Who are the Most Likeable Characters on ‘The Office’ and Who are The Most Unlikeable?

The American sitcom The Office has developed a pop culture following since wrapping up in 2013 and is now one of the most loved shows in history.

The cast, merged with writer quality, resulted in endlessly rewatchable episodes appealing to everyone. 

The Office features moments of gut-busting mockery thanks to primary characters like Duke Schrute, Michael Scott, and Jim Halpert, among others. 

While each character holds a special place in fans' hearts, some are downright likeable while some are cringe-worthy. 

Here is our list of the most likeable and unlikeable characters on The Office. 

Though a supporting character, Kevin is a favorite among the staff of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. He always supports his colleagues and never conflicts with anyone. He is all smiles and no war. 

Though his gambling addiction often lands him in trouble, he never takes it out on any of his co-workers. Every office has a Kevin, and everybody loves him.

Aah, Jan, the woman who made Michael's life a living hell. Her on-again-off-again relationship with the sweet regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton didn't sit well with fans, especially when things got messy and out of hand involving the company. 

Jan’s return deemed her more unlikeable, from her awkward relationship with her daughter Astrid to her gross attraction to younger men.

She may not have been around for too long, but Holly proved to be a sweetheart, coming at the right time when desperate Michael was looking to settle down and start a family. Her personality and sense of humor were a cherry on top of Michael's, which made them a perfect match.

Holly's love for the series protagonist not only garnered the approval of the characters but also the fans' as well.

It's hard to like a character that was never meant to be liked in the first place. Roy, Pam's ex-fiancé, is disliked for his arrogance and violence. But besides taking Pam for granted, Roy did have a sweet side, such as supporting his warehouse co-workers. 

However, he had to be one of the antagonists so that Pam could finally stand up for herself and follow her dreams.

Apart from being likeable, Pam, the office receptionist, showed tremendous growth throughout the series. She evolved from the timid quiet girl to a lady who spoke her mind and went after what she wanted. 

She also made impactful friendships with some of the staff, including Michael and Angela.

Initially, fans felt sorry for Toby, the office HR who Michael always picked on. However, as the seasons progressed, it became hard to sympathize with Toby because he rarely took any responsibility for his decisions nor express concern for the employees.

His growth throughout the series was as the expression on his face in every episode. He rarely looked happy, and neither were fans of his performance.

Darryl started as a background character in the warehouse but slowly gained more personality as he made his way into the core office group.

The audience loves how awesome, calm and collected Darryl is. Moreover, everyone at Dunder Mifflin and beyond respected him. He demonstrated himself as a wonderful friend, a hard worker and a good listener.

Ryan wasn't unlikeable at first, starting as a responsible temp just fresh out of business school. But his on-again-off-again fling with Kelly was hard to watch, mostly because he didn't realize the good thing he had going until it was too late. 

Additionally, his abrupt promotion to vice president in the New York office made his ego grow so much that he jeopardized his position owing to a scandal.

The audience developed a love-hate relationship with Phyllis. While she is generally a peaceful character who relates well with her colleagues, she is desperately timid, and some fans find this annoying.

That said, Phyllis is helpful and supportive. She assists Dwight to get Angela back, she is kind to Michael despite him being rude to her at times and helps Erin search for her biological mother.

Andy starts as quite funny and relatable. He is the only Dunder Mifflin Stamford employee to stick with the Scranton team, and everything seems to be going great for him until the latter seasons when he becomes more annoying than not.

Andy's entire character arc goes off the rails, turning into a complete jerk to his girlfriend Erin and many more in the office. By the end of the series, it becomes impossible to like Andy.

From the get-go, Jim is an extremely likeable character. He is sweet, devoted, hardworking and relatable. Who can forget the classic 'Jim' face he always gave the background cameras whenever something embarrassing happened at the office?

Though Jim had some crumby moments in the show’s final season, fans were rooting for him more often than not.

Some of The Office’s most annoying and unlikeable characters were introduced in the 9th season, including Clark and Pete. This duo was meant to be the new Dwight and Jim, but the audience didn't have enough time to relate to them. 

The more the show tried to make fans care about them, the more they hated this new young cast.

Michael was the glue that held the entire season together. After his departure in the 7th season, the show crumbled. There were uncertainties, and too many changes and the spark fizzled out. 

As ignorant, sometimes mean and outspoken as Michael is, you can't help but love him. And he has heartfelt moments that enable him to make genuine friendships. Though Michael is unorthodox, he is the heart of the show.

The show pretty much went downhill after Michael left, including finding someone else to fill in the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s shoes.

Nellie is one replacement that the audience dislikes. She would go from antagonistic to overly sensitive in a minute, making it difficult for viewers to engage with her.

Dwight became more and more likeable as time went on. Even more iconic than Michael, Dwight’s endless antics and timeless pranks enable him to stand out from the rest of the Dunder Mifflin employees. His unique personality always keeps the show captivating and interesting.

Dwight and Jim’s relationship is fun to watch as well. Their Tom and Jerry conflict always makes scenes come alive. The Office wouldn’t be the same without Dwight.