Movie villains may come in different forms: the vile and wicked, the misunderstood, and the wronged and betrayed, among others. Some have inner motivations, and some just want to watch the world burn. Whatever kind of villains they are, they make the story more interesting.
There are sympathetic villains in movies that are quite similar to the misunderstood ones. They have something they want to say or prove, but could not find a way to channel those emotions. Here is a list of some of the sympathetic villains in movies that we love to hate but can’t:
Captain Barbossa (Pirates Of The Caribbean)
He started as an antagonist in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, but over time, he became an ally and a beloved character, too. Captain Barbossa is not exactly a hero yet not so much of a villain, so that makes him a very complicated and interesting character.
He longs for something, and he found it upon meeting and reuniting with his daughter, Carina Smyth. All this time, he has not been a good father to her, but at the end of the last movie, he sacrificed his life to save her.
Namaari (Raya And The Last Dragon)
Namaari has not been a good friend to Raya. She tricked her and made her believe that they were friends, only to use her to steal the dragon gem. Namaari is a warrior, and she is even more intelligent than Raya.
But Namaari proves to be somewhat just a follower of her mother’s wishes. She does not think about what is right and wrong. In the end, she finally realizes that there is a bigger threat on their land, and she needs to trust people.
Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter)
Draco Malfoy is a fan-favorite villain from the Harry Potter film series. His cunning and wicked attitude is very much the epitome of a Slytherin. He is a bully, and he likes playing with dark magic to get that sense of superiority over others.
This, however, is the result of his upbringing. In Half-Blood Prince, we see that Draco is not as evil as we think of him. Like many others, he also feels lost. Draco is not entirely a nice person, but many fans sympathize with him.
Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Captain Hook is a terrifying evil character that children fear. He likes using his hook to gut kids who find themselves transported to Neverland. But, when you are an adult, you will look at him from a different perspective.
He is a lonely character who channels his insecurity through bloodlust. Kids may not view it this way, but as adults, we would feel pity for him.
Loki (The Avengers)
Loki is one of the sympathetic villains that has an interesting background. His long history of rivalry against his brother Thor, and his longing for affection and validation turned him bitter. Everyone favors Thor because he is the real son, and no one likes Loki because he is different.
His character treads between a villain and an anti-hero. His motivations are purely selfish, but sometimes, he also cares for his loved ones. Loki is quite a flexible character that can be transformed into several types of antagonists.
