Fictional villains can be relatable, in some pretty stark ways. For example, is it any wonder the Grinch is miserable? Or that the Wicked Witch of the West hated Dorothy?
stenotype0 asked Reddit: Which villain actually had a point?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
He'd be better a better leader than Donald Trump too.
Dr. Doofinsmirtz, he would've ruled the tri-state area better than his stupid brother.
He was also actually a really great dad spending years searching for a toy his daughter wanted when she was younger just to make her happy.
Jerry is the heel... or is he?
Tom from Tom and Jerry was just trying to be a normal house-cat and taking care of pests. Most people don't want mice in their homes, so they kill them or set them free, so it's perfectly normal for him to want to kill Jerry.
Jerry is the villian in my eyes.
They're actually friends and don't actually hurt each other. If you pay attention during some points in the show, you realize neither of them actually want to kill each other. If one of them isn't waking up, the other gets extremely worried because they're friends. They enjoy chasing each other and their shenanigans. Jerry is just as much justified as Tom either way. Jerry is in his home, hes just trying to protect himself.
Being a lizard can't be all bad.
The Lizard from Spider-man that wanted to turn everyone into lizards because being a lizard is so great
"I don't want to cure cancer. I want to turn people into dinosaurs."
I just want his powers.
Magneto. I don't condone his methods, but the man has a valid point.
Especially after Logan. It's literally the exact thing he feared would happen.
The older I get, the more the Grinch's anger makes sense.
The Grinch!
I'd be f*cking pissed to If I was an outcast from the only city in the world, and they won't f*cking shut up. I have no problem with celebrating Christmas, but all f*cking year?
The Grinch has serious heart problems and the whos are a bunch of assh*le neighbors who wont shut up. In the movie Christmas day is depicted with beautiful singing, but had he not "stolen" Christmas it would have been a cacophony of noise. This is a being that just wants peace for his few remaining years and not one Who gives a damn.
He's my favorite Christmas character. Think about it- he doesn't hate Christmas, he hates the consumer culture surrounding Christmas. This is evidenced by the fact that he saw the beauty of human connection at the end, when all the consumerism was stripped away and he saw the Whos banding together and singing. I f*ck with the Grinch.
Humanity is an environmental nightmare.
Recyclops. Humans ARE bad for the environment.
The hero we deserve.
Elphaba's pain is understandable, go see "Wicked."
The Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy did kill her sister and steal her ruby slippers, plus she was instigating rebellion in Munchkin Land.
Have you read Wicked by Gregory Maguire? Good book. The musical is great, too (well, I can only speak for the soundtrack). It's a lot more complex and interesting than The Wizard of Oz, which is more of a children's book, so it is what it is. I never cared much for the original but I really liked the retelling.
Barbosa was not a bad guy. He just wants to eat an apple.
Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean just wanted to have the curse on his crew lifted. He honestly could have just asked for Will to give a bit of his blood to cure them instead of taking him hostage and trying to kill him. It would have been a much more peaceful ending to that movie though.
Barbossa isn't "just" trying to cure his crew. He's still a pirate. He has plenty of wealth but he'd not want to pay someone to come spill their blood like a normal person would. He wants to take what he wants and he has the power to do it.
Not to mention that he can't just walk up port royale and ask for a chat with the governers daughter. They'd (attempt to) kill him and sink the pearl. Even if they didn't shoot on site, what makes you think any respecting citizen of port royale cares whether a filthy pirate is cursed. Even if he was paying, that's stolen money, they can't accept that.
Sideshow Bob is a sociopath.
Sideshow Bob.
"I thought I was your mortal enemy!"
"I have a life outside you, Bart."
He's just like Trump.
Lord Farquaad.
"Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."
One of the best villain lines.
Redditor Beadiest_Cape wanted to hear the best cuss free insults out there and asked:
“What's the best insult you've heard without swearing?"
Professor burn…
“After getting a compliment on his assignment, A buddy of mine leaned back in his chair and told our college professor, ‘I'm not as dumb as I look.’ To which he leaned forward on his podium and said, ‘You couldnt be.’” dusty_boots
“…and may God have mercy on your soul.”
“One of the best is from Billy Madison, ‘What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.’” maswriter
You should apologize…
“You’re not the dumbest person in the world, but you'd better hope they don’t die.” WhatThatBoiDoin
“Whenever this question is posted, my favorite is usually along the lines of: ‘There's a tree somewhere in the Amazon jungle with sole purpose of producing oxygen you breathe. You should go find that tree and apologize." all_worth
How low can they go?
“The bar was on the ground and you grabbed a shovel” BlckAlchmst
“That reminds me of one comment i read saying: ‘the bar was so low it was practically a tripping hazard in hell, yet here you are dancing limbo with the devil’.” give_it_a_vodkashot
Series 2 Limbo GIF by BBC ThreeGiphy"Having been born an infant, and realizing he quite liked it, he decided to stay one forever." overt-wan-kenobert
“From Casablanca: ‘You probably think pretty poorly of me don't you?’”
"’I would if I gave you any thought’" koiven
These teachers got clap backs for days…
“I had a teacher tell some kid ‘Nothing you have to say is of any consequence...to anyone.’ He was an odd teacher who kinda talked like that, but it was his version of savage. The room lost its sh*t in unison.” glib_battling
“I had a guy sit behind me in English class let out of fart that reverberated off the wooden seat. The whole class heard it. The teacher said ‘that's the most intelligent thing you've said all year’. Priceless” melbers22
Bob Dylan…
“Bob Dylan: One day, I wish you'd be in my shoes, so you could know... what a drag it is to see you.” WhatDaufuskie
“I was at a karaoke 50th the other night and this one caught my eye. Thankfully I wasn't drunk enough to sing it. But I love this song for its sick burn. Poor old Edie. Bob really gave it to her that time.” crankenfranken
Down the Monty Python rabbit hole…
“Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt... of elderberries!” UpTwoDownOne
“Elderberries were the cheap replacement for grapes in making wine. That is basically ‘your father is a drunk and can't afford the good stuff’.” ukezi
“And hamsters have sex all the time with no regard for monogamy.” draconum_ggg
“So, ‘Your mother is being cheated on but is also a w*ore and you father is a drunk who is also broke’.” EmpanadaDeMayonesa2
Firefly insults…
“‘My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a...middle.’ --Mal Reynolds”
"’It's not that I hate you, exactly; it's just that any admiration I have for you is well under control.’” FlourChild1026
Shakespeare master of insults…
“Straight from Shakespeare ‘I wish we could become better strangers’.” Dundeklil
“Also from Shakespeare: (Fallstaff, after Bardolf calls him fat) ‘Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life.’” driving_andflying
Excuse us while we go grab the burn cream.
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Sure, it's depressing, but you know what? Aging happens to all of us, and no one is getting out of here alive.
"What gets worse with age?"
Physical consequences of aging is one of the cruelest things in life.
What The Body Does With Food
"Digestive system."
"Every meal is followed by a poop."
Fighting Gravity
"Bending over to pick a quarter off the ground. Hurts your back, gut and your fingers don't work. That's why there is change all over my floor. ;)"
After A Wild Night
"Hangovers for sure."
"At 18 I could go heavily drink and feel damn near 100% the next day. Now I get horrid mental and physical effects. Probably should quit drinking all together."
When our senses gradually start to fail us, it's yet another reminder of our brief mortality.
Look, See
"eyesight."
"Make sure you get your eye dilated every year and check for cataracts."
See, Hear
"My hearing is on the decline. I don't think it'll go completely, but I did get hearing aids last year."
Deaf GIF by memecandyGiphyThe degeneration of certain abilities as we get older is too much to bear.
Staying Above Water
"My ability to cope. I'm just burnt out all the time."
"I feel the same. Aside from my family and friends, I have no care for anyone or anything anymore. Nothing phases me but that's not a good thing IMO. I feel very apathetic towards everything, I'm tired all the time and just want to lay down."
Counting Sheep
"The ability to sleep through the night."
– dabuku1
"Used to be a world champion sleeper and now 5-6 straight hours is huge. Pretty much wide awake every night at 3am."
Putting Up With People
"Humanity.... The older I get the less I want to deal with people."
Maintaining Friendships
"Friendship - making new friends after your 20s becomes a big struggle, and the newer friendships just aren't the same. You can literally run out of 'lifelong friends' due to death, disease, people growing apart, etc."
– cowanon7
I found as I'm getting older my patience and tolerance for certain things have gotten worse.
Waiting in line at the grocery store while someone fumbles with their payment option, or getting antsy when the food I ordered at the restaurant is taking way too long are things that never bothered me ten years ago.
I"m not curmudgeonly by any means, at least not yet. Besides, I'm not that old.
But to all the cranky elders I grew up with who complained about poor service or lack of efficiency, I get it now, and I hear you.