There was a time when villains were just evil. Their plans were far-fetched and mostly revolved around world domination. Yet, somewhere along the way that stopped. Villains are now fleshed out heroes of their own story.
While that isn’t a bad thing, do we need every villain to have redeeming qualities or receive redemption?
In the early James Bond movies, the enemies are typically one-note but they’re still enjoyable. They still create memorable moments and push us to root for our protagonist. His villains have some sort of past that tries to make the audience empathize with them.
If we are empathetic for every villain, do we lose the want to root for our heroes?
That’s not to say a compelling story can’t be created out of redemptions. Darth Vader’s story shows that redemption’s possible, even if it leaves a bad taste in your mouth due to his evil actions.
However, the same can’t be said for Kylo Ren. After the events of The Rise of Skywalker, fans cheered at the return of Ben Solo in Kylo’s final moments.
But should we be cheering for someone who kills his father, tries to kill his mother, and also murders Luke Skywalker’s padawans? His redemption makes no sense after the events of The Last Jedi.
Instead, Kylo should have gone full villain.
Why do villains need redemption? Horror icons like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers didn’t need one. They were horrible monsters with a thirst for blood.
Does Jason deserve this same type of storyline? Jason is only going for vengeance against his mother’s killer. Jason is a monster, born from hatred. He is evil.
Jason achieved his revenge by his second film appearance, and everything after is him enjoying what he does. There is a lot to be said about villains who are evil just for the fun of it.
Another example is Michael Myers. He kills without remorse and will stop at nothing. He’s never given a redemption or a sad reason for doing what he does.
Instead, Halloween and its subsequent films amp up his fear factor. Horror movies work better when their villains aren’t redeemable.
They force the audience to root for the protagonist. I’m not saying all villains should be over-the-top and one dimensional. However, not every villain needs to be a hero of their own story or a mirror of the hero.
While it helps some stories, nothing beats a good old-fashioned villain with a ridiculous plan.
Give Me a Far-Fetched Theatrical Villain Any Day
We need more over-the-top villains with limited motives. Too many movies think they need to be serious to work. Their villains are extremists trying to save the world. It’s the same cliché. Even Thanos’ goal was halving the universe due to overcrowding.
Sure, you can say a villain holding the world hostage for money is a motive. But, it’s one that makes them evil. They’re not trying to do something good through bad ways.
Instead, they’re keeping the money for themselves. The world needs more villainous characters who are just villains.
It’s a way to fix Marvel’s villain issue. Some of their villain’s motives work against them. For example, Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2. His arc was gaining vengeance for how Howard Stark treated his father. Yet, this became one of the weakest points of the movie.
What if Marvel had decided to make Vanko someone who wanted to destroy Iron Man for the sake of it? On paper it doesn’t sound good, but his vengeance plot wasn’t any better.
At least this way, he becomes a full-on old-school villain who loves destruction.
Another comic book example is with Marvel’s ‘Distinguished Competition’. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the perfect example. Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker is beloved. His version only wants anarchy.
He doesn’t get redemption. His motive isn’t empathetic. He loves anarchy. Even though he doesn’t have the traits Hollywood loves, he is one of the best movie villains.
This version of the Joker proves my point.
I’m not saying every villain shouldn’t have a redemption arc, nor should they always be a destructive force of nature. There needs to be a balance and there just isn’t anymore. Hollywood has an obsession with villains needing to be the hero of their own story.
Sometimes, a power-hungry despot is more fun to watch rather than someone who only wants to save the world through extremist methods.
Should villains have redemption arcs? Let us know in the comments below!
