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Who are some characters who no matter what, the writers can't get right?

Not sure quite what you mean, but I had some opinions that I mentioned in the Star Wars topic on Finn. He is a great character as-is, but I had issues with his characterization re:his backstory. I didn't feel it matched up.

[spoiler]in that I felt there was so much potential for an interesting Stormtrooper-turns-good-guy arc, if it was developed at all. Like yes, he wants to run away etc etc, but there's nothing about how he interacts with people or acts that reflects on the fact he was brainwashed since birth to be the perfect soldier.... since he's perfectly socially well-adjusted. His heel-face-turn was just totally devoid of meaning because we never got to meet him before his first battle, so to me it felt completely out of character for any stormtrooper to act that way since he wasn't introduced as a character or developed in any way leading up to that moment. It just felt really contrived.[/spoiler]

I don't think that's quite the question you were asking, but I think it fits in with complaints about how I think the writers botched a character that had potential to be so much more. What are some characters you feel aren't written to their full potential, VGA?

Spike from MLP.

I'm probably the only member on VGF who still watches MLP.

"it's a lisa episode"

[spoiler][MEDIA=youtube]sGU7CWGRYfI[/MEDIA] [spoiler]there are good lisa episodes though[/spoiler][/spoiler]

Yamcha.

...Yeah Yamcha.

I mean, even Tien and Chiaotzu got something during DBZ. Yamcha just gets horribly maimed in every fight he's in. A huge step down from the formidable desert bandit from the original Dragonball.

I'll also go ahead and arbitrarily add Miroku from Inuyasha. He represents one of the key problems of the series and that's their attempt to keep status quo at all costs. The problem is that he has a f**king black hole in his hand that could eat the main villain in a single second, but every villain eventually shows up with the main villain's poisonous insects that are made purely for him so he's made useless in every fight they have him around for. He's actually a very lecherous character, but this is because he needs to find a wife and get a child before his black hole hand eats him. They pair him with a female character and aside from her refusing to put up with lechery they get along well enough. Too bad it's never developed much like literally everything in Inuyasha. Bleh!

^ I think Chiaotzu got shafted more than Yamcha did, technically. Like, he didn't have as much screen time embarrassment, but that's because he was left behind in terms of power even before Yamcha, along with Yajirobe, so he wasn't even in a state to confront the Androids as Yamcha did. Tien definitely was treated the best out of the Humans, though, concerning screen time and feats.

Miroku was really cool, he had a good introduction as well, battling pretty evenly with Inuyasha. Then he just kind of sat in the background after that. Speaking of Inuyasha, I always wanted Koga to have more screen time and development, but he was largely ignored.

any jack or kate-focused episode of lost. for a show with such brilliant characters all-around, it's a shame the two biggest characters SUCKED

especially the episode about jack getting his tattoo what the **** was even the point of that ****
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also winston from new girl. in the most recent seasons he's been better but the writers had NO IDEA what to do with him at the start
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the classic example of this is of course wesley **** crusher on tng
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maybe it's because you kinda want to cheer for walt but i never felt as sympathetic to skyler on breaking bad as i did other victims of walt.
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even though i LOVE ed helms' portrayal of andy on the office, it seems like the writers never knew exactly what to do with him
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i'm so happy that mark brendanawicz got written off of parks and rec. dude was so boring i forgot he even existed until i saw some season 2 reruns the other week

Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer might just be my least favorite fictional protagonist in any of my favorite shows.

Family is the only Whedon episode that's remotely bad, and it ends up even going way past bad and landing in patent garbage territory. Even her song in Once More, With Feeling (television's seminal "musical episode") is just snoresville.

I mean, I hate Kennedy as much as the next Buffy fan, but I'd rather have Kennedy be an insufferable character that has a purpose than Tara who really was only there to determine Willow's sexual orientation and nothing else.

Also, I don't hate Phoebe as a character, but any Phoebe-centric Friends episodes are pretty sub-par compared to the rest.

Honestly I never much cared much for any of Willow's romantic interests (except Xander). It's probably a hot take to not like Oz or Tara, but they never did anything for me. I still think Kennedy is by far the worst. I like "Under Your Spell" tho.

and as much as i love whedon, some of the big bads did absolutely nothing for me in both buffy and angel no matter how hard you try. adam and jasmine are terrible. other main characters that sucked in the buffyverse: connor and riley

and on the subject of friends, there are good ross-centered episodes but **** ross.

Wayne from Pete & Pete. There are only so many ways you can spin "the friend no one likes because he screws everything up".
Perlmutter from Castle. He's annoying & needlessly obstructive & why are talking to him instead of Lanie?
Maya from Heroes & Taylor from Heroes Reborn. The former is completely useless, & the latter is completely bland.
Sitwell from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's such a little twerp.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

oh maaaaaan maya is garbage. and i really liked mohinder at first but late-seasons mohinder is so bad (though a lot of stuff in the late seasons is so bad)

^Onscreen Mohinder is fine, but Narrator Mohinder is the WORST.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Are you kidding me, Narrator Mohinder is the best. Those quotes are amazing.

I didn't like onscreen Mohinder in season 3 when he became a monster and fell in love with Maya.

[QUOTE="VG_Addict, post: 1581764, member: 34516"]Spike from MLP.

I'm probably the only member on VGF who still watches MLP.[/QUOTE]

Well, I haven't seen any of S5, but I still like the show a lot.

I'd say the writers screw up Pinkie and Applejack much more often than Spike.

I don't much like Howard on The Big Bang Theory. I'm not sure what his redeeming qualities are supposed to be for the audience.

Sansa Stark is pretty boring so far. Somewhat related, but Dany was super boring in the latter books.

Todd Packer from the US version of The Office. I get that you're supposed to hate him, but you aren't supposed to hate watching him.

Robert California from The Office. Totally sucked the life out of every scene he was in.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[QUOTE="Deku Tree, post: 1582530, member: 18320"]Sansa Stark is pretty boring so far. Somewhat related, but Dany was super boring in the latter books.[/QUOTE]
For some reason, I've always like Sansa. For some reason I've been able to really empathize with her whole situation, I dunno. I could definitely understand how someone would not like her or her episodes, though. I think that she is going to play a major role down the line, though. I'm not totally sure what that role is, but she sure gets a lot of play for someone who would end up being inconsequential.