A Better Bad

     There is nothing quite like that moment when the trials are over, the fight is won, and the hero stands victorious over the villain. In every well written book or movie, there cannot be good without evil to counter it. It is not simply just evil that is needed, though. To construct a convincing and powerful story, the villain has to have motives. A villain without motives, without reasons for their destruction, is inhuman, unreasonable, and predictable. It is truly disappointing to a book fanatic and movie buff like me to find a story that does not have a "good" villain. A villain with motives, with desires, and intentions, is far more complex than a senseless  demon reeking havoc on innocent victims for no reason. In every "good" villain's mind, they are doing the right thing. A villain that honestly thinks that they are doing the world a service, fulfilling some deep desire, or maybe acting in revenge of something they lost, makes the villain more believable. Also, a bad guy that knows the hero's weakness, knows their flaws and short comings, can manipulate those weaknesses, making themselves that much more dangerous.

      In the reading, it points out a few villains from the Dark Knight movie: Bane, Harvey, and of course, the Joker. Though I have never seen the any of the Batman movies, this article explains the disappointment in the character Bane, saying that so much more could have been done with this character. As for Harvey, once one of the good guys, was driven by his devastation, anger, and revenge. Even Joker believed he had a purpose, that the human race was held back by order and rules. He was there, in his mind, to set them free. Joker, from what I know, is a true villain, a villain that knows how to work against Batman's weaknesses, pulling out his darkness. 

        One bad guy that I consider a "good bad guy" is Loki from the Avengers. In the Thor movie, Loki was hurt by the truth that he was a Frost Giant adopted by the King, that his adopted father would never trust him to rule on the throne. These knives in the heart are what lead Loki to the "dark side" with the desire to take the throne from his brother. In the Avengers, he still thrives on that hurt and sense of vengeance, but he has a new massage for the people of earth: "You were made to be ruled, it is your natural state", he said. Loki believed that the humans were  made and meant to be ruled, that we were better off that way, that freedom was only harming us. What I found in this particular villain, and what makes him one of my favorite, is there is a sorrow on the inside and, as powerful as he is, you can't help but want to understand him, to pity him. Harvey, the Joker, and Loki are just a few of the "best" bad guys, for they truly show case what it takes to make a "good" villain, the motives, desires, and dreams. This can only make the defeat more powerful and more meaningful because the hero was able to defeat someone that was bent on a task, a purpose, and the terrifying ability to bring the worst out of the good guy. There is a lot that goes into making a successful bad guy, and a lot that can determine a "good bad guy" from a "better bad guy."