Netflix is responsible for some of the hottest shows of the last decade. The shows are popular for a number of reasons, including the cast of characters. But by and large, it’s a protagonist is who can truly make a show a hit. Sometimes, it’s an awful protagonist who draws viewers in, like Joe Goldberg fromYou. While he’s terribly charming, he’s also despicable. Other times, the protagonist is actually quite likable.
Netflix has introduced shows in every genre, and some of the protagonists stand out as being the kind who viewers wouldn’t mind meeting and spending time with in person.
10Kimmy Schmidt
‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015 - 2019)
It’s seemingly impossible to dislike Kimmy Schmidt, the title character fromUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Despite going through serious hardship, namely being kidnapped and kept in an underground bunker for 15 years, she approaches life with nothing but positivity and child-like innocence.
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She’s sweet, upbeat, kind, and driven to make others happy. She’s a ray of sunshine that lights up any room she walks into. And while her overly positive attitude and demeanor can be too much sometimes, Kimmy never gave any reason to dislike her.
9Peter Sutherland
‘The Night Agent’ (2023 - )
The protagonist in one of Netflix’s latest hit series,Peter Sutherland is instantly likablegiven his circumstance. A hard-working and driven young man, he is given a horribly monotonous job at the FBI yet tackles his tasks with vigor and a smile. He is fiercely loyal to his country and his mentor. When he is tasked with protecting someone with his life inThe Night Agent, he vows to do just that.
The fact that he saved a train full of people aside, including a young girl and her mother, Peter is the type of person who people might overlook and take advantage of. He dealt with plenty of hardships in life and closed himself off because of it. But he is respectful, intelligent, and something about him just screams trustworthy.
8Marty Byrde
‘Ozark’ (2017 - 2022)
Marty Byrde fromOzarkgave viewers every reason to dislike him. He put his family at risk so he could make extra money on the side working with criminals. His actions led to his best friend and partner’s death and his family having to pick up and move to the Ozarks.
Even when Marty fell deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld, his moral compass disappearing, there was something inherently likable about him. No matter the situation, he was always calm, cool, and collected. When every odd was against him, he found a way out. Marty might not have had the confident killer mentality like his wife Wendy. But he was certainly the more likable of the two.
‘Stranger Things’ (2016 - )
From the moment she was introduced to fans onStranger Things, looking scared and hurt, fans felt the same way Mike did when he laid eyes on her. They just wanted to help. Fans felt sympathy for the seemingly innocent and harmless Eleven, and fans wished they could be right there with her.
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Of course, Eleven was actually stronger than she initially seemed and was the one to help others, not the other way around. But that made fans like her even more. Her powers aside, Eleven’s relationship with Mike, friendship with Max, and father-daughter bond with Jim Hopper makes her the character for whom fans always want to root.
6Wednesday Addams
‘Wednesday’ (2022 - )
Despite the character being a dark, morbid,and eccentric TV characterwho rarely (if ever) shows emotion and tries to shut herself off from the world, fans could not get enough of Wednesday Addams fromWednesday. From her sardonic humor to her macabre mentions and witty, sarcastic nature, she’s a delight without trying to be. And in fact, she tries to be the exact opposite.
Yet just as characters like Xavier, Enid, and Eugene were drawn to Wednesday, fans love watching her on screen. It’s no surprise the series, which is among the most-watched Netflix shows ever, was renewed for a second season.
5Seong Gi-hun
‘Squid Game’ (2021 - )
Seong Gi-hun fromSquid Gamerepresents the everyman. He is down on his luck and in a state of desperation, enters a deadly contest that will, should he survive, reward him with millions of dollars. Representing the typical victim of class disparity, it’s no surprise viewers sympathized with Gi-hun, even if they didn’t agree with some of his choices.
He was faced with many impossible choices, and often made the right choice that showed his true character. But even when he made the wrong one, fans understood his position and were hoping for Gi-hun to make it through because of his strength of character and incredible resolve.
4Lucifer Morningstar
‘Lucifer’ (2016 - 2021)
Originally a Fox series then acquired by Netflix for its final three seasons,Luciferwas as popular as it was because of the title character, Lucifer Morningstar, who was integral to and featured in almost every scene on the series. The Lord of Hell, he manifests on Earth as an attractive club owner where he decides he’d prefer to live out his days indulging instead of managing the depths of Hell.
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Lucifer, of course, has a special knack for tempting and charming people. Everyone who meets him is instantly under his spell, and that includes fans. His brutal honesty, witty under-the-breath remarks, clever nicknames for others, and don’t-care attitude, make him the type of person viewers simply can’t resist.
3Jen Harding
From the get-go, fans feel for Jen onDead to Megiven her circumstances as a new widow and single mother. But it’s her biting sense of humor, unabashed bluntness, and openness about falling apart that make Jen genuine. It’s no surprise that after coming into her life out of guilt, Judy became enamored with Jen, quickly becoming her new best friend.
Jen isn’t one to mince words. She isn’t the mom next door who bakes cookies and hosts neighborhood barbecues. She’s a strong, independent working woman who makes no apologies for who she is, which is exactly what fans love about her.
‘Grace And Frankie’ (2015 - 2022)
As Netflix’s longest-running series to date,Grace and Frankiedelighted audiences for its seven-season run. Featuring awonderful and iconic comedy duoofJane FondaandLily Tomlin, the show about two women pushing 80 and dealing with a major life crisis, is full of laughs. In a unique storyline, the odd couple come together when their husbands reveal that they’re gay and have been in a secret relationship for decades.
Much of the comedic relief comes from Frankie (Tomlin) often involving her riffs off Grace. A free-spirited hippie, from Frankie’s love of Del Taco andRay Donovanto her lovable quirks, even the stiff, prim, and proper Grace couldn’t help but love her, too.
1Johnny Lawrence
‘Cobra Kai’ (2018 - )
The Karate Kidmovies painted Johnny Lawrence as the clear villain. But with the 30 years later sequel seriesCobra Kai, fans have completely changed their opinion about him. The character, one of the two main protagonists on the show (which also features an ensemble cast of kids), is instantly likable because of his brutal honesty and endearing lack of awareness about the world around him.
It’s the 2020s, but Johnny still lives in the ‘80s. He has no desire to learn how to use a computer, nor follow political correctness when it comes to anything. His misunderstandings of modern language and situations, and how hard he tries to be a better man and father, also make fans adore Johnny.
