Confessions of a Villain-Lover (why villains are the best) 

They cringe. They stare. They judge. “Are you sure?” they ask. Yes, I’m sure. I love

And because I am sure I’m not the only one who has been called to the defense of these fantastic (if not exactly ‘good’) characters, here are a few reasons villains are the best.

Often, the villain is the hero of the story in his or her own point of view. We only see them in an antagonistic light because we are viewing the story from the hero’s point of view. Take Magneto for example, he is protecting mutant kind from the horrors the fear of ordinary humans has unleashed on them. In his point of view, he is the hero.

It’s more interesting to watch a character struggle with right and wrong, rather than to watch a character who easily chooses right. We want to see characters that we – flawed, mixed moraled, human beings - can relate to. For example, watching Regina struggle in the first few seasons of Once Upon a Time is far more entertaining than watching Charming save the day.

Villains are often working to bring change (whether on a global or a local scale). They have a vision. Whereas the hero, generally speaking, is only working to prevent this vision from becoming reality. The hero is against change and has no vision of his or her own. For example, Loki envisioned a better world for the mortals of Earth under his rule, while Thor was only concerned with making sure that world never existed.

The villain revels in being who they are. They are free from the restraints of the law and social acceptability. They are enjoying life. And dang it, that is

fun to watch. Take the Joker for example, he seems to enjoy life more than the perpetually scowling batman does.

All that being said, loving the villains does not mean we necessarily condone their actions. We simply love their relatable, ambitious, fun selves.

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