History Main / TheFriendNobodyLikes

Compare VitriolicBestBuds and WithFriendsLikeThese, where this kind of attitude is usually limited to one or two select members of the group as opposed to being the opinion of the group as a whole (though the latter trope can compliment this one if one friend is actively disrespected enough by the others).

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd's'' review of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' video games. The episode has a parody of the show's opening theme, and introduces five nerds who combine to form the man himself: the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Angry Nintendo Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/Atari2600 Atari Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation Playstation Nerd]], and Tiger Electronic Wristwatch Game Nerd. The disgusted glare he gets from Nintendo Nerd and his own fading smile make it pretty clear the rest don't like him and he knows it.

* ''VisualNovel/RagingLoop'': While Yasumizu is already a village of outcasts and exiles, some of the local denizens are clearly less 'in' with the local clique than others, which becomes a big social handicap for them when the village is forced into a DeadlyGame of TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}}. As an outsider, [[TheHero Fusaishi]] himself is immediately suspect by the local villagers (though in ''Yomi'' he is not a participant in the game and therefore safe from being lynched or killed by the wolves), [[TheLadette Chiemi]] and [[InsufferableGenius Kiyonosuke]] are both seen as outsiders (and the latter is extremely prickly on top of it) and therefore often become dumping grounds for votes when there is no obvious scapegoat available, and The Old Man Who Cried Wolf is considered to be worthless (and Kanzo suspects he might have been a wolf in an earlier game) and therefore often targeted on general principle as well. [[spoiler:Finally, Rikako, despite her ability to loop through time, is not good enough an actress to walk the line between being seen as too passive (and therefore not useful enough to keep alive by the villagers) or too active (which gets her murdered by wolves or lynched when she is a wolf). Consequently she's played the game for tens of thousands of tries and never survived to the end until Fusaishi gets involved in it.]]

->''"It's like that friend who's an asshole. He's '''our''' asshole."''

->''"It's like that friend who's an asshole, but he's '''our''' asshole."''

** [[InsufferableGenius Matt Haag AKA The Professor]] becomes increasingly disliked by everyone over the course of the show. To the point where he only has one friend left in Episode 7.

* Jax from ''WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus'' is a complete and absolute JerkAss who revels in watching his "friends" suffer, is only motivated by his own [[TheHedonist hedonism]] or {{comedic sociopathy}}, and will KickTheDog every chance he gets. The only reason anyone even tolerates him is the Digital Circus is a small place and Caine pushes them into adventures together, so avoiding this smarmy rabbit is basically impossible. WordOfGod even confirmed on Twitter that nobody in the circus likes Jax.

* Despite not officially being a member, JD [=McDonagh=] is this to the members of Judgement Day (aside from [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt Finn Balor]] and to a degree Wrestling/DominikMysterio). It doesn't help that JD has been responsible for Judgement Day's major losses (such as Finn and Damien Priest losing the tag titles to Wrestling/CodyRhodes and [[Wrestling/TheUsos Jimmy Uso]]).

* Despite not officially being a member, JD McDonagh is this to the members of Judgement Day (aside from [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt Finn Balor]] and to a degree Wrestling/DominikMysterio). It doesn't help that JD has been responsible for Judgement Day's major losses (such as losing the tag titles to Wrestling/CodyRhodes and [[Wrestling/TheUsos Jimmy Uso]]).

* ''Website/TheOnion'' once had an article implying this about a man who was considered the [[TheGadfly "funny" guy]] in their group of friends, even to the point where he not only was totally insensitive to his friends' feelings and was more than willing to [[KickTheDog kick them while they were down]], but unwilling to allow for any details from ''his'' life to ever come out, save for one that the friend telling the story had only heard about: [[spoiler: [[LaserGuidedKarma that he was getting divorced for the second time.]]]]

#'''Seniority'''--The group members have known this person for a long time. They might have even genuinely liked him or her at one point, but years of maturity and development (either by the disliked friend or by the others) resulted in this member no longer fitting in. Despite this, they continue to hang out with this person out of obligation, loyalty or familiarity.
#'''Proximity'''--They're neighbors, classmates, family members, coworkers, [[DropInLandLord landlords]], spouses/partners or some combination of the above and the group simply can't be rid of them. So they have no choice but to tolerate the nuisance to the best of their abilities in order to maintain peace.
#'''Necessity'''--They're worth keeping around because they're useful. Oftentimes, they possess skills or resources that no one else can provide or have qualities that hold everyone together in times of crisis. (Examples include the BunnyEarsLawyer, the IndispensableScoundrel, TheTeamBenefactor, the CloudcuckoolandersMinder, the TeamMom[=/=]TeamDad, or the CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass).
#'''Control'''--Someone with power over the group (parents, teachers, bosses, etc.) is forcing them to include this person, who is likely a [[{{Nepotism}} spouse/partner or relative]] to said higher power. The disliked friend could even be that authority figure themselves.
#'''Fear'''--The last thing you want to do is piss this person off by telling them they can't join in. Similar to this is:
#'''Goodwill'''--in which the others will allow the disliked "friend" to tag along not necessarily because they're afraid of his or her wrath, but because they are too nice/passive to tell them to sod off.
#'''Pity'''--They're such a pathetic loser that the group just can't bring themselves to kick them to the curb. Alternatively, the group might keep them around ''because'' they are pathetic [[StrawLoser since hanging out with the loser makes everyone else feel better about themselves]]. At its darkest extreme, it can lead to:
#'''Abuse'''--The group wants to keep this person around because they see them as a [[ButtMonkey punching bag]]. Commonly, the group would have to be utter {{Jerkass}}es or [[TheBully bullies]] who seek pleasure in pushing them around. If the disliked friend gets fed up with the treatment and leaves the group, expect them to [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong get treated in the wrong for doing so]]. Because StatusQuoIsGod, the disliked friend will be back in the group by the end of the episode. And while the group may have a HeelRealization and apologize for their bad behavior, [[AesopAmnesia they will go right back to mistreating their "friend" in subsequent episodes.]]
#'''Audience Popularity'''--Sometimes a jerkish EnsembleDarkhorse will start hanging around the group just to feature them more prominently.
#'''Supervision'''--The disliked character is too dangerous or irresponsible to be left to their own devices.
#'''Caring'''--[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Deep down]], the group (or at least [[OnlyFriend one member]]) [[WeReallyDoCare really does care]] (or the disliked character cares about them), and the issues all boil down to difficult behaviour. [[VitriolicBestBuds Even the closest of friends fight with each other from time to time]], but at the end of the day, they are still TrueCompanions.
#'''Deserving'''--Even if they don't ''care'', per se, the group does recognize the character has some redeeming qualities despite their faults, or else they've done something to earn a place in the group.

* When the ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' come together with their friends like WebVideo/{{Markiplier}} and LetsPlay/{{Jacksepticeye}} to play some ''VideoGame/AmongUs'', [[WebVideo/RubberRoss Ross]] ''quickly'' becomes this owing to just how good he is at being an Imposter. It gets to the point that they often target him just for the hell of it during votes, even if he's done nothing suspicious that round, just to get rid of him and remove him from the equation on the off-chance he's the Imposter.

More tragic examples may lead to the disliked character JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, and their former "friends" bitterly regretting that they tolerated someone so obviously malicious for so long. MistreatmentInducedBetrayal can be at play if the friend gets fed up with the way they treat him.

** TheFriendNobodyLikes/TheDCU
** TheFriendNobodyLikes/MarvelUniverse

** TheFriendNobodyLikes/{{Danganronpa}}

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd's'' review of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' video games. The episode has a parody of the show's opening theme, and introduces five nerds who combine to form the man himself: the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Angry Nintendo Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/Atari2600 Atari Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega Nerd]], [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation Playstation Nerd]], and ''[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Tiger Electronic Wristwatch Game Nerd]]''. The disgusted glare he gets from Nintendo Nerd and his own fading smile make it pretty clear the rest don't like him and he knows it.

#'''Proximity'''--They're neighbors, classmates, family members, coworkers, [[DropInLandLord landlords]] or spouses/partners and the group simply can't be rid of them. So they have no choice but to tolerate the nuisance to the best of their abilities in order to maintain peace.

* Myth/NorseMythology_ Loki's insatiable need to play tricks and pull pranks on the other gods shown to be very tiresome and annoying to them. However all the other gods understand just how clever Loki is and have more than once used his wiles to get themselves out of bad predicaments. They put up with his more annoying aspects because they've seen what he can do to their enemies and they're just [[GladHesOnOurSide glad he's on their side]], though even this sours when he and they learn he is prophesised to destroy them all in Ragnarok. It seems that Odin befriended him in his youth and they got on so well that he adopted him into his family as a brother, and the other Aesir got on with him initially but gradually his behaviour got too malicious for them.

* In [[Myth/ArthurianLegend the Arthurian Mythos]] there is Sir Kay. [[DependingOnTheWriter While knights’ characterizations tend to vary wildly]], most of the staple members at least get a chance to be presented as [[KnightInShiningArmour brave, courteous, strong, chivalrous as well of protectors of the weak and slayers of evil]]. Sir Kay is instead, with the exception of very early Welsh myths, shown to not be a very good fighter, jouster or at all chivalrous with multiple instances of him harming or insulting the weak and being [[CurbStompBattle knocked off his horse]] by one of the other knights because of it. The only knight who may have it worse in terms of mostly consistent bad portrayal is probably Sir Agravain, and even he is usually presented to at least be an okay fighter, and even Sir Mordred is also usually a competent fighter at least, [[BitchInSheepsClothing is sometimes shown to at least appear charming]], and can even come off as a TragicHero depending on the story; plus those two are almost always villains, Kay is just a jerk. Even in the earliest tales which show him favorably, there’s scenes like Arthur roasting him so hard with a poem that he runs off in anger in ''Culhwch and Olwen'' and Guinevere all but gives him the medieval equivalent of “kys” in ''The Lady of The Fountain''. He is almost always presented as King Arthur's foster brother and one of the first knights of the round table, so the reason everyone puts up with him appears to be seniority; and because for all of Sir Kay's faults, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold disloyalty is not one of them]].
* Loki in Myth/NorseMythology fits this to a T, with his insatiable need to play tricks and pull pranks on the other gods shown to be very tiresome and annoying to them. However all the other gods understand just how clever Loki is and have more than once used his wiles to get themselves out of bad predicaments. They put up with his more annoying aspects because they've seen what he can do to their enemies and they're just [[GladHesOnOurSide glad he's on their side]], though even this sours when he and they learn he is prophesised to destroy them all in Ragnarok. It seems that Odin befriended him in his youth and they got on so well that he adopted him into his family as a brother, and the other Aesir got on with him initially but gradually his behaviour got too malicious for them. Compounding this is that the Aesir were terrified of his monstrous children and had them variously imprisoned or exiled out of fear even though none had actually done anything yet, so Loki had plenty of reasons to despise the Aesir right back and wasn't afraid to tell them such.
* In Myth/GreekMythology, the gods are largely a BigScrewedUpFamily (many are related to one another), but the one thing they all agree on is that they don't like Eris, the Goddess of Chaos and personification of disorder and discord. Notably, the gods once threw a grand party to celebrate a wedding and invited every divinity ''except'' Eris, who promptly decided to crash the feast. She [[BlatantLies claimed she wasn't offended at all]] and even offered a gift: a [[AppleOfDiscord beautiful golden apple]] marked "To The Fairest." She then "accidentally" dropped the apple among Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, who promptly began fighting over which of them deserved it, and...well, ever hear of theTrojan War?

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Wimpy from ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' is a lazy, cowardly mooch, who would sell anyone out for safety, money, or a couple of [[TrademarkFavoriteFood hamburgers.]] As a result he is openly hated by most of the other characters, especially Geezil, who has gone so far as to try and kill him on a couple of occasions. The only ones who seem to like him are Popeye (and even he has his limits, like once paying off a cop to have Wimpy arrested because he wouldn't stop bothering him), and Olive (although she more than likely just tolerates him for Popeye's sake). That being said, because of his intellect and quick thinking skills, he does prove to be useful on occasions.
[[/folder]]

** Finn is in the same boat. He's an unrepentant and arrogant {{jerkass}}, who nevertheless received superpowers and thus is invited to join the group. He does at least try to help stop events from spiraling out of control.

** In the main ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' universe, Coach Z applies most of the time. Bubs and Homestar are the only ones who can tolerate him with in any consistency, and even they think he's a creepy, depressing, weird, disgusting loser to be avoided when possible -- which he is, to be fair.

#'''Proximity'''--They're neighbors, classmates, family members, coworkers, [[DropInLandLord landlords]] or spouses/partners and the group simply can't be rid of them. So they might as well tolerate the nuisance to the best of their abilities in order to keep peace.

#'''Goodwill'''--in which the others will allow the disliked "friend" to tag along not necessarily because they're afraid of his or her wrath, but because they are too nice to tell them to sod off.