We’ve all had crushes on TV characters before. After all, when a character is relatable, it’s easy to connect with them in different ways. BuddyTV recently surveyed 1,000 American TV viewers to see who the most dateable (and undateable) characters are in all of television.
Key Takeaways
- Captain Christopher Pike of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and Wanda Maximoff of “WandaVision” are 2022’s most dateable TV Characters.
- Yara Greyjoy of “Game of Thrones” topped the chart as the most datable LGBTQ character on television.
- The most dateable anime characters are Hinata Hyuga from “Naruto” and Levi Ackerman from “Attack on Titan.”
What Makes a TV Character Dateable?
When watching TV, it’s easy to start crushing on the stars as we become invested in their stories. Here are the male and female characters Americans most want to date.
Superheroes are apparently more attractive than bad guys to most people: We found that only 16% of Americans would rather date a villain. The heroic Captain Christopher Pike of “Star Trek: Strange New World” (Amazon Prime) is TV’s most dateable male character, followed by the honorable Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. And third place went to the handsome Scottish Highlander fighting for his country’s freedom, Jamie Fraser from “Outlander.”
As for the female characters, Wanda Maximoff from “WandaVision” (DisneyPlus) is No. 1 – though whether she’s a hero or a villain is up for debate. Golden girl Annie January (Starlight) from “The Boys” and FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen from “The Blacklist” round out the top three most dateable women on TV.
What Makes a Character Undateable?
We all have deal-breakers and red flags that we watch out for when choosing who we want to date. The same goes for when we judge fictional TV characters. Below are the least dateable characters on TV and the traits that might have made them so.
Americans are least interested in dating Steven Hyde from “That ‘70s Show” and Izzie Stevens from “Grey’s Anatomy.” Thirty percent of respondents also said that rudeness and immoral behaviors are the top traits that make a character undateable.
Crushing on LGBTQ Characters
LGBTQ characters have become a central part of TV shows recently. As progress continues on all fronts, so does the evolution of fictional characters, as seen by our diverse list. See who’s the most datable LGBTQ character, according to American viewers.
Yara Greyjoy from “Game of Thrones” (HBO Max) takes the top spot as television’s most datable LGBTQ character. Alex Vause from “Orange Is the New Black” took second place, beating four other co-stars from the show who also made the top 30. Blanca Evangelista from “Pose” ranked as third most dateable.
Who’s Your Anime Crush?
It’s not just live-action characters that have viewers infatuated. Animated characters seem to be just as dateable (or undateable) to our respondents.
Hinata Hyuga from “Naruto” earns the title of anime’s most dateable female character. Anime fans chose her over fellow “Naruto” character Sakura Haruno, who took second. As for the most dateable male anime character, that award goes to Levi Ackerman of “Attack on Titan.” Shoto Todoroki of “My Hero Academia” came in a close second.
Who Was Your First TV Crush?
We all have that one TV character crush that started it all. Whether a live actor or a cartoon character, we’re sure you can think of your special someone from the past, too.
While there were some unsurprising choices for first TV crushes, some of the more questionable ones from respondents included characters like:
- The Fonz, “Happy Days”
- Pippi Longstocking, “Pippi Longstocking”
- Jerry Seinfeld, “Seinfeld”
- Dexter Morgan, “Dexter”
We concluded our survey by asking everyone how they developed their first fictional character crush. Men based their choice more on physical attractiveness than women did, while women were more interested in a character’s heroic qualities. LGBTQ viewers appreciated a sense of humor more than straight ones.
Crush-Worthiness Breakdown
While attractiveness, heroism, and a sense of humor are some of the top qualities audiences are into, they clearly aren’t attracted to rudeness and immoral behavior. But no matter their reasoning, our respondents were ultimately united on the most dateable and undateable characters on television.
Methodology
BuddyTV surveyed 1,000 Americans about TV characters they find dateable. Of those surveyed, 52% were male, and 48% were female; 74% said they were straight, while 26% were LGBTQ. Survey data has certain limitations related to self-reporting. These limitations include telescoping, exaggeration, and selective memory.
About BuddyTV
Whether you’re into drama, comedy, animation, or thrillers, finding the best TV characters to crush on has never been easier. Find guides on shows and actors, read reviews, and get all the latest news on TV and movies with BuddyTV.
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
