When one talks some of the most legen-wait for it... dary(!) sitcoms of all time, then it goes without saying that How I Met Your Mother would definitely be a focal point of this conversation. While it's true that the reception to this show was fairly mixed over its run before the dumpster fire that was the ending, there's no denying the fact that the characters were still extremely endearing and ended up being the driving force behind the show attaining such a massive fan following.
That being said, one can't deny the fact that the character arcs of some of these characters varied to quite an extent. While some of the members of the main cast ended up developing extensively over the course of the show, there were others that stagnated for the most part due to weak writing.
6 Ted Mosby
Ted Mosby might be the protagonist of the show, but there's no denying the fact that he's one of the most hated characters on the show and his character arc pretty much personifies everything that's wrong with him. Throughout the course of nine seasons, Ted tells an incredibly drawn-out story to his children about his mother and why she was perfect, with the entire story hinging upon him meeting his soon-to-be wife and enjoying the rest of his life with her.
However, after all this time, it turns out that his wife passed away and he ended up with Robin out of nowhere. While there are several reasons as to why Ted's character arc was such a dud — with everything from monotony to nonsensical actions coming into the picture — it's this solitary fact that sealed Ted's fate as having the worst arc out of any other main cast member on the show.
5 Robin Scherbatsky
One can't deny the fact that Robin's introduction and a bunch of other moments involving her were some of the best aspects of the show. However, over time, it was clearly evident that her character needed to evolve a bit more in order to remain relevant in the grand scheme of things.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, and Robin's character stagnated to the point where she definitely became one of the low points of the show. There was some promise when she ended up with Barney by the end of the series, but this ultimately boiled down to nothing since the couple ended up divorcing in a contrived manner to force Ted and Robin together by the end of the series. Speaking of which...
4 Barney Stinson
Out of all the characters on the show, it can be argued that Barney's character arc wasn't nearly as radical. After all, he was meant to be the womanizer of the show with impeccable fashion taste, and that was pretty much a winning formula in sitcoms at that time. Of course, that being said, there were moments when Barney did evolve as a character and tried to prove that his character was more than just the two traits mentioned before.
That being said, most of these moments were just one-offs that never really mattered in the long run. His relationship with Robin was perhaps the only turning point in his arc, and even that ended up being meaningless once it was revealed that their relationship ended in a divorce. Barney did end up becoming a father by the end of the show, with a speech that — while admittedly somewhat forced — was certainly quite heartfelt and indicative of a positive shift in the character.
3 Lily Aldrin
It's funny that one of the characters who barely had any major character development over the course of the show ended up being one of the show's highlights. The relationship between Lily and Marshall was certainly the beating heart of the show, casting a light-hearted yet enlightening light onto the life of a married couple and showing the trials and tribulations that ultimately end up strengthening and enhancing relationships in the long run.
While Lily definitely felt the more unhinged part of the relationship, there's still no denying the fact that her dynamic with Marshall ended up leading to a number of highlights for the series.
2 The Mother, A.K.A. Tracy McConnell
Given the sheer number of seasons that had passed without even seeing the mother's face even once, it was certainly quite worrying whether fans would be satiated by a character that would appear seemingly out of nowhere by the last season. However, it's a testament to the writing of the showrunners that The Mother ultimately ended up being one of the greatest characters on the show, with each appearance being as heartwarming and enjoyable to watch as the last, if not more.
Tracy McConnell was easily one of the best parts of How I Met Your Mother's final season, with a girl-next-door vibe and kind attitude that definitely did wonders for the character's likability. The fact that the entire fanbase was incensed about the fact that she died by the end of the series is proof enough of just how beloved this character really was. In fact, the backlash to her death was so intense that the DVD release of the final season actually features an alternate ending where she never dies and stays with Ted to the end of their days — a vastly superior ending to the one that was originally televised.
1 Marshall Eriksen
It was only a given that the lovable giant would be at the top of this list, given the sheer number of emotional and heartwarming moments he's been at the forefront of. From dealing with the rollercoaster that was his marriage to facing the death of a major figure in his life — Marshall has consistently shown how important it is to be in tune with your feelings while simultaneously not taking life too seriously and sporting a happy-go-lucky attitude during the worst of times.
Jason Segel absolutely shone in this role, giving life to a character that was immaculately written from start to end... barring a few hiccups that can definitely be forgiven in the grand scheme of things.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/387jUSE
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