10 Best TV Show Anti-Heroes, Ranked by Fans Who Fell for Their Charm

10. Patrick Jane from The Mentalist

While the main character of his story, like many here, Patrick Jane is no classic hero. He’s obsessed with his own mission, puts his moral beliefs above others’ comfort, breaks the law on daily basis, and can kill or torture the people he personally finds guilty. But have you seen that trickster’s smile? It’s impossible not to love Jane!

9. Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon wasn’t even supposed to become a long-staying character of The Walking Dead. When he was first introduced, the audience fell in love with the silent and serious survivalist who cared for his terrible a-hole brother and demanded more of him. Daryl puts survival above all but cares for his people, and we care for him.

8. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother

Listing all Barney Stinson’s sins would have taken no less than a week, and he’s no good guy. Barney is for the most part an egocentric womanizer who cares little for the morality and legality of his actions as long as he considers them legendary. He once sold a woman he didn’t know to a guy he didn’t know! But he’s cute though…

7. Tony Soprano from The Sopranos

An absolute mess of a person, Tony Soprano is a mafia boss who has so many problems we learn most of his life story through his therapy sessions. Due to the nature of his job, Tony has to be ruthless and unforgiving, and we’re not even talking about his special relationship with the law. He might be mafia, but people like mafia!

6. Lucifer Morningstar from Lucifer

There’s no better way of signaling the audience that someone is a devil than making them an actual devil. Lucifer Morningstar is obsessed with himself, luxurious life, and beautiful women, and he would have been quite happy going on like that if he didn’t fall in love. Lucifer may be helping the good guys, but he forever remains… A devil.

5. Dexter Morgan from Dexter

Dexter Morgan is a serial killer, plain and simple. But while this doesn’t sound exactly sympathetic, his methods do: unlike his “colleagues,” Dexter hunts down notorious criminals who escaped justice, being a self-proclaimed vigilante. At the same time, Dexter works with the police, so despite being a monster, he’s a good-natured one.

4. Dr. Gregory House from House

A prickly, abrupt, closed, and ultimately unpleasant person, Dr. House is a highly efficient medical professional. For the audience, his method is interesting and amusing, but for his colleagues, he’s a living nightmare. Not a single person would have liked to work with Dr. House in real life, but as a character, he’s a real charmer.

3. Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders never tries to give its viewers an illusion of Tommy Shelby’s good nature. He has a moral compass and tries to follow it, true; but ultimately, he’s a murderer, a robber, a crime boss, and many other things. Tommy Shelby is a devil hellbound on finding and defeating new enemies, but that’s why we love him.

2. Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones

For the first seasons, you’re supposed to hate Jaime Lannister. He might be a bit too arrogant and selfish, but he’s also an attempted child murderer and just a murderer, and we’re not even touching upon his relationship with his sister. But the more you learn about Jaime, the more sympathetic he becomes until he’s almost a hero.

1. Walter White from Breaking Bad

The ultimate anti-hero of modern-day television, you can’t help but root for Walter White for one simple reason: you’re with him all the way as he gradually turns from a simple school teacher into a merciless monster and the biggest drug lord. Walter White’s transformation is truly scary but it’s just as hypnotizing, and whether you want it or not, your eyes just can’t leave the screen.