Throughout the six seasons of HBO’s “The Sopranos,” creator David Chase introduced audiences to a dynamic roster of characters. Whether the plot is focusing on the actual family of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) or his DiMeo crime family, viewers often find themselves rooting for, or against, whoever is on the screen.
Some, such as Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), were meant to be instantly likable. It’s been well over a decade since the series wrapped up, but her devastating death at the hands of Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) remains one of the most heartbreaking for cast, crew and fans alike. “That was really difficult,” Van Zandt told Vanity Fair. “I felt so exhausted at the end of that day.” On the other hand, several individuals on “The Sopranos” are meant to be polarizing. A prime example is Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), who killed Bada Bing dancer Tracee (Ariel Kiley), among many other questionable acts. There’s also Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco), who attempts to be a devout Catholic while enjoying a lavish life with Tony Soprano’s “blood money.”
Recently, Looper put out a survey asking which characters were the most downright unlikeable on “The Sopranos,” and while it’s a tough choice, here are the two you picked.
“The Sopranos” is chock-full of blatant villains, from Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) to Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent). Yet according to a poll, fans voted that Tony and his son A.J. Soprano (Robert Iler) are the two least likable characters on the show. The poll received 565 submissions, with Tony garnering 20.53 percent of votes and A.J. 20.71 percent.
Although Tony is the leading man of “The Sopranos,” it’s easy to see why many find him unlikable. He regularly cheats on his wife Carmela, has a short fuse when dealing with his mob crew, and is responsible for the deaths of numerous men who wronged him, such as Ralph, Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) and even his own nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). On Reddit, u/yankees9588 said, “Every re-watch of the show I like Tony less and less […]”
As for A.J., he’s the epitome of an angsty teen for the majority of the series. While in high school, he cheats on tests, gets drunk on communion wine and vandalizes the pool with his friends. In later seasons, he flunks out of community college and briefly experiments with drugs. A.J. regularly looks angry or is complaining about something, and seriously lacks a drive to succeed in life. On Reddit, u/QueenRhaenys said, “I hate him more than any other character on TV. Don’t think he ever did one redeeming thing.”
