Do protagonists in stories need to be likeable?

In so many book discussions I've taken part in or customer reviews I have read (though this applies to other mediums too), people knock stories for having unlikeable characters, which seems like a bullshit criticism IMO. I mean, if you're just reading for escape and fluffy entertainment, the likeability of the characters might matter. One wants to inhabit a world that is a pleasant place to be and unlikeable characters can take one out of that "zone" I guess.

However, I don't believe for a second that "unlikeable characters" is a valid criticism against the merit of a work of literature. In real life, even "good" people can be supremely unlikeable (for example, a character who has good intentions and wishes no one ill will but is oblivious to the way their behavior effects other people). In many contexts, a novelist cannot avoid the unlikeable protagonist and still maintain truth in their fiction. Not to mention that almost everyone sees themselves as a protagonist. Even annoying people. If we want to want to have fiction that deals with themes that go beyond simple idealism, then we have to embrace or at least tolerate annoying or even downright repulsive protagonists. Not to mention that there's much to be gained from thinking about why unlikeable protagonist are unlikeable to us. Is it always a problem with the character or is there a problem with our own perception in some cases? Or if one likes a protagonist because that protagonist shares their own values, does one's analysis then take on a kind of hubris? In any case, I'd argue that "likeability" shouldn't be taken seriously as a critical lens unless one is exploring how likeability functions in the text or functions with regard to readership.

Anyway, what do you think? Does likeability actually matter when assessing a work of fiction? Does it matter when enjoying a work of fiction? I'd say it doesn't matter in either case.

There have been some where the protagonist is somewhat of an "antihero". But generally, the protagonist tends to be readily likeable and identifiable.

Depends on what kind of fiction you're reading TBH. And while I'd argue that likeability doesn't matter, I could maybe see the degree to which a protagonist is identifiable mattering in terms of reflecting genuine human feelings. But then again, a character that is identifiable to one person may not be identifiable to another. Same thing applies with likeability, which makes me think that an attempt to make a character likeable might lead to a protagonist that tries to be all things to all people and as a result, becomes bland and cliche or possibly even incoherent. I think that authors should simply present the character as they are and not worry about likeability.

That depends on what a person views as likeable. In the words of Socrates, some things are good for society thus good for the individual.

At the same time, some stories can be so illogical that they are disturbingly entertaining when thought about in detail such as Naruto Shippuden: Bonds.

Naruto: "I will never forgive you!" -To the villain for using a girl he met for power.

Naruto: I will bring you back to the Leaf Village [thus forgive you] - To Sasuke, who used Naruto for power.

For me, yes. Why would I want to spend hours reading about a character I don't care for? He doesn't have to be a hero...I actually prefer morally grey characters, they are normally more interesting to read and they'll probably do lots of things you don't agree with but as long as there's at least something in the character that you relate to or enjoy, you will want to stay with him/her. If you really can't stand the character will you really think "Man, can't wait to read the other 7 books!"?

EDIT: I would go even further...my favourite books are the ones where both the protagonist AND the villain are likeable...I quite enjoy rooting for both and not being sure which one I want to see succeed over the other (that's where morally grey characters come in handy).

The best protagonists in many cases are empty shells devoid of much personality guiding us through an entourage of rich and colorful side characters.

Partly depends on whether or not the movie seems like it's trying to get me to like someone who is unlikable. I'm all for following a story about someone who I don't like. But not all stories actually try to make the audience like the protagonist. Once you go that route and act like the protagonist is someone we should like, then yes that protagonist should be likable.

No they don't but that is generally how they are presented.

They need to be likable, whether that means them being a badass or just a smooth/cool character.

Like Geezer said it kinda depends on what the movie/game/book/whatever is trying to do. If it's something like Uncharted, where it's clear that you're supposed to enjoy and want the protagonist (Drake) to succeed, then yeah, they have to make him a likable character. No one would play Uncharted if Drake is a total dick with no likable qualities. But if that's not necessarily the goal, then no, the audience doesn't necessarily need to like the main character. Fury Road (if you take Max as the protagonist) doesn't really rely on you loving Max for it to be enjoyable as it deals more with what's going on around him than Max himself.

That being said, I don't know how many films/whatever I've seen where there are clearly no likable characters at all. Even with antihero stories, like TGTBTU or Breaking Bad, the protagonist may do a lot of bad shit but still is presented in a way that will lead most people to liking the character.

I don't see why. Many great works of arts don't have the most likable protagonist. Besides, what makes a protagonist "likeable" is up for debate. Often stories with likeable protagonists are a little formulaic, generic, etc.

I find the stories more interesting when they toy with the concept of what a protagonist should and shouldn't be. Tony Soprano, Walter White, Vick Mackey...I mean, in the end, they're all a variation of Tony Montana in Scarface, but they're a lot less commonplace than the usual protagonist.

Why would I want to see protagonists I identify with anyways? Usually I watch movies for escapism...you know - to see stories that take me to a different time and place. Main characters that are all similar and likeable don't really do anything to that effect rather than show me things I always seen or have already known.

He doesn't have to be likable he has to be INTERESTING i don't need a hero to talk every second (look at gordon freeman and shell from valve) but there needs to be someone spicing it up like GlaDOS, the thing about silent protagonists is: it's more you as following a person that doesn't shut up!

Nightcrawler was a fairly recent one. The protagonist in that movie was a real piece of shit.

Oh, sure, he was "likable" in the sense that his words and actions were going to be "entertaining" within the context of the rest of the movie. But aside from the entertainment factor, that was a very unlikable character. But the movie still worked, because I never got the vibe that the filmmakers were trying to make me like him.

No. One of my favorite books is Child of God. Lester Ballard is not a likeable fellow.

No, they don't need to be likeable, but they definitely need to be interesting.

Matt Daemon's character in Elysium is very unlikeable, but they also make him completely uninteresting. He is a prime example of a bad main character.

@JangoWuzHere: yep, making an interesting character is an art, just look at the Joker in the comics, you should hate him but you just can't it's about how they made him behave and think that you just makes you facinated!

I liked the movie personally, his performance wasn't too shabby either.