Stories cannot exist independently of their protagonists—in fact, they become incredibly boring if audiences have nobody to root for or relate with. These characters set the pace of their narratives through the choices they make and the consequences thereof, directly affecting the conclusion of their journeys.
That said, there are several protagonists whose lives could have turned out a lot better, if only because they deserve so much more than they receive over the course of their respective character arcs. Caveat: A few of the TV shows mentioned below are still in progress, so their protagonists have a chance to recover from any ongoing setbacks.
10 Robby Keene Sides With The Villainous John Kreese (For Now) — Cobra Kai
Robby Keene takes after his father Johnny Lawrence, often getting into trouble for his unruly behavior. He undergoes a transformation under Daniel's karate tutelage, earning incredible praise from both his sensei and Samantha.
That is until Robby accidentally injures Miguel Diaz during a school fight. Unfortunately, Robby falls for John Kreese's serpentine slyness and rejects both his father and Daniel in favor of the new and much-worse Cobra Kai. Season 4 can't come soon enough.
9 Beth Boland Deserves To Live The Best Life She Can Live — Good Girls
Beth Boland is a suburban housewife dragged into a world of drugs, crime, and murder, although none of this happens entirely against her will. She is swayed by the suave Rio, which might explain her initial interest in earning some quick cash, but her appetite for power and money remains unsatisfied.
Beth cares deeply for Annie and Ruby, two women who never deny her calls for help, but she relies on their support a little too much for comfort. However, Beth deserves to live the best life she can live, even if it means dealing with danger head-on.
8 Simon Basset Is Willing To Sacrifice His Ego For His Partner — Bridgerton
Daphne Bridgerton's friendship with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, takes several odd turns over the course of their pseudo-courtship. They realize that they have fallen in love with each other, but Simon bluntly denies the possibility of children, as he hates the idea of putting them through the abusive childhood he had experienced under his father.
Although there's no telling how he might react to his impending fatherhood, the fact that Simon agrees to have a baby with Daphne proves his willingness to sacrifice past vengeance for the sake of present happiness.
7 Andrew Glouberman Has A Couple Of Seasons Left To Grow Up — Big Mouth
Andrew takes full advantage of his adolescence, but it must be noted that it also causes him a lot of grief. He cannot resist his desires, which is completely ordinary for someone his age, but they have led to some pretty problematic situations.
Andrew violently lashes out at his friends if he perceives the slightest hint of injustice, including Nick Birth, Jessi Glaser, and Missi Foreman-Greenwald. Experiencing teenage pangs doesn't mean that he can resort to violence when he doesn't get his way. Still, there are a couple of Big Mouth seasons remaining for him to acquire a sense of maturity.
6 Dolores Abernathy Martyrs Herself For Maeve And Caleb — Westworld
Dolores Abernathy has spent decades in Westworld, living through the same banal loop and assimilating her history into her unconscious mind without realizing it. However, her memories return at the same time that the Wyatt side of her personality is activated, turning Dolores into a vengeful vigilante.
She takes the decision to kill humans for their crimes against her AI friends and family, eventually mutating into a gratuitously destructive force. Nevertheless, Dolores martyrs herself in Season 3, leaving Caleb and Maeve to carry on the legacy of her revolution.
5 Tahani Al-Jamil Chooses To Become An Architect — The Good Place
Tahani is a lovable blowhard—every alternate sentence that pours out of her mouth contains a reference to some celebrity or another. She claims that her godparents are Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Paul McCartney, that she "set up Drake with Ruth Bader Ginsburg", and, perhaps most incredulously, she has Queen Elizabeth's contact in her phone.
Her humblebrag habits are slightly annoying, and her acts of compassion are all motivated by a need for the spotlight. Nevertheless, Tahani chooses to become an architect for the Good Place, hoping to improve the afterlife experience for other souls.
4 Edmund Blackadder's Various Incarnations Suffer The Same Misfortunes — Blackadder
The Blackadder family line has survived for hundreds of years—the series follows four of its patriarchs, all named Edmund, in four distinct timelines.
Prince Edmund Plantagenet dies before he can enjoy his coronation, Lord Edmund Blackadder is killed by Ludwig the Indestructible, and Captain Edmund Blackadder perishes in a World War I trench. On the other hand, two versions of the character end up becoming the King of England, so maybe he doesn't deserve too many second chances.
3 Malcolm Wilkerson Sheds His Ego When He Goes To College — Malcolm In The Middle
Malcolm's incandescent intellect pales in comparison with his monolithic ego. He dislikes everyone, from his controlling mother to his tiresome brothers, constantly attempting to distance himself from the shame he feels for his family. Ironically, however, Malcolm's vision for himself overlaps with the one his parents have for him.
At the end of the series, Lois tells her middle son that she expects him to be the President of the United States someday, asserting that he "wouldn't have suffered enough" if he takes the easy route. Malcolm finally shoulders his family's hopes, dreams, and burdens as he begins the next step of his journey.
2 Juliana Crain Needs To Take Responsibility For The Revolution — The Man In The High Castle
Juliana Crain is perpetually unsure about the decisions she needs to make, although her ambivalence is a natural result of the situations she finds herself in. She singlehandedly battles both the Japanese Empire and the Nazi Reich, achieving incredible notoriety in each case.
Juliana's struggle to "fix" her timeline comes to a head in the fourth season when "the door is open[ed]" allowing a crossover to take place between the two worlds. That being said, Juliana's victory comes at an enormous cost, something that can be rectified as long as she takes responsibility for the revolution.
1 Carla Rosón Caleruega Can Still Return To The Show — Élite
Carla fluctuates between hero and villain with an almost musical rhythm—she tries her hardest to save Polo from prison because it means she won't be held accountable for Marina's murder, but the intense affection she develops for Samuel contradicts her manipulative tendencies.
Carla leaves the story after Season 3, after obtaining an acceptable level of emotional closure for herself. There are avenues left open for her to return to the world of Élite, but the decision is hers to make.
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