Orange is the New Black would have looked a lot different if the show stuck to the original plan for Danielle Brooks' character, Taystee Jefferson, and only kept her around for two episodes. Thankfully, Brooks' performance wowed the showrunners, and Taystee played a huge role in Litchfield.
But every likable character like Taystee, there's an equally unlikable character like former CO, Sam Healy. From outgoing personalities to toxic mother figures, less likable characters make infuriating decisions that impact more than just themselves while the likable characters are touched audiences' hearts with their journeys and growth.
16 Natalie “Fig” Figueroa
Natalie "Fig" Figueroa is a completely unlikable character. She is mean and cruel toward the inmates, unable to put herself in their shoes. For the better part of the series, she is selfish and overlooks the poor treatment of the inmates and condition of the prison.
Fig embezzles money from the prison’s budget and only grows to be more caring after beginning a relationship with Joe Caputo, but it’s too late for viewers to change their impression of her.
15 Sam Healy
Sam Healy a chauvinistic homophobe who actually stated they gay inmates should be separated from the heterosexual population. His twisted views about women stem from his childhood, but that doesn’t give him a free pass.
Healy is just a villain that gets off too easy. However, his softer side occasionally shows. His friendship with Red blossoms as she helps him with his marriage. Even though she’s just using him, he gets a lot out of these interactions, and proves that he's a man who can change.
14 Aleida And Dayanara “Daya” Diaz
Aleida and Daya don't have a successful relationship. The mother-daughter duo never see eye-to-eye and are constantly bickering. Aleida thinks she can make decisions for Daya but she lacks forethought. Daya is initially submissive but turns into the leader of a drug ring and goes down a rabbit hole of terrible choices.
These women just aren’t likable. Neither seems to learn from their actions enough to change their lives for the better, and it’s infuriating.
13 Piper Chapman
Piper gets worse and worse in OitNB. Initially, she has a moral code, but as she acclimates to prison life, she becomes a completely different person who will do anything to survive. She becomes a cruel, conniving liar.
As she grows a greater status among the inmates, her ego becomes enormous — Piper thinks she can do whatever she wants. The deeper she gets into her sentence, she goes from being relatable to irritating.
12 Nicky Nichols
Nicky Nichols is likable but she has done some terrible things. She puts real effort into her sobreity, but after her relapse, she lies and steals from Red to fund her habit. Red treats Nicky as an adopted daughter. She protects her and doesn’t deserve Nicky’s disrespect.
But Nicky's good side shines through when she vows to help Lorna with the baby and even calls Vinnie to tell him to do the right thing. Nicky is the most likable when she's taking care of herself, as that in turn allows her to care for her loved ones, which is one of her core values.
11 Alex Vause
Alex Vause is one of the smarter inmates, but this makes for less compelling storylines. She’s manipulative, especially toward Piper, and uses others for personal gain. However, as strategic as she is, Alex doesn’t have much of a personality and mostly flies under the radar.
Alex and Piper’s on-again, off-again romance gets old fast. The two are terrible for each other and are only stuck on each other due to nostalgia, which made it an unsatisfactory series finale when they stayed with each other.
10 Joe Caputo
Joe Caputo sees real growth throughout the series to become likable. In the beginning, he is selfish and inappropriate but still sees himself as a good guy. However, by the end, he’s advocating for Taystee and encourages Sophia to press charges for a transphobic attack.
His time at Litchfield shapes him. He’s one of the few staff members who wants to help the inmates. Caputo shows actual remorse for how the women are treated, whereas people like Fig and Healy do not.
9 Cindy “Black Cindy” Hayes
Cindy Hayes evolves from a selfish, outspoken inmate to a wise, grounded woman. After lying about being Jewish to get kosher meals, she discovers religion and actually converts to Judaism. This changes her personality completely; she cares less about herself and more about the well-being of others, making her more likable.
She begins to show a soft side to Suzanne, which is exactly what her friend needs. Cindy has a fitting OitNB ending, as she turns her life around completely and finds work as a home caregiver for the elderly.
8 Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
Tiffany Doggett matures greatly in Litchfield. She starts the series as a volatile zealot, but her friendship with Big Boo changes her personality and outlook. She lashes out less and even becomes a lighthearted, likable jokester.
Trying to better herself with her GED is admirable and her overdose after taking the exam is tragic. Tiffany needed someone rooting for her to succeed. She showed she was capable of change, and she was on a path to prove her detractors wrong.
7 Gloria Mendoza
Gloria Mendoza is one of Litchfield's most caring prison mothers, protecting not just her prison family but the other inmates as well. She doesn’t treat her prison sentence as a vacation, but uses her time to work in the kitchen and parent her family outside to the best of her ability.
Gloria is likable because she doesn’t get into much drama. She tries to keep her head down while still being a major part of her fellow inmates’ lives.
6 Lorna Morello
Lorna Morello struggles with mental health, which only deteriorates throughout the series. The death of Lorna’s baby is one of the saddest OitNB moments and it's difficult for her to recover. However, she remains likable.
She is a woman who has tons of love to give and just wants to be loved in return. She’s a great, loving friend, and welcomes new inmates with kindness, as she did Piper. Litchfield was incapable of providing Lorna with the mental health help she needed, showing the failures of the system.
5 Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales And Maritza Ramos
Flaca Gonzales and Maritza Ramos are a funny duo. From working in the kitchen to helping Piper’s prison panties business, the women are the greatest friends. They keep things lighthearted, regularly joking. They are excited to yell at delinquents to scare them straight and plan Daya’s wedding to Bennett.
The women are likable for not taking themselves or their situation too seriously. They make the best of their time at Litchfield and know nothing lasts forever.
4 Galina “Red” Reznikov
Red Reznikov rules her cell block and is the ultimate mother hen figure to the inmates. She has a charismatic energy and easily puts others in their place for the better part of the series. As she develops dementia, it’s a tragedy to see Red's mental faculties decline as she relies on others when she was once so independent.
Red’s protectiveness and intolerance for drugs is commendable. She strives to keep her girls on the straight and narrow. She sets standards for inmates to keep them sober, but they know they can go to her if they relapse.
3 Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
Suzanne Warren is compassionate and thoughtful. She doesn’t understand her differences and strives to be like everyone else. She’s creative and gradually is able to control her emotions and violent outbursts.
It’s heartbreaking when Suzanne is treated terribly by other inmates. Jokes at her expense aren’t funny, and the show wisely backed off on using the "Crazy Eyes" nickname. Suzanne has so much to give and most don’t give her a chance. Her passion and creativity as she overcomes her fears make her incredibly likable.
2 Poussey Washington
Poussey Washington is caring, funny, and intelligent. Busted for trespassing and intent to sell marijuana, she seems least likely to wind up in prison compared to other inmates’ offenses. Her friendship with Taystee is supportive and protective as Poussey strives to protect Taystee from Vee. Poussey is likable for her outgoing attitude and love for her friends.
Poussey didn’t deserve to die, but her legacy lives on, as she inspired Taystee to seek prison reform and honor her life with the Poussey Washington Fund.
1 Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
Taystee Jefferson is extremely likable. She’s a funny extrovert who can easily make friends with anyone. Her ambitions grow, especially after Poussey’s death, and she realizes she has a voice that can be used to change the world for the better.
She is a total victim of the system, which makes her goals to better herself, study for her GED, and start a fund to help released prisoners so admirable. Taystee is a natural leader and more intelligent than she lets on.