The show Pretty Little Liars focuses on the overarching mystery of a teenage girl who went missing, and even when Ali (Sasha Pieterse) returns to Rosewood, nothing is simple. While the story revolves around her four best friends, there are many other characters, ranging from boyfriends to crushes to parents, siblings, and classmates, who share the spotlight.

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These minor characters might not get as much screen time as the liars, but they play a big role in the story, and the show wouldn't be the same without them. Read on to find out about the best and worst side characters on this teen mystery.

Likes: Maya St. Germain

Pretty-Little-Liars-Maya

Biana Lawson's PLL character, Maya, appears in the first season. Maya and Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) fall in love, and she's a big part of Emily's coming out storyline.

Maya sadly passes away, but before she goes, she's definitely one of the side characters that everyone likes. She's smart, passionate, and interesting, and she helps Emily become more comfortable with who she is.

Hates: Darren Wilden

Darren Wilden shirtless standing in front of the fridge with Hanna looking at him on Pretty Little Liars

Darren (Bryce Johnson) is the creepiest detective in Rosewood, which is saying a lot since none of the cops like the liars or think that they're innocent. Darren is one of the side characters on Pretty Little Liars that everyone hates.

From sleeping with Hanna's mom to treating all of the liars really badly, Darren is always stirring up trouble. He's not a deeply layered character and mostly just seems mean.

Likes: Lucas Gottesman

Lucas on Pretty Little Liars

IRL, nerds are cool, but no one on PLL got the memo because Lucas (Brendan Robinson) is definitely an outcast for most of the series. 

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Lucas is easy to like, though. Many fans feel bad for him since he's madly in love with Hanna (Ashley Benson) and she doesn't feel that way about him. He's smart and great with computers, which comes in pretty handy on this mysterious show.

Hates: Jenna Marshall

Jenna wearing sunglasses on Pretty Little Liars

Jenna (Tamsin Sursok) is always one of the biggest enemies of the liars. She's also a side character who everyone hates.

Sure, it's tragic what went down in the barn with "The Jenna Thing," but Jenna always seems like she's one step away from getting revenge on the girls, and it's tough to agree that's the right way to act. She often seems like she's scheming to create trouble in their lives.

Likes: Pam Fields

Pretty-Little-Liars-Moms-Basement

The parents on Pretty Little Liars definitely hang out in the background, randomly becoming part of the main story. They play a bigger role at the beginning of the series than they do throughout (besides the infamous time that the moms get stuck in the basement).

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Emily's mom Pam (Nia Peeples) is adorable and charming, and she may not always understand her daughter, but she tries. There's really nothing to dislike here.

Hates: Melissa Hastings

A close-up of Melissa in Pretty Little Liars

Torey Devitto plays Spencer's (Troian Bellisario) older sister Melissa, who is tough to like. She may be sweet to Spencer at the end of the series, but she has a funny way of showing that she really does care about her younger sibling.

Melissa randomly pops up on the series as she's often living somewhere else, but when she does appear, she's always very vague and guarded.

Likes: Paige McCullers

Paige (Lindsey Shaw) might be a little mean at first, but she and Emily fall in love as a result of meeting through the Rosewood swim team, and she is one of Emily's major love interests on the show.

Paige is one of the most loved side characters as she's intelligent and really important to Emily. They have fun together and even start thinking about a future beyond the tiny town of Rosewood that seems to hold everyone's secrets in the air. Although they don't end up together because of Emily and Ali's connection, fans still love Paige.

Hates: Noel Kahn

noel kahn on pretty little liars

Brant Daugherty's character, Noel, seems pretty evil from the moment that he steps onscreen. It's never clear what he's up to or what his motive is, and when he becomes part of the A Team, it's not even a surprise. It seems to fit.

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When he dies, no one is upset and no one misses him. With so many characters, it feels like he's just taking up space on the show as he's not that compelling.

Likes: Ashley Marin

Ashley talking to someone in PLL

Ashley Marin (Laura Leighton) is Hanna's mom and one of the more developed parents on the show. While Spencer's parents are very uneven, sometimes caring about her and other times ignoring her, Ashley is always there for Hanna.

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Ashley is clever and resourceful and wants the best for her daughter, and she often gets involved in the main mystery, which is always a welcome sight.

Hates: Meredith Sorenson

Amanda Schull's character Meredith is the student who Aria's dad Bryon (Chad Lowe) cheats on Aria's mom Ella (Holly Marie Combs) with, so right away, PLL fans don't like her.

Meredith quickly becomes one of the most hated side characters on the teen drama as she's always poking her nose where it doesn't belong. Whenever she tries to interact with Aria (Lucy Hale), it's super awkward, and it would have been better if she had never appeared on the show at all.

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