How I Met Your Mother is a popular sitcom that aired from 2005 to 2014. The show centered around Ted Mosby and his quest for true love, as he narrates the story to his children through flashbacks. Ted, along with his close friends, navigate life, dealing with heartbreak in relationships to turmoil in their professional careers.
His group of best friends consist of his best friend Marshall Eriksen, his partner Lily Aldrin, his womanizing eccentric friend Barney Stinson, and his past love interest Robin Scherbatsky. Although each character brought something unique to the show, some characters were clear winners when it came to fan favorites.
6. Lily Aldrin
Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) was introduced as Marshall’s love interest. Despite her strong loyalty towards her friends, Lily came across as selfish, manipulative, and emotionally childish. Not only did she create problems for her friends on more than one occasion, which included getting Ted in trouble at work, but she was intrusive when it came to their personal lives.
One of her worst moments on the show how she has meddled in other people’s lives over the years. Ted learns that Lily was not only behind his breakup with many of his love interests, but she purposely jeopardized his relationships simply because she didn’t approve of them. Although she is arguably looking out for her friends’ best interests, her misguided manner of treating others was problematic.
5. Ted Mosby
Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) was the leading character of the show as it revolves around his quest true love. However, despite being the protagonist, Ted is regarded as strongly disliked among fan of the show. Although he is presented as a good guy who wants more than a family, he often treated his love interests with disrespect.
Not only did he constantly choose Robin, his long time on and off love interest over those around him, his behaviour came across as creepy when it came to finding “the one”. Similarly, as the narrator of the show, his unpredictable led fans to speculate whether he built himself up to be a better person than he truly was. In fact, Neil Patrick Harris confirmed this fan theory, addressing that Ted wrote Barney out to be a womanizer.
4. Robin Scherbatsky
Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) was first introduced as Ted’s love interest, although she eventually became a defining member of the gang’s friend group. Robin’s character was largely admired for staying true to her values and desires when it came to her career and independence.
However, her individual character arc was often overshadowed as her presence on the show was primarily defined by her romantic relationships with both Ted and Barney. Her romantic involvement and marriage to Barney Stinson was a controversial storyline given how surprising it was. Still, Robin’s character arc had an interesting trajectory as it ended with her fulfilling her dreams of a successful career as a news anchor.
3. Barney Stinson
Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is regarded as a favourite among fans. Although Barney started off as incredibly flawed as he often treated those around him horribly, he grew from a sexist and insensitive playboy to a responsible man to a loving father.
Barney’s character brought a lot to the show, making it more memorable. From his love of suits, to his elaborate schemes, to his catchphrases or his strong rooted loyalty for his friends, Barney stood out as a likable character whose company would make everything all the more legendary.
2. Marshall Eriksen
Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) was first introduced as Ted’s best friend and an aspiring lawyer. Throughout the show, Marshall navigates the demands of a high-powered career while fighting to stay true to his values and dream of helping the environment.
Although Marshall was increasingly co-dependent when it came to his friends and family, he was also equally loyal when it came to being there for them. Not only was Marshall a genuinely good guy who rooted for the welfare of his loved ones, but he was equally hardworking when it came to his career and his family.
1. Tracy McConnell
In the final episode of Season 8, the mother of Ted’s children is revealed to be Tracy McConnell, portrayed by Cristin Milioti. Although Tracy was on-screen for a short duration, the 8 seasons of the show invested into the reveal of who Ted fell in love with didn’t disappoint.
