There has always been a clear divide between good and evil, black and white, hero and villain. The moral lesson is always the same: “Don’t be the bad guy. Be the good guy.”
But what if there is a side to the story we aren’t seeing? The little speck of grey that proves that perhaps our well-known anti-heroes aren’t the drama?
So, let’s make a case for movie villains with tragic backstories, using two categories: “Villain Villain” and “Accused Villain.”
This list has to start with my man Scar. If anyone should sue for defamation of character (with damages), it should be him.
For decades, we were told Scar was evil, diabolical, and a waste of space. The scene where Mufasa dies due to Scar’s scheming has been used as a rite of passage to show children the harshness of life.
Recently, Disney showed us his backstory and spoiler: Scar was the rightful heir to the throne. He took in Mufasa, a stray, and loved him like a brother. What did he get in return? A “brother” better at leadership, openly favoured by his mother, who “stole” both his girl and his throne.
Now, is Scar wrong for betraying his brother and traumatizing Simba? Absolutely. He could have handled his insecurities better (especially when Mufasa tried to make himself smaller to accommodate him). But…is his stance valid? Yes.
At this point, we need to start asking the villains their side of the story. Once is a mistake, twice is a habit.
After decades of character assassination, the truth came out: Maleficent was as much a victim as Aurora, not wickedness personified.
She was a young, carefree fairy minding her business when she met Stefan and befriended him. Long story short, he cut off her wings to become king. The betrayal darkened her magic and turned her bitter.
Killmonger is the poster boy for “having every reason to be angry, yet refusing to see reason.”
His father was killed by his own brother (the then King of Wakanda), and the loss sent him on a path of revenge. T’Challa tried to make amends, but he chose death over restitution.
In his defense, it is excruciating to lose a father because his home country refused to be progressive. In anguish, he grew up alone, furious, and determined to finish what his father started. The execution, however? No.
Wanda needs a long hug and therapy.
She started as HYDRA’s experiment, joined the Avengers, lost her twin brother and partner, got imprisoned during the Avengers-Government fallout, accidentally trapped a whole city in a sitcom-like reality in her grief, and then started using a dark magic book that corrupted her mind to conjure her lost family.
Elphaba’s story is a case of society bullying an individual for being different.
Elphaba didn’t ask to be born green. She didn’t seek a personality that led her to question authority instead of following blindly. She didn’t ask for a family that was embarrassed by her. Yet, for all of this, society rejected her.
Still, she tried to be a good student and sister, hoping to meet the Wizard who would make her “normal.” She found an alarming degree of dishonesty at play, and when she tried to speak up, she was branded “the wicked witch of the west.”
Bruno was mistreated by his family, and the fact that he still wanted to associate with them makes him a saint.
His crime? Sharing premonitions he had no control over. Premonitions that made people uncomfortable. It’s the audacity to sing We Don’t Talk about Bruno like he owed them money, for me.
Meanwhile, he had a small window he used to watch them eat because he wanted to be part of the family. Heartbreaking.
I hope you have been able to convince and not confuse you that sometimes the “bad guys” are just villains with tragic backstories.
While we still hold them accountable for their actions, we must look at the entire story, so the verdict calls a spade a spade, not a spoon or a dainty fork.
