Villains are generally supposed to be horrid and reviled by the audience, who usually see them through the eyes of the hero of the story. Not all villains are particularly villainous, however.
Some are fairly relatable from the start, while others grow throughout the story and become more sympathetic over time.
Still others seem more relatable as we get older and learn how the real world works.
Reddit user NorthCatan asked the denizens of r/AskReddit for info on the villains they sympathize with most.
"Which villain do you sympathize for, and why?"
20.
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Carrie - cause when you're a sixteen year old teenager girl and everyone treats you like sh*t for no reason and when it's prom and you find out you win prom queen but it's just a cruel joke and pig blood is dumped on you , who wouldn't do what she did.
Jason - being bullied by a group of kids cause of how you look then pushed into a lake and drown when counsellors are supposed to help you.
19.
Galactus, The Devourer of Worlds. He destroys worlds and saps up the life-force of entire populations but after all he's just an integral part of the universe and as required as other primal forces.
18.
Sandman from Spider-Man 3. Yes, he killed Uncle Ben, but damn. His last scene in the movie makes me emotional when I remember it. Dude just wanted to help his daughter, man. His confession with Peter just shows how remorseful he is for doing that to Peter.
17.
Robby Rotten. How dare that damn Sportacus try to get me off the couch and be active!!!
What's really heartfelt is what Stefan Karl (late actor for Robbie Rotten) said in an AMA a few years ago to this question:
" Way deep down inside, what does Robbie really think about the residents of LazyTown?"
"I wish I could be their friend"
16.
Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets."
People don't understand how bad real OCD is and how it changes people and the pain they suffer.
If you hate which side of the bed you sleep on and think it's OCD, maybe it is, but you have no idea how bad it gets.
15.
Spoilers for a 24 year old movie ahead. The villain from "The Rock", General Hummel, was just trying to secure military benefits for his soldiers killed in black ops authorized by the US government. This money was supposed to come from a slush fund from illegal weapon sales also perpetrated by the government itself, AND his threat against San Francisco was initially a bluff. He was basically trying to look after his men,but became desperate after exhausting the proper channels.
General Hummel was an antihero, rather than a villain. I think he was probably one of the most conflicted (and well written/performed) movie antagonists of the nineties.
14.
The Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy killed her sister, stole her shoes and refused to give them back
13.
The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3, because she was only a villain because she had to be. That was the role assigned to her. She was loyal to her mission and to her country until the very end.
"Snake, history will never know what she did. No one will ever learn the truth. Her story... her debriefing, will endure only in your heart. Everything she did, she did for her country. She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. She was a real hero. She was a true patriot."
12.
Whaa? Nobody has said Wile E Coyote?? That poor guy's entire purpose in life is to fail
11.
Doofenshmirtz, he was a hard working man in a difficult childhood always being overshadowed by his younger brother and a baking soda volcano. He has broke the boundaries of science that almost seems impossible but is ignored throughout his career as a scientist. As every man does, he seems to have trouble finding a place in the world, so he tries to commit to poetry only for that dream to be snatched away and crushed in front of him. He was a man with a vision, a dream to take control of a small government, to change the lives of many surroundings and many people. But desperate times call for desperate measures as he's forced to take drastic measures to fulfill his dreams. He wanted to be a loving father and give his child the childhood he never had. He was a visionary at his time that society didn't allow which demonizes him to a gross pulsating image of a man that could've brought hope and light to a better future.
10.
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Pain/Nagato. He was being manipulated from the very start, lost his parents and friends to a war being fought in his village, and thought his whole mission was to change the world when in reality it was just to do someone else's dirty work
9.
Zuko. My first time watching, even before his arc, it was just so heart wrenching seeing him doing everything just to be loved and accepted by his people, his father.
8.
Kronk. The man just pulled the wrong lever...
Kronk wasn't a villain. He was a sweet man. Kuzco wasn't the good guy either.
7.
Captain Hook
Captain Hook must remember
Not to scratch his toes.
Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose.
Captain Hook must be gentle
When he shakes your hand.
Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans
And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't--
But mostly Captain Hook!
-Shel Silverstein
Just recently watched Disney's Peter Pan for the first time since I was a child. Not sure if it is a sign I am old but my girlfriend and I both agreed that we didn't think Hook was that bad and that maybe Peter is actually the real villain. He just bullies Hook and antagonizes him the whole time!
6.
Medusa
Punished for being assaulted by Poseidon in Athena's Temple and being beautiful.
Her two sisters stood by her side through thick and thin and fought to keep her safe from all intruders.
Perseus creeps in while they were fast asleep on a bed and silently beheads Medusa.
He then cowardly escapes, leaving the cries of her sisters and becomes a hero.
I really wish this story didn't exist; or that she was accurately portrayed not as the villain, but a victim
The moral of this story is... the gods are a**holes.
5.
Baldur from God of War 4.
He was the product of an unloving and abusive marriage between Odin and Freya and Freya, after the end of their marriage to Odin, was stripped away of everything she had: her freedom, the trust of her people, her spirit. The only thing she had left was Baldur, but seeing that he would die a needless death in the future, she cursed him with immortality, resulting in him literally not being able to feel anything. This curse, while meant to protect him, drove him insane with rage against his mother.
4.
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Skeletor, the true heir to the throne and rightful ruler of Eternia. Passed up for being mixed-race, so he acted out - causing an accident that disfigured and fatally wounded him. He was left for dead by a family with magic powers, having to resort to serving evil and living out the rest of his days as a skeletal shadow of his former self.
3.
King Dedede from the kirby franchise
The dude gets possessed every Tuesday to the point where he's not doing any evil villain stuff, also he cares and tries to protect his kingdom, just take a look at Kirby's adventure, he took the star rod from the fountain of dreams to protect dreamland from Nightmare himself
1.
Invader Zim. I just want him to win so badly because I want every single member of his species, including the Tallest, to realize he is somewhat capable (although he is at times his own worst enemy). Also Doofenshmirtz because despite his increasingly tragic backstories he was an amazing father to Vanessa.
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