In some of our favorite films, literature, and TV shows, we always cheered for the underdog.
We discovered some of the insufferable deviants Redditors wanted to come out on top when Redditor UnwantedJason asked:
"What villain deserved to win?"
Yo-Ho Yo-Ho, This Villain's It For Me
"Captain Barbossa. He was vilified for being a better pirate than anyone else, and he only wanted to escape eternal damnation and a hell on earth. I'd be pretty ruthless in that situation too."
"Yes, he mutinied Jack, but he's a pirate! And even then, he has much more class and honor than most of the other pirates."
Remember Captain Frye?
"I dunno, the villain from 'The Rock' just wanted to get veterans their disability and veteran wages."
These are villains from familiar folklore and fairytales.
Bested By The Boy Who Never Wanted To Grow Up
"The older I get the more I sympathize with Captain Hook."
"You either die a Peter Pan, or live long enough to see yourself become a Captain Hook."
Giant In The Sky
"The giant from Jack and the bean stalk even thou he's not the villain."
"Yeah jack just intruded on his home, then f*cking killed him when he tried to shoo him away. Like, what the hell man? What is this story trying to teach? Breaking and entering is ok?"
Creature Of The Deep
"Moby Dick."
"He's just trying to be a f'king whale and people keep trying to harpoon him."
Remember these "evil doers" from cartoons?
Cereal Trixter
"The Rabbit from the Trix commercials. My man literally spent his OWN MONEY to get this own Trix cereal, and then those damn kids stole his property, saying 'lol Trix are for kids!' F'k those kids."
Those Wretched Charm Kleptos
"And what about Lucky? Those bastard children kept stealing his Lucky Charms. Who's raising these monsters?"
– FG88_NR
Squidward
"Imagine having loud and annoying neighbors on both sides of you, making it difficult to get any peace and quiet in your own home. At the very least, you can have some solitude in your job at this restaurant that no one ever really visits anyway."
."..And then your neighbor applies for the job, passes with flying colors, and attracts loads of new customers, not only making your job busier and livelier than what you signed up for, but absolutely decimating that home/work balance you once had."
A Familiar Suggestion
"You either die a spongebob, or live long enough to see yourself become a squidward."
– Fenpunx
While I don't have a specific pick for a villain I want to win, I can appreciate people's preference for many antagonists they want to see winning.
I always thought traditional stories about heroes were one-sided. So when contemporary literature like Wicked—which later inspired the worldwide musical phenomenon, entered our pop culture—I thought it was refreshing.
My favorite take on a misunderstood villain was the Maleficent movies, featuring Angelina Jolie.
I thought Disney's interpretation of Sleeping Beauty from the nefarious fairy's perspective, who was the victim of a heart-wrenching betrayal of love, was pretty compelling.
More like this, please.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.