The Worst HIMYM Character is Not Who You Might Think

Though shows like Friends and Cheers remain at the top of the best sitcoms lists, How I Met Your Mother is a strong contender for the title of an iconic sitcom. That is largely due to the series' excellent rewatch value and the incredible chemistry shared amongst the main cast members. However, one aspect that continues to drive fans up the wall after years of revisiting the show is the number of detestable characters that appeared on the sitcom over the years.

While some characters were introduced as antagonistic from the first time they appeared on the show, fans particularly despise those who initially seemed kind and caring, only to betray someone in subsequent episodes. Sarah Chalke's Stella Zinman is the most hated one in this latter category.

She Ruined Ted

Ted and Stella dated throughout Season 3, and it looked like they were headed towards a happy marriage. However, even in those early stages of their relationship, fans noticed Stella's lack of appreciation for Ted. Yet, no one in the fandom opposed the idea of them getting married, so everyone was happy when things started getting serious between the two.

However, just before the ceremony, Stella left Ted for her former boyfriend Tony, shattering his heart and plunging him into a deep depression. Fans despised how she treated the sitcom's main character, arguing that she was a needy, self-centered, and despicable person overall.

Writers Make It Worse

It would appear, however, that the writers were hellbent on making sure fans hated Stella even more. For some unfathomable reason, they attempted to portray her sympathetically after she left Ted at the altar. Instead of permanently removing her from the show, they tried to convince the fans that Stella and Tony were destined to be together, failing to understand that the fans were no longer interested in Stella and what happened to her because they hated her guts for abandoning Ted at the altar.

Viewers would have preferred to have never seen her again, and when she kept appearing on the show, people hated every scene she was in.