17 Movie Villains I Couldn't Help But Feel Bad For, Even Though They Were Kinda Problematic

I'll say it, I kinda felt bad for Thanos.

🚨🚨Before you carry on, be aware of the MASSIVE spoilers ahead🚨🚨

1. Loki Laufeyson — Thor

Marvel/Disney+

Loki always felt like an outsider in his family. He was humble and sometimes overlooked. So, when he found out that he’s the son of the Frost Giants, I think he had an appropriate reaction. Asgardians called the Frost Giants monsters and told scary stories about them. Deep down, Loki knew something was off, but you’ve got to admit that it was pretty tough for him to hear that.

2. Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr — X-Men: First Class

20th Century Fox

Magneto’s backstory was super traumatic. First off, he was put in a concentration camp where he discovered that he had the power to move metal with his mind. In an attempt to control his powers, he had to watch his mother die. Decades later, he grew to become a good guy, but ended up choosing vengeance and violence as his guide. After deflecting a bullet in the final part of the movie, he paralyzes his friend, Charles Xavier. If that isn’t sad, I don’t know what is.

3. Erik Killmonger — Black Panther

Marvel/Disney

After killing his brother, King T’Chaka of Wakanda went back home without moving the body or acknowledging anyone. Young Erik Killmonger found his father lying dead in his home with panther claws in his chest and no explanations. I would be upset too if someone killed my dad and then left to go live a peaceful life. Erik also made some very valid points about extending resources and helping others across the world. His plan wasn’t exactly the best, but I understood where he was coming from. His death scene was somewhat poetic and a little emotional in my opinion.

4. Maleficent — Maleficent

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Maleficent was kind and gentle to all those around her. So, when she met Stefan, she extended that caring nature. As years went by, she protected her home and defended it, but still had a soft spot for Stefan when he returned. After betraying her and cutting off her wings, she was disappointed, traumatized, and hurt. If someone did that to me, I think I would feel some type of way, too.

5. Arthur Fleck — Joker

Warner Bros.

Before becoming the Joker, Arthur Fleck was battling shortcomings, taking care of his mother, and trying to find his place in the world. Society didn’t allow him to fit in because his behaviors (especially one where he laughs when he’s nervous) always end up sending people away. He truly wants to have a place in the world and goes into spiraling madness. Society is super tough to get through and it’s upsetting to see others look down on him.

6. Helmut Zemo — Captain America: Civil War

Marvel/Disney+

Zemo may not have physically done anything to the Avengers, but his story surely gives you some background as to why he wanted them to destroy each other. During the battle of Sokovia from Avengers: Age of Ultron, he lost his entire family and found their bodies days later. So, he framed Bucky for the bombing that killed King T’Chaka and hoped to manipulate the Avengers to destroy each other. The whole movie was driven because of the amount of vengeance and loss that Zemo had.

7. Electro/Max Dillon — The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Sony Pictures

Besides Andrew Garfield being amazing in this movie, Max Dillon (Electro) had a sad life. Max always thought he was a nobody and just wanted someone to notice him. During a fight in the street, Spider-Man saved him and he thought it was the beginning of a new friendship. Moments after, Max is working at Oscorp and falls into a tank of experimental electric eels. Thus, giving him his powers and the ability to control electricity. When he caused an electricity outage across the city, he senses betrayal from Spider-Man because the police are attacking him. Max is just a sad character and it was great to see that Peter told him that he matters in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

8. Xu Wenwu — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Marvel/Disney

Sure, Wenwu conquered plenty of places and hurt many people, but when he met his wife, he gave up that life. Everything was fine until he found out that a group of guys killed his wife in an attempt to kill him. He blames himself for the attack and goes back to his old ways of power and vengeance. After many years, he heard of a way to be reunited with his wife and took the opportunity to get her back. Being blinded by guilt, he unleashed a new threat to the world which led to his ultimate death. I still feel kind of bad for the guy.

9. Megamind — Megamind

DreamWorks Pictures

I know this movie is a little quirky and weird, but it does shine a new light on a villain’s background. Megamind was born into a prison yard and was often the outcast at school. Being compared to Metro Man took a toll on him and eventually led to their constant battles against each other. He seems to lose all the time and have the short end of the stick. I always felt really bad for him, because he could have had a different outcome if he had the same upbringing as Metro Man.

10. Bowler Hat Guy/Goob — Meet The Robinsons

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I love Meet The Robinsons because it shows the complexity of the characters and how their choices could affect their future. Bowler Hat Guy (Michael “Goob” Yagoobian) was a twelve-year-old orphan who cared a lot about baseball. After staying up all night with his roommate Lewis, Goob misses the winning catch at his game. This sends him into a state of anger and depression for decades and turned him into a villain with one purpose: to seek revenge on Lewis. Every time I watch this movie, I feel bad for him!

11. Syndrome — The Incredibles

Disney/Pixar

We all thought about it: Syndrome was pretty annoying as a kid. But in reality, all he wanted was to fight alongside Mr. Incredible, his all-time favorite hero. When he gets in the way of a fight, Mr. Incredible yells at him and sends him back home in shame. Syndrome holds this grudge for years and eventually seeks revenge on Mr. Incredible and his family. All of that happened mostly because Mr. Incredible didn’t acknowledge him and his inventions. I mean it doesn’t justify what he did, but it’s still sad.

12. Thanos — Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel/Disney

Don’t get me wrong, Thanos is a REALLY BAD GUY, but his intentions were not so bad when you think about it. He saw that his planet was suffering because it lacked enough resources for everyone to use. So, he came up with a plan to ensure balance and peace is restored. Thus the plan was mass destruction… Not the best option to bring to light. The idea was there, but the tactic and strategy? Not so much.

13. Cruella/Estella — Cruella

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I always thought Cruella was just a terrible person for trying to kidnap dogs. Now that I have watched the backstory, I can kind of see why she would do something like that. Her mother was killed by the intimidation of Dalmatians and the famous fashion designer who owned them. I think that would definitely scar me for life, too.

14. Yokai/Professor Callaghan — Big Hero 6

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Look, I got pretty emotional during Big Hero 6 when Tadashi died. So, I think we all had the same reaction of anger when we saw that Professor Callaghan was alive and fought as Yokai! Although we have this opinion, we’ve got to take a step back and remember why Callaghan decided to be this villain. His daughter got lost in a portal due to a malfunction with another company that was testing flights in the portals. Wouldn't you feel bad if you lost a daughter because of a "technical error"?

15. Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov — Black Widow

Marvel/Disney

I know that Taskmaster wasn’t the main villain here, but I think the character needs to be mentioned. We find out that Taskmaster is General Dreykov’s daughter Antonia. Why is this significant? Well, Black Widow attempted assassination on Dreykov, but ended up sending Antonia into critical conditions. Antonia is now powered by a chip that allows her to mimic every fighting style thrown at her. She didn’t deserve to have that happen to her and now look at what she became!

16. Doc Ock/Otto Octavius — Spider-Man 2

Sony Pictures

Doctor Otto Octavius was not always the bad guy. He was an amazing scientist and only wanted to build his new fusion reactor to help the world. However, a lab accident caused his helping mechanical arms to become attached to his spine and gave him corrupted thoughts. These thoughts led to the destruction of the city and calling Spider-Man to save the day. He managed to regain control over the mechanical arms but had to sacrifice himself to save the city from an exploding reactor. He was such a great person, but his gadgets got the best of him.

17. And Anakin Skywalker — Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

LucasFilm/Disney

Last, but not least, Darth Vader himself. I know, it’s a little hard to get on the support train for this one, but you have to admit that it was pretty sad to see him join the dark side. Anakin was meant to be the chosen one of the Jedi prophecy, but he was manipulated to go against the Jedi to save his wife. Let’s not forget the iconic fighting scene between Anakin and Obi-Wan. It hurt to see Anakin full of rage and cross over to the dark side to become Darth Vader.

Which villain can you not help but feel bad for? Sound off your hot takes in the comments below!