Sometimes it seems like our society likes a good villain as much — or even more than — a hero. Do you like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker more? How about Hannibal Lector or Clarice Starling?
Share why if you wish.
Hero Or Villain?
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
Sometimes it seems like our society likes a good villain as much — or even more than — a hero. Do you like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker more? How about Hannibal Lector or Clarice Starling?
Share why if you wish.
While I’d usually go for the hero, I think one villain deserves a particular shout-out: The Joker as performed by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.
At first blush, the answer would seem to be obviously hero.
But it strikes me that there is reason most actors prefer playing a villain to playing a hero: the villain is often just more fun. There’s more to do. The hero is often reactive; the villain proactive.
And on top of everything else, with a villain, you often get a redemptive arc. Darth Vader is an obvious example, although Loki in the MCU is a more recent one.
With that said, a villain is interesting and/or fun in fiction; in reality not so much. An actual villain at work or at home is no fun whatsoever.