Lawyers Explain Which Fictional Villain They'd Have The Easiest Time Defending In Court

Villains in stories are usually the "bad guys," right?
Reddit user, u/AudibleNod, wanted to know about:
Lawyers of Reddit, which fictional villain would you have the easiest time defending?
Most Villains Are Goofy, If We're Speaking Honestly
A sharp look at most villainous actions in television and film actually reveal someone who's not making evil choices. Rather, they appear to be a giant goofball doing goofball things which usually result in goofball consequences.
Is Targeting Two Kids On Their Summer Vacation Really That Bad?
Dr. Doofensmritz.
All of his inventions ultimately only end up stealing or damaging the creations of two kids, so he could probably be let out with a theft charge. Really, he's just a lonely, unloved man trying to be seen in the world. Good thing he has his therapy platypus.
I Mean, He Did Kill All Those People With Exploding Fish...
The Joker.
Your honor, my client who is CLEARLY suffering from schizophrenic delusions and various other mental issues was punched in the face by a billionaire in a rubber gimp suit.
And worse...the Gotham City Police Commissioner ASKED him to do it.
Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut Except Intense Litigation!
The Juggernaut. He's defending himself the ONLY tools he has against all these mutant monsters with weapons and super powers attacking him! His bare hands. Sometimes, SOMETIMES...you mess around and find out. Not Guilty your Honor!
An Easier Case Than You Might Think
A villain's case might look a little challenging on the surface, but underneath are reasoning and motivations falling on the side of innocent.
"You're honor, yes, my client might have pointed a satellite laser beam at the good people of Metro City, but have we ever asked the reason why he may have allegedly done that?"
So Brilliant, So Rich, Yet So Mad
Def Lex Luthor..... 99% of the time uses henchman who won't talk and he can def pay my exorbitant bills.
To be fair, Lex Luthor is also right. Supes is a danger to the planet. He is a walking nuke and he invites disaster by summoning other walking other walking nukes.
His Last Name Is "Doom" For Crying Out Loud!
Does Dr. Doom need legal defense? As the ruler of his own country, does diplomatic immunity cover all of his actions?
Pretty much, that's how he keeps getting away with things in the comics. He's the legal sovereign leader of a respected modern country, so can't be arrested for fear of provoking a war.
They did try a few times replacing him with someone who has a better legal right to the country, but they always turn out to crazy tyrants (as opposed to Doom who is generally an at least a reasonable dictator) so usually he either wins it back.
But, Magic?
Lawyer here.
Light from Death Note. The guy likes to write names of dead people in a notebook, so what? Morbid hobby but not illegal.
I don't think it's possible to establish a cause-effect nexus between writing a name and people dying. And saying "well, it's magic" will not hold in court.
Bad Parents, Your Honor!
Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not only is she a child, there's also a case for her being the victim of abandonment, child neglect, emotional abuse, etc. She's also a child soldier, so there's that. Not that I would ever expect her to throw Ozai under the bus, but seriously. She's a 14 year old who suffered a mental breakdown. She also never actually killed anyone.
Look At The Space Evidence, Your Honor.
Kruge from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1. He witnessed the Federation test detonate a doomsday device that turned a nebula into a star system and can one shot wipe out an entire planet.
2. He destroyed that information seller's ship to protect the information.
3. He did not order the destruction of the USS Grissom, and executed the gunner for destroying that ship.
4. Kirk was in violation by being at Genesis
5. Kirk stole the Enterprise to reach Genesis and fired upon the Klingon vessel.
6. Kruge did not kill Kirk's son, just gave the order for someone to kill a member of the three on the planet. Kirk's son, however, did attack the Klingons and was killed for his troubles.
Turns Out Some Villains Are Actually In The Right
Just because you're the "hero" in the eyes of the audience, doesn't mean you're actually a good person. Take these people's stories as an example.
Well, If We're Being Honest, Yeah, Sure, We Guess...
The villains in the Purge movie. Crime is literally legal during that night.
First She Loses A Loved One, Then Death?
The Wicked Witch of the West.
She was angry at Dorothy, but then again Dorothy dropped a house on her sister and then grave-robbed the Witch's sister's body (with Glinda's help). The shoes were rightfully the Witch's anyway, presuming she was her sister's only heir and her sister died intestate. All the Witch wanted was for Dorothy to apologize and return the slippers she stole. Everything else that happened was the result of the Witch's reasonable attempts to defend herself and her property against Dorothy's killing, theft, and trespass.
The Beast WAS Kidnapping People, If We're Being Honest
Define "easiest time" defending. If you define it as "I think they have an easy case to win" then probably Gaston since hunting a beast that is a threat to members of your town isn't a crime (remember Beast did lock up Belle's dad and there's no reason to believe that Beast couldn't go evil again during the inevitable divorce).
If you mean "the one I'm going to most enjoy defending" then pick the richest one. It's a criminal client. Write me a check and don't call me every ten damn minutes from the jail and I'm a happy camper.
It Is Just A Huge Cave Of Gold, After All
Smaug.
He had to have earned squatter's rights be considered an adverse possessor of the property after all that time. And the House of Durin did abandon the property. I think he had a right to defend his home.
While none of these will ever go to trial, it's still a fun thought experiment to imagine The Joker or Smaug the dragon sitting in the seats, in front of their peers, trying to appear innocent.
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- People Explain Which Fictional Universe Would Be The Worst To Live In - George Takei ›
- People Share The Best Real Life Examples Of The Villain Defeating The Good Guy - George Takei ›
- People Share The Most Bada** Villain Quotes Of All-Time - George Takei ›
- People Divulge Which Things Some Folks Fervently Defend That Don't Seem Worth Their Time - George Takei ›
People Describe The Creepiest Thing They've Ever Experienced At Home
Your home should be sanctuary, which is to say that we hope that nothing bad ever happens once we move in. Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out that way, and sometimes things happen that unnerve the hell out of us.
Is there anything more creepy than being alone at home... only to get the feeling that you're not alone at all? What if you were being watched?! It's the stuff of nightmares, isn't it? And I haven't even touched on the possibility of paranormal activity yet...
People shared their stories with us after Redditor Savings_Actuator asked the online community,
"What is the creepiest thing you've ever experienced in your home?"
"At that point..."
"An intense thunder-and-lightning storm developed. During a loud clap of thunder and brilliant lightning flash (it illuminated the entire 2-story house), I heard a spooky sound simultaneous with the thunder."
"Seems that one of the chains that holds the heavy weights on the "grandfather" clock in the foyer broke, allowing the weight to whack the dong and bang the pendulum as it crashed into the bottom of the clock case."
"At that point, I was convinced that something evil was lurking in the house. So, I stayed in my room - cowering with the door locked - until my parents finally returned home."
Back2Bach
"Whack the dong" adds some much needed humor to this story.
"One time..."
"One time I was in my room trying to go to sleep when my closed laptop randomly blasted screams of what sounded like a woman in pain. I still have NO IDEA how that happened, but it scared the sh*t out of me."
caitycha
Nooope.
Move. Your house is haunted.
"I was at home alone..."
"I was at home alone with my dogs and one of them wouldn't stop barking. She had a shrill piercing bark. Suddenly a man's voice yells 'SHUT UP.' I was on the phone with my mom at the time and she asked 'who's there with you?' I said no one I don't know what that was."
"She told me to gtfo immediately. I didn't, I figure the only person who died while living in the house was my grandpa and I can't blame his ghost. That dog was being super annoying."
jellyshoomarm
Truly an experience a person would never forget.
"When I was about 10..."
"When I was about 10 I was lying in my bed when a pair of hands came up from behind my headboard and started choking me. I remember trying to move or scream but I was completely paralyzed and silent. Then all of a sudden I 'woke up' but I was sitting bolt upright in my bed. Had no idea what sleep paralysis was at the time so it's safe to say it scared the absolute sh*t out of me!"
W33DG0D42069
The brain can play tricks on us, that's for sure!
"I was at my mother's house..."
"I was at my mother's house and the doorbell rang. A young kid (around 8 years old) was at the door. I was opening the door and my brother was behind me being curious who it was, the kid froze up like he wasn't expecting me and my brother there and there were two men (in their mid to late 20s) hiding on each side of the door."
"They booked it immediately after we opened the door. Luckily my brother and I were there to open the door instead of my mom. I figured they wanted to rob her. I moved back in after that."
Lmah2x
Yikes. I almost don’t want to know where this was. I'll steer clear.
"My husband..."
"My husband is a sleepwalker/talker and he has a recurring dream that there is a portal to another dimension in the corner of our bedroom. He will wake me up saying “look it’s right there!” all the while being asleep. While I believe 100% there is no portal it’s still creepy."
Tuesdayallweek
Plot twist: There is a portal and you're in for a treat come your next anniversary.
"My brother and I were home from school..."
"My brother and I were home from school because we were sick. We had a craftroom in the mostly unfinished basement and we were down there playing with miniatures. Around noon we heard, VERY CLEARLY, the front door unlock, open, close, and someone walk in shoes across the foyer tile to the kitchen and turn on the sink."
"They then turned off the sink and went up the stairs to the second floor. I figured it was my step dad and called my mum to let her know he came home for lunch."
"She had just got off the phone with my step dad and he was in his office at work. She called him back and he came ripping home while we hid in the basement. Although we never heard the person come back down the stairs we didn't find anyone in the house."
JamesonZane
It definitely wasn't your stepfather, sorry to disappoint you, kiddo.
"Someone started..."
"Someone started trying to force the door of my small garage apartment open, while I was laying in bed inches from the door, at around 2 am."
RainWindowCoffee
More proof that no one should be living in a garage, just saying.
"Being woken up..."
"Being woken up by my daughter whispering “mom” and then hearing her footsteps softly on the carpet as she walked away from my bed. She was not at home at the time, she was at her dad’s."
[deleted]
She wanted a glass of water and astral protected herself to you.
"I'm pretty sure..."
"My sister, our friend and I had just moved into an apartment and one morning found a knife stuck in our door. I'm pretty sure now that it was the woman who lived below us cause it turned out she was a total nutcase, but we had only been living there a few days at that point so it was pretty creepy."
stephers85
Ummm... no thank you. Nothing worse than learning that you have a crazy neighbor!
Think again before you choose to stay home alone again! This piece is definitely an advertisement for communal living.
Have some stories of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
People Describe The Moment They Realized They've Been Doing Something Wrong For Years
It can be very embarrassing when you pronounce words wrong. Let's face it, the English language is super complicated, especially if you're learning it for the first time. You can't always trust yourself to pronounce things phonetically either because of all the different rules!
Recently, a relative pronounced the word "epitome" like "epi-tome." They were embarrassed when I corrected them. I told them that it wasn't a big deal, though they did note that they love that word, have used it for a long time, and that no one corrected them until that moment...
Ouch.
People told their stories after Redditor adeptwarrior asked the online community,
"What's an 'oh sh*t' moment where you realised you've been doing something the wrong way for years?"
"When I was five..."
"When I was five a Pizza Hut employee told me that the powder on the breadsticks was called fairy dust. Ordered extra fairy dust on my breadsticks until I was around 14 when an employee said ‘do you mean garlic salt?’ It still devastates me to realize how obtuse I was."
HolyCulture1983
Believe it or not, Pizza Hut does refer to the mixture—made of of italian seasoning oregano, basil, garlic, marjoram, and parmesan—as fairy dust.
"When he caught me..."
"It wasn’t very long, but when I was learning to drive my dad was explaining the rule of thumb regarding a safe distance to be behind the car in front of you. I thought it meant to hold your thumb up and if your thumb didn’t cover the entire car you were too close to it."
"When he caught me doing that he asked me what I was doing. When I explained he burst out laughing, then considered it, and concluded it wasn’t a bad idea but perhaps a bit distracting."
lukelnk
Also every other driver thinks youre a super friendly guy or a bit passive agressive.
"We got it delivered..."
"We bought a nice liquor cabinet. We got it delivered and noticed it was a bit shorter than we thought. No biggie. Three years later, we’re moving. Lift up cabinet and these beautiful, ornate, screw on legs wrapped in tape and bubble wrap fall off the bottom. Looks so much better now!"
ethanbubblegumtate
This is cute—it's like you discovered an entirely brand new piece of furniture!
"When he mentioned..."
"Until last week, when my father in law would made a phone call on his very basic non-touch-screen flip phone he would open the menu, scroll to the phone icon, open it, hit the soft key for contacts, scroll to the person he wanted to call, press ok, then press the soft key to call."
"When he mentioned how he preferred his landline because he could just dial the number, I said "Humour me. Just dial the number and hit the talk button." I've never seen a man so simultaneously grateful and embarrassed."
ThievingRock
Aww, this is sweet. It's important to help older folks feel up to speed with technology. He was definitely more grateful than embarrassed.
"Since the dawn of time..."
"Since the dawn of time, I would pick up the silverware and utensils out of their tray in the dishwasher and put them away in their drawers then go back and pick up more out of the dishwasher. Then one day I saw my wife lift the tray out of the dishwasher and I legit stood there with my mouth open."
PetesBrotherPaul
I did not ask to be attacked like this. Leave me alone!
"I always thought..."
"I always thought eggplant tasted "itchy" like itchy was a flavor, like sour or salty. Fed some to my baby and his face turned red wherever the eggplant touched, and I realized we're both just allergic to eggplant. And itchy isn't a flavor."
[deleted]
This is rather sweet but glad to hear that neither you nor your baby had a more serious reaction!
"Apparently the red ring around the bologna is not supposed to be eaten."
A_Wild_Taka_Appears
Tell that to just about everyone I grew up with.
"My mom..."
"My mom has been pronouncing Massachusetts "Massa Two Sh*ts" for years and no one corrected her because they thought she just had strong feelings about Massachusetts."
18tedwards
I mean, have you heard of "Massholes"? They're a thing.
"Well the name I recorded..."
"Well... This was a few years ago. I was the director of IT for a very large company. I was given a new cellphone and told to setup my voicemail. I don’t know that when I recorded my name it would be played to whomever I leave a voice mail for."
"Well the name I recorded was, “Dooder84 Corporate IT Godddd!!!”
I worked there for 4 years until someone in the hallway referred to me as the “corporate IT GoD!” I was so embarrassed."
dooder84
Wear it confidently because this type of stuff makes people like you more. They don't feel the need to be fake around you.
"My mom used to..."
"My mom used to refer to me as a “bull in a china shop." Always heard it as “bowl in a china shop." Thinking it was a compliment. At about 22 I hear someone else use the phrase and realized she meant “bull,” not “bowl."
cubedtraffic1
Aww, there goes your mom telling you how dainty and priceless you are again!
Don't be too embarrassed. We all fumble, it's what makes us human. Laugh at yourself because chances are that no one else cares as much as you do.
Have some stories of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!
There are many TV shows with compelling themes and interesting character developments that impressed both critics and audiences alike back in the day.
But some of the shows that once captivated audiences have not aged well, and there are many elements in them that are outdated by today's standards.
Curious to hear examples of these, Redditor lilac_cup asked:
"Which tv series has aged like milk?"

The handling of these controversial TV story lines seem so careless in retrospect.
Addressing Child Abuse
"The very first episode of Hill Street Blues has two cops breaking up a domestic disturbance caused by a woman finding her man f'king her 15yo daughter. The man is told not to be sh**ty, the woman is told to put out more and the child is told not to be so tempting. Then the cops leave, patting themselves on the back for a job well done."
– kifferella
The Teacher's Secret Relationship
"Pretty Little Liars. I think even at the time, the teacher dating his 16 year old student storyline was considered creepy, but in 2022 it’s honestly unbelievable that was ever portrayed in any kind of positive light. Also that her parents didn’t immediately just report him to the police."
– ColdFIREBaker
Forbidden Attraction
"Not the whole series but Ally McBeal. In one episode Ally found out her bf is bi and her reason breaking up with him was she afraid that one day her bf would be attracted to their son."
– thrussie
These reality shows would never fly in a "woke" world.
Racist Cringe
"There was a reality show on Fox called 'Black. White.' Where they put a white family in blackface and a black family in whiteface."
"Just reading about it, it turns out the white family wasn't even a real family. They were unrelated actors."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black._White.
– MichaelJAwesome
Extreme Makeover
"Extreme makeover. I remember watching this show as a kid and being like oh wow they’re fixing all these ugly people with plastic surgery and making them happy. I just think that caused a whole generation to think they could change their body with money. Show lasted like 4 seasons. Couldn’t imagine that show today."
– thenightshifters
Teen Exploitation
"Secret life of an American teenager."
"Just what…."
– carlirodriguez8
A Critique
"My god this show was terrible. My wife’s sister was into it and we ended up watching a lot of it when we were dating. I think they tried to make the banter like Gilmore Girls, but it ended up being the characters repeating their current plots and arcs over and over. I don’t remember the characters at all, but the main character was such a horrible person, and the audience is supposed to root for her."
"The main things I remember about it were the religious girl claiming she killed her dad by having sex with her boyfriend, and apparently you go to Bologna to get bjs."
– MachFighterG
So-Called Expert
"You Are What You Eat."
"Host Gillian McKeith (or to use her full medical title, Gillian McKeith) was an absolute quack with an online medical qualification from a Mickey Mouse university. She pretended to be a scientist by being recorded standing around in a lab wearing a white coat, spouted unscientific nonsense that anyone who had done a GCSE in science could see through, and was obsessed with getting people to shit in Tupperware boxes."
"It got cancelled after the final series when you had to have her move in with you. In the last few years she popped up again as a prominent anti-vaxxer once COVID vaccines became available."
– MattBD
These pageant shows glorifying good looks and talent would never be greenlit today.
Performing Pressure
"Dance moms- used to be entertaining, now all I can see is the psychological effects it must’ve had on those girls."
– KE789
"Americas Next Top Model has to be #1."
"From all the behind the scenes sh*t that went on in production to what the show actually shows. It’s all just horrendous."
– Nickster1619
From Ugly To Beautiful
"The Swan, was 2 women who are considered 'ugly ducklings' participating in a pageant against each other after undergoing a three-month transformative process aka having heaps of plastic surgery."
– twozedzed
Psychological Downer
"Right?! How were they allowed to do so many procedures in such a short time while completely isolating these women from their families? Making them diet and exercise while healing from a tummy tuck, breast implants, and veneers?! The 'therapy' sessions were a joke and were just for show while these poor women with low self esteem were preyed upon for entertainment. Just out of a safety and medical prospective…wow."
– Snoo-8746
Judging The Reflection
"Didn't they also not allow the contestants/patients to have mirrors the whole time so they were surprised when they saw themselves? Psychologically having massive changes like that and it being sudden is extremely bad for your brain, you can end up rejecting the reflection because it's not 'you.'"
– Delouest
As audiences evolve, so does the writing and development of all forms of entertainment.
But because the changes are gradual, it is jarring when looking back and noticing how offensive and isolating some of these shows can be.
Times sure have changed in the world of entertainment–mostly for the better.
People Who Moved Out Of Their Parents' Home Before Turning 30 Share Their Experiences
After having grown up inside the protective environment that was your childhood home, the inevitable time to leave and carve out your own path without a safety net can be terrifying.
Emotions can vary–with some people itching to leave their trappings while others terrified of adulting in the real world.
Curious to hear experiences from strangers online, Redditor WallStreetDoesntBet asked:
"People who moved out of the parent’s house before 30, how?"
Most people can't afford to live on their own.
Roommate Is Key
"yeah this exactly. I've never lived by myself, was roommates until I got a serious girlfriend and now fiance. There's exactly 0% chance of me being in the same position I'm in financially if I had been paying full rent all those years."
– lick_me_where_I_fart
Not A Care In The World
"I was 17, we had 4 of us in a ghetto 2bd apt (bunkbeds) we had a beer bong on a lanyard screwed to the ceiling. We'd have keggers, party's every weekend and always had randoms crashing on the floor. Could barely afford to feed myself and pay bills but still not a worry in the world and it was the best time of my life."
– ApprehensiveAd6006
One inconvenience shared by many was the sacrifice of a good, home-cooked meal.
Change Of Scenery
"Just needed a little R&R."
"Roommates and Ramen."
– SudoPuff
The "Wild" Years
"This, lol. I was kicked out at 16 and after couch-surfing for a few months I moved into a studio apartment with 4 other people."
"When I say we were poor, I mean poor - most of us didn’t have jobs. I lived off the worst of the worst food. Knockoff ramen. Dollar store canned veg. Rice and terrible year old pasta."
"It was a wild few years."
– Vetiversailles
Rice For Life
"Or rice. I lived off rice for a full year. Fancied it up by adding some salsa, and then extra fancy by also adding ranch dressing."
"Those were hard times."
– Ok_Opinion_
Having work definitely makes things easier.
Saving Up To Leave
"Started working while I was in school. Got out as soon as I could."
– ReallyIdleBones
Not Much Fanfare
"Yep, moved out for college in 2006. Came back for the summer in 2007, but thereafter I got an internship so I just stayed in the city. Got a job at the same place after I graduated."
"It was never some big moment for me (my parents are fine, just annoying), just a natural progression for me."
– Zerole00
Building A Life
"At 18. Worked in construction. Lived on a couch with 6 buddies in one house paying for college. Bought cheap land during the recession. Then built my own house."
– ReubenZWeiner
Not moving out by choice seemed to be a common shared experience.
High Turnover Rate
"Got kicked out at 14. Finished high school sleeping on friends couches while serving tables. Had a ton of roommates for the next 10 years. At any given time I was living with like 3 or 4 people, it was never boring haha"
– herriotact
Different Parenting
"I am hearing that so many people are actually kicked out in the really young age is well."
"But i am not getting that why parents are so tough because in my country they try to keep them under their wings."
– wowoao
Tough Love
"My friends parents were going to kick him out immediately after he graduated high school simply because 'That's what their parents did when they were his age.' His Dad fully expected him to go out at 18 and buy a house because 'he was able to.'"
"Then his Dad got pissed when my friend did not buy a house and went to live with his uncle instead. Even after his uncle broke down the whole 'Your mortgage is $2200/month with taxes and you expect your son, who works part time at $7.25 an hour to afford a mortgage? With no credit history?'"
"Some parents do it out of tough love. Some parents do it because they shouldn't have had children. Some parents still think the world is the same as it was in the 70s-80s and think minimum wage part time employees can thrive."
– bangersnmash13
Placed Expectations
"My parents didn't kick me out, but there was definitely an expectation for me to be moved out and financially independent at 18. My mother walked into a job as a radio DJ at the age of 18 and then became a journalist with only a high school education a few years later (early 1970s), so she had this expectation that I could do the same. The thought of me being able to do anything like that in the 2000s was laughable."
– pie12345678
I moved out of my parents' house because I booked my first professional gig on a cruise ship.
It couldn't have worked out better. I was paid to perform on board in the shows while my rent was already taken care of since I lived and worked on the ship.
I packed one suitcase and traveled the world doing what I loved for about two years. It was the best way to transition into an exciting new chapter in my adolescent life.
What's your moving out story?