There’s nothing as simple as good guys versus bad guys, right? We like the good guys because they save the day, and we hate the bad guys because they make things worse. But sometimes, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the bad guy is so smart, charming, or correct that you can’t help but side with them, even if you want the hero to win.
When people on a popular internet site shared their favorite likable bad guys, they came up with a surprising and insightful list. Here are the 26 best.
1. Wile E Coyote (Looney Toons, 1949)
“Dude’s gotta eat,” writes a commenter in support of Wile E. Coyote. The long-suffering star of numerous cartoons just wants to have his dinner. Can he help it if the only thing on the food chain is the adorable Road Runner? Of course, another poster asks the important question: “If he could afford to buy all that stuff from ACME, why didn’t he just order takeout?”
2. Dr Doom (The Fantastic Four, 1961)
Cloaked in green and covered with metallic armor, Marvel villain Dr. Doom doesn’t seem like the type of person to earn much sympathy. “Did you forget that he is a dictator of a country he overthrew and routinely commits terror attacks on other countries unprovoked?” asks a commenter objecting to Doom’s inclusion.
But as several others argue, Doom is an effective leader, and his arch-nemesis Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four has made a few disastrous decisions in his time.
3. Doctor Zaius (Planet of The Apes, 1968)
All Doctor Zaius wanted was to keep the peace among the squabbling primate factions of Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston’s Taylor had to make everything complicated. Even though the movie frames Zaius as someone who puts his beliefs before evidence, it’s hard not to feel bad for a guy whose world falls apart because of a spaceman from the past.
4. Frank-N-Furter (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975)
Played by the incomparable Tim Curry, Dr. Frank-N-Furter is more of a spoof of mad scientists than the real thing. But that’s not why one person put the vamping villain on this list. “Too charismatic and hot to hate, to be honest,” the user insists, making an inarguable point.
5. Apollo Creed (Rocky, 1976)
Many might argue that Apollo isn’t a villain, since there’s a certain generosity to his decision to let down-on-his-luck boxer Rocky Balboa take a shot at the title. And when the brilliant Carl Weathers channels Muhammad Ali, he lights up the screen, even when he’s taunting our underdog hero. Still, most of us want Rocky to win, making Apollo a likable villain but a villain nonetheless.
6. Darth Vader (Star Wars, 1977)
When the legendary Sith Lord’s name came up, many couldn’t help but point out all of the destruction he caused, as both Vader and Anakin Skywalker. But few could argue with this poster’s reasoning: “You cannot help but respect his ability to command a room. He also does not take nonsense from anybody.” What more could you ask of a bad guy?
7. Gargamel (The Smurfs, 1981)
It’s hard to pull for a sneering wizard in a nasty brown cloak, but someone made their point with a simple declaration: “Let’s be honest, some of those Smurfs were annoying.” Indeed, the little blue creatures with their silly songs can quickly get on our nerves. “They were smurfing annoying,” another person concurred.
8. Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984)
Oh, you don’t have sympathy for a guy who invades the dreams of teenagers to harm them with his knife hands? Well, you weren’t around in the 80s. Sure, Freddy started as a cruel ghoul in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street movie, but he quickly became a lovable quipster whose one-liners got chuckles out of terrified moviegoers.
9. The Iron Shiek (WWF Superstars of Wrestling, 1986)
The recently-departed Iron Shiek certainly played the heel in his decades-long wrestling career, most famously in the 80s against champion Hulk Hogan. But as a user notes, that’s exactly what makes him sympathetic. “The Iron Sheik was justified,” the user writes. “It’s only become more and more apparent over the years that Hulk Hogan was the true villain.”
10. Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987)
As seen in the recent revival series Picard, Q knows how to make real trouble for the USS Enterprise. But in most cases, the vastly-powerful Q only wants to play with his friend Jean-Luc Picard, not to hurt anyone. Of course, it helps that he’s played by the endlessly charismatic John de Lancie, who still brings impish charm to Q, decades after his debut in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
11. Hans Gruber (Die Hard, 1988)
One would think that all sympathy for Hans Gruber goes over the ledge when we learn that he’s just a crook, not a political fighter. That might have been the case if anyone other than Alan Rickman played Gruber. But the British actor immediately wins over the audience immediately with his droll line readings.
12. Ursula (The Little Mermaid, 1989)
Look, Ariel wanted legs and Ursula wanted a voice, so they swapped. Fair’s fair, right? Sure, the sea witch does cheat a bit to get her way, but is that reason enough for King Triton to punish Ursula harshly? Even the biggest Arial supporter would have a hard time justifying his actions.
13. Catwoman (Batman Returns, 1992)
“She’s had her reasons,” is all that the user wrote when adding Batman’s enemy Catwoman to the list. And really, that’s all one needs to say about the alluring cat burglar, especially for those who have seen Michelle Pfeiffer’s striking performance in 1992’s Batman Returns.
14. Simon Phoenix (Demolition Man, 1993)
Simon Phoenix was such a dangerous madman that authorities had no choice but to put him in a cryogenic freeze. That fact alone should be enough to make us hate the criminal, but Wesley Snipes plays the character with so much energy and delight that we can’t help but pull for him. Sure, we’re glad that Sylvester Stallone’s reckless cop saves the day in the end, but many of us still hope to see Phoenix return in a sequel.
15. Hank Scorpio (The Simpsons, 1996)
Fans met Hank Scoripio in the classic season eight episode “You Only Live Twice,” in which the evil genius promptly conquered the East Coast. But all and all, he was a pretty good boss to Homer, which led a commenter to declare, “Best boss of all time. Built a hammock district, added another story to Homer’s house, very supportive and kind.”
16 . Dr Evil (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, 1997)
Does everyone hate Dr. Evil? How ’bout no! From his plans for sharks and lasers to his killer dance moves, Dr. Evil often outshines the hero in the Austin Powers movies. Played by Mike Meyers as a combination of James Bond bad guy Blofeld and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, Dr. Evil wins over viewers with his outrageous antics.
17. Tony Soprano (The Sopranos, 1999)
Yes, if you didn’t notice, Tony Soprano is the villain of the revolutionary HBO series The Sopranos. But throughout the show’s six seasons, we get to understand why Tony makes so many horrible decisions. Born into the mob and constantly judged by his family, Tony’s backstory shows that all the respect in the world is worthless if you don’t have self-respect.
18. Squidward (Spongebob Squarepants, 1999)
“Say what you want, SpongeBob is pretty annoying,” declared a commenter, countering the central premise of the long-running cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants. “SO annoying,” another agreed. “The older I get, the more I relate to him vs SpongeBob. It mimics life.” Spoken like a true adult.
19. Magneto (X-Men, 2000)
Yes, Magneto does want mutants to rule the world as the next stage in human evolution. But as one user puts it, “His conclusions are rock solid; it’s demonstrable that many humans will not tolerate mutants. His solution is wrong, but how he arrived there is chillingly relatable.” A survivor of the worst that humanity has to offer, Magneto will do anything to prevent history from repeating itself.
20. Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2, 2004)
It doesn’t matter how much Dr. Otto Octavious threatens poor Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2, the fans still love him. “Those mechanical arm thingies on his back took control and convinced him to do what he did,” reasoned a member. “Did he have the opportunity to fight back? Yes, but in his grieving state after his wife died, which was kind of his fault due to his pride, it’s understanding he would be vulnerable.” Even Spidey himself couldn’t disagree with that logic.
21. Dr Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb, 2007)
All that Dr. Doofenschmerz wants is to conquer the Tri-State area and win the respect of his daughter Vanessa. But he’s foiled every time by his nemesis, the secret agent Perry the Platypus. That was enough for the mad scientist to win the approval of several commenters, one of which labeled him “the best dad ever.”
22. Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones, 2011)
Westeros is a hard country, in which only the brutal survive. Few in Game of Thrones can match Tywin Lannister for brutality, especially as he’s played by the icy English actor Charles Dance. Despite the many awful things committed by Lannister, fans can’t help but see a cold logic in his horrendous works.
23. Loki (The Avengers, 2012)
The trickster god was the primary antagonist for the first Thor movie and The Avengers, but some forum members still see him as a hero. “He is our mischievous wayward boy,” explained a commenter. “But at the end of the day, he would help the right side, in his own way of course.”
24. Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal, 2013)
Okay, this one gives many pause. After all, as introduced in the novels by Thomas Harris, Hannibal Lecter is a cannibal who consumes those he doesn’t respect. But a member of the forum couldn’t argue with Hannibal’s “eat the rude” philosophy, especially when the killer is played by the alluring Mads Mikkelsen on the three-season television series Hannibal.
25. Killmonger (Black Panther, 2018)
“He had a point,” said one person about the antagonist in the Marvel hit Black Panther. Played with fire and charisma by Michael B. Jordan, Killmonger experienced numerous wrongs in the world and fought to reverse them. So convincing was Killmonger that he even inspired the hero T’Challa to change his ways.
26. Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn, 2019)
“[P]oor girl had her psyche destroyed,” began the post that added Batman baddie Harley Quinn to the list. But as another pointed out, Harley’s mostly an anti-hero, especially in the current adult animated series. “It’s the best superhero show on the air right now,” says one user.
Source: Reddit
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