As a sitcom, The Office doesn't have many sad moments throughout the series. It does, however, have heartwarming storylines that allow viewers to create an emotional attachment to the characters. As nonsensical and silly as characters like Michael Scott and Kevin Malone are, fans can't help but feel a twinge of sadness for them at times.
There were moments in the series where everyone, at one point or another, felt emotional for what the characters were going through. It didn't matter if Angela was rude for the majority of the series, it was sad seeing her marriage crumble at the hands of her closest friend in the office. And Angela isn't alone, there are a handful of characters that fans feel bad for.
Angela Martin
Angela had some of the shadiest quotes in the series and didn't get along with many of her coworkers at Dunder Mifflin. The only person she got along with on a deep level was Dwight — everyone else she tolerated. However, looking back, there were a few times fans felt bad for her.
Not only was her relationship with Dwight tumultuous, but she also lost her husband to her coworker. And while she was picked on for caring so much about the Party Planning Committee, it was the one thing at work that she actually enjoyed. And even that was taken from her.
Gabe Lewis
Gabe Lewis didn't arrive at Dunder Mifflin until later seasons when Sabre bought out the company. As an employee of Sabre, the original Dunder Mifflin workers didn't take to him right away. They viewed him as a weird outsider that didn't fit in.
Sadly, all Gabe wanted was to fit in. He had a crush on Erin (and lost her to Andy in a public setting), he was mocked by his coworkers, and he was taken advantage of by his boss. As odd as Gabe's behaviors were, he meant well and wasn't a bad guy.
Roy Anderson
Roy Anderson was seen as an antagonist of sorts when he was in a relationship with Pam. Fans wanted Pam and Jim to date so badly that everything Roy did was bothersome. Roy didn't mean any harm but he was not the most suitable partner for Pam. They had been together for so long that the two lost their spark.
Roy called her "Pammy," which she didn't like, and he didn't take their wedding seriously. In short, Roy was too comfortable in his relationship with Pam. But if fans look at his situation from his point of view, it's hard not to feel sad for him. He lost his fiance and high school sweetheart to a guy she met at work. In the end, Roy was better off without her.
Andy Bernard
Before Andy turned into the regional manager that had a meltdown and escaped for the high seas, he was a dedicated worker and good friend. Sure, his coworkers found him annoying when he sang or when he sucked up to Michael, but it came from a good place.
All Andy wanted was to be liked. It was hard not to feel bad for him when he found out his fiance was sleeping with Dwight, or when Erin chose Gabe over him, or when his anger would take control of him at work. Andy meant well in his early years but he was given the short end of the stick due to his theatrical personality.
Erin Hannon
Erin Hannon was a welcomed addition to The Office when she took Pam's place as the receptionist. Her character transformed over the years and the more fans got to know her, the more they learned about her dark past. Erin never knew her parents as a child and grew up in an orphanage. This is why she looked at Michael as a father figure.
But one of the saddest things about Erin came later when she felt like she had nothing in Scranton waiting for her, so moved to Florida on a whim. Things got worse when her relationship with Andy crashed to the ground and she felt abandoned yet again. Erin went through a lot in her young life.
Dwight Schrute
Dwight was one of the smartest people in the room at Dunder Mifflin, but his witts made him cocky and he wasn't the easiest person to be around. He and Jim pranked each other on most days and he wasn't the kindest to coworkers like Phyllis or Oscar.
Despite Dwight's off-putting behavior, it was hard not to feel bad for him. Angela dumped him and started dating a coworker, which wasn't easy for him to watch. Michael didn't take him seriously, even though Dwight saw him as his best friend. And even Jim went too far at work, hurting Dwight's feelings.
Pam Beesley Halpert
From a distance, there's not much to feel bad about for Pam. She ended the series with her best friend and husband, she had two kids, and she was going on a new adventure outside of Scranton. However, Pam had her down moments and fans felt bad for her.
Pam felt like she didn't amount to much once she left her job as a receptionist for a saleswoman. She always wanted to be an artist but couldn't graduate from art school. The feeling of settling for things that she wasn't ionate about continued when she was with Roy. And finally, in season 9, fans felt bad when she suffered relationship woes with Jim.
Michael Scott
Anyone could say that Michael Scott was offensive, rude, and invasive, but it was impossible not to feel sad for Michael. Michael had a hard childhood without many friends, and that same sentiment followed him into adulthood. As a 40-something-year-old man, Michael begged his coworkers to be his friends and viewed them as family .
When his employees didn't want to be around him, Michael shut down. His longest relationship (before meeting and falling in love with Holly) was with Jan, which was toxic. Michael had a good heart but he came off too strong for most to give him a chance, which was hard to watch.
Kevin Malone
Kevin Malone's personality really changed in later seasons. He was incredibly quiet at the start and focused on his job. But as time went on, it came to be that Kevin was actually horrible at his job and wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Kevin didn't seem to let other people's thoughts affect him, but there were small glimmers of sadness.
Kevin's fiance, Stacey, broke up with him without much of a reason, and he later ended things with his girlfriend Lynn. Without a mate, Kevin seemed lonely. He was also heartbroken when he tried doing nice things for the office and it wasn't reciprocated — like when he spent all night making chili, only to spill it on the floor. Fans just wanted what was best for Kevin.
Toby Flenderson
Even though Michael couldn't stand Toby and made his life a living hell, fans felt bad for him. He was a human resource manager who just wanted to focus on work and enjoy the simple things in life. Instead, each day was made a terror by Michael who loathed him for no real reason.
The one time he tried doing something good for his soul, he got injured and had to move back to Scranton. Toby also had a huge crush on Pam but never came forward about it due to being too nervous. At the end of the series, Toby deserved better in all areas of life.