11 Villains Who May Have Actually Been The Good Guy

With film and TV writing getting better by the day, it’s near-impossible to expect any more stories with purely good people vs. purely evil people. Folks in the TV realm like to pinpoint Season 1, Episode 5 of The Sopranos as the moment that allowed future shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad to portray “bad guys” as the “good guys.” The episode sees Tony strangle Febby Petrulio to death, then go right back to his fatherly duties of picking up Meadow from a college campus tour. The script was fought over to no end at HBO. Because a TV show's main character had never brutally murdered someone before, they thought people would instantly hate Tony (and the show). They could not have been more wrong.

Tony (and many other “antiheroes” along the way) helped show audiences that things in real life are rarely “good vs. evil,” so why should we expect that from movie and TV characters? George Galloway once said, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” and that sentiment is actually very useful for anyone creating a good villain. Each villain's backstory is riddled with injustices and traumas, and sure, these 11 may have done some bad, almost unforgivable shit, but one could make the argument that they were actually pretty decent people.

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11 He just got in with the wrong crowd.

CRACKED SEVERUS SNAPE WAS JUST A BULLIED OUTSIDER. HARRY POTTER Не was abused and neglected by his parents, bullied at school, and he only became a Death Eater for a sense of belonging. Не later realizes his mistakes and spends the rest of his life trying to make up for them. — Lore Hero / Insider

10 That cowboy shit won’t fly around here, Maverick.

CRACKED ICEMAN HATED MAVERICK FOR BEING CARELESS AND DANGEROUS. TOP GUN Yes Iceman was a little too competitive, but when he says, Every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous, Maverick responds, That's right! Ice...man. I am dangerous. Mav seems proud of endangering his team. — Youtube / Tamil Solution

9 Who knows what kind of precious gem Jason could’ve been?!

CRACKED JASON VOORHEES DESERVED HIS REVENGE. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 Those horny camp counselors left a pudgy, deformed camper to drown in the lake. Then, when his mom went to confront some counselors about it, they decapitated her. — International Policy Digest / CNN

8 Hell hath no fury, Kuzco.

CRACKED YZMA ENDURED SOME SERIOUS AGEISM. THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE Emperor Kuzco fires Yzma simply because he thought she was too old. That whole murder plot and accidental llama transformation wouldn't have happened if Kuzco wasn't so ageist. — Buzzfeed / Buzzfeed

7 Terms can be hurtful, people.

CRACKED WHO DECIDED THAT FRANKENSTEIN'S CREATION WAS A MONSTER? FRANKENSTEIN Не didn't ask to be created. From the moment he's brought to life, his confusion and distress is mistaken for aggression, he's labeled a monster, and met with torches and pitchforks. Dr. Frankenstein and the townspeople are the real villains here. — Grades Fixer / CNET

6 No one ping pongs between good and evil like our boy Ben Solo.

CRACKED KYLO REN JUST NEEDED SOME PROPER GUIDANCE. STAR WARS His parents sent him off to train with Luke, who tried to kill him! Without a strong father figure, Ben lacked the support system to keep him from the Dark Side. We see his desire to be good throughout the trilogy. — Screenrant / Star Wars

5 You know Gru’s a sweetie.

CRACKED GRU IS A LOVING FATHER FIGURE TO HIS 3 ADOPTED DAUGHTERS. DESPICABLE ME Yes, he's a villain who adopts them as part of a scheme to steal the moon, but that plan takes a backseat as he develops a soft spot for the girls, and learns the value of love. — Collider / Lad Bible

4 We get it, because “ice” is in the name.

CRACKED TEAM ICELAND WAS THE REAL UNDERDOGS. D2: THE MIGHTY DUCKS I 9000 URO Iceland is the team to beat but they're actually ranked 34th in the world, and USA is currently ranked 4th in men's and 2nd in women's. Their tough-guy image is only a front to survive as underdogs, and they end up being gracious losers in the end. — Wikipedia / The Last Row Podcast

3 That name does make it hard to see his good intentions.

CRACKED DON'T JUDGE KILLMONGER BY HIS NAME ALONE. BLACK PANTHER After serving in the U.S. military, he planned to avenge his father by using vibranium to liberate his oppressed people. Sure, it meant taking over Wakanda by force, but he only wanted better for black communities all over the world. — The Atlantic / Indie Wire

2 Just imagine he was born a Weasley.

CRACKED DRACO MALFOY WAS BORN INTO VILLAINY. HARRY POTTER Yes, the spoiled daddy's boy was easy to hate, but he was indoctrinated by his Death Eater father. Не was reluctant to join the Death Eaters and Voldemort, and would not kill Dumbledore. If born into the Weasley family, he'd be a funny little guy. — CBR / Wizarding World

1 Don’t judge Magneto, unless you’ve lost what he’s lost.

CRACKED HUMANS MADE MAGNETO A VILLAIN. He's been persecuted for his Jewish and mutant ancestry his entire life. As a Jewish boy, Erik Lehnsherr's powers emerged while being separated from his parents during the Holocaust. Fearing mutants, soldiers murdered his wife and daughter in front of him, so yeah, we wouldn't be a people person either. — Youtube / Bleeding Cool

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