around Rick pays a price for his brilliance. Even when he saves the day, it’s usually a mess of his own making. Rick may be unstoppable, but he’s also unaccountable—and that’s terrifying.
9. Carrie Bradshaw – Sex and the City
Not all toxicity comes from violence—sometimes, it’s emotional erosion. Carrie Bradshaw presents herself as the voice of modern love in Sex and the City. Yet her actions are often self-centered, impulsive, and dismissive of her friends’ boundaries. Relationships, both romantic and platonic, are treated as stages for her drama. She pushes away good partners and clings to toxic ones. Her writing may narrate lessons, but her life rarely reflects growth. Every time she claims to want something deeper, she sabotages it. Charm aside, Carrie is often the chaos in her own life.
10. Meredith Grey – Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith Grey deals with enormous loss in Grey’s Anatomy, but often at the expense of those around her. She flouts rules, endangers patients, and emotionally isolates people who care about her. Justifications come quickly—she’s brilliant, she’s grieving, she’s special. But over time, patterns emerge that suggest emotional recklessness more than resilience. Friendships are tested by her stubbornness and ego. Her trauma is real, but so is the damage she inflicts. Medicine saves lives—Meredith complicates them.
11. Gregory House – House M.D.
Dr. Gregory House revolutionizes diagnostics in House M.D., but torches every relationship he touches. His brilliance comes paired with cruelty, manipulation, and addiction. Staff suffer under his insults and impossible demands. Patients are often guinea pigs for his curiosity. The system protects him because of his results, but ignores the moral rot underneath. House’s misery infects everything and everyone. He’s not saving lives—he’s eroding trust.
12. Tommy Shelby – Peaky Blinders
In Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby commands attention as a war-hardened leader with vision. But beneath that composed surface lies a man ruled by vengeance and unchecked ambition. He manipulates friends, family, and political systems alike to feed his empire. Empathy is a casualty in his rise. Even love becomes a weapon in his hands—controlled, calculated, conditional. His silence speaks volumes, yet his actions scream conquest. For all his brilliance, Tommy leaves a legacy of ashes.
13. Eric Cartman – South Park
The foul-mouthed core of South Park doesn’t just cross lines—he erases them. Racism, manipulation, and violence are his playbook. Even his “friends” are frequent targets of his cruelty. Shock value masks a consistent pattern of sociopathy. The show may laugh, but Cartman’s harm is real. He’s not a misunderstood kid—he’s a fully realized monster. And somehow, he’s still center stage.
14. Ted Mosby – How I Met Your Mother
Beneath his hopeless romantic persona lies entitlement. Ted Mosby frames his long-winded journey in How I Met Your Mother as a love story. But his behavior often contradicts his ideals. He idealizes women, then resents them when they deviate from his expectations. Friends are repeatedly dragged into his self-inflicted dramas. He weaponizes affection to maintain control. Ted’s charm masks a chronic inability to accept rejection. For all his searching, the real issue is who he becomes along the way.
15. Nate Jacobs – Euphoria
Nate Jacobs, the high school golden boy of Euphoria, is emotionally volatile and deeply manipulative. His threats are subtle but ever-present. He leverages fear and dominance to maintain control in every relationship. At home, he stews in toxic masculinity and inherited rage. On the outside, he’s flawless—inside, he’s unraveling. Any hint of vulnerability is quickly buried beneath aggression. Nate isn’t conflicted—he’s dangerous.
16. Lucifer Morningstar – Lucifer
Wit and charm only go so far. Lucifer tries to humanize the Devil, but at his core, he’s still driven by pride and self-interest. Each “favor” comes with strings attached. He toys with people’s lives like puzzles meant to entertain him. Reflection is often shallow, veering into performance. He craves love but refuses to yield to it fully. Power, even softened by therapy, is still power. Lucifer remains judge, jury, and often, emotional executioner.
17. Shane Walsh – The Walking Dead
What begins as protection turns quickly into possession. Shane Walsh may have once been a reliable ally in The Walking Dead, but his descent is as swift as it is unsettling. As Rick returns, Shane’s jealousy warps into dangerous instability. Every decision becomes fueled by emotion, not strategy. His concern for others is entangled with control and ego. He increasingly treats survival like a personal vendetta. Reason is replaced by violence, and morality becomes optional. The group doesn’t just fear the undead—they fear Shane.
18. Piper Chapman – Orange is the New Black
Stepping into prison doesn’t automatically make someone humble. Piper Chapman enters Orange is the New Black as a naive, upper-class woman with a steep learning curve. But rather than evolve, she often doubles down on entitlement. Her self-importance alienates allies and creates unnecessary enemies. Even her growth feels superficial, filtered through her own convenience. Piper constantly reframes herself as the victim. In truth, many of her problems are self-made. Her worst damage isn’t physical—it’s relational.
19. Selina Meyer – Veep
There’s no room for conscience when power is the only goal. Selina Meyer’s presidency in Veep is defined less by vision and more by ruthless self-preservation. She lies, cheats, and manipulates at a pace that leaves scorched earth in every direction. Her decisions are transactional, even when they affect millions. Human connection is a nuisance, not a necessity. Her team isn’t loyal because she inspires them—they’re trapped by her whims. Jokes abound, but the damage is real. Selina doesn’t lead a nation—she consumes it.
20. Barry Berkman – Barry
Barry Berkman wants out of his violent life in Barry, but his instincts always pull him back. His talent for murder is rivaled only by his talent for self-deception. Apologies come easily, but real change never arrives. The stage becomes his confession booth, yet his crimes still mount. Friends and mentors become collateral damage. Redemption is dangled but never seized. Barry’s struggle isn’t tragic—it’s terrifying.
21. The Doctor – Doctor Who
Even heroes with time machines can leave scars. The Doctor’s interventions in Doctor Who often come with unintended fallout. Civilizations are rewritten and destroyed at their hand. Companions are traumatized, sometimes forgotten. Their whimsy masks deep arrogance. For all their compassion, there’s a callousness in how people are used. Consequences ripple far beyond their good intentions. The Doctor saves worlds—but not always hearts.
22. Rory Gilmore – Gilmore Girls
What starts as ambition can curdle into entitlement. Rory Gilmore is introduced in Gilmore Girls as intelligent, kind, and full of promise. But as she grows, cracks form beneath the polished exterior. She cheats, lies, and often avoids accountability. Failure isn’t something she processes—it’s something she deflects. Those around her enable the behavior until it becomes habit. Her charm excuses much, but not everything. The girl with the bright future becomes the woman who dims others’.
23. Olivia Pope – Scandal
Image can be everything—and nothing. Olivia Pope rules Washington’s backchannels in Scandal with white coats and moral ambiguity. Her brilliance is unquestionable, but her ethics shift like the tides. She protects monsters while destroying enemies with the same tools. Emotionally, she’s detached and transactional. Her love life mirrors her politics: secretive, strategic, explosive. Every win comes at someone else’s expense. Olivia’s power isn’t clean—it’s corrosive.
24. Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman – Better Call Saul
A little charisma can carry a lot of corruption. Jimmy McGill starts Better Call Saul as a struggling underdog, but he’s anything but harmless. As Saul Goodman, he trades scrappy ambition for full-scale deception. The law becomes his playground, and truth is just another tool to twist. His actions often ruin lives while he keeps smiling through it. The moral compromises come fast—and stick. Sympathy fades with each con. In the end, Jimmy isn’t swallowed by the game—he becomes it.
25. Bart Bass – Gossip Girl
Sometimes the villain hides in plain sight—behind a fortune. Bart Bass, though often absent in Gossip Girl, exerts a chilling influence over every major event. His wealth gives him reach, but it’s his apathy that’s most dangerous. Family ties mean nothing when business is on the line. Manipulation is his currency. Legacy, for Bart, is control—not connection. He doesn’t need screen time to be feared. Bart is capitalism’s cold, calculating face.
26. Buffy Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
She isolates, commands, and judges those closest to her. Leadership mutates into authoritarianism. Vulnerability is rarely shown unless it serves a dramatic purpose. Her moral compass can be rigid to the point of cruelty. The line between protector and tyrant blurs. Buffy may fight monsters—but she sometimes becomes one herself.
27. June Osborne – The Handmaid’s Tale
June Osborne, the firebrand at the center of The Handmaid’s Tale, rises from victim to rebel. But the shift is not clean—it’s corrosive. Each righteous act is shadowed by increasing emotional detachment. The mission consumes her. Allies grow wary, friends fall away. Her fury, though earned, becomes a storm that doesn’t distinguish friend from foe. June isn’t just changed by Gilead—she’s shaped in its image.
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