Well, well, well. If it isn’t a Top 5 Wednesday post. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of you. I guess I just really wasn’t into the April topics. But the May topics… don’t exist. That’s right! Each Top 5 Wednesday this month is a freebie. That means you can pick from any of the archived topics, clear back to 2013. I did some searching for ones that really inspired me, and now I have each T5W topic picked for the rest of the month. My pick for today? Characters I used to like but don’t anymore. This can be because I outgrew them, I see them in a different light, or I view them differently than I once did. I have a lot of old favorites I’ve long since abandoned for some interesting reasons, so I think you’ll like this week’s installment. And so, without further ado, here are my top five characters I used to love but don’t now:
- Aelin Galathynius from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
It’s no secret that I used to be a huge fan of this series. Well, I also used to be an Aelin apologist. Part of it is because it there were months in between when I read Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows, so the stark difference in her character wasn’t apparent to me. However, when I reread the series in preparation for Empire of Storms (which I wound up never reading), I could see it clear as day. She went from a flawed character who still ultimately wants to do good to an selfish, arrogant cardboard cutout, devoid of the emotion that once made her seem so real. She became a caricature of her former self. Needless to say, I no longer consider her one of my favorite characters.
- Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter by JK Rowling:
I’ve talked about this before, but Harry Potter was my happy place in high school. And, because I was borderline emo, I was drawn to the dark side. So, I glommed on to the one character I felt could help me embrace that: the dragon of bad faith himself. I justified his bullying nature and fancied him my book boyfriend. Of course, I still vastly preferred fanon Draco to canon Draco. I wasn’t that far gone. Eventually, I grew out of my dark phase and thus grew out of Draco. I don’t even know that he’s in my Top 5 anymore. I see him for what he is now (though I still maintain he deserved a redemption arc over Snape) and quit woobify-ing him. Still, I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic every time I see him.
- Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:
Katniss isn’t so much a character I no longer like, as she is a character I just don’t really think about anymore. I really like her as a character, I just don’t interact enough with the material when I’m not reading it to consider her a favorite. Plus, she’s got the stain of Jennifer Lawrence on her. That’s not her fault, but sometimes it’s a little hard to separate the two. So, even though I’ll forever maintain she’s a great character, she’s just not one I hold close to my heart.
- Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith:
And yes, I mean the books and not the show. I don’t fuck with the show. I mean, I don’t really fuck with the books anymore either, but still. Anyway, despite shipping Stelena, I was trash for Damon. He was so funny and broody, so unapologetic about being a vampire. Wow… this is really starting to sound like I still like him. No, my love for Damon faded with my love for the series. In fact, I’m sure I’d find him messy as hell if I read the series again. Therefore, he’s someone who belongs in my past.
- Kieran of the Hunt from The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare:
Yes, you read that right. I, the number one Kieran hater, once liked him. Now, he wasn’t a favorite or anything, but I did ship him with Mark. I also used all the same apologia his fans use when defending him. It wasn’t until I started becoming more aware of abusive behaviors (and read Lady Midnight for a second time) that I realized just how toxic he really is. It was… not a good time for me. But I’ve repented, spread the good word of Hating Kieran’s Guts, and now I just try to pretend he doesn’t exist. I can’t wait to somehow erase him from Queen of Air and Darkness!
Who are some characters you used to love but don’t any longer? Tell me about them in the comments!
Strange Storyteller 
This is such an interesting topic, great choice!
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I really like your comments on Malfoy. His Dad is the hottest thing going in the those movies! Ha. TMI. No, honestly, I like the way you could divide the fandom from the writing–that’s clever and useful. I’m glad you were able to grow away from the dark side. Very mature decision. Great post. I really enjoyed it.
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I still like Draco and Damon, I love Damon’s unapologetic nature! Draco… well I guess after rereading the book I realize that he’s a horrible human being, but movie-draco give the character so much depth so 😀
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I never liked Katniss. Or Draco. Or Snape for that matter. XD Katniss was just too Mary-sue and she was nasty towards Peeta.
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Katniss never struck me as a Mary Sue. She’s far too flawed. But I agree, she was often unfair to Peeta.
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