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Soap Opera Characters Fans Hated But Grew To Love

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

October 22, 2019

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Soap opera fans all have their very favorite shows, with characters that they love and always want to see win, and they also have characters they despise. Having said that, it’s always interesting to see some hated characters go through storylines that help them evolve into more likable humans. Below are soap opera characters fans once hated but grew to love.

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12. Edward Quartermaine – General Hospital

Sadly, Edward has long passed away; however, he was well-loved by fans who still miss him to this day. Edward started off as a controlling corporate goon, who didn’t have half the heart his wife Lila did. Over the years, the hard-nosed Edward softened up a bit, and while he did huff and puff over some of the things his children and grandchildren did, he evolved into more of a character that offered comedic relieve versus a scoundrel.
©Paul Skipper/JPI

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11. Jill Abbott – Young and the Restless

While Y&R fans don’t get to see Jill as much as they liked to, she was once a vixen who played father and son, John and Jack Abbott, against each other. As time has worn on, storylines helped to transform Jill into the decent mother, grandmother, and corporate business woman she is today. She not only has earned the respect of fans, but she’s also become a beloved character within Genoa City.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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10. E.J. DiMera – Days of Our Lives

Raise your hand if you’re happy to see E.J. return to Salem? When an adult E.J. returned to Salem in 2006, he was a DiMera scoundrel through and through. He tried to break up Sami and Lucas, pulled major schemes all over town, and used poor Nicole Walker. As time has worn on, thanks to his relationship with Sami, E.J. left Days very much a hero on the show in 2014. And his return, with Dan Feuerriegel recast in the role, continues to find EJ a fan-favorite!
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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9. Carly Corinthos – General Hospital

Carly is the typical soap opera gold-digger turned heroine. She was a very bad girl when she entered the land of Port Chuckles in 1996, where she broke up marriages, schemed, and pawned off baby Michael as everyone’s child so she could avoid having to deal with A.J. Quartermaine. Over the years Carly has grown up, matured, and learned a lot from her mistakes. She’s not only one of the most pivotal female characters on the show today, but she is also one of the most popular.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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8. Nina Reeves – General Hospital

Speaking of bad girls in Port Charles, Nina Reeves wasn’t the nicest of ladies when she entered the land of GH in 2014. She was out to ruin the super couple of Sam Morgan and Silas Clay (at the time), and constantly had a scheme up her sleeve. As time has worn on, Nina has won the affection of GH viewers thanks to incredible storylines that center around her life and how she has become who she is today.
© sean smith/jpistudios.com

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7. Phyllis Summers – Young and the Restless

Actress Michelle Stafford has had an incredible career in the land of daytime drama. Her character, Phyllis Summers, was once a schemer; however, over time, she has cleaned up her act significantly and won a ton of respect from Y&R audiences everywhere.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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6. Sami Brady – Days of Our Lives

Former bad girls seem to be plaguing this list. But once you understand that wounded girls bite, then they become so much more appealing. Yes, Sami was a troublesome teen and young adult, but once she established herself in loving relationships with the likes of Lucas Horton, Rafe Hernandez, and E.J. DiMera, she settled down, for the most part. Now, Sami is a celebrated character on Days who jumps in and out of storylines. DOOL fans are sad when she leaves Salem, and anxiously await her comeback.
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

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5. Lucy Coe – General Hospital

Nowadays, GH fans can’t wait until Lucy Coe pops into a storyline. However, there was a time when this character got on every fan’s last nerve. The good news is that she has redeemed herself over the years. Gone are the days where Lucy was a gold-digger, and looking to break up marriages. She now truly tries to help people, focuses on the Nurse’s Ball fundraising event, slays vampires, and is all-around comedic relief on the show.
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

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4. Victor Newman – Young and the Restless

Speaking of The Moustache, he’s a ruthless businessman, a control freak, and seems to be emotionless at times; however, Y&R fans just love their Victor Newman! Is it because they love to hate him, or the fact that when push comes to shove, Victor does show his heart now and again? It may also be due to the fact that writers have shown a multi-dimensional Newman character over the years, presenting storylines that offered insight into why he is the way he is. Either way, Victor is undeniably a pivotal Y&R character on the show today, one that fans can’t live without.
©Brian Lowe/jpistudios.com

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3. Luke Spencer – General Hospital

Luke and Laura’s relationship started off in a very contentious fashion when Spencer assaulted her. Makes sense why so many fans would hate him. Thankfully, Luke redeemed himself when the two fell in love, and he would move on to become one of the most iconic and pivotal characters the soap opera had ever seen.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

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2. Michael Baldwin – Young and the Restless

There really isn’t anything worse than a sleazy lawyer, and when Michael Baldwin entered Genoa City in the early 1990s, he was pure evil. Over time something happened to Michael, and he would end up evolving into one of the most loved and respected citizens of the town. While he was once the mortal enemy to Christine Blair and Paul Williams, the trio became friends, and Baldwin has become one of the nicest characters on the show.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

In Memoriam: Soap Opera Stars We Lost In 2021

1. Stefano DiMera – Days of Our Lives

Unlike the other characters on this list, Stefano DiMera never changed his ways over the years. Sure, fans got a glimpse into why he hated the Bradys, as well as the reasons behind his evil doings, and some tender moments of love for his children; however, Stefano was always terrible, and rarely showed any remorse for his actions. Why do fans love this character so much? Could it be the respect and admiration fans had for the actor who played this character so flawlessly, the late Joseph Mascolo? Or is it that a piece of excitement is missing in Salem now that Stefano no longer tortures those in the town? Yes, he was a bad guy, but he was a bad guy DOOL fans loved to hate.
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass is an avid fan of daytime drama and has been watching Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless for over two decades now. As a full-time freelance writer, she gets to combine her love of soap operas and writing through her Fame 10 articles. Also a mother of two busy girls and a mommy blogger, she's been published multiple times over in Huffington Post Parents and Scary Mommy.

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