A show doesn’t necessarily have to feature “likable” characters in order to qualify as a “good” show. The characters on “Succession” are all varying degrees of reprehensible. Every single member of “the gang” on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is extremely horrible (on purpose). If you actively rooted for Walter White by the end of “Breaking Bad,” you should give that a second thought. All of this is to say that likability isn’t a required trait for fictional characters, but some shows do want you to relate to their characters somehow.
“The Big Bang Theory” doesn’t have the venom or acidity of either “Succession” or “Always Sunny,” and it seems to want you to identify with at least one of its main characters (and you have several to choose from, considering that there are eight leads by the end of the series). Still, Chuck Lorre’s show wants to have it both ways and paint these same characters as larger-than-life to the point where some of them are incredibly off-putting … so much so, it would be hard to imagine spending time around some of them in real life. Here are the main characters from “The Big Bang Theory” ranked by how likable they are.
8. Sheldon Cooper
Why does anyone even talk to Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), much less live with him or marry him?! I know that sounds extreme, but I seriously can’t figure out why anyone in Sheldon’s orbit sticks around for as long as they do. Right from the start of “The Big Bang Theory,” Sheldon is dismissive, irritating, and downright mean to his friends — and when he and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) first meet their new neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Sheldon finds a target for his ire. Penny is outgoing, social, and not a scientist, so Sheldon doesn’t consider her to be “smart,” and this is a trend with him. In Sheldon’s view, anyone who isn’t on his intellectual level — which is everyone except for, like, Stephen Hawking — is inferior and beneath him. It’s not cute, and it stops being fun to watch at a certain point!
Yes, Sheldon does mellow a bit as the show continues; he and Penny form an unexpectedly close friendship, and he opens himself up to the point where he marries Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik). He’s still pretty rotten to everyone around him, though, and he’s not even all that nice to Amy, who he frequently belittles. Sheldon gets a “heartwarming” moment in the series finale where, during his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, he offers his genuine thanks to his friends … but it’s hard to understand why any of them put themselves through their friendships and relationships with Sheldon in the first place.
7. Leonard Hofstadter
Leonard might not be quite as bad as his bestie Sheldon, but he still definitely sucks. Throughout “The Big Bang Theory,” Leonard is positioned as a certain type of “nice guy” you often see in pop culture, meaning that while he thinks he’s just a misunderstood guy that women overlook because he’s a “nerd,” it’s actually that he’s a jerk to women whenever they do deign to date him. Leonard dates a handful of women during twelve seasons of “The Big Bang Theory,” but his most important and long-running relationship is with Penny … and he treats her extremely poorly.
The fact is that Leonard sees Penny as an object to be won rather than a full human being, and he treats her that way — when he’s not insulting her intelligence. A few examples: When Penny takes classes at community college, Leonard rewrites her essay without saying anything because he’s confident he can do a better job. He pushes her into relationship milestones she’s just not ready for (like saying “I love you” or having children). While he’s away on a research expedition, Leonard kisses someone else and doesn’t tell Penny until they’re about to get married. It’s not just Penny, either; Leonard is selfish and dismissive to pretty much all of his friends, and he’s also constantly whining about everything. He stinks. (Also, Galecki is really bad at fake eating and it makes me feel absolutely insane.)
6. Howard Wolowitz
Out of all the characters on “The Big Bang Theory,” Howard Wolowitz, played by Simon Helberg, probably changes the most across all twelve seasons, especially when you compare him to how much other characters change. In this context, what that means specifically is that he settles down with microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski (Melissa Rauch), has two children, and loses his beloved mother during the course of the show. (The actress who voiced Howard’s mother offscreen, Carol Ann Susi, passed away in 2014.) Still, Howard begins the show as an absolute creep who spends all of his time being really, really weird to women, and when he does get married, he still expects Bernadette to baby him just like his mother once did.
Howard often tries to manipulate technology to spy on women, whether he’s flying a drone over the “America’s Next Top Model” house in hopes of seeing nude sunbathing or he’s driving a remote-controlled car with a camera on it under Penny’s legs while she’s wearing a skirt. (He even gives Penny a teddy bear with a camera in it at one point!) In his marriage to Bernadette, Howard acts like a spoiled brat all the time, expecting her to do all the housework despite the fact that he’s perfectly capable of pitching in. Howard isn’t as bad as his two friends Leonard and Sheldon, but he’s no prince.
5. Amy Farrah Fowler
Amy Farrah Fowler (played by Mayim Bialik) officially joins “The Big Bang Theory” in the show’s third season, and I wouldn’t say she makes a great impression at first if you consider that she’s basically supposed to be the female version of Sheldon. As the show keeps going, it’s clear that the writers figure out more interesting things for Amy to do, and the best move they make it probably giving her two close friends in Penny and Bernadette, but Amy is also … pretty grating.
It’s clear in her dealings with Penny and Bernadette that Amy isn’t used to having friends, which means that she comes on very strong pretty much all the time (who can forget the time she had a portrait painted of her and Penny and insisted that her “bestie” prominently display it in her home?). She can also be dismissive, particularly of Penny, but the reason that Amy falls smack in the middle of the pack on this list is that she’s treated so badly by Sheldon that it’s actually embarrassing. During their relationship, Amy wants the two to be more physically intimate, and instead of just explaining to Amy that he’s uncomfortable with that, Sheldon just treats her like a sex-crazed maniac. (She’s not.) Amy can be a lot, but she also gets the short end of the stick a lot of the time.
4. Raj Koothrappali
Raj Koothrappali, played by Kunal Nayyar — who was almost fired from “The Big Bang Theory” and then officially rehired — is definitely the sweetest member of the main group of guys, and he’s much more likable than Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard. A hopeless romantic who’s terrified of women, Raj spends an inordinate amount of time on the series experiencing selective mutism around women … and the bizarre twist here is that he can only interact with women if he’s extremely drunk. (This character trait is very strange, but it’s not Raj’s fault; the writers saddled both the character and actor with this problem.) Beyond that, though, Raj is kind, bonds with Penny over activities that his friends view as too “girly,” and loves animals, especially his dog Cinnamon.
In a frustrating twist, Raj ends the series completely alone — despite an arranged engagement to hotel concierge Anu (Rati Gupta) that ends when Howard talks Raj out of following her to London — which feels like a huge letdown when you consider how much Raj hoped to find love throughout the show’s entire run. Still, it’s hard not to like Raj, from his fondness for movies like “Bridget Jones’ Diary” to his inherent sweetness.
3. Stuart Bloom
Poor Stuart. Played by Kevin Sussman, Stuart Bloom starts out as the friendly neighborhood comic book shop proprietor, but as the show continues, his role grows — and he basically ends up joining Howard and Bernadette’s family (between living with Howard’s unseen mother and helping to take care of the couple’s children). After making his first appearance in season 2 of “The Big Bang Theory,” Stuart keeps showing up, and even though he’s not really an official member of the main gang, he’s typically in their periphery; ultimately, Sussman appeared in over 80 episodes of the show.
Stuart is, at his core, extremely kind and generous, but his professional struggles — namely, the fact that the comic book store doesn’t really keep him afloat financially — often bog him down to the point where he’s just really sad. The fact that a lot of the other characters spend time dunking on him doesn’t help, and Sheldon really starts hating Stuart after he dares to go on a date with Amy before she and Sheldon are even official. Stuart is a genuinely nice guy (unlike some of the show’s proclaimed “nice guys” like Leonard) who doesn’t have a particularly easy go of things, but at least as the show ends, he finds love with Denise (Lauren Lapkus), a fellow artist who works with him at the comic book store.
2. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz is smart, hardworking, is a loving and supporting wife to Howard, and does her best to be there for her closest friends (Amy and Penny, specifically). Nobody takes her particularly seriously within the framework of the show at first due to her diminutive stature and high-pitched voice — which is a deliberate affectation crafted by Rauch — but after she’s able to leave her serving job at the Cheesecake Factory behind after getting her Ph.D. in microbiology, she gets a high-paying job at the fictional pharmaceutical company ZanGen. Armed with an advanced degree and a better job than Howard, people quickly stop underestimating Bernadette.
There’s no denying that Bernadette can be a bit harsh sometimes, even with those she loves, and when Penny joins her at ZanGen, it’s revealed that most of the people who work there are absolutely terrified of her. Still, Bernadette is incredibly likable (thanks in no small part to Rauch’s performance). She’s a devoted mother to her children Halley and Neil, supports Howard even when he’s being a total pain in the ass, and is fiercely protective of her loved ones. Bernadette is actually more than likable — she’s lovable. Unfortunately, she can’t possibly top the list — that honor goes to one of the show’s other prominent female characters.
1. Penny Hofstadter
Penny doesn’t even get a last name at the beginning of “The Big Bang Theory” — she only gets one when she marries Leonard Hofstadter — but that weird omission from the writers doesn’t change that Penny is the most important and most likable character on the series. Penny is the proxy character for viewers in that she’s often positioned as the “normal” human amongst all the “nerds.” Penny can definitely be shallow, selfish, and difficult at times, but she’s also the person on the show who feels least like a caricature and most like a human being who actually evolves across its twelve seasons. She settles down with Leonard (who does not deserve her), begins a new career as a pharmaceutical sales representative with Bernadette’s help, and becomes more self-assured while building real bonds and friendships with every other main character, including Sheldon.
Penny doesn’t even get a last name at the beginning of “The Big Bang Theory” — she only gets one when she marries Leonard Hofstadter — but that weird omission from the writers doesn’t change that Penny is the most important and most likable character on the series. Penny is the proxy character for viewers in that she’s often positioned as the “normal” human amongst all the “nerds.” Penny can definitely be shallow, selfish, and difficult at times, but she’s also the person on the show who feels least like a caricature and most like a human being who actually evolves across its twelve seasons. She settles down with Leonard (who does not deserve her), begins a new career as a pharmaceutical sales representative with Bernadette’s help, and becomes more self-assured while building real bonds and friendships with every other main character, including Sheldon.
