“What makes a great villain? Firstly, you need to sound distinct. To speak with an eloquence that lets everyone know who’s in charge. A villain should have style. A suit should always be bespoke, razor-sharp like your wit. It’s important that a villain has the means to stay one step ahead. World domination starts with an attention to detail.” – Tom Hiddleston, Art of Villainy
Villains gives heroes a reason to exist. What made them undergo such a path is intriguing to us. As adults, we sympathize with villains at times and as kids we cheer for the hero. In this list, I’ll write about two villains per category that we just can’t hate. The first will be a recent villain and the second will be a classic villain that I liked from my childhood. So let’s begin!
1) Movies
Loki
“You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.”
Thor’s adopted brother, the God of mischief – Loki is one of the most loved and MCUs best villains. Portrayed by English actor Tom Hiddleston, Loki is a selfish, manipulative, arrogant narcissist who wants to surpass his brother and become king. On social media, he and Scar (from Lion King) are always compared, and rightfully so since they are alike in many ways:
Jealous of their brother, obsessed with power and are the youngest among brothers.
A little about him: In the first Thor movie he wanted to remove Thor as the next ruler and also to prove to his father that he is capable of making hard decisions. After this failed he got his hands on the Tesseract and by using its power to amplify his own he set out to try to rule Earth instead. His plans, foiled again landed him in jail for a year. This as well as the death of his mother got his head straight. He made peace with his brother before seemingly dying (which we know didn’t happen).
Why he can’t be hated: It is perhaps because he is the most intelligent MCU villain. He looks like he is very vulnerable but he has evil flowing through his blood. The way he manipulates people through his words even the audience gets fooled. He can even mimic and take form of others without letting a minor suspicion arouse. Maybe it is his grin that captivates us. Or maybe it’s all the above. Tom Hiddleston deserves more than an applause for bringing Loki to such fame! Whatever awaits this character next, I am in for it.
Scar
“Life's not fair, is it? You see, I... Well, I shall never be king and you shall never see the light of another day. Adieu”
He’s so bad, he’s good. This is the most apt way to describe Scar. Son of Ahadi, brother of Mufasa and uncle to Simba, Scar is the antagonist of ‘The Lion King’. The first ever villain to make me cry and taught me about how others will deceive you for their own gain. Everything he does, even if it is a ‘regular’ conversation it seems that he’s doing something villainous. He and Shere Khan were my favourite cats (and are now too); many life lessons can be learned from them. Manipulative, greedy, cowardly and a pure evil mastermind, Scar is truly a classic villain. If Tom Hiddleston ever says that, he prepared for Loki by looking at Scar… I will not be surprised.
A little about him: Scar wanted the throne, as simple as that. He killed his brother for it and manipulated his nephew into leaving the tribe. Finally king, Scar’s laziness made him a poor ruler and drove him to madness. During the battle with Simba he tried to put the blame of Mufasa’s death on the hyenas, and sadly it was the hyenas that mauled him to death.
Why he can’t be hated: His dark mane. His manipulative attitude. His sarcastic tone. His intelligence. His song ‘Be prepared’. His villainous smile. His voice (Hats off to Jeremy Irons). The fact that he says “Adieu” to his meals. As far as villains go this lion is it.
2) TV Series
The Governor
“You take the head so you don’t ever forget. You kill or you die.”
*Spoilers for Walking Dead season 3 and 4*
Until season 2, walkers were one of the main troubles for Rick and his group. Come season 3, they were just there. Why? The Governor happened. All he wants is to make a place in this bleak world where people can return to their old lifestyle and he actually is very successful at that. He has Woodberry. Of course, on the surface the Governor is a kind leader, but deep down he’s a troubled and twisted man. We glimpse at it when he massacres the soldiers and takes their supplies just after promising a man that he’ll bring them back safe. His cabinet of zombie heads, his daughter and his torture room were all signs of his madness.
A little about him: After Michonne successfully escapes the hit the Governor orders, the Governor is on revenge mode. Eventually he and she have a rematch where he loses an eye and his reanimated daughter. This also sparks enmity with Rick. The Governor plans on taking over the prison. After being unsuccessful, he massacres his soldiers and goes off. He gets his head straight, forms a new group, fails again and is killed by the woman he was having an affair with.
Why we can’t hate him: His intentions are clear though there is some madness behind it. It is also understandable why he killed those army men; you have to sacrifice a few for the good of many. He isn’t hesitant. He also knows how to hurt his opponents without laying a finger on them. David Morrissey lived the role of the Governor, he felt natural, his twisted nature blended with the gentleman act and his line deliveries were perfect (That ‘Liar’ before slicing Hershel). Being the biggest threat to our survivors; he single-handedly made season 3 a blast.
Gustavo "Gus" Fring
“A man provides, and he does it even when he is not appreciated, or respected or even loved.”
*minor spoilers for Breaking Bad*
I have heard the chicken of Los Pollos Hermanos is great and the man behind it is very generous, he is a good friend of the DEA. Not a chance he’d harm a fly either.
Gus hid behind that cover but we knew that. We knew that he’s running a meth operation but as the series went on we found out that that’s not all. Unlike other villains he isn’t a meth head. He just runs an operation, wants to make money and take his revenge on the Juárez Cartel. He eventually strikes gold with Walter as his cook but soon realizes he isn’t worth the trouble. Here we see some of his devastating moments that define him. He emotionlessly kills a man (his right hand man) with a box cutter and forces Walt to watch it, he threatens Walt in a very ‘polite’ way that he’ll kill his family along with his infant daughter. That’s just some of the many things he does.
A little about him: After meeting with Walt through Saul Goodman, Gus employed him. Tensions between him and the cartel rose and we witnessed how he took care of them (in what was the best ending for an episode ever). Walt was increasingly become a pain for him so he threatened him and this sparked a battle between Gus and Walt. No fists were exchanged but this was the best battles ever. Of course Walt has to live for the series to continue so we know how this ends.
Why we can’t hate him: As his story unfolds we realize his reasons for setting up this business and what it means to him and why he will take strict measures to eliminate any threat. We can’t help but sympathize with him. He is seen as such a gentleman and his friendship with the DEA is so deep that nobody would suspect him except Hank but no matter how much he tries Gus is two steps ahead of him. He rarely loses his calm collected front but when he does, even Walter White won’t knock.
*I never watched TV series as a kid but BBad is considered a classic so it's justified.*
3) Manga/Anime
Madara Uchiha
“In this world, whenever there is light, there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars and hatred is born to protect love.”
The man behind the moon eye plan, the reason the Akatsuki was formed, the reason for the attack on Konoha 17 years ago, mainly the guy because of whom the manga is continuing. He has Saiyan-esque blood running inside his veins as his thirst for battle never ends. For all the evil he did, he also brought the 5 shinobi nations together. He returned during the war and Kishimoto (author of Naruto) himself said that he had become so powerful that even he didn’t know how he would defeat him.
A villain that even the creator doesn’t know how to defeat? That is something you don’t see everyday.
A little bit about him: Initially Madara was known for his fight with Hashirama for the title of the first Hokage. He was believed to have died that day but using the power of the demonic statue he kept himself alive, long enough to pass the moon eye plan to Obito. Currently he’s waging a war against the shinobi world all by himself in order to gain control.
Why we can’t hate him: He is a badass. He manipulated Obito (a kid at that time) to do his bidding, destroyed his life and then stabbed him in the back when he no longer needed him. Sure, this is the sign of a horrible person but Madara also single-handedly defeated all 9 legendary tailed beasts whilst blind. He ripped of Kakashi’s eye in an instant. He is so strong that he barely loses his cool during battles. His motives are simple, make peace through force. He wants to put people asleep so that they can live in their dream world forever, not the ideal way to bring peace but it’s something. In addition, he plotted a complex plan and then died but he ensured that preparations for his plans continued and after approximately 20-25 years… his plan has succeded. For a villain who can do all this, the audiences think of him as nothing short of a badass mastermind
Shinobu Sensui
“Oh, right, I'm killing you. Forgive me, I got distracted”
Togashi Yoshihiro makes great villains and Shinobu Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho is a very good example of it. He was the main antagonist of the Chapter Black saga. Of all the animes I know, the villains have never killed the main protagonist but Sensui did. He plans far ahead and will kill anyone for his goals (like Game Master). He has his consciousness split into 7 different personalities and each personality has its own mindset and abilities and that is just the beginning of what is different about him.
A little about him: Sensui was a gifted prodigy with a talent to kill demons. He viewed the world in a black and white sense – Humans were good and supposed to be protected and demons were bad and should be dead. He was the best spirit detective and had slain a lot of demons. On one mission, he witnessed the Black Black group (mobsters) torturing and using demons for their own amusement. His world was suddenly flooded with grey and his mind was being ripped. He created 7 personalities to protect himself from the truths he just couldn’t accept. He then stole the Chapter Black tape from the spirit world; the tape contained the horrors committed by humans. His goal then was to open the demon world’s portal, die at the hands of a demon to atone for his sins and try to make humans and demons co-exist.
Why you can’t hate him: His backstory is genuinely sad and his turn into a villain was valid too. His inner 7 personalities are a twisted idea. He managed to master the sacred energy in just 6 years thanks to the 7 (it usually takes 40 years). His ability to plan far ahead is appreciated. He was the first villain I know to kill the protagonist. At the end of the anime, Yuusuke acknowledged that Sensui won too when his dream of humans and demons co-existing came true.
4) Games
GLaDOS
“Momentum, a function of mass and velocity is conserved between portals. In Layman’s terms… speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out”
I still remember that momentum = mass * velocity, if only all of science could be taught like that. I played portal only because my friend kept on pestering me to play it and am I glad he did. You wake in a room and are instructed by GLaDOS to go through a series of tests that’ll test your abilities. At first I thought it was simple enough, and since it was an add on to Half Life 1 I thought it was just something made as an experiment and won’t be as deep storywise. I was wrong. The game can be finished in one sitting but the effect it leaves lasts forever.
A little about her: GLaDOS is an AI that oversees experiments at the Aperture Science Facility. What begins as a series of brainteasers slowly turns to psychological abuse and then life threatening military drills because the current room is under “maintenance”. Simply put… she just wants to complete her experiments.
Why she can’t be hated: As you go through the chambers GLaDOS at first insults you with your weight and all; minor stuff. Then she starts psychologically abusing you and unbelievably it hurts. She lies constantly and at one-point lies about lying! The only interactions you have in Portal are with her. Briefly, you are given a companion cube and you are forced to incinerate it, and it you did not feel bad enough GLaDOS’ next insults could make you shed a tear or two. Soon she goes for your life promising you cake and a party in return you just have to jump into a lava pit. Her message for you in the credits, in the form of a catchy song are actually threats but you can’t help but just think how cute GLaDOS is. All her lines are memorable and I’ll be willing to go back to more of her test chambers for that false cake.
Dr. Neo Cortex
"You Moron! This bandicoot will be my general and he will lead my Cortex Commandos to the world domination. This time I shall reign triumphant!”
The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy by Naughty Dog is my favourite. It was the reason I bought a PlayStation in the first place. It introduced me to gaming and today as I work hard to join this industry I can’t help but thank Naughty Dog for it. Fighting N.Gin, Ripper Roo, Pinstripe, N. Brio, Tiny and Uka Uka brings back many memories and tears just don’t stay back anymore.
The main boss in all the 3 games of this trilogy is Dr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex, a mad scientist whose goal is to destroy the world and Crash. This may seem like a dangerous threat but Cortex’s bumbling actions along with his bumbling friends and his comical voice make it hard to take serious.
A little about him: Born in a family of clowns, Cortex had a troubled childhood due to cruel circus performers. Here he decided he won’t stop until he took over the world. He met Dr. Nitrus Brio at the academy for evil children and together they created the Evolvo-ray which would make animals into super intelligent minions. Unfortunately it created insane creatures like Ripper Roo and our protagonist Crash. The rest of the series is about Cortex’s futile attempts to defeat his own creation and arch nemesis Crash Bandicoot.
Why he can’t be hated: He is a stereotypical mad scientist type of villain – short tempered, reckless and has no conscious. He holds a grudge against other scientists for ridiculing his ideas. Although his talks are big, he is a coward. He is also the only villain on the list who doesn’t learn from his mistakes and can’t plan ahead leading him to be defeated by the creation who he considers is a "blithering imbecile" and also "the worst mutation ever created" again and again. He is an extremely funny character voiced perfectly by Brendan O’Brien and Clancy Brown. Even though he is eventually put to the side due to Uka Uka, he’ll always be my favourite villain of this series.
The Big Daddy Of 'em All: Joker
“If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!”
Be it movies, comics or games. Joker has always fascinated us and is the most loved villain in the world. Since I couldn’t put him in any one category I gave him a special mention (also he's my favorite).
A little about him: Considering he’s the most famous villain and one of the oldest… this section isn’t required.
Why he can’t be hated: He isn’t a God or a lion nor does he have a throne to conquer. He doesn’t have an army or a meth business to protect. He isn’t a legendary shinobi or a prodigious spirit detective. He isn’t artificial intelligence nor is he a mad scientist. He is just a twisted human being who wants to make Batman like himself. He has done some terrible things to those Batsy loves be it in movies (killed Rachel), games (killed Talia) or comics (paralysed Barbara Gordon) and who knows maybe in the upcoming TV series Gotham he might make an appearance.
He is anti-Batman in every way. Batman is protection and order, Joker is destruction and chaos. Also whenever Joker is in a scene the atmosphere gets tense, the peculiar behaviour he has is disturbing at times. Always smiling even if he is at the receiving end of Batman’s punches. When he kills people he leaves them “smiling”. He is also unpredictable: If one of your everyday power hungry gets his hands on a WMD or a toxic gas we all would panic because we know what will happen next. If Joker does the same thing, the panic will be there but no one knows what he’ll do with it, maybe he’ll destroy a city with it or leave it hanging by a loose thread leaving the people not knowing when it’ll drop. All that for fun. Creepy! He's nuts INSANE! Yet I cried when he died.
People love him because he’s unpredictable and can do what will make even other heroes cringe or maybe they love him because he knows a killing joke.
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And that's the end of it. Villains we can't hate! Do you agree with it? List some of your own villains. Thank you for reading!
Oh and by the way if you want that cake and grief counseling please assume the party escort submission position.