Netflix's Original Series Elite was widely successful, due in large part to the dynamic cast of characters. Many of the characters were well-developed, like Lu, becoming more nuanced throughout the series. Though many of the characters made poor decisions, it was easy to root for many of these problematic characters.
But not every character on Elite was loved by fans. While some characters made fans love to hate them, others made fans more infuriated than excited. Whether it be because they were truly awful, poorly developed, or totally useless, some characters didn't live up to their beloved counterparts.
Updated on October 1st, 2021 by Matthew Rudoy: The fourth season of Elite brought many changes to the popular Netflix series. Main characters since the beginning like Lu and Carla were no longer part of the series, established characters like Rebeka and Cayetana got some much-needed development, and many new characters joined the show. Unfortunately, with the exception of one individual, the new characters were highly unlikable, with many of them lacking the compelling nature of Elite's original cast of characters. While some of the new characters are meant to be unlikable, some of them are also meant to evoke empathy and portray a kind of complexity that fails to resonate with the audience by the end of season 4.
Best: Mencía
Mencía is the only likable member of her family and the only likable new character in season 4. Her family does not respect her and constantly treats her like an outcast and a burden, which motivates her to be rebellious and reckless.
Outside of her family, Mencía builds meaningful relationships with characters like Rebeka, through which Mencía shows a sweet, compassionate, sensitive, and intellectual side of her that her family does not recognize or appreciate. Not only is Mencía mistreated by her family, but she is also threatened, blackmailed, and assaulted by the horrible Armando. Mencía is a misunderstood and mistreated character who deserves better.
Worst: Patrick
Patrick's main purpose is to sow discord in Ander and Omar's relationship and drive a wedge between them. He is happy to try and destroy one of the show's best couples. During this, Patrick sexually assaults both Ander and Omar, which makes him an unredeemable character.
Other than being a selfish character who has no moral boundaries and will go to any lengths to get what he wants, Patrick has no personality. When the show tries to show that he is vulnerable and compensating for unresolved issues, fans can't feel any empathy for him due to his reprehensible nature.
Best: Rebeka
Rebeka is one of Elite's most compassionate, mature, loyal, and sensitive characters. She genuinely cares about the people she is in relationships with and will do anything to protect or help them. She sticks by her mother, Samuel, and Mencia as they struggle with issues like prison, accusations of murder, and blackmail, even as others turn their backs on these characters.
Rebeka does not suffer fools, though, and will not stay in a toxic relationship and when her loved ones actively choose to deceive and hurt her. When she discovers that her mother lied to her about no longer dealing drugs and Samuel lied to her about planting a recording device inside of her home for the cops, she ends her romantic relationship with Samuel and gets away from her mother. Rebeka knows how to stand up for herself and is the only one who sees Mencia for who she is and who unconditionally loves and helps her.
Worst: Ari
While her brother Patrick exists to sow discord between Ander and Omar, Ari exists to create drama in Samuel and Guzmán's friendship. After three seasons of Samuel and Guzmán overcoming their many differences and becoming friends, Ari quickly ruins this development and makes them hate each other again. Ari is far more selfish and unlikable than the characters Samuel and Guzmán dated in the past, which makes it all the stranger to see them throwing everything away to win her affection and be with her.
Ari's harsh and disapproving treatment of her sister Mencía and how Ari manipulates her father's favoritism doesn't do her any favors either. The show tries to get the audience to empathize with Ari by showing that she feels like she sacrifices her own desires to be the perfect and obedient child who keeps her family together. The many advantages Ari receives from this role and her arrogant, unapologetic nature makes it hard to feel bad for her, though.
Worst: Teo
To be fair, no one is supposed to like Teo. He is one of the main antagonists of the show, serving as a formidable villain through all three seasons of Elite. Still, the hatred of this character runs deep. He paralyzes Christian which results in his departure from the show, upsetting many fans.
Fans felt bad for Carla when Teo forced her into a relationship with Yeray, effectively pimping out his daughter for his own benefit. This was one of the most hated plot lines of the show and fans attributed some of the disappointment about that plotline to Teo.
Best: Omar
Omar is a delightful character. He is thoughtful, conflicted, passionate, kindhearted, and reliable. Omar's storyline mainly revolves around his struggle with his identity.
As a young Muslim gay man, he struggles to balance his personal values with the expectations of his family. Watching Omar bloom and come out of his shell is a delight for fans, who were rooting for him to break free.
Worst: Cayetana
Cayetana's character had potential, but she fell flat. While many unlikeable characters had some redeeming qualities, Cayetana had difficulty earning empathy from fans. Cayetana's poor decisions and actions are to blame for most of her struggles, and yet this character refuses to recognize the role she has played in her own destruction.
Cayetana is incredibly selfish and rarely shows remorse. She treats her mother terribly and her relationships with some of the other characters, namely her relationship with Polo, feel fake and forced. For these reasons and many more, Cayetana was not enjoyed by fans.
Best: Nadia
Nadia is incredibly intelligent. At the beginning of the series, she also happens to be extremely sheltered and naive. Still, Nadia has a strong sense of self and several core values. Though she grows and adapts throughout the series, she always remains true to herself.
Nadia protects those that she cares about while also holding them accountable. Though she may initially be judgemental, Nadia is a great listener. With time, she often reflects and begins to understand the perspective of her peers. Her willingness to speak up when necessary and her ability to change made Nadia a fan-favorite character.
Worst: Samuel
Samuel is the main character of Elite and the first character fans meet. While fans were initially drawn to Samuel and felt bad for him, they quickly grew annoyed with his character.
Samuel's development was inconsistent. His motivations changed rapidly without reason, seemingly just to advance the story. He was also involved in several cringy scenes and many of his relationships felt ingenuine.
Best: Valerio
Valerio is a problematic favorite. This character is pure chaos. He makes many reckless decisions that negatively impact himself and others. Still, fans can't help but feel bad for him. It is clear that Valerio is extremely broken.
Fans can empathize with his feelings of isolation and self-loathing. And though he causes a lot of pain, he also seems to appreciate and admire the uniqueness in others, making it easy to appreciate and admire him for his individuality.
Worst: Malick
For much of the show, Nadia was involved in a toxic relationship with Guzmán. When Malick was introduced in season 3, it seemed like Nadia had finally found someone who understood her. Malick was also Muslim and understood Nadia's family dynamics and core values. He respected Nadia as an individual and positively challenged her.
Though there wasn't initial chemistry between these two characters, it seemed that they were naturally developing a healthy understanding of each other and friendship. This abruptly changed when it was revealed that Malick was hiding his interest in men. In a shocking turn of events, Malick began hooking up with Nadia's brother Omar behind her back. This was a major department from the character to which fans were first introduced. Introducing Malick just to create drama between Nadia and Omar was a terrible decision and left fans wishing Malick had never joined the show in the first place.
Best: Carla
Carla is a deliciously manipulative character. This forceful woman isn't afraid to take action to achieve her goals. She does what she needs to do to get what she wants and is unapologetically herself.
Her power and drive set her apart from many of the other characters, making her one of the most interesting characters on the show. Carla is at the center of much of the show's conflict and watching her cunningly and boldly take action brought much excitement to the show.
Worst: Yeray
Yeray was introduced in season 3 of Elite. His character seemed desperate and pathetic. It is clear that although he had worked to change his outward appearance, he was still very broken on the inside.
Yeray's treatment of Carla was deplorable. He treated her as though she was some prize to be won and admired her as she was everything he hoped to be -- beautiful, smart, and powerful. Seeing Carla lose her control and power to an undeveloped whiney jerk was the most horrifying plotline on the show, leaving fans hating Yeray.
Best: Lu
Lu is the character who goes through the most character development over the show's 3 seasons. At the start of the show, it is hard to imagine that fans could ever grow to like Lu. And yet, there are several times throughout the show when fans can't help but root for her.
Lu is incredibly intelligent and powerful. Her wit adds some much-needed humor to the show. Lu is quick to say what many other characters are thinking and one can't help but admire her tenacity. The entire finale season highlights the growth that Lu has made. This iconic character will be remembered for years to come.
Worst: Armando
As the main antagonist of Elite's fourth season, Armando is a despicable character with no redeeming qualities. He at first presents himself as a respectful and generous friend to Mencía. This is only a facade that he uses to get Mencía to sleep with him and trust him.
When she no longer wants to sleep with him or spend time with him, he blackmails and threatens her, even inside of her home when she is surrounded by her family. Armando is an adult in his forties assaulting and taking advantage of a high school student. He nearly kills Mencía's sister Ari as well. When Guzmán kills Armando, it is a relief to be rid of such a deplorable character.