The Young and the Restless: Six characters who are long overdue for some happiness

On The Young and the Restless, we have a number of characters who have endured struggles and heartaches for so long that we just want them to find some joy. Here are six Y&R players who have fought battles for months on end, and they are long overdue for some happiness in their lives:

Nate Hastings on The Young and the Restless

First of all, we need to give The Young and the Restless writers a round of applause. A few years ago, Nate (Sean Dominic) was an extremely unlikable character because he was cheating on Elena (Brytni Sarpy) with Victoria (Amelia Heinle). What's worse is that Elena did nothing to deserve his infidelity.

But in the past few years, the Y&R writers managed to turn Nate into one of the most likable, caring characters on the show. He has been a supportive and amazing friend to Amy (Valarie Pettiford) throughout her battle with leukemia. He has treated her like a member of his own family -- which, in a way, she is. When she first told Nate that her son, Damian (Jermaine Rivers), was his half-brother, Nate wasn't too sure he believed her.

Then, he and Damian started to bond as brothers. Alas, their time together was cut short. Damian's murder in Nice was only the first heartbreak that Nate endured last year. Audra's (Zuleyka Silver) deception was the second. It's been months since his breakup with her, but he is still struggling, as he told Amy. We hope that 2026 is a happier year for Nate. Any chance he could return to being a doctor? We need a steady doctor on Y&R!

Sally Spectra

Sally (Courtney Hope) has faced a number of obstacles over the past few years on The Young and the Restless. Her newborn baby died. Then, Adam (Mark Grossman) cheated on her with Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) and continued to lie about it. And now, even though she loves Billy (Jason Thompson), life with him is unpredictable because of his never-ending obsession with reclaiming Chancellor Industries.

Just when he was starting to change direction, after telling her that he only wanted Abbott Communications and a life with her, Cane (Billy Flynn) dangled Chancellor Industries in front of him -- for the second time. And again, Billy is snatching at it like a cat snatching at a ball of yarn. The problem is that Cane has now obtained Chancellor through illegal methods (the AI program), and Victor (Eric Braeden) is going to find a way to reclaim the company, come hell or high water. That means that Billy is going to find himself at war with the Mustache once again. Sally is worried about Billy. Plus, she feels like he is now leaving her out in the cold where Abbott Communications is concerned. Will she ever find long-lasting happiness?

Billy Abbott

We've said this before, but we will say it again. Billy deserves a win. He's been The Young and the Restless' underdog for far too long. If Cane truly does give him Chancellor to run this time, please, Y&R writers, let Billy be a success!

It would also be nice if Sally could work things out with him, but we fear that this couple is done. Unfortunately, his impending breakup with Sally doesn't look like the only heartache that Billy is going to face in the weeks ahead. The Y&R previews for this week show us Sally telling Billy that Jill's (Jess Walton) health has taken a turn for the worse.

For a long time now, Billy has felt resentful toward Jill for selling Chancellor to Victor. Will this devastating news about her health be the wake-up call that Billy needs to end his feud with her? She is his mother, after all. Will he finally reach out and make amends with her? We certainly hope so.

Mariah Copeland

The Young and the Restless fans are weary about how long the Mariah (Camryn Grimes) storyline has been dragging on. She has been drowning in emotional pain for months on end. Did she actually kill the man she met in a bar, or was it simply a figment of her imagination? We need answers. It seems like that part of the story was dropped, and it needs to be resolved.

For the past few months or so, Mariah has been haunted by Ian Ward's (Ray Wise) ghost. Is that all he is, or is he still alive and talking to her? He's egging her on to let go of her life with Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) and baby Aria. None of Mariah's loved ones knows that she's holed herself up in a motel somewhere. And now, it looks like she's going to kidnap Dominic (Ethan Ray Clark) from Abby (Melissa Ordway) and Devon (Bryton James). When will Mariah's life finally take a turn for the better?

Nick Newman

Nick (Joshua Morrow) has been put through the wringer these past few years on The Young and the Restless. He lost Sally to his half-brother, Adam. He was locked up in Nice, accused of killing Damian (a crime he did not commit). He suffered a serious injury when he tried to escape. His son, Noah (Lucas Adams), was in a car crash and an induced coma. To Nick's horror, he discovered that his longtime enemy, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth), is still alive and was the culprit who caused Noah's crash.

Now, Nick is struggling with a leg injury, and it looks like he's going to become addicted to painkillers (or the mysterious pills that he found in his jacket). Nick hasn't had any real happiness in what feels like years. If he does become addicted, then we know that Sharon will be a huge source of support for him. Will all of these struggles lead up to an eventual reunion for him and Sharon?

Sharon Newman

Sharon (Sharon Case) has arguably suffered more tragedies and heartbreak than any other character on The Young and the Restless. She watched her loving husband, Dylan McAvoy (Steve Burton), walk off into the night when he sadly left her to join the Witness Protection Program. She lost another loving husband, Rey Rosales (Jordi Vilasuso), when he was killed in a car crash. Sharon's fighting spirit emerged in full force when she overcame breast cancer.

In the past year alone, she was drugged into believing that she killed Heather (Vail Bloom). She was kidnapped twice -- the second time with her worst enemy, Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). She struggled with worry and heartache after Noah's car crash and throughout his comatose state. She learned that the man who raped her over twenty-five years ago, Matt Clark, is still alive and that he tried to kill Noah.

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Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for Sharon? We hope so, because we've seen her suffer through more pain than one character should have to bear. Let's hope that 2026 ends on a happy note for her. She has more than earned it.

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

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