Inspired by user u/Sparkjoy4ever, the members of the sprawling r/AskReddit online group spilled the tea about which villains they personally rooted for over the protagonists. Scroll down to check out their opinions, and upvote the ones you agree with. Bored Panda reached out to the person who sparked the entire discussion, u/Sparkjoy4ever, and they were happy to share their thoughts on well-written villains. Check out our full interview with them, including which villains and heroes they personally love the most!
Image credits: Sparkjoy4ever
pandataxi , Universal Pictures Report
They were surprised that their question got as much attention as it did online, but they were glad that the “fun and interactive” topic managed to strike a chord with everyone. In their opinion, the thread brought “together people who share the same views on villains in stories.”
We were very interested in getting the author’s take on writing villains well. For them, making relatable villains requires giving them depth. “Show their motivations and struggles, making them human. Even if their actions are wrong, understanding their perspective fosters empathy. A compelling villain challenges the audience’s morals, blurring the line between right and wrong, making them intriguing and worthy of empathy,” they shared their perspective with Bored Panda.
Orpheline10 , Warner Bros Report
anon , Nickelodeon Report
Bored Panda was curious to hear who the author’s favorite villain of all time is. They told us that their top spot belongs to Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz from the popular cartoon Phineas and Ferb.
“He [Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz] had such a jagged childhood. His parents didn’t deem it necessary to appear at his OWN birth. But even now, in the show, he managed to grow up to be a great, loving, and awesome scientist and dad to his daughter Vanessa who simply wants to take over the city,” u/Sparkjoy4ever said that Doofenshmirtz is a wholesome Disney Channel villain.
stu-padazo , Universal Pictures Report
Dangerous-Bar-2451 , Warner Bros Report
jamhamnz , Warner Bros Report
“Overall, I admire a majority of the Dreamworks protagonists, such as Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon, Sinbad from Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Moses from The Prince of Egypt, and Puss In Boots from The Last Wish,” they shared some more of their favorite heroes.
If you want your audience to be immersed and to suspend its disbelief, then you need to get the details right. In short, that means putting in a lot of effort to build up your world and your characters. Everything has to more or less make sense in the context of the world we’re being shown on the silver screen or on the pages of a book. Nobody’s asking for ‘perfection,’ but the basic logic, at least, has to be consistent.
DogUsingInternet , 20th Century Studios Report
Ma1ukai , Universal Pictures Report
Mushrooming247 , Warner Bros Report
“There can be a dragon. The dragon can swear, smoke cigars, and drink whiskey if it wants to. But if it starts talking about cigars and whiskey and gets basic facts (which are easily found) wrong, someone’s going to notice, and that will pull them out of the moment. The audience will willingly accept the big stuff or they wouldn’t watch the movie. It’s the small stuff that’s distracting, and sometimes you wonder if they could’ve avoided it."
Scudamore , Marvel Entertainment Report
vanchica , Universal Pictures Report
Slothonwheels23 , Universal Pictures Report
The very best characters in movies, video games, and books have depth. No matter the story you’re writing, ideally, you want all of your characters to have an authentic personality, grounded motivations, and a backstory that draws the audience in. You also want to sprinkle in some genuine flaws to balance out their strengths.
Maleficent-Bad3755 , Warner Bros Report
Mackinacsfuriousclaw , Warner Bros Report
ConvenientlyAnnoyed , HBO Report
It’s a weird feeling when some of your values align with someone you’re ‘supposed to’ be betting against. But, again, these sorts of villains are the best ones. In a similar vein, quality protagonists are those who have clear weaknesses and flaws. ‘Perfection’ is boring and simple. Insecurities, fears, and anxieties, however, make for good growth opportunities and great character arcs.
Saluted , Warner Bros Report
Money_Ad1028 , Paramount Pictures Report
boanxi , Disney Report
If you have a subjective view of morality, then you might agree that what we consider ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on who wins at the end of the story. However, if you subscribe to the idea that certain behaviors are good and evil on an objective—cosmic—scale, a villain’s story can be even more tragic. They might have honorable intentions, but the means that they use to reach their goals go against ethics and morality. Or they always try to act in the right way, but this has unintended negative consequences for everyone.
Pizzagoessplat , 20th Century Studios Report
Glass_Maven , Universal Pictures Report
MarshallDyl26 , Sony Pictures Report
Who are your favorite villains of all time and why, dear Pandas? On the flip side, what movie, game, or book heroes do you like the most? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this! Tell us all about it in the comments.
glitterguavatree , Disney Report
AnnoyedMoose123 , Universal Pictures Report
TowerFluffy1426 , Nickelodeon Report
DaBigBird27 , Disney Report
SatsuLark , Starz Report
ninevah8 , Universal Pictures Report
0Helpful-Candy0 , Nickelodeon Report
FulliCullli , Warner Bros Report
anon , Sony Pictures Report
Stormdrain11 Report
IllChampionship5 , Lionsgate Report
Outside-Idea-547 , OLM Report
BAT123456789 Report
DrD3adpool , Cartoon Network Report
Resident-Theme-2342 , Nickelodeon Report
Rogue_Artichoke Report
Jojosbees Report
Boba_tea_thx Report
love_is_an_action Report
aGraciousGod Report
Sozins_Comet_ Report
ViolinistMean199 Report
mashable88 Report
pulpexploder , Lucasfilm Report
NullTaste27 Report
ferengiface Report
meeyeam Report
Senth99 Report
NIN10DOXD Report
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