Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Villains They Actually Sympathize With

People Explain Which Villains They Actually Sympathize With
Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

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.

Giphy

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.

-lollipops-cigar45

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.

-EvilEkips

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.

-Zxcvbnm747

17.

Robby Rotten. How dare that damn Sportacus try to get me off the couch and be active!!!

-acenasty

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"

Link to the AMA

-HussyDude14

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.

-fishintheboat

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.

-thederpdog

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.

-Yesberry

14.

The Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy killed her sister, stole her shoes and refused to give them back

-emeraldkittay

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."

-Undecided_User_Name

These Gestures Are Offensive In Other Countries | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

People explain the friendly gestures in one country that are offensive in another. It's imperative to do a little research about the destinations and culture...

12.

Whaa? Nobody has said Wile E Coyote?? That poor guy's entire purpose in life is to fail

9 Unbreakable Rules of Wile Coyote

-ramalambadingdong

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.

-THEISACINATOR

10.

Giphy

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

-Espada_6

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.

-moriposa

8.

Kronk. The man just pulled the wrong lever...

-Browseri

Kronk wasn't a villain. He was a sweet man. Kuzco wasn't the good guy either.

-captainswan11

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

-AdamCohn

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!

-king_of_the_blind

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

-Breathlessness

The moral of this story is... the gods are a**holes.

-MagicalPizza21

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.

-Tekki777

4.

Giphy

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.

-LabiodentalFricative

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

-DarkPrince45AH

2.

Mr. Freeze. Just a guy willing to do whatever it takes to save his wife from dying.

-dahopppa

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.

-Jedi-master-dragon

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Zohran Mamdani
Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images

Mamdani Speaks Out After Releasing 9/11 Records That Reveal NYC Officials Knew Air Around Ground Zero Was 'Toxic'

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out after releasing more than 170,000 pages of undisclosed city records to the public ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks that prove city officials knew that the air was "toxic" around Ground Zero during recovery efforts.

Documents reviewed by the New York Times before their release indicate that asbestos concentrations in dust collected throughout the area exceeded hazardous thresholds in the days after the World Trade Center collapsed. Testing also found asbestos and other contaminants in the air and dust at levels considered unsafe.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Was Just Spotted With A Bizarre New Brunette Hair Color—And Here Come The Jokes

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he was recently spotted departing Air Force One sporting what appeared to be a much darker shade of hair color than the blonde that we're used to seeing.

Trump has for years sported his signature combover, and he has previously spoken about having a significant bald spot on his head. However, he denies wearing a wig.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Trump Slammed After Jokingly Lamenting That 9/11 Hero Is 'More Famous' Than He Is In Tone-Deaf Speech

After speaking during the “Steel Across America” event put on by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, President Donald Trump was criticized for lamenting that one hero of the September 11 terror attacks is "more famous" than him.

Trump was referring to Welles Crowther, an equities trader at Sandler O’Neill & Partners who was working in the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. Crowther, who became known for wearing a red bandana, helped evacuate people from the building and is credited with saving at least 18 lives before the tower collapsed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Pattinson (left) responds to Chris Hansen’s (right) criticism of Primetime.
Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic

Robert Pattinson Reacts To 'To Catch A Predator' Star Chris Hansen's Criticism Of His Portrayal In New Film

It’s probably not every day Robert Pattinson gets publicly critiqued by Chris Hansen, but here we are. The actor addressed the former To Catch a Predator host’s concerns about Primetime at the Venice International Film Festival, offering a gracious response to the man whose television career helped inspire the film.

At the panel, Pattinson addressed Hansen’s concerns directly:

Keep ReadingShow less
Amanda Hirsch (left) apologized after facing backlash over a Polymarket post tied to the Lindsay Clancy (right) trial.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TIME; Greg Derr / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Podcaster Apologizes After 'Insensitive' Post About Betting On Lindsay Clancy Trial Sparks Backlash

Amanda Hirsch is walking back a promotional post that encouraged followers to wager on the verdict in the Lindsay Clancy trial. The Not Skinny But Not Fat creator and host found herself in hot water after her partnership with Polymarket drew backlash online.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Massachusetts, was charged with killing her three young children in January 2023. Her case has since fueled debate over maternal mental health, the healthcare system, and the legal definition of insanity.

Keep ReadingShow less