The Sympathetic Villain
In the realm of entertainment media, viewers and creators alike often pursue the “hero” trope, someone who embodies a strong sense of morality, someone who we can relate to and strive to be ourselves. While the hero characters are often very popular with audiences, who’s to say a villain can’t teach us a thing or two?
Some of you may be confused by the statement, after all, aren’t villains supposed to show us who not to be, aren’t they supposed to portray an ideal or thought that society should rebel against? To that end, I say that while yes, villains can indeed possess some negative or downright despicable qualities, they can also inherit emotions that we can sympathize with.
Take the Ice King from Adventure Time for instance; in the show, he is often portrayed as a selfish being who captures princesses for his own interest and while that in of itself is horrendous, we later learn of his tragic backstory. In the episode I Remember You, we learn that the Ice King used to be a beloved scientist named Simon Petrikov during the war. Throughout various scenes, we see that Simon cared for Marceline (a beloved character of the show) in her youth and vowed to protect her when no one else would. In the episode, Simon ultimately discovers a magical crown that while giving him ice powers that help him protect Marceline ultimately corrupt him as he becomes an evil shell of his former self, he no longer remembers Marceline or any part of his previous life, which we see Marceline struggle to come to terms with through a rather heartbreaking song sequence.
Though the Ice King will forever be characterized as the villain, later appearances by him lead the audience to develop complex feelings towards the character. While we see him as this entity who is consumed by greed and power, we also know he was an upstanding citizen, who sacrificed his sanity and former being into one he cared about and we sympathize with this as we know he has a character trait beyond his corruption.
With certain villains or anti-heroes we often feel more sympathy towards them as we ultimately wish for them to redeem themselves or to become a source of good rather than evil because we see ourselves in them.
One of the most popular examples of this ideal is Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. In the show Phineas and Ferb, audiences see the nefarious (but downright hilarious) Dr. D create various “inators” in order to help him take over the Tri-State area. Now as a viewer, you would first think “why should I care about this guy who walks around dressed like a pharmacist?” “just defeat him already”. While he does often get his comeuppance at the end of each episode, a great deal of attention is also highlighted towards his identity. Dr. D may seem like a bad guy, but in reality he portrays the constant struggles that life can throw at you, he was shunned by his parents and family as a child, everyone constantly bullied and teased him, he struggles constantly with his own phobias and weaknesses, and throughout the series we are told (quite subtly in some cases) that he is a single, divorced parent with a teenage daughter (who he actually loves and cares for very much).
In the show, it seems like the world hates Dr. D, and yet, he only builds his inators to become recognized, to be loved by his family, and to earn some respect. What I think Phineas and Ferb does very well is showing that Dr. D is not necessarily a “bad guy,” as he is often a very chill and loving family man outside of his various schemes. The way in which Dr. D wants to gain respect (through revenge) is shown to be the wrong path, as the times in which he wants to enact violence or rage is often met with consequences. This, as a result, teaches the viewer that people do make bad decisions but can also be shown a better way at handling their problems; accordingly, Dr. D is shown a better path as he is shown to swear off evil and become a good guy in the series finale.
Dr. D was a character who had faults but grew as the show progressed, and change is something we ultimately desire in ourselves; we often want to prove ourselves when we are put down, and yet change is an element which needs to be accomplished through positivity. Dr. D showed us that people do want to change, they do want to prove themselves as people worth respect - but sometimes they need a push in a more enlightening direction and I believe we can encourage each other to greater heights.
Now some of you may say, ok people can change, but should they be given the chance to change? While this is a very complicated question, I believe that redemption is a case-by-case scenario, one where someone has to want to change and show commitment to that cause and I believe Wreck it Ralph is a prime example of a deserved redemption arc.
In the film, Ralph is portrayed to be the villain in his video game, but he is only a villain in the game’s function and he is striving to be good when his game is not being played. Tired of being forced to be someone who he feels isn’t true, Ralph sets out to discover a game in which he can be a hero. Throughout the movie, we see that characters ultimately can’t leave their games, so it’s taught that what Ralph did was selfish on his part because he potentially pushed his game into deletion. However, while we see him struggle with his own weaknesses, such as his impatience or his recklessness, we also see Ralph constantly trying to be good, to earn his own medal (a symbol of a hero) all while helping little Vanelope win a race in her game when no one else believes in her.
By the end of the movie, we have witnessed Ralph struggle to decide what is right (through plot and elements I don’t want to spoil) but he does end up embracing the fact that he has become a good guy in his own eyes. Ralph worked hard at changing who he is while also helping his new best friend, Vanelope find validation in herself and we as an audience are able to applaud and look up to him because he put forth the effort into his redemption.
Generally, while entertainment media seems to focus heavily on the hero, the guy we’re supposed to root for, there are villains (or former villains) out there who we can sympathize with, who we are able to learn and share experiences with. By no means am I saying that you should blindly follow someone who is doing criminal acts, rather I am saying that you should judge a character on more of a basis than what the basic story tells you. As you watch, read, or encounter a villain out there, I hope there are some that you can genuinely appreciate for what they mean to you. The world isn’t solely “black and white” or “good vs. evil”, everybody has the power to make a difference and that is a moral in which I hope we can teach ourselves as well.
