First impressions are important, and this is even more true for fictional characters than real people. If a fictional character fails to resonate with the audience or earn their sympathy in their first appearance, the audience is unlikely to warm up to them over time.
Video games are littered with unlikable characters that audiences simply don't care for, but it's not always a sure sentence. There have been those characters viewed as unsympathetic, immoral, or just plain dull that have managed to redeem themselves to the fanbase, going on to become, if not loved, at least well-liked.
10 Raiden Dared To Replace Solid Snake, But Then Came Into His Own
Few gaming protagonists are as iconic as Metal Gear Solid's gruff spy Solid Snake. Following the smash success of the first game in the series, fans were eager to continue the character's adventures in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. So there was understandable outrage when fans learned that much of the game is spent playing as the pale, unimpressive Raiden.
Raiden failed to impress fans due to being seen as too angsty and far less impressive than his predecessor. However, later appearances in Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance established him as a much-cooler cyborg with a compelling story of his own, and a character that fans truly adore on his own merits.
9 Morrigan Simply Became Nicer Throughout The Games
Any companion in any Dragon Age game has its supporters and detractors, but Morrigan was one of the more widely disliked in Dragon Age: Origins. A morally-murky witch who scorned the protagonist for doing anything good, she was also rude and dismissive to every other character. This went too far for many fans, to the point that Bioware acknowledged the dislike with merchandise.
However, when she became a supporting character in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Morrigan had undergone some serious development. While still morally grey and snarky, she had become more altruistic in helping out the Inquisition, and had developed a genuine, respectful rapport with other characters. As such, appreciation for the character grew, even retrospectively, to her Origins depiction.
8 Luigi Mario Developed A Personality
Being boring is often considered worse than being outright contemptible, at least when designing well-liked video game characters. This fate threatened to befall Luigi Mario, the secondary character of Super Mario Bros. Designed to allow two people to play the game, Luigi was an exact clone of his brother, with nothing notable about him.
Although Mario became one of gaming's most recognizable figures, this popularity did not extend to Luigi. Later games in the franchise, most notably Luigi's Mansion, set Luigi apart with a cowardly-yet-heroic personality while making him and Mario differ mechanically in games featuring both. As such, Luigi is far more distinctive, and far better-liked for it.
7 The Arbiter Won Over Fans Despite His Origins
After the original Halo followed Master Chief's story to the exclusion of all else, Halo 2 split its plot in half. Some of the game still follows Master Chief as he fights to repel the Covenant from Earth and Delta Halo. Still, much of it follows Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, a member of the villainous Covenant, learning more about his people and suffering a hideous betrayal.
The Arbiter, while never outright hated, was a contentious character at first due to being one of the enemies from the previous game, and for taking up the bulk of the game's plot. However, his genuinely-emotional storyline and developing a bond with the Chief over Halo 2 and Halo 3 made him become an outright fan favorite, to the extent that fans want him as a joint protagonist in other Halo games.
6 Ethan Winters Became Much More Relatable
Ethan Winters of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was never disliked outright, but the decision to give the game a more stripped-back everyman protagonist didn't sit right with many fans. Compared to more colorful and dramatic characters like Chris Redfield or Leon Kennedy, some found Ethan bland and unremarkable, with him becoming a mocked figure.
In Resident Evil Village, Ethan is written differently. While still a stoic, deadpan character, he becomes far more emotive due to the high-stress situation he finds himself in, providing genuine emotional tension and levity where necessary. Ethan's reputation improved to the point that his final actions and death are considered an emotional high point for the series.
5 Nero Proved Himself Alongside Dante
Replacing a popular video game protagonist is always a contentious choice, and fans grew to dislike Nero from Devil May Cry 4 as soon as it was announced that he, and not the iconic Dante, was going to lead the game. Although later advertising materials eased some of this dislike, many fans held a grudge that persisted throughout the game.
However, Nero accounted well for himself in the game, rising in some estimations. The incredibly controversial nature of the reboot DmC: Devil May Cry made many fans see Nero's time as the protagonist in a new light. By the time of Devil May Cry 5, many fans could appreciate both Dante and Nero as main characters in their own right.
4 Fans Decided Garrosh Hellscream Did Nothing Wrong
Sometimes a character can never win over everybody, but they can go from universally loathed to merely divisive. For example, Garrosh Hellscream was a prominent Horde villain in World of Warcraft, sabotaging Thrall's attempts to forge a peace and committing several truly immoral acts that made him hard to like.
However, his actions in later expansions like Cataclysm and fans reevaluating their previous considerations of characters like Thrall saw his opinion shift. Although he remains a villainous figure, many began semi-ironically using the phrase 'Garrosh did nothing wrong' as a meme, a far cry from the total contempt most had previously held for him.
3 Squall Leonhart Became More Likable In Another Franchise
A character can rarely redeem themselves in an entirely separate franchise from the one in which they were initially disliked, but it's not an impossible feat. Squall Leonhart was one of the less-popular Final Fantasy protagonists due to fans seeing him as whiny, not particular competent, and trying too hard to be cool in Final Fantasy VIII.
Squall also made several appearances in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, one of many Final Fantasy characters to appear. In those games, his much more proactive, helpful, and leaderly role became viewed as a much more likable characterization, and one that filtered through to other Final Fantasy works involving the character.
2 Kaidan Alenko Leant Into His Strengths
The fanbase often overlooked Mass Effect's first proper party member, Kaidan Alenko. A human with a more calm and reasonable personality, little made him stand out against the alien crewmates or even fellow human Ashley. In addition, he suffered from a milquetoast arrangement of abilities that left him without a dedicated combat role.
Kaidan was largely absent from Mass Effect 2, but had a significant role in 3, potentially as a squadmate. The game focused more on his dependable bond with Shepard, emphasized his awkward and self-deprecating sense of humor, and made him a romance option for a male Shepard. With that, Kaidan became a much more popular crewmate.
1 Rochelle Got Her Likability Patched In
Character was never the main focus of the Left 4 Dead series, but players still grew attached to the two groups of survivors from both the first game and Left 4 Dead 2. The only one who failed to land for many was Rochelle, due to her personality being viewed as blander than the others, with far fewer funny lines or standout moments.
In addition to a new campaign, the game's The Passing DLC patched in several previously-disabled voice lines for Rochelle. They served to give her a more defined personality and more memorable and funny lines, and consequently caused players to warm up to her immensely, putting her on equal stature with the other cast members.