24 "Controversial" TV And Movie Characters Who Are So Bad, But People Can't Get Enough Of Them

It's literally impossible to hate Loki.

You probably enjoy rooting for your favorite heroes in TV and movie shows, but let's be honest — there are some villains who are so intriguing, you actually end up having a soft spot for them.

NBC

So, when Redditor u/Rito_Harem_King recently asked, "What villain can you just not hate?" the internet shared tons of iconic villains that, for one reason or another, they kinda love.

Here are some of the most fascinating responses:

🚨 Some spoilers ahead! 🚨

1. Gus from Breaking Bad

AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

"Gus was totally evil, as much so as Walter, but there was a stoic, pragmatic objectivity to what he did in a way made him more sympathetic. He wanted revenge on his tormentors, and he punished those who he felt crossed him; he didn't do it in the dishonest, conniving, manipulative, and selfish way that Walter did. He was a businessman first and foremost, even if it was an extremely ruthless one. Walt's first priority wasn't business — it was ego, and making up for a lifetime's lack of self-esteem. Gus was admirable in a way; Walter was just pathetic."

—u/mrjake118

2. Villanelle from Killing Eve

BBC

"She's stone-cold, but I can't help but love her! Jodie Comer is brilliant as her character."

—u/Chaos_theory284

3. Magneto from the MCU

20th Fox Film Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection

"A great villain has a realistic motivation to believe they are morally justified, and that's why I love like Magneto. His actions are out of revenge and self-preservation. He's not evil for the sake of profit or power; he could be portrayed as a hero in the right story."

—u/drsideburns

4. Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

"For one, she’s just so wild that it’s hard to be afraid of her, and you end up just liking her. She and Kronk have such great chemistry, too."

—u/everythinglatte

5. Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes, from Spider-Man: Homecoming

Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

"He really got screwed over and is just trying to provide for his family and keep his crew afloat; I can understand why he does what he does."

—u/patojuega

"He's one of the best Marvel villains because he was so easy to empathize with. He was a villain with a code."

—u/Malaeveolent_Bunny

6. Princess Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Nickelodeon

"Don’t get me wrong; she’s evil. But she’s also just 14 and grew up with a terrible father. I just feel bad for her."

—u/kungfu_pandaru

"Azula, however, is a villain I loved from the get-go, mainly because she was extremely smart and competent. Whenever she was on screen, I looked forward to seeing what she was up to. A lot of the time, she was several steps ahead of the viewers, which is something I definitely enjoyed. Plus, her downward spiral towards the end was really well done, too, albeit a little fast."

—u/GraffitiTurtle

7. Tai Lung from Kung Fu Panda

DreamWorks / Courtesy Everett Collection

"He's such a well-developed character, and I feel like he's more of a tragic character than a villain. There's so many questions left unanswered. He needs to come back and be redeemed if there's ever a fourth KFP movie. He had his opportunity when he fought against Shifu, but he knew it was too late for an apology."

—u/ShadowJDarkus

8. Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

"She technically didn't do anything wrong; the terms and conditions of the contract were very clear. Also, her character is so interesting and entertaining, including her character design. 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' will always be a favorite of mine."

—u/BigStinkyNipples

9. Maleficent from Maleficent

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

"I’d be mad, too, if EVERYONE was invited to a party, and I wasn’t! But on a real note, watching the Angelina Jolie movie really resonated with me (especially the scene where her wings are taken from her, and how it parallels sexual assault), and as a character I just can’t hate her. She’s funny, has a pet crow, and her horns are cool."

—u/DeliaRayne-

10. Loki from the MCU

Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection

"I know he's a villain, but I just can't hate him. I think a big reason is because Tom Hiddleston does a fantastic job playing him."

—u/GengarIsLife

"In his series, his redemption/self-reflection actually made me cry. It's hard not to understand some of his pain."

—u/Ailethia

11. Tom from Tom and Jerry

Miramax / Courtesy Everett Collection

"I’ve always rooted for him."

—u/deaf_phrog

12. Hans Gruber from Die Hard

20th Century Fox

"Best bad guy in the history of cinema."

—u/RockyRidge510

13. Poison Ivy, aka Dr. Pamela Isley, from Batman & Robin

Warner Bros.

"She was just an extreme (in Gotham’s opinion) environmentalist. Honestly, my favorite of the hero/villain universes on righteous causes alone."

—u/mdotone

14. Les Grossman from Tropic Thunder

DreamWorks Pictures

"He's not really a villain in that movie; he's just an asshole."

—u/hamsonk

15. Vlad Dracula Tepes from Castlevania

Netflix

"I love that depiction of Dracula: the scientist; the philosopher; the reluctantly yet understandably vengeful. He was more human than the bishops and priests in that series, for sure. This series was fantastic at making the viewer sympathetic with almost everyone's story arc."

—u/dzumdang

16. Darth Vader from Star Wars

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

"He's such a tragic character. In the original trilogy, he seems like a relentless monster until the last moments of his life in Episode VI. But then in the prequels, you really get to see that he was a victim his entire life. He was enslaved as a child, basically held hostage by the dogmatic Jedi, and then was manipulated to be a slave to a Sith Lord. Then, he became a slave to his own self-hatred, and only his son was able to help him out of it. He's such a complex character: constantly being held back, constantly being betrayed and manipulated, constantly in pain, and constantly angry at himself."

—u/Fred_Foreskin

17. Shego from Kim Possible

Disney Channel

"She's sooo entertaining and one of my cartoon crushes growing up — one of the reasons why I watch that show."

—u/Snoo79382

18. The Joker from The Dark Knight

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

"This Joker was brilliant. He really brought the psychological games part of Joker to the forefront."

—u/Mezzaomega

19. Missy from Doctor Who

BBC / Courtesy of Everett Collection

"I feel so sad for her ending; she really died without hope, without witness, and without reward, and the doctor will never know it."

—u/Ammilerasa

20. Ice King from Adventure Time

CNN / Courtesy Everett Collection

"It's just a tragic backstory. He's just lonely and desperate for friends."

—u/evil_wazard

21. Lex Luthor from Superman

Warner Bros.

"He has so much potential, and he wastes it fighting Superman because he can't let go of his ego. When you think about the great man he could have been, it's hard not to just pity the miserable, lonely person he became."

—u/reddit_user5301

22. Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons

Fox

"I'd work for him. His offer sounds fantastic. A free house in a comfortable town with excellent benefits. What a dream job."

—u/beachblanketparty

23. The Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Universal

"Grinch didn't hate Christmas; he hated people. Gets a bad rap."

—u/rawbamatic

24. And finally: Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds

Weinstein Company / Courtesy Everett Collection

"He had the intellect, sadism, and cunning to become a very effective hunter-predator, but his charm makes him even deadlier because it almost hypnotizes and lulls his prey."

—u/SantaDog81

Do you agree with these? Which TV and movie villains would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.