The 10 most annoying movie characters in cinema history
The joy of cinema resides in the fact that we can often discover characters that we relate to, finding kindred spirits in fictional people who make the world feel a little less daunting and isolating. Naturally, though, cinema also offers up some incredibly annoying characters.
This can be for many reasons, such as their tone of voice, their treatment of others, or simply their unfunniness. Sometimes, these characters aren’t even meant to be as annoying as they end up being – they just are, for some indescribable reasons, despicable. While there are undoubtedly villainous and antagonistic characters that fail to be annoying because they’re so well-developed, as well as purposefully ‘annoying’ characters who are rather loveable, there are those whose presence only serves to test our patience.
These characters can leave us questioning whether we can even make it to the end of the film. In some cases, characters are intended to be light comic relief, but they become notorious for being irritating, like Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel series.
There will always be certain movie-goers who have a soft spot for irritating characters, but on the whole, the characters below have earned more than enough ground to make it onto this list. So, from Scrappy Doo to Deadpool, here is an array of characters who are annoying, to say the least.
Cinema’s most annoying characters:
Scrappy Doo (Scooby-Doo)
The most annoying characters aren’t always human – sometimes, they’re tiny animated dogs with a god complex and a thirst for revenge. Despite the fact that Scrappy Doo (full name Scrappy Cornelius ‘Dappy’ Doo) was often shown as a member of the gang in old episodes of Scooby-Doo, even getting his own show, he turned evil in the live-action 2002 film Scooby-Doo. He is revealed to be the mastermind behind the chaos, controlling a robot disguised as Rowan Atkinson’s Mondavarious.
Scrappy is pure evil, locking up the real Mondavarious and then trying to kill the beloved gang by transforming into Scrappy-Rex, a giant monster with rippling muscles. There’s little to love about Scrappy, who has a grating, squeaky voice, the nerve to wee on Daphne, and even tries to charm us with declarations of “puppy power”. This is not a cute puppy; Scrappy is an annoyance and a psychopath.
Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars prequel trilogy)
This is a bit of a controversial one. For many Star Wars fans, Jar Jar Binks is one of the most annoying characters in not only the franchise but also cinema history. The character was introduced in 1999’s The Phantom Menace as a comedic sidekick, but he was instantly met with hostility. While some fans think Jar Jar is an underappreciated and loveable character, the consensus is that the franchise would be better off without him.
Many viewers found Jar Jar’s presence unnecessary, believing him to be annoying rather than a worthwhile addition to the canon. He’s useless and detracts from much of the serious drama at play, and he was clearly created to appeal to younger viewers to maintain their interest. Jar Jar’s current status is unknown, as he has appeared in various Star Wars spin-off novels and animated series since, but for Star Wars film fans, he luckily hasn’t been seen since Revenge of the Sith.
Deadpool (Deadpool series)
Marvel fans seem divided on Deadpool, with some absolutely loving the quick-witted titular character, played by Ryan Reynolds, and others finding him utterly irritating. The latter feels like the only way to describe him—an unfunny and annoying superhero who doesn’t deserve the sequels, including the newly released Deadpool and Wolverine. His meta humour, constantly addressing the audience, even when other characters are watching, gets old fast, making you wonder who thought this was a good idea.
The worst part of Deadpool as a character is his ability to constantly deliver such awful, cringe-inducing lines, for example: “I didn’t ask to be super, and I’m no hero. But when you find out your worst enemy is after your best girl, the time has come to be a fucking superhero.” Awful.
Morrie Kessler (Goodfellas)
Some characters are so annoying that when they eventually meet their demise, you sigh a little relief. This is certainly the case for Morrie Kessler, played by Chuck Low in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. There is nothing wrong with Low’s performance, per se; it’s just that Morrie, as a character, is absolutely awful. The wig shop owner becomes involved in planning a heist, yet his insistent demands for a large cut of the money annoys Robert De Niro’s Jimmy.
Not only does he annoy Jimmy, but he also annoys the audience with his nagging, too. Eventually, he ends up getting killed by Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci. He is stabbed in the back of the head, and while that’s a horrible way to go, many audience members were just glad to see the back of him.
Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter series)
The Harry Potter series has many annoying characters, like the titular character himself, but most people wouldn’t hesitate to call Dolores Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton, the worst. There is something realistic about the way Dolores is consistently demanding, rude, evil, and authoritative, which makes her even more detestable. The Minister for Magic appointed her High Inquisitor, but she is not the best person for the role.
For viewers, it is easy to see those specific kinds of power-loving people we meet in our daily lives, whether that be a teacher or a parent, in the character of Dolores. These are the kinds of people we often wish could just take a day off or actually assess a situation with a certain level of empathy. Dolores represents this archetype, so when she appears on our screens, it’s easy to become incredibly annoyed.
Ruby Rhod (Fifth Element)
It may seem a bit harsh to label Chris Tucker’s tribute to Prince an annoying caricature, but in a movie drenched in high-camp science fiction, Tucker’s over-the-top flamboyance is still somehow relentless. Rhod’s role as bit-part narrator of our story through his intergalactic radio show is cemented by his eccentricity. There are times when it delivers the high-pitched exclamations we need, but as the runtime for Luc Besson’s flick continues, it becomes more and more akin to nails down a chalkboard, as Rhod goes from suave and powerful to whiny and unwelcome.
His incessant need to be the centre of attention and his dramatic antics often detract from the movie’s more serious moments, making him a divisive figure. Rhod either dazzles with his audacious personality or grates on the nerves with his relentless exuberance, securing his spot on our list of the most annoying characters in movie history.
Kyle Scheible (Ladybird)
If you were ever unsure, unable to access Urban Dictionary, or just mildly curious enough to know the definition of “fuckboy”, then a quick and easy way to get the jist would be to gaze upon Kyle Scheible. The pretentious teen, played with angst by Timothée Chalamet in Great Gerwig’s Lady Bird, is undoubtedly one of the most annoying figures in cinematic history. Kyle’s too-cool-for-school demeanour, complete with a disdain for mainstream culture and an air of detached superiority, makes him particularly irksome. Add to this his pseudo-intellectual musings and deliberate aloofness, and we have an infuriating character who is difficult to like.
Although he plays a comparatively minor role in the movie, Scheible’s condescension sets him apart. His elitist arrogance makes him one of the more detestable antagonists on our list, perhaps epitomising every high-brow high schooler you have ever met.
Jenny Curran (Forrest Gump)
A few of the entries on this list are up for debate. After all, like beauty, annoyance is in the eye of the beholder. However, Jenny Curran, the apple in the eye of the titular character from Forrest Gump, is a complete no-brainer. Audiences across the world have united to discredit Jenny, played admirably by Robin Wright, as one of the worst movie characters in history. Repeatedly using our hero Forrest Gump for her own means while seemingly giving little thought to his wellbeing has made her enemy number one in many film circles.
Of course, there are some reasons for Curran’s continued drug abuse and perhaps poor life choices — her troubled upbringing made them unavoidable, many would argue — however, it is her willingness to drift in and out of the life of Gump that makes her particularly annoying.
Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)
It’s not always the antagonists who end up being particularly exasperating. Sometimes, it isn’t even the heroes with a troubled outlook. No, for some entries on our list, their vexing nature comes from simply being irritatingly earnest. Good looks and noble intentions do not serve Orlando Bloom’s hero well, as his goody-two-shoes devotion to Elizabeth Swann often puts him at loggerheads with the franchise’s true hero, Jack Sparrow.
Johnny Depp’s quirky and outrageous pirate is a scene-stealing whizz. His raw and slightly stumbling plans are always rich in violence, swashbuckling adventure and wild, daring stunts. However, they are often marred by Will Turner’s incessant need to be a knight in shining armour and save Swann. A relentless quest for righteousness may seem a virtuous cause, but it is incredibly irksome, too.
Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory)
In truth, the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory has a host of characters who could have found their way onto our list. Firstly, the titular factory owner, who has enslaved an entire people in return for chocolate, is perhaps the most deplorable character in movie history. Add to that the previously bed-ridden Grandpa Joe, who is instantly out of his slumber once the chance at a free factory tour pops up. There are also a host of incessantly annoying children who are quickly dispatched by Wonka during his tour. But there can be only one winner: Veruca Salt.
“I want it now!” is a sentence that will always boil the blood. Salt’s spoiled-brat energy is not only unwelcome in everyday life but also in Wonka’s factory, and it typifies the worst traits of high-class entitlement. A lack of empathy, understanding, and unwillingness to be kind make Salt one of the first victims of Wonka’s games. Salt’s comeuppance is a welcomed moment and the scene signs off the character as perhaps the most bothersome in cinematic history.
