15 ’90s Movie And TV Characters People Loved To Hate
The 1990s gave audiences plenty of iconic heroes, but it also produced unforgettable characters who seemed designed to test everyone’s patience.
Some were smug troublemakers, some were manipulative scene-stealers, and others simply made every episode more frustrating the moment they appeared.
Still, that irritation often turned into entertainment, because the best “love to hate” characters bring drama, tension, and nonstop conversation.
Disclaimer: This list reflects opinion and pop-culture conversation, not definitive fact or universal consensus about any character’s value or impact.
1. Kathryn Merteuil, Cruel Intentions
Sarah Michelle Gellar brought this manipulative Manhattan socialite to life with chilling perfection.
Kathryn played twisted games with people’s hearts, ruining reputations and destroying lives just for entertainment.
Her calculating schemes and fake innocence made audiences want to reach through the screen. Behind that perfect smile lurked a monster who treated people like chess pieces in her cruel game of power.
2. Caledon ‘Cal’ Hockley, Titanic
Everyone was rooting for Jack Dawson because of Billy Zane’s portrayal of this conceited first-class traveler.
Cal treated Rose like property, not a person, controlling her every move with money and intimidation.
His jealous rage and cowardly behavior during the ship’s sinking revealed his true character. Even decades later, audiences still celebrate his downfall and cheer for Rose’s escape from his toxic grip.
3. Dennis Nedry, Jurassic Park
In this dinosaur thriller, Wayne Knight developed the most memorable tech traitor in movie history. Nedry’s greed led him to sabotage park security, unleashing prehistoric chaos that cost innocent lives.
His sloppy appearance and snarky attitude made him instantly unlikable from his first scene.
When that Dilophosaurus caught up with him, moviegoers felt zero sympathy for the man who chose money over safety.
4. Courtney Shane, Jawbreaker
In this dark comedy, Rose McGowan’s icy high school queen bee redefined teenage dread. Courtney covered up an accidental death with chilling ease, showing zero remorse for her actions.
Her razor-sharp tongue and designer wardrobe couldn’t mask her sociopathic tendencies.
Watching her maintain power through fear and manipulation made viewers grateful their own high school days were over.
5. Shooter McGavin, Happy Gilmore
Christopher McDonald gave us golf’s greatest villain in this Adam Sandler comedy classic. Shooter’s smug grin and dirty tricks made him the perfect antagonist for Happy’s underdog story.
His fake professionalism barely concealed his nasty competitive streak and willingness to cheat.
That finger-gun gesture became an instant symbol of everything annoying about arrogant sports jerks everywhere.
6. The Cigarette Smoking Man, The X-Files
Mysterious and menacing, this shadowy figure represented government conspiracy at its worst. William B.
Davis created an enigma who seemed to control everything from behind closed doors.
His emotionless face and ever-present cigarette became iconic symbols of sinister secrets.
Fans spent years trying to unravel his motivations, hating him more with each cryptic appearance and covered-up alien encounter.
7. Montgomery Burns, The Simpsons
Springfield’s oldest and crustiest billionaire embodied corporate greed with cartoon perfection. Burns exploited workers, polluted the environment, and blocked out the sun without losing a wink of sleep.
His skeleton-like appearance matched his hollow heart and ancient evil schemes.
However, his bumbling attempts at villainy and frequent defeats by Homer made him a lovably hateable character for three decades running.
8. Newman, Seinfeld
Wayne Knight returned to our screens as Jerry’s postal nemesis and irritating neighbor.
Newman’s scheming nature and weird obsessions made every appearance uncomfortable and hilarious simultaneously.
His dramatic entrances and Jerry’s disgusted greeting became running gags fans quoted endlessly.
Though technically from the late 80s premiere, Newman peaked in the 90s as Seinfeld’s most consistently annoying supporting character.
9. Ross Geller, Friends
Fans of Friends were divided by David Schwimmer’s paleontologist because of his whiny voice and jealous actions.
Ross’s possessiveness over Rachel and constant victim mentality grew tiresome across ten seasons.
His know-it-all attitude and refusal to admit mistakes made him frustrating to watch.
While some found him endearing, many viewers considered him the most annoying member of the Central Perk crew.
10. Janice Litman Goralnik, Friends
Throughout the series, Chandler Bing’s constant nightmare was Maggie Wheeler’s nasally voiced character. That distinctive laugh could shatter glass and pierce through the thickest walls.
Janice appeared at the worst possible moments, always overstaying her welcome with oblivious enthusiasm.
Despite being genuinely sweet and caring, her grating voice and clingy behavior made her unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
11. Niles Crane, Frasier
An even more arrogant character than his brother Frasier was created by David Hyde Pierce. Niles’s extreme pickiness and aristocratic pretensions made him hilariously insufferable.
His obsession with fine dining and designer labels contrasted perfectly with his father’s blue-collar sensibility.
12. Biff Tannen, Back to the Future
Thomas F. Wilson’s multigenerational bully terrorized the McFly family across different decades.
Biff represented every terrible trait wrapped into one leather-jacketed package of awfulness.
His dim-witted cruelty and cowardly nature when confronted made him perfectly hateable.
Whether waxing cars in the 1950s or running casinos in alternate 1985, Biff remained consistently despicable throughout the trilogy.
13. Annie Wilkes, Misery
In this Stephen King adaption, Kathy Bates received an Oscar for her portrayal of the most fearsome fan in literature. Annie’s obsession with author Paul Sheldon transformed from devotion to deadly imprisonment.
Her sweet exterior cracked to reveal violent mood swings and dangerous delusions.
That infamous hobbling scene remains one of cinema’s most cringe-inducing moments, cementing Annie as horror’s scariest superfan forever.
14. Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs
In this masterful psychological thriller, Anthony Hopkins portrayed the most terrifying cannibal psychiatrist in movie history. Lecter’s intelligence made him even more terrifying than his appetite for human flesh.
His polite manner and sophisticated taste contrasted horrifically with his monstrous crimes.
That creepy mask and those penetrating eyes haunted nightmares long after the credits rolled, earning Hopkins an unforgettable Oscar.
15. J.R. Ewing, Dallas
Larry Hagman’s oil tycoon villain from the 80s continued manipulating and scheming throughout Dallas’s 90s revival seasons.
J.R. betrayed family members without hesitation, prioritizing wealth and power above everything.
His trademark Stetson hat and evil grin became television icons of corporate corruption.
Even in the 90s continuation, J.R. proved that some villains never change their ruthless, money-hungry ways.
