Many people’s favorite characters as a kid were the Disney princesses: Aurora, Elsa, and Rapunzel, or heroes like the Avengers and the Incredibles. Yet some found themselves liking the villainous characters more than the typical good guys. For most people, the favoring of felons continues as they grow up and are exposed to more villains. If you loved Scar from The Lion King, or Hades from Hercules, you probably also love characters like Loki from the Marvel franchise, or Ghostface from Scream.
When I was a kid– maybe around five years old–my first fictional crush was Darth Vader from Star Wars. As I grew older, it evolved into Kylo Ren from the same franchise. Now, I love the dark villains from fantasy and dark romance books.
So why are we pulled toward the villains rather than the heroes?
While heroes display traits of courage, bravery, and honor, villains often have more depth and relatable characteristics. In addition to charm and charisma, villains break the moral constraints of society and act on revenge and ambition. Villains execute their dark thoughts, reflecting the ones some people carry in their minds, too afraid to release them. Watching or reading about those who let those thoughts out creates a sense of connection between the villain and the audience.
For example, Loki from Marvel wanted validation, power, and to just have his own type of fun. I can almost guarantee many individuals in this day and age have sought validation. Maybe they haven’t held a whole city hostage but they have wanted to do something slightly frowned upon or excessive to get the validation.
Another common motive is revenge. If someone has ever blamed you for something you didn’t do or wronged you in some fashion, you might experience an urge to get back at them somehow. I highly doubt you crawled out of the grave to kill the men who killed you and your fianceé like Erik Draven from The Crow, but maybe thought of sending animal poo to your friend’s ex.
There is also the difference between bad guys and villains. While this is mostly opinionated, those who read fantasy or dark romance books might find a difference in definitions. For most people on “booktok”—- the side of social media dedicated to reading—-the bad guy is the character that stays bad throughout the story, while the villain is the charismatic character who presents themselves as evil but usually has a redemption arc of backstory that defends their actions.
There is no clearer example than in A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. The main bad guy in the series is the King of Hybern, who seeks to rule the faerie realm and enslave the mortals. In addition, the first bad guy in the series is Amarantha, an evil ruler who stole power from the existing rulers and sought to rule over the land in which they lived. This is a perfect example of characters who are pure evil and have no redemption whatsoever. As for the villain, Rhysand is a character who is introduced as a charming yet dark, dangerous, and cruel antagonist. In later books, his backstory is revealed as one of trauma, heavy sacrifice, and love. He starts out as the villain in the protagonists’ story, yet ends as a fan favorite and incredibly loveable character.
Ultimately, villains provide a safe outlet for more darker desires. We relate to them because we see ourselves inside of them with similar characteristics that we don’t always share. They break the rules that society has set for us, and bring to light a darker side. Next time you see a villain on screen or read one on a page, think about what aspects of yourself you see in them.