8 most disliked RWBY characters, ranked

2. Cardin Winchester

Cardin Winchester, with his thirst and talent for mischief and malice, quickly became the character everyone loved to loathe very early on.

Cardin is a towering figure of arrogance, strutting through the halls of Beacon Academy with a smirk that could curdle milk. He's not just your garden-variety antagonist; he's the embodiment of every school bully who always stole your lunch money or mocked your best friend's haircut. His particular brand of cruelty towards characters like Jaune, the underdog striving for greatness, and Velvet, the faunus student with bunny ears as soft as her heart, struck a chord with audiences. It wasn't just that he was mean - it was his unapologetic revelry in the pain of others that made our blood boil.

Each sneer, each derogatory comment wasn't just a moment of conflict; it was a reminder of the real-world injustices that people face every day.

Yet, the true cherry on top of the dislike sundae was Cardin's stunning lack of character development. Where villains often find redemption arcs or moments of vulnerability that make them complex and, dare we say, relatable, Cardin seemed to revel in his role as Beacon's resident jerk with no intention of changing. This static nature made him frustratingly one-dimensional in a world bursting with characters that grow, evolve, and challenge the boundaries of their initial portrayals. His actions, devoid of any deeper motivation or growth, cemented him as a character fans loved to hate.

Without the redemption arc or deeper layers that make antagonists intriguing, Cardin remained stuck in the mud of his own making - forever the bully and never the hero, leaving audiences with a sour taste after his every appearance.