Out of the main characters on The Big Bang Theory, Raj is one that fans felt sorry for when the series finale rolled around. While his professional life was thriving, his personal life was in the gutter. He was struggling with the divorce of his parents, he was in a transformative phase with his best friend, and he found it harder than he realized to settle down.
Raj had a pure heart and it was sad for his friends (and fans) to see his life in turmoil while those around him soared. However, one of the happier parts of Raj was his transformation. Although he had sad moments in his life, his character arc was impressive as he found his true self.
His Parents' Divorce Affected Him More Than He Realized
Even though Raj was an adult when his parents split up, and he didn't live in the same country as them, their divorce unsettled him, as he was now a part of a broken home.
Raj's parents didn't have a ton of screen time on the show, but when they popped up from time to time, they proved to be better alone than together. All-in-all, Raj's parents' divorce upset him more than he realized, and it was hard to watch.
His Selective Mutism Stopped Him From Having Fun
Some of Raj's most iconic scenes were when his mutism was alive and well. Raj found it hard to be himself around women and couldn't speak when he was around them. It wasn't until he met Penny and started drinking cocktails that he realized he was able to speak to women with the help of alcohol.
And as humorous as it was at times, Raj's selective mutism got in Raj's way time and time again. He never felt confident enough to be himself without some sort of alcohol until years later.
His Anxieties Were Also Obstacles For Him
Raj's scenes with Lucy were hard to watch at times. They started out on a good note with both of them being honest about their fears and anxieties around relationships, but they blew up in smoke as quickly as they began.
Raj's desire to get married and include her in his group of friends was overwhelming for Lucy. It also added unnecessary pressure for Raj. Instead of going with the flow and taking his time, his anxiety and fear of being alone made him uneasy in multiple situations.
His Best Friend Treated Him Like Dirt
It's an unpopular opinion that Howard was a great friend to Raj. Howard was actually incredibly controlling and manipulative of Raj. It wasn't until Raj's dad pointed out that Howard's sarcastic nature was actually detrimental to Raj that he began to take note too.
Fans were proud of Raj when he took some time away from the friendship to work on himself, but it was upsetting that it even got to that point.
He Stays With Women He Doesn't Love Because He's Afraid Of Being Alone
As it turns out, it wasn't a significant other that Raj needed to get all the feels - it was friendship. At the end of the series, Raj even ended his relationship with Anu because he knew he couldn't go through with an arranged marriage.
But before he came to this conclusion, he hung on to relationships because he feared being alone. He would date whoever would take him as long as it meant he didn't have to be alone at night. This was an upsetting part of his life that he had to go through in order to grow.
Becoming Independent Left Him Homeless
After his parents' divorce, Raj realized that he needed to become more independent. It didn't make sense for Raj to be living off his dad still. Instead of allowing his dad to pay for his rent, his car, and his credit cards, he took on the responsibility and did it himself.
However, his lavish lifestyle was more expensive than he realized, and he wasn't able to afford it all. This meant he couch-surfed on Penny and Leonard's couch, Howard and Bernadette's guest bedroom, and even above Bert's garage. As great as it was that he was independent, it was sad that it left him without a home.
He's Disrespected By More Than Just Howard
It wasn't just Howard who disrespected Raj time and time again - it was Leonard too. Everyone knew that Sheldon said unsavory things from time to time but that was just his nature. Leonard, on the other hand, knew that his actions would affect Raj and did them anyway.
When Raj's sister Priya came to town, Leonard flirted with her enough that she became his girlfriend. Leonard knew Raj wouldn't approve of him dating her sister but he did it anyway. He didn't care that Raj was uncomfortable with it and begged his friends not to date her. Once again, Raj was walked on by his friends.
He Had No Spot During Dinner
It took the friend group until season 7's "The Table Polarization" to buy a dining room table to accommodate their growing brood. Raj had been sitting on the ground during dinners and was tired of not having the respect he deserved.
To make matters worse, Leonard and Penny didn't even keep the table for Raj to sit at. Because of Sheldon's comfortability with the couch, the group felt sad leaving him and Amy out. Raj went back to sitting on the floor while everyone else had a spot in a chair.
Raj Never Got His Dream Happy Ending
Among the characters of The Big Bang Theory, Raj was the one who wanted a family the most. Since he already had an amazing career and a close group of friends, the only thing missing was a wife.
And while ladies like Emily and Anu were great choices for Raj, they didn’t mesh. By the end of the series, Raj was exactly where he was in season 1: single. In fact, Raj's breakup scenes were some of the most heartbreaking in the series.
His Girlfriends Were Not Always Great To Him
When Raj grew some confidence, he decided to sit down with his exes and talk about their relationship and why it went south. It was an odd get-together but Raj was looking for growth. Shockingly, the women ripped Raj apart.
Lucy even said that dating Raj taught her everything she didn't want in a man. Emily Sweeney (one of Raj's longest relationships) found Raj clingy, which was upsetting because she was the one who wanted to get back together with him. The entire meeting did more harm than good and hurt Raj.