Top 10 Most Misunderstood Animated TV and Movie Characters

These are characters from animated TV shows and movies whose core traits, motivations, or themes are often misunderstood.

1. Terra (Teen Titans Go!)

   

   Tara Markov, A.K.A. Terra, is a notorious villain in Teen Titans. She's known for her geokinetic abilities, which consist of throwing rocks towards others, and for being someone who was manipulated by Slade Wilson/Deathstroke.... read more

   Anyone else miss when Terra was an interesting character? Anyway, people like to hate her because she betrayed the Titans and joined Slade. And no Titan hates her more than Raven does. I see her as a character that many of us can relate to. This one is pretty unpopular, so allow me to explain why she is number one.

   First off, she was Slade's victim, not his partner. Two Titans, Robin and Raven, were his apprentices as well, yet they never get hate. She only wanted to be accepted. She has been rejected tons in the past. She later realizes her mistakes, and Slade controls her. Anyone who has seen the original knows that she had massive feelings for Beast Boy, to the point where even when she was working against the team, he was the one she did whatever she could to save. She teaches us that decisions are our own to make and to walk our own path.

   She's one of my favorite characters in the series, and shame on TTG for ruining her.

2. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

   

   Maleficent is the main antagonist in Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty. She is an evil fairy and the personification of pure evil, causing misfortune throughout King Stefan's kingdom. Maleficent has since become one of Disney's most iconic villains.

   Maleficent was left out for being different, because the king and queen did not invite her to Aurora's christening. Change my mind.

   Maleficent is an epic villain.

3. Shrek (Shrek)

   

   Shrek is a fictional ogre and the main character of the Shrek franchise. He debuted in the 2001 animated film Shrek, which is based on the 1990 fairy tale picture book by William Steig. Shrek is voiced by Mike Myers and is known for his gruff exterior and kind heart.... read more

   This one is obvious.

4. Eddy (Ed, Edd n Eddy)

   

   Eddy is one of the three protagonists in the Canadian-American animated comedy television series Ed, Edd n Eddy. He is the self-appointed, ambitious leader of the Eds and often devises elaborate schemes to earn money from the neighborhood kids. The show originally aired on Cartoon Network from 1999 to... read more

   He can definitely be a jerk most of the time, but at the end of the day he's not a bad kid, and he's certainly not heartless, unlike some crab in SpongeBob.

5. Frida Casagrande (The Loud House)

   

6. Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

   

   Prince Zuko is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Zuko is a master firebender and the older brother of Azula. He is the son of Firelord Ozai and Princess Ursa.

   Zuko's character arc centers on his journey to reclaim his honor. Initially... read more

   Besides Iroh, Toph, and Mai, no one ever loved him. Poor dude. His own dad rejected him over something dumb.

7. Bill Dauterive (King of the Hill)

   

   The depths to which this character goes are heartbreaking. Poor Bill.

8. Lola Loud (The Loud House)

   

   Lola Loud is a fictional character from The Loud House and is the third youngest child in the Loud family. She is the younger twin sister of Lana and is known for being arrogant, smart-mouthed, spoiled, and a tattle-tale.

   Despite her selfish behavior, Lola shows compassion in many situations.... read more

9. Candace Flynn (Phineas and Ferb)

   

   Candace Gertrude Flynn is a main character in the Disney Channel animated television series Phineas and Ferb. She is voiced by Ashley Tisdale. The character was created and designed by Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh.

   She is misunderstood as a brat. While she sometimes is, she loves her brothers and is just jealous. Sometimes she just wants to keep them safe.

   I think the reason she always tries to bust her brothers is out of concern, not because she's a snitch.

10. Tom Cat (Tom and Jerry)

    

    Thomas "Tom" Cat is a fictional character and one of the title characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short films. He is known for his long-running rivalry with Jerry Mouse. The series began in 1940, and Tom and Jerry became one of the most famous cartoon duos... read more

    He's just bad at being a cat. His life is so bad that even Jerry feels sorry for him, even though Tom is always threatening his life.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Sakura Haruno (Naruto)

    

    Sakura Haruno is one of the primary heroines of the series Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. She is the only female ninja in Team Seven, which originally consists of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and their sensei Kakashi Hatake. Her family includes her mother, Mebuki Haruno, and her father, Kizashi Haruno... read more

12. ?

    Clover (Totally Spies!)

    
The Contenders

13. Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls)

    

    Buttercup is one of the three main characters in the animated show The Powerpuff Girls. She was created by Craig McCracken in 1992 and is easily recognized by her short black hair, green eyes, and green dress.

    She is known as the "toughest fighter" among the trio for her aggressive personality... read more

    She does get annoying, but she has a heart and is treated as the least liked by the other two. She helps save the world too and deserves equal respect.

14. Jinx (Teen Titans)

    

    Jinx is a fictional supervillain appearing in publications from DC Comics. She is often depicted as a powerful sorceress and one of the leaders of the Fearsome Five. Jinx also appears as a recurring character in the animated series Teen Titans, where she is reimagined with different traits from her comic... read more

    The original Teen Titans showed that there's more to Jinx than just being a villain who robs and gets busted. In fact, when we first meet her, she commits crimes. But later in the series, we find out there's more to her. She's insecure about what she wants to be, and her teammates seem to be more incompetent.

15. Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

    

    Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan. Or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations. He is Peter Pan's archenemy, known for his elaborate clothing, fear of crocodiles, and his hook replacing one of his hands. Hook has become one... read more

    He is portrayed as the villain in Peter Pan, but Peter cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile. I'm sure everyone else would be mad too if some flying child cut off your hand, fed it to the crocodile, and tormented you every chance he gets.

16. Sid (Toy Story)

    

    The poor kid just wants to play with his toys and torment his sister, because don't all preteen older brothers do so?

17. Eustace Bagge (Courage the Cowardly Dog)

    

    Eustace Bagge is a fictional character from the Cartoon Network animated series Courage the Cowardly Dog. He is a cranky, money-obsessed farmer living in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas, with his wife Muriel and their dog Courage. Although often antagonistic toward Courage, Eustace occasionally relies... read more

18. Shadow (Sonic X)

    

    Shadow the Hedgehog is a character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series released by Sega. He is an artificially created black and red hedgehog with hover shoes that enable him to move at extreme speeds, rivaling those of Sonic.... read more

19. Knuckles (Sonic Boom)

    

    Knuckles the Echidna is a fictional character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. He is portrayed as a red, anthropomorphic echidna who is serious, determined, and loyal, though sometimes gullible.

    Knuckles possesses the ability to glide through the air, climb vertical surfaces,... read more

    People think he's always angry, but deep down he does care for everyone around him.

20. Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda 2)

    

    Lord Shen is the main antagonist of Kung Fu Panda 2. This regal white peacock decided traditional martial arts weren't quite cutting it, so he opted to conquer China with weaponized fireworks instead. Renowned actor Gary Oldman provides the vocal performance for this incredibly intense bird.

21. Angelica Pickles (Rugrats)

    

    Angelica Pickles is a cartoon character from the Nickelodeon television shows Rugrats, All Grown Up!, and Rugrats Pre-School Daze. She is one of the original characters and serves as a frequent antagonist in the series. Known for her strong personality and bossy behavior, Angelica often causes trouble... read more

22. Harold (Total Drama Island)

    

23. Rob (The Amazing World of Gumball)

    

    He was only bad because Gumball left him in the Void and wanted him to become the villain. In The Future and The Inquisition, he wanted to protect Elmore from the Void.

24. Trixie (My Little Pony)

    

    Trixie Lulamoon is a female unicorn pony and traveling magician. She tends to speak in the third person and refers to herself as "The Great and Powerful Trixie." She is a recurring character in the animated series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

25. Cleo de Nile (Monster High)

    

26. Red Guy (Cow and Chicken)

    

27. George Pig (Peppa Pig)

    

    George Pig is a character in Peppa Pig. He is a small pig, typically portrayed as two years old, and is Peppa's younger brother. George is known for his love of dinosaurs and often carries a toy dinosaur with him.