24 "Controversial" TV And Movie Characters Who Are So Bad, But People Can't Get Enough Of Them

"Gus was totally evil, as much so as Walter, but there was a stoic, pragmatic objectivity to what he did in a way made him more sympathetic. He wanted revenge on his tormentors, and he punished those who he felt crossed him; he didn't do it in the dishonest, conniving, manipulative, and selfish way that Walter did. He was a businessman first and foremost, even if it was an extremely ruthless one. Walt's first priority wasn't business — it was ego, and making up for a lifetime's lack of self-esteem. Gus was admirable in a way; Walter was just pathetic."

—u/mrjake118

"She's stone-cold, but I can't help but love her! Jodie Comer is brilliant as her character."

—u/Chaos_theory284

"A great villain has a realistic motivation to believe they are morally justified, and that's why I love like Magneto. His actions are out of revenge and self-preservation. He's not evil for the sake of profit or power; he could be portrayed as a hero in the right story."

—u/drsideburns

"For one, she’s just so wild that it’s hard to be afraid of her, and you end up just liking her. She and Kronk have such great chemistry, too."

—u/everythinglatte

"He really got screwed over and is just trying to provide for his family and keep his crew afloat; I can understand why he does what he does."

—u/patojuega

"He's one of the best Marvel villains because he was so easy to empathize with. He was a villain with a code."

—u/Malaeveolent_Bunny

"Don’t get me wrong; she’s evil. But she’s also just 14 and grew up with a terrible father. I just feel bad for her."

—u/kungfu_pandaru

"Azula, however, is a villain I loved from the get-go, mainly because she was extremely smart and competent. Whenever she was on screen, I looked forward to seeing what she was up to. A lot of the time, she was several steps ahead of the viewers, which is something I definitely enjoyed. Plus, her downward spiral towards the end was really well done, too, albeit a little fast."

—u/GraffitiTurtle

"He's such a well-developed character, and I feel like he's more of a tragic character than a villain. There's so many questions left unanswered. He needs to come back and be redeemed if there's ever a fourth KFP movie. He had his opportunity when he fought against Shifu, but he knew it was too late for an apology."

—u/ShadowJDarkus

"She technically didn't do anything wrong; the terms and conditions of the contract were very clear. Also, her character is so interesting and entertaining, including her character design. 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' will always be a favorite of mine."

—u/BigStinkyNipples

"I’d be mad, too, if EVERYONE was invited to a party, and I wasn’t! But on a real note, watching the Angelina Jolie movie really resonated with me (especially the scene where her wings are taken from her, and how it parallels sexual assault), and as a character I just can’t hate her. She’s funny, has a pet crow, and her horns are cool."

—u/DeliaRayne-

"I know he's a villain, but I just can't hate him. I think a big reason is because Tom Hiddleston does a fantastic job playing him."

—u/GengarIsLife

"In his series, his redemption/self-reflection actually made me cry. It's hard not to understand some of his pain."

—u/Ailethia

"She was just an extreme (in Gotham’s opinion) environmentalist. Honestly, my favorite of the hero/villain universes on righteous causes alone."

—u/mdotone

"He's not really a villain in that movie; he's just an asshole."

—u/hamsonk

"I love that depiction of Dracula: the scientist; the philosopher; the reluctantly yet understandably vengeful. He was more human than the bishops and priests in that series, for sure. This series was fantastic at making the viewer sympathetic with almost everyone's story arc."

—u/dzumdang

"He's such a tragic character. In the original trilogy, he seems like a relentless monster until the last moments of his life in Episode VI. But then in the prequels, you really get to see that he was a victim his entire life. He was enslaved as a child, basically held hostage by the dogmatic Jedi, and then was manipulated to be a slave to a Sith Lord. Then, he became a slave to his own self-hatred, and only his son was able to help him out of it. He's such a complex character: constantly being held back, constantly being betrayed and manipulated, constantly in pain, and constantly angry at himself."

—u/Fred_Foreskin

"She's sooo entertaining and one of my cartoon crushes growing up — one of the reasons why I watch that show."

—u/Snoo79382

"This Joker was brilliant. He really brought the psychological games part of Joker to the forefront."

—u/Mezzaomega

"I feel so sad for her ending; she really died without hope, without witness, and without reward, and the doctor will never know it."

—u/Ammilerasa

"It's just a tragic backstory. He's just lonely and desperate for friends."

—u/evil_wazard

"He has so much potential, and he wastes it fighting Superman because he can't let go of his ego. When you think about the great man he could have been, it's hard not to just pity the miserable, lonely person he became."

—u/reddit_user5301

"I'd work for him. His offer sounds fantastic. A free house in a comfortable town with excellent benefits. What a dream job."

—u/beachblanketparty

"Grinch didn't hate Christmas; he hated people. Gets a bad rap."

—u/rawbamatic

"He had the intellect, sadism, and cunning to become a very effective hunter-predator, but his charm makes him even deadlier because it almost hypnotizes and lulls his prey."

—u/SantaDog81