Have you ever found yourself cheering on the villain?

[TwoScoopsPlease]

In a book, tv show or movie?

I usually find the villains to be more interesting than the heroes but generally I'm happy for the heroes when they achieve their goal but I find it incredibly hard to root for The Three Musketeers because they're so unlikeable and because of their blatant misogny. I appreciate that it was written a long time ago and set even earlier but I found myself wanting Milady to win.

Have you found yourself liking a villain more than the hero(es)?

Yes Jaws

Marty in Ozark, but not Wendy, she was horrific!

Definitely Godzilla and King Kong

Magneto from the X Men. Holocaust survivor, abused, his mother killed in front of him, his wife and child murdered. No wonder he hates non-mutants.

Tony Soprano was ruthless in every area of life, and vile to his wife - but if he was close to danger/getting whacked I would be freaking out!

Jean Grey/Phoenix 🥹

Omar from The Wire “Omar comin, yo!” I loved Snoop too!

Villanelle in first series of Killing Eve. Went a bit daft after that.

Well I did root for the logging truck that hit Meg Ryan in City of Angels.

Becky Sharpe in Vanity Fair is one of my all-time favourite villains....

Books: Lady Audley’s Secret, though I think that was the author’s intent.

Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair, though again, more of an anti-hero than villain.

Films: bit of a random one, but JK Simmons in Whiplash. The student he bullies was such an annoying little shit (from the opening act, before they meet), I could see why JK was being such a dick to him. Also, teaching the same jazz piece again and again must be so boring, you can see why he’d want to liven it up after a few decades by throwing drumsticks at people.

Magneto - obviously correct in his campaign against non-mutants.

TV: Oz. They were all villains, so you could pick anyone.

Sons of Anarchy: I was super-happy to see the end of alleged solo rural neonatal cardiac surgeon and gangsters’ moll Tara. And Gemma was always a great character.

The Crawfords in Mansfield Park. Fanny is just so dull.

Came on to say exactly this. Fanny is a boring prig and Edmund is a boring prick.

Me too.

As a child I was desperate to see Tom triumph over smarmy little Jerry.

Count Fosco is an excellent villain. I always picture/hear him as Stephen Fry.

The dinosaurs in Jurassic World. Those kids were well-deserving of being an afternoon feed.

This.

Yes to Magneto.

Has anyone here seen Widows? The very under-rated Steve McQueen remake Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya are just brilliant/charismatic as the evil brothers. You don't root for them against Viola Davis but when they are going up against Colin Farrell, you don't feel sorry for him.

Gina Gershon's coke snorting corrupt cop in Brooklyn 99. I would put whiny little Jake's ass in prison too.

Tom Ripley - but you are supposed to I guess, despite everything

Same, I was totally on his side, could’ve thought up a much more interesting ending!’

I have to admit to a sneaky admiration for Madame Defarge’s single minded campaign to destroy the Evremonde family and was bitterly disappointed when the utterly wet Lucie Manette escaped the guillotine

Really enjoying Money Heist, Spanish thriller on Netflix. It's shown equally from the police and the criminals' point of view. The main police officer is likeable but the villains are so committed and we'll organised, you end up admiring their tenacity.

Yep in Waffle the Wonder Dog, I always cheer for Mrs Hobbs. If I had a dog breaking into and destroying my house all the time, I'd be absolute raging!

The other vampires in Twilight, anyone that would please remove Bella from the books was a friend of mine!

Tweety Pie - a sadistic covert narcissist. I felt sorry for poor Sylvester.

A good villain has rational motivations. You can understand the villain’s perspective, even if the means are problematic or the ultimate outcome is corrupt. I love that kind of villain.