A film's protagonist is typically the character the audience spends the most time with, as they are usually the central character of the film, and the one who drives the action. As a result, standard practice is to make the protagonist the most entertaining, enjoyable, and otherwise good-to-watch character, with the side characters existing to complement them. Filmmakers don't always achieve this.

RELATED: 10 Games With Awesome Side Characters But A Terrible Protagonist

For any number of reasons, from writing and acting to directing, a movie's protagonist can sometimes miss the mark. This doesn't always reflect on the side characters of a film, resulting in movies where the character the audience should typically like most is disliked, but other characters are enjoyed.

10 William Is Overshadowed In A Knight's Tale

Health Ledger as William Thatcher in A Knight's Tale

It is rare when Heath Ledger doesn't deliver one of the most compelling performances in his too-short filmography. In a rare case of him being overshadowed, his role as the main character, William Thatcher, in A Knight's Tale, is a fairly of a bland protagonist, with his only non-typical traits being an underhanded nature that sees him become a fake, socially awkward knight.

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While the character is underwhelming, he is surrounded by more interesting ones. In particular, fans enjoy Kate, a female blacksmith who stands in defiance of medieval gender roles, and especially Geoffrey Chaucer, given a show-stealing portrayal by Paul Bettany.

9 Neo Loses His Appeal In The Matrix Reloaded

Neo flying through The Matrix

Keanu Reeves' distinctive acting style allows the audience members to project themselves onto the character. In the first The Matrix, this works well, with Neo's simple journey from scared hacker to near-omnipotent The One being beloved by fans.

However, this results in Neo having nothing to do in The Matrix Reloaded, being shunted off to the side in an isolated storyline the character is not deep enough to make compelling. Instead, the most engaging sequences in the film follow Trinity, Morpheus, and more minor characters like Niobe, all of whom are far better equipped to carry the storyline.

8 Mortal Kombat (2021) Gambles With An Original Character

Cole Young preparing to fight in Mortal Kombat (2021)

There is risk either way with fighting game movies. Given they are typically ensemble pieces, making one character the lead can anger fans of other characters, and can also risk angering fans of the protagonist if the portrayal is considered to be poor. On the other hand, introducing a new character can lead to anger that fan-favorites are being overshadowed in their favor.

In Mortal Kombat (2021), the main character of Cole Young is considered to be one of the weakest parts of the film, with the movie struggling to give him any standout characterization next to the more colorful and better-known characters from the games. As a result, they tend to steal the show.

7 Batman v. Superman Lacks A Compelling Superman

Batman v Superman fighting

Superman's character is one that has been shown time and time again to be capable of leading a story, having helmed comic books, films, and TV series that have been well-enjoyed. Nonetheless, he seems to be a difficult figure for many writers to tackle, due to his largely morally-right personality, and straightforward heroism.

RELATED: 10 Movie Protagonists We Can't Relate To

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is one film that struggles with this, failing to give Clark Kent an interesting characterization or a compelling role in the plot, leaving audiences bored with some of his sequences. Instead, fans were more appreciative of characters like Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Diana Prince.

6 Fast & Furious Is Helmed By Its Least-Interesting Character

Dominic Toretto at the wheel of a car in Fast and Furious

Initially, the second fiddle to Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner, Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto has become more and more prominent over the course of the Fast and Furious franchise, being the closest thing the series has to a main character.

However, Toretto lacks consistent or entertaining characterization. Instead, the entertainment typically comes from those around him, including Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbes, Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, and Nathalie Immanuel's Ramsey.

5 Tenet's Protagonist is the Audience's Eyes & Ears

The Protagonist driving with Neil in Tenet

As a movie that definitely puts concepts first, characterization often takes a backseat to exposition in Tenet, Christopher Nolan's movie about an organization fighting a war against those from the future attempting to annihilate the present day.

RELATED: 10 TV Series Protagonists That Deserve A Second Chance

The film does possess interesting characters, such as Kat, Priya, Ives, and especially Neil, Robert Pattinson's role was highlighted by many as the film's most compelling performance. Tenet's plot follows The Protagonist, a decent effort from John David Washington, that is nonetheless written to take the audience along with him, rather than as a character in his own right.

4 Anakin Stumbles In Attack Of The Clones

Anakin on Tattooine in Attack of the Clones

Hayden Christensen's performance as Anakin Skywalker is a controversial one in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, with many considering his performance to be wooden, awkward, and hampered by poor writing. Some argue that he improves in Revenge of the Sith, enough to lend some weight to his fall to the dark side.

In Attack of the Clones, however, Christensen's performance as Anakin, coupled with awkward plotting and a poor storyline, does not render him a sympathetic or likable protagonist. The movie does introduce or give greater prominence to characters like Jango Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and Count Dooku, all of whom are enjoyed far more.

3 Jake Sully isn't among Avatar's more Compelling Characters

Jake Sully in his Na'vi form in Avatar

Despite once being the highest-grossing movie of all time, Avatar is not a film many remember well for its protagonist. Some do, however, remember its side characters.

RELATED: 10 Actors Who Were Recast Partway Through A Series

Zoe Saldana's Neytiri received some notice, as did Stephen Lang's Colonel Quatrich, the film's antagonist who is nonetheless enjoyed by fans thanks to his surprisingly deep characterization, and his riding to war in an enormous mech suit. Both of these are far better remembered than Sam Worthington's Jake Sully.

2 The Greatest Showman Focuses On The Wrong Character

Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum in the Greatest Showman

A curious attempt at historical revisionism, The Greatest Showman was controversial upon release for its attempts at sympathizing P.T. Barnum, a man who was best-known in his life for being a conman who exploited those with disabilities.

As such, while Hugh Jackman puts in a good performance as Barnum, the film's mixed approach between real history and revisionism sees him as dislikable even without accounting for his real-world habits. His role sidelines the film's far more interesting and engaging characters in Barnum's employees, which was a major disappointment.

1 Bella & Edward Are Less Interesting Than Their Families

The Cullen clan and Bella Swan all gathered together on the poster for Twilight New Moon

A case where both the protagonist and their love interest are disliked by many audiences, Bella and Edward, in the Twilight films, are considered to be bland and uninspiring. Their performances are considered muted, and their characters not very likable. They have their defenders but have even more critics.

Many of the characters have truly interesting stories, and would make much better protagonists. Rather than following two angsty teenagers, the films could instead follow a vampire who developed a form of pacifism and became a doctor, a former general in vampire wars that dominated South America, or a woman who massacred her fiancé and his friends after they assaulted her. Others still enjoy the character of Charlie, Bella's put-upon father with an acclaimed performance from Billy Burke.

NEXT: X-Men: 10 Characters Who Are Better Protagonists Than Wolverine