Dolores Umbridge from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is notorious for her sickly sweet demeanor and cruel punishments. Her love for power and her oppressive rule at Hogwarts made her one of the most despised characters in modern literature.
Iago, the villain from Shakespeare’s Othello, is a master manipulator who ruins lives out of jealousy and spite. His cunning and deceitful nature make him one of the most detested characters in classic literature.
Amy Dunne from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is a brilliant yet deeply twisted character. Her manipulative actions and lack of empathy make her both fascinating and deeply hated by readers.
Joffrey Baratheon from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is a young tyrant whose sadistic behavior and cruelty towards others, especially his own family, have earned him a place among the most hated characters in literature.
Cathy Ames in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden is a sociopath who destroys everyone in her path. Her manipulative and cold-hearted nature makes her one of the most reviled characters in literature.
Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula is a symbol of evil and terror. His predatory nature and the horror he brings to those around him make him a character readers love to hate.
Heathcliff from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is a complex character whose bitterness and quest for revenge make him both a tragic and loathed figure in literary history.
Nurse Ratched from Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the embodiment of cold, institutional authority. Her dehumanizing treatment of patients makes her a character readers despise.
Alex from Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange is a young delinquent with a taste for violence. His lack of remorse and pleasure in cruelty make him one of the most hated characters in literature.
Tom Buchanan from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a wealthy, arrogant man whose racism and infidelity make him a character readers love to hate.