8 Below Deck Cast Members With The Best Character Arc (How They Went From Villain To Fan Favorite & Vice Versa)

Below Deck has some of the best reality TV cast members in the Bravo universe, but some yachties have gone from fan favorites to villains and vice versa throughout their years in the franchise. With Below Deck having been part of the Bravosphere since 2013, the original series was only the first in the franchise. With Below Deck Mediterranean joining in shortly after the first premiere, then Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Down Under in the subsequent years, the franchise has been one of the most popular on the network.

Viewers flocked to the exciting style of the series, the drama, and the charm of Below Deck as the franchise continued to expand and bring more cast members into the spotlight. As more yachties joined the Below Deck family, viewers got the opportunity to get to know new members of the different crews. While some cast members have stayed true to their initial personalities upon being introduced to the series, others have shifted and changed. While yachties like Below Deck’s former Chief Stew Kate Chastain have remained fan favorites, others have earned that title and even more have lost it.

Even with all the drama of Below Deck shows, some cast members have had the ability to define their personalities with time as a part of the superyacht or sailing yacht crew they’re part of. Whether through personal growth, self-actualization, or new circumstances that change the way the audience sees them, many of the yachties who start as heroes of the series can turn to villains, while others who start dastardly gain some perspective and become favorites. The yachties aboard Below Deck vessels have a unique opportunity to see their actions back on screen, which often changes them.

While some Below Deck yachties are marked as villainous at the very beginning of their time on the show, others grow into the role as they move through the charter seasons they’re part of. There have been many arcs within the franchise that have changed the way viewers see yachties, but for all of the downward spirals that they’ve seen, there have been rebounds with several of the yachties who have been able to revamp their perception. The yachties’ time on Below Deck can be a bit unpredictable, but their viewer perception can make or break their experiences.

8 Captain Lee Rosbach

Fan Favorite To Villain

Close

As one of the first Below Deck crew members in the original series, Captain Lee Rosbach has long been considered one of the best yachties in the franchise. Captain Lee, who’s spent his whole working life in the yachting industry, has been beloved for years because of his no-nonsense leadership style and quick, cutting wit that often went over crew members’ heads. Captain Lee was always working hard aboard Below Deck vessels to maintain decorum with his crew. He valued fairness and professionalism but through the supportive moments, Captain Lee had a hot temper that pushed viewers away.

In the later seasons of Captain Lee’s Below Deck tenure, he had some issues with his health and demeanor that left fans confused on where he stood with the series. After finally retiring after Below Deck season 10, where Captain Sandy Yawn spent half the season covering for him because of medical complications, Captain Lee began to speak out against the franchise and Captain Sandy herself. The pair had never seen eye to eye, but after some seemingly misogynistic comments toward Captain Sandy, Captain Lee has gone from someone Below Deck viewers adore to a franchise villain.

7 Cloye Martin

Villain To Fan Favorite

Close

As a new member of the Below Deck franchise, Chef Cloyce Martin’s first appearances on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 weren’t the most favorable. Chef Cloyce, who’s in his early 20s and has spoken extensively about his range of experience working in kitchens professionally, was seen as a young, arrogant chef who couldn’t possibly be as good as he claimed. Coming into the charter season with what appeared to be an attitude, Chef Cloyce was quickly someone Below Deck Sailing Yacht viewers were wary of.

While Chef Cloyce did have a wide range of skills, it quickly became clear that working aboard a sailing yacht was something that would put him in over his head. After being criticized when he struggled through the first charters of the season, Chef Cloyce’s villain status began cracking at the surface. It was interesting for viewers to be able to watch him shift and change as a chef in order to meet the needs of the guests on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5’s charter season.

6 Daisy Kelliher

Fan Favorite To Villain

Close

Another Below Deck Sailing Yacht yachtie, Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher, has been a part of the show since its early seasons. Joining the crew during Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 2, Daisy quickly became a beacon of professionalism as she moved through each charter season. Known for her warmth and sense of humor, Daisy was able to put her crew at ease and made it clear that she was able to manage her stews amid a high level of chaos. Daisy’s been praised throughout her time on Below Deck Sailing Yacht for being able to be likable amid the stress.

As her time on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 closed in, many wondered if Daisy would continue to perform at the same level after some major drama hit her personal life during the previous season. While she’s been able to continue to work at a similar level, Daisy’s interpersonal issues have pushed her to be a bit more critical and dismissive of her stews. While she’s still charming and witty, Daisy’s suffered from the changes in the sailing yacht’s dynamics, which have changed how she performs on board.

5 Captain Sandy Yawn

Villain To Fan Favorite

Although Captain Sandy has had her struggles with Captain Lee in recent years, in past seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean, she’s had a hard time staying neutral in other drama. Captain Sandy was always seen as a far more firm manager than Captain Lee, but her time on Below Deck Mediterranean was always a success. Though Captain Sandy was a competent captain, she was known as more of a villain throughout the Below Deck franchise because of her management style, which included a bit more micro-managing than Captain Lee.

Through the years, it’s become clear that Captain Sandy is a lot less villainous than she appeared in the early seasons of the series. While she has softened a bit in her management style, Captain Sandy has always been big on giving her crew chances to improve as she’s walked through charter season after charter season, knowing that mistakes don’t make or break a yachtie. Though there are some exceptions to her rules, Captain Sandy’s mellowed out considerably and has become a fan favorite among Below Deck viewers.

4 Ashton Pienaar

Fan Favorite To Villain

Close

While Below Deck season 6’s Ashton Pienaar was someone that viewers enjoyed watching during his inaugural season on the series, things shifted quickly in the aftermath. During his first charter with the Below Deck crew, Ashton came off as a charming, hard-working yachtie who had some incredible skills aboard the superyacht. While he was doing well in his role, Ashton had a near-death experience during Below Deck season 6 that also won him the sympathy of the audience. Many considered him to be a great bosun, but when he returned for Below Deck season 7, things had changed.

After his accident, Ashton’s behavior became erratic and aggressive, especially as he moved through Below Deck season 7. From getting into Chief Stew Kate Chastain’s face to drinking heavily during crew nights out, Ashton became a darker version of himself that viewers came to see issues with. While his reputation had been good throughout his first charter season, the changes that came after his accident and followed him through the second charter season pushed viewers to see Ashton as a Below Deck villain.

3 Gary King

Villain To Fan Favorite

Close

Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Gary King has been all over the spectrum when it comes to fan perception, which has been interesting to see throughout his years on the series. While Gary has had struggles in the past in his relationships aboard the sailing yacht, he’s typically seen as more of a villain because of his treatment of the women aboard Parsifal III. Throughout the years, Gary’s reputation as a playboy has developed to create some perception issues. When sexual misconduct allegations came out about Gary and a Below Deck franchise makeup artist, he was quickly dubbed a villain.

While Gary’s actions have pushed him to be edited out of Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 consistently, it’s been clear that there’s more to the story than what’s been shared. Though Gary has vehemently denied the accusations, his behavior has proven to create issues for the series as a whole. Even so, Gary’s persona on screen seems to be healing a bit after being edited out of the show for his behavior. As he’s been featured a bit more in recent episodes, Below Deck viewers have been appreciating his personality and building him up to be a fan favorite.

2 Rachel Hargrove

Fan Favorite To Villain

Close

Although Chef Rachel Hargrove appeared in a number of seasons of Below Deck, she had a fascinating flip from a fan favorite chef to a more villainous figure in the franchise. Rachel’s culinary abilities made it clear that she was going to be a great fit for the Below Deck crew, as she was wonderful at making creative meals for the luxury guests. Though she struggled with feedback at times, Rachel was able to win Below Deck fans over with her mix of skills and winning personality. She consistently delivered wonderful dishes that earned her and the Captain praise.

While Rachel was great at her job, she began to feel more polarizing as she became more outspoken in her years with the franchise. After a few confrontations with crew members and outbursts in the galley, it became clear that she was having a hard time with the pressures aboard the Below Deck vessel. While many empathized with her, it was clear that her behavior had become unprofessional in a way, which pushed many Below Deck viewers away.

1 João Franco

Villain To Fan Favorite

Close

Although João Franco has been a part of two different shows within the Below Deck franchise, his reputation as a villain is what has followed him for the majority of his journey on screen. Originally on Below Deck Mediterranean, João was a difficult person to get along with throughout his early charter seasons. While he was an incredibly skilled yachtie, João had a hard time connecting with his fellow yachties and didn’t understand how to talk to the people he was working with. Dismissive and off-putting, it was hard for people to find João likeable.

As he moved through his time between Below Deck shows, it appears João was able to rectify some of the more difficult parts of his personality. When he joined Below Deck Down Under, João was a more personable verson of himself who had all the skills necessary to work with Captain Jason Chambers successfully. Though he wasn’t all soft edges and kind words, João was a lot more palatable, and even became more of a fan favorite with Below Deck viewers.

Source: Below Deck/Instagram