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In spite of the title of this meme, these aren’t exactly all characters that I actually hated at first and actually love now. I simply disliked them or just weren’t fans of them initially, but eventually warmed up to them to some extent. None of them are among my all time favorite characters, but that doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge any good qualities I think they have.

-Raiden (Metal Gear)

He didn’t have the best first impression with players with the whole twist of him being the main playable character in Metal Gear Solid 2 and not Solid Snake. While it’s still a good game, he just couldn’t hold a candle to Snake. Still, Raiden has come into his own since, especially after becoming a badass cyborg ninja and getting his own spinoff in Metal Gear Rising. Many players have warmed up to him over time and I’m no different.

-Lambert (The Witcher)

It’s hard to like this guy right away with how he tends to be unpleasant towards others for no apparent reason. However, though his tragic backstory doesn’t excuse it, you can still cut him some slack because of it. Lambert is still my least favorite of the witchers and one of my least favorite good guys in general, but he is still a good guy. He still fights for the right side so credit where credit is due.

-Connor Kenway (Assassin’s Creed III)

His arrogance and impatience didn’t make him that much of a stand out character at first, especially compared to the likes of Ezio who came before him and several other protagonists who came after. Still, his many redeeming qualities show throughout his story. Connor still isn’t among my favorite protagonists of the series, but he still deserves some appreciation. He’s just one of those protagonists that just takes some time to warm up to.

-Emily Davis (Until Dawn)

It might be predictable to say, but she was my least favorite character when I first played the game and she still is. However, my feelings of her are more indifferent at best. Despite being rude to others throughout the whole game, she still shows good survival skills when you play as her and based on the player's choices, she shows remorse for not treating her boyfriend right at the end if she survives. Those redeemable qualities are not quite enough to make me like Emily, but I don’t exactly hate her anymore either. I also don’t think she deserves to die. I just don’t feel quite as bad for her as much as other characters.

-Roman Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV)

We all know he was a pain in the ass with how he often dragged Niko into his troubles and always wanted to go bowling with him even at the wrong times which became very memeable. But his antics are still funny and he clearly means well. Roman just wants a rich and happy life for himself and those he cares for. His potential death at the end is among the most tragic in Rockstar games.

-Javier Escuella (Red Dead Redemption)

His brief appearance in the first game didn’t really give him any likable traits. It was said that he betrayed John when the gang fell apart and tried to weasel out of getting captured when John confronted him. Then the second game shows that he was more friendly and loyal to John and his fellow gang members. It made Javier much more likable and all the more sad to see him descend into madness and turn against Arthur and John like Dutch and Bill did considering that he wasn’t much of a jerk like them.

-Nadine Ross (Uncharted)

It’s not easy to like her at first with how uptight she was and how it was impossible to defeat her in a fight (although I see that as more of a problem with the gameplay than with her character), but she turned out to be different from other villains of the series as she didn’t come across as actually evil and even had a redemption arc. She was only an enemy of Nate and Sam Drake because she was hired by Rafe Adler, who was their real enemy, she only wanted treasure because her business was struggling, she had a conscience and abandoned the treasure hunt after it went so poorly, and she became a protagonist in The Lost Legacy where she quit the life of a mercenary to become a full time treasure hunter. Some weren’t impressed with her redemption and I think it could’ve been a little better myself, but I think it’s still good enough.

-Abby Anderson (The Last of Us Part II)

From one controversial Naughty Dog character played by Laura Bailey to another. Only it was a lot worse for Abby. Sure, she was meant to be hated when playing as Ellie with Joel’s death and all (but similar to Nadine, I’d say the way that was handled is an issue with the overall story and not specifically the character), but then she’s meant to empathize with when playing as her. However, it didn’t work well for a lot of players and I myself thought she wasn’t nearly as well written as she should’ve been. And that’s the real reason to dislike her. But as I’ve said before, the hate for her, while generally justified, was way overblown. That and the potential I thought she had that some fans displayed in their fanwork of her was enough to convince me to put any grievances about her behind and only focus on how she could’ve been a much better character.

-Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4)

She had quite the reputation in the original version. While her personality and dynamic with Leon Kennedy could be funny at times, she could get annoying very quickly with how difficult it can be to protect her and how she panics from the danger a lot. Even though she’s justified in being afraid instead of helping since she has no combat training or experience, it was still overdone and made players not want to rescue her despite it being the game’s main objective. That all changed in the remake as defending her doesn’t feel that much of a chore anymore and she’s far more relatable and even adorable. She even puts in an effort to help Leon when she can. Ashley’s remake version made me genuinely care about her and even ship her with Leon even though I still prefer him with Claire Redfield.

-Master Kohga (The Legend of Zelda)

He may have been amusing when he first appeared in Breath of the Wild, but he came across as just a joke rather than an actual villain. It made it hard to believe he managed to keep the Yiga Clan running for so long and posed a threat to Hyrule. But the games that followed changed the perspective of him. Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom made Kohga and his followers seem like an actual threat while still maintaining their goofiness. And those kinds of villains are always entertaining.

Original meme: www.deviantart.com/johanablack…

Description
In spite of the title of this meme, these aren’t exactly all characters that I actually hated at first and actually love now. I simply disliked them or just weren’t fans of them initially, but eventually warmed up to them to some extent. None of them are among my all time favorite characters, but that doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge any good qualities I think they have.

-Raiden (Metal Gear)

He didn’t have the best first impression with players with the whole twist of him being the main playable character in Metal Gear Solid 2 and not Solid Snake. While it’s still a good game, he just couldn’t hold a candle to Snake. Still, Raiden has come into his own since, especially after becoming a badass cyborg ninja and getting his own spinoff in Metal Gear Rising. Many players have warmed up to him over time and I’m no different.

-Lambert (The Witcher)

It’s hard to like this guy right away with how he tends to be unpleasant towards others for no apparent reason. However, though his tragic backstory doesn’t excuse it, you can still cut him some slack because of it. Lambert is still my least favorite of the witchers and one of my least favorite good guys in general, but he is still a good guy. He still fights for the right side so credit where credit is due.

-Connor Kenway (Assassin’s Creed III)

His arrogance and impatience didn’t make him that much of a stand out character at first, especially compared to the likes of Ezio who came before him and several other protagonists who came after. Still, his many redeeming qualities show throughout his story. Connor still isn’t among my favorite protagonists of the series, but he still deserves some appreciation. He’s just one of those protagonists that just takes some time to warm up to.

-Emily Davis (Until Dawn)

It might be predictable to say, but she was my least favorite character when I first played the game and she still is. However, my feelings of her are more indifferent at best. Despite being rude to others throughout the whole game, she still shows good survival skills when you play as her and based on the player's choices, she shows remorse for not treating her boyfriend right at the end if she survives. Those redeemable qualities are not quite enough to make me like Emily, but I don’t exactly hate her anymore either. I also don’t think she deserves to die. I just don’t feel quite as bad for her as much as other characters.

-Roman Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV)

We all know he was a pain in the ass with how he often dragged Niko into his troubles and always wanted to go bowling with him even at the wrong times which became very memeable. But his antics are still funny and he clearly means well. Roman just wants a rich and happy life for himself and those he cares for. His potential death at the end is among the most tragic in Rockstar games.

-Javier Escuella (Red Dead Redemption)

His brief appearance in the first game didn’t really give him any likable traits. It was said that he betrayed John when the gang fell apart and tried to weasel out of getting captured when John confronted him. Then the second game shows that he was more friendly and loyal to John and his fellow gang members. It made Javier much more likable and all the more sad to see him descend into madness and turn against Arthur and John like Dutch and Bill did considering that he wasn’t much of a jerk like them.

-Nadine Ross (Uncharted)

It’s not easy to like her at first with how uptight she was and how it was impossible to defeat her in a fight (although I see that as more of a problem with the gameplay than with her character), but she turned out to be different from other villains of the series as she didn’t come across as actually evil and even had a redemption arc. She was only an enemy of Nate and Sam Drake because she was hired by Rafe Adler, who was their real enemy, she only wanted treasure because her business was struggling, she had a conscience and abandoned the treasure hunt after it went so poorly, and she became a protagonist in The Lost Legacy where she quit the life of a mercenary to become a full time treasure hunter. Some weren’t impressed with her redemption and I think it could’ve been a little better myself, but I think it’s still good enough.

-Abby Anderson (The Last of Us Part II)

From one controversial Naughty Dog character played by Laura Bailey to another. Only it was a lot worse for Abby. Sure, she was meant to be hated when playing as Ellie with Joel’s death and all (but similar to Nadine, I’d say the way that was handled is an issue with the overall story and not specifically the character), but then she’s meant to empathize with when playing as her. However, it didn’t work well for a lot of players and I myself thought she wasn’t nearly as well written as she should’ve been. And that’s the real reason to dislike her. But as I’ve said before, the hate for her, while generally justified, was way overblown. That and the potential I thought she had that some fans displayed in their fanwork of her was enough to convince me to put any grievances about her behind and only focus on how she could’ve been a much better character.

-Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4)

She had quite the reputation in the original version. While her personality and dynamic with Leon Kennedy could be funny at times, she could get annoying very quickly with how difficult it can be to protect her and how she panics from the danger a lot. Even though she’s justified in being afraid instead of helping since she has no combat training or experience, it was still overdone and made players not want to rescue her despite it being the game’s main objective. That all changed in the remake as defending her doesn’t feel that much of a chore anymore and she’s far more relatable and even adorable. She even puts in an effort to help Leon when she can. Ashley’s remake version made me genuinely care about her and even ship her with Leon even though I still prefer him with Claire Redfield.

-Master Kohga (The Legend of Zelda)

He may have been amusing when he first appeared in Breath of the Wild, but he came across as just a joke rather than an actual villain. It made it hard to believe he managed to keep the Yiga Clan running for so long and posed a threat to Hyrule. But the games that followed changed the perspective of him. Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom made Kohga and his followers seem like an actual threat while still maintaining their goofiness. And those kinds of villains are always entertaining.

Original meme: www.deviantart.com/johanablack…