The criteria for Unintentionally Unsympathetic says:
"When a character's supposed insecurities or embarrassing quirks are supposed to inspire sympathy, but fail to impress the audience because they're mishandled or plain written badly. It can be made even worse if they have to learn a lesson. Without being at least somewhat invested in the characters, the audience might have passed the point of caring when the character finally comes around."
This is the basic criteria of the trope. There is more after but I am not sure what was present from the start and what was edited in afterwords to expand the definition. This trope is becoming more popular, with the page starting to be split-off into sub pages and such. And like all popular YMMV tropes this is causing an influx of bad examples that are probably just one-sided complaining, shoehorning, and bashing which is not in the spirit of this wiki. You can see this is causing issues just by looking at the pages discussion thread. I felt that the trope needed a dedicated cleanup thread. This way edits can be done without causing edit wars and getting people banned.
Some guidelines if a character or event is Unintentionally Unsympathetic.
1. It has to be unintentional on the authors part. It is in the title. All examples that were intentional on the author's part are disqualified by definition.
2. The example should state exactly why the author or narrative intended the subject to have been sympathetic and why it failed to resonate with the audience. If the example can not clearly state these two points, it is a bad example and needs to at minimum be rewritten.
3. Neutral tone: No insults. I know it is fun to complain about stuff but complaining is not in the spirit of the wiki. So long as one side isn't promoting hate speech examples should be written without taking a side. Examples that are heavily favoring one side or insulting the other side are probably not valid examples.
4. There should be a wide accepted disagreement between the audience and the author to be a valid example. By that I mean that there should be large consensus in the audience disagreeing with the author over why the character is unsympathetic instead of sympathetic. If the audience is too divided and one section thinks agrees with the author and the other doesn't, the example could be a pet peeve of a single person, which isn’t noteworthy.
Lastly, always consider Square Peg, Round Trope and be mindful if the example may fit better under a different trope such as Base-Breaking Character, Broken Base, and The Scrappy. Please visit other cleanup threads if you have questions about tropes that do not involve Unintentionally Unsympathetic.
Feel free to help if you spot some bad examples or can point out more rules for the trope. Or argue with me over the definitions, this is a cleanup thread after all.
MOD NOTICE: As of October 26, 2022, this thread now covers Unintentionally Sympathetic as well.
Edited by GastonRabbit on Oct 26th 2022 at 8:15:48 AM
I mean, as mentioned it doesn't necessarily matter if the reaction is logical if it's what fans legitimately feel. That's more important. We don't vet the examples, we just acknowledge they exist.
That said, I think Bull is right that they fit better for DILP / RTDE
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallYeah like I said I get that these are opinions out there, but all of this is already covered in their Ron the Death Eater and Draco in Leather Pants entries and I feel like they work better there.
Edited by Bullman on Dec 22nd 2023 at 9:04:13 AM
Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup threadFrom YMMV.National Lampoons Christmas Vacation:
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: While Clark is otherwise a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, he still lies about being single to an attractive female clerk so as not to feel guilty while flirting with her, only quitting when Russ catches him and continuing to fantasize about her long after the fact. Considering that the first movie has him almost going through with an affair, then deciding against it when he sees how clearly hurt his family is, one could argue that old habits simply die hard.
Having just watched the movie tonight, I can't say that that one scene somehow makes Clark unsympathetic? It's a comedy moment in a comedy film, and save for the pool daydream, it never gets mentioned again. People are more likely to leave that scene thinking of Mary than to be upset with Clark.
Edited by WarJay77 on Dec 24th 2023 at 8:13:29 AM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallYMMV.The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
- Unintentionally Sympathetic: Throughout the show, John Walker is portrayed as an unworthy successor to the mantle of Captain America due to a combination of several factors, the largest of which is that he kills an unconscious Flag Smasher in a fit of emotional rage following the death of Lamar. He is also set up as a foil to Sam and Bucky due to not understanding the responsibility that comes with the role. However, in-universe, Walker himself knows that Steve is a Tough Act to Follow and many times, he expresses doubt that he is going the right way about things and confides his struggles in Lamar. Out-of-universe, a large portion of the audience instead hold the opinion that Walker did just about everything he could have have been expected to do in most situations, even including the scene where he kills the unconscious Flag Smashernote . On top of this, there are times where he attempts to resolve situations peacefully only for violence to break out, or moments where he tries to work with Sam and Bucky only for them to be the ones who refuse to cooperate. While the show portrays Walker as a pretender to the role, many viewers (and Walker himself) would instead argue he's simply a man who was thrust into a role he never asked for, did the best he could, and yet was blamed for failures outside of his control.
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: While the Flag Smashers do have understandable motivations, as shown above, their methods are so extreme that it makes it hard for others to root for them. There's also the fact that while they were forced out of the place they had been living in for five years, it was not their home. The people who had vanished deserve their homes just as much, and it makes the Flag Smashers look like they were upset that they couldn't continue reap the benefits of a tragedy that has been undone. Unusually, they arguably loop around into this trope's opposite number as many viewers feel that their less admirable qualities were contrived to taint their political views by association.
The Flag Smashers I believe have been brought here before and deemed not examples. This entries fails to stated the unintentional reasons for this (they're villains because of such), relies on redirecting to other parts of the page, and the last part is arguing against itself. Walker was also debated on at least other item, but I believe he was supposed to be semi-sympathetic as he get a redemption in the finale. Other characters have been debated over this as well.
I've seen arguments/entries for them being US and UU. I say cut them and add a note saying not to add either as there is no audience consensus on the matter and it's supposed to be a morally grey story (the debate showing it succeeded in that).
Some more entries with questions:
Family Guy S 10 E 15 Burning Down The Bayit:
- Unintentionally Sympathetic: While some people would root against Peter, Quagmire, and Mort for burning down the latter’s pharmacy since it was a huge crime, their grievances against insurance agencies and Mort’s financial needs do make people side with them.
More "bad" actions done by Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist characters which are played for laughs. Also it isn't unintentional since Joe Swanson agrees with them and lets them go.
King Of The Hill S 11 E2ser PU Nt:
- Unintentionally Sympathetic: Josh the python is brutally killed by Dale and the Animal Control guys. Aside from giving Hank and Ladybird attitude in his first scene, Josh is never shown actually causing any trouble. All in all he comes across as an innocent animal whose death feels needlessly cruel.
More "bad" actions done by Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist characters which are played for laughs. This even gets followed up on by Hank lying to Bobby about the snake dying, which again is supposed to be a funny moment.
The Cuphead Show S 2 E 13 The Devils Pitchfork
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: It may be hard to feel bad for Cuphead losing Mugman, given what he put his brother through just one episode prior.
More "bad" actions done by Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist characters which are played for laughs. This sow also runs on Negative Continuity so what happens in one episode may not matter in the next.
Supergirl 2015 S 6 E 1 Rebirth
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Due to Kara and William's romantic status being unclear to the audience (due to Melissa Benoist not being available to film scenes with Staz Nair and some scenes being edited out of previous episodes), William's apparently being put out because Kara "left town without telling him" made him appear arrogant and entitled to some fans and controlling or stalker like to others (mainly Supercorp shippers).
This just sounds like shippers unhappy with a character since it goes against their ship.
UnintentionallyUnsympathetic.Live Action Tv:
- From Friends:
- Ross is portrayed as someone who has bad luck with women and has been divorced multiple times. One would think he is someone to feel sorry for, but Ross' jealousy of other men when it comes to dating women and how he would rather lie his way out of situations instead of being truthful just so he can look good makes Ross look more like a jerk.
- Rachel, who we're meant to feel sorry for because she keeps losing Ross and has to watch him date other women...except she's the one who broke up with him (and refused to take him back), malevolently manipulates The Unfair Sex, and backstabs any woman he tries to move on with.
- We're also meant to sympathize with her 'empowering' journey of getting over her spoiled upbringing and breaking into the fashion industry. That works early on when she's vulnerable and hard-working but not much later when she's unprofessional, lazy, and 'empowering' equals taking Ross's daughter to a different continent from him. It doesn't help that Monica is clearly more hard-working, Chandler more capable and Ross more intelligent in their respective jobs but she's still the 'Career' character. Rachel even hires a man she is attracted to rather than someone who has the qualifications, and has an affair with him.
- However, it should be noted that both Ross and Rachel have been called out on several occasions throughout the show for their shortcomings and refusal to take fault, arguably more spectacularly and exceptionally than the others. While maybe not proportionately to their actions, there are times they are intentionally played as Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonists.
Nattery
The bullet should be reworded to explain which specific moments make them unsympathetic, as they can be intentionally depicted as unsympathetic in some plots and unintentionally in other plots.
I have a sort of self-report from Futurama, because I rewatched the episode some time after adding the entry and I'm not sure if I agree it fits Unintentionally Unsympathetic, though I think it fits something.
- Munda in "Zapp Dingbat." Her desire to travel the world and be loved in her old age is meant to be sympathetic, but the way she rubs her relationship with Zapp in Leela's face despite Leela's terrible history with him (to the point Leela thinks Zapp is assaulting her mother when they kiss) makes her just look incredibly selfish and dismissive of her own daughter.
I still have an issue with Munda's behavior in these scenes (and I'm not alone), but rewatching the episode, I think it was meant to be unsympathetic, albeit Played for Laughs (though the points about her wanting to see the world after being stuck in a Fantastic Ghetto are meant as sympathetic and do, IMO, make sense), and Leela ends up proven right by the end when Zapp turns out to be a jerk. It's just complicated because Leela also apologizes to her mother for her concerns while Munda never apologizes back even after Zapp turns out to be a jerk.
So perhaps I could rework this as Unintentionally Sympathetic for Leela instead? Because the narrative seems to depict her as unfairly overbearing despite also playing up her discomfort with Zapp, and is convinced to give their relationship a chance with all that discomfort brushed off or even mocked. Posting for feedback from anybody else who's seen the episode.
Edited by mightymewtron on Jan 4th 2024 at 10:26:01 AM
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.Interesting, I also wonder about former trope namer, who was removed and readded
- Monica in Friends was portrayed as being overweight and weird during her teenage years. The audience is supposed to feel bad for Monica who grew up being a virgin for a long time and had very few friends but it's hard to sympathize when past Monica is always referenced to eating a lot or breaking stuff with her size while her present self is neurotic and obsessive about being clean.
Edited by randomtroper89 on Jan 6th 2024 at 5:28:05 AM
I never hear people say they dislike or didn't feel bad for Monica to an extent. Ross is always the one people point at. And the example is just pointing out basic character flaws.
Granted, I could be completely missing something.
Edited by WarJay77 on Jan 6th 2024 at 6:30:10 AM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallAs a non-fan, all I've heard about the fat Monica jokes is that they're an example of Values Dissonance, which indicates that modern viewers do feel bad for Monica rather than blaming her for her weight gain as the entry seems to suggest.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.It's definitely played for laughs. We're supposed to feel bad for her to an extent, but it was also meant to be kinda funny. I think the main example of us having to feel bad for "Fat Monica" is in The One With All The Thanksgivings, but that was because she had a crush on Chandler, who then insulted her behind her back while she was having to make mac and cheese for him. So by the next year she was fit and healthy and plotting revenge, which went comedically wrong. My point being, as much as the show wanted you to sympathize with Monica, all of the backstories were played for laughs to an extent, and her being a clumsy Big Eater was just one example.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallJust added her to This Index Is Not an Example:
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Originally "Fat Monica", after Monica from Friends and her past as an overweight teenager. Due to Values Dissonance, the jokes at her expense seem more mean spirted, making her more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience.
nvm misread
Edited by WarJay77 on Jan 7th 2024 at 9:18:00 AM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallThe Man with the Golden Gun has an entry that argues against itself, I don't know if we remove the contradiction or the entire entry:
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: In Bond's final duel against Scaramanga, his trick of impersonating a wax statue to get the jump on an unsuspecting Scaramanga comes off as this. Bond has always been a Combat Pragmatist, but in this instance when he's dueling a Noble Demon who's spoken at length about wanting to have a fair fight with Bond, thanks to Christopher Lee's performance you can't help but feel sorry for Scaramanga when he realizes Bond's trick just before he dies. This one is possibly a consequence of the editing room, as early trailers hint that Scaramanga was supposed to be cheating in this duel, making Bond turning the tables on him using his wits seem far more justified and necessary, as opposed to Bond just taking the easy way out of a fight. Of course, it's only a fair fight if you take Scaramanga's claims of such at face value: he still has a massive Home Field Advantage by setting the duel in a terrain he knows intimately and simply decides to wait for Bond at a convenient hiding spot of his choosing. Bond just used Scaramanga's own trick against him.
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Huh, TIL this trope had another name.
Another Wish (2023) example.
- Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Asha's "I Want" Song is about wishing for a better life for the people in her kingdom. The problem is beside not granting the wishes of everyone live in the kingdom, Magnifico seems to be a fair and benign ruler who prioritize granting pragmatic wishes that would benefit at least someone else other than himself prior to the arrival of Star. So she just came across as spoilt and ungrateful instead of selfless. Even if Magnifico genuinely did some villainous things in the earlier part of the film, the song didn't mention it in the lyrics.
Might need to put a note on the page at some point since it keeps popping up.
Edited by Super_Weegee on Jan 9th 2024 at 4:42:39 AM

From where I sit, I would cut both entries. I feel like anyone earnestly claiming Asha is Unintentionally Unsympathetic is missing a major part of the movie, but that's just me.
Magnifico's rule is terrible, the movie establishes this as the case very quickly, and he is presented as completely wrong for not granting wishes for people or returning them. Asha asking for him to finally grant the wish of her grandfather whose wish Magnifico has refused to for 8 decades, or at least return it to her grandfather, is completely understandable and she has an earnestly sympathetic reasoning for it. Magnifico's reaction to it being a guilt-trip is not "proof" that Asha is unsympathetic for asking—it's proof that he's a thin-skinned egomaniac who can't stand someone questioning him.
No! That is NOT Solid Snake! Stop impersonating him!