Yet, without them the story would go nowhere, it would be boring. Villains are multidimensional and seem to have more going on behind their eyes than the dazzling damsel who awaits rescue. How can you not like the witch from Hansel and Gretel? The giant from Jack and the Beanstalk? And then there is the grumpy, anti-holiday, furry, green recluse, the Grinch who Stole Christmas presents and decorations!

Mythology, science fiction and comic books are chock-a-block with stories of heroes and their battles against the ills of society; the never-ending struggle between good and evil. We view these two characters—the Hero and the Villain—as opposites on the spectrum of ethics and morality. But are they really so different when you look at their individual traits and behaviors, making  it quite natural for little kids to root for the bad guys instead of the good ones because villains, the anti-hero or the protagonist do it better.

Those individuals do not have the traditional qualities of the admirable characters. He or she lacks courage, kindness and nobility, but most notably moral goodness. It’s a character wrought with flaws and demons, disregarding the normal societal processes for his or her own gain.

Villains are the best. We may not love them in our lives, but they’re often the best part of our literature. We love their power, refusal of social norms, and most importantly, their ability to make stories happen. After all, if everyone was always nice and good and honest all the time, literature probably wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.

While the villains have a negative effect on the other characters, those heroes and heroines are doing outrageous things.

They are often shockingly wicked.

  • Tarzan displays himself almost naked.
  • Cinderella races home after midnight.
  • Aladdin steals things.
  • Pinocchio tells lies.
  • Batman drives at over 200mph.
  • Snow White lives with 7 men.
  • Captain Hook makes Peter Pan walk the plank
  • Tattooed Popeye smokes a pipe.
  • Pac Man gobbles up pills to enhance his performance.
  • Shaggy is a mystery solving hippie, who eats a lot of munchies.

The villain or villainess does nasty stuff,

  • causes harm to the hero or his family,
  • creates a conflict, either in a fight or in some other violent way,
  • then pursues the hero, even after he has won the battle.

Every story needs good and evil and

without an antagonist

there would be no story at all.