re: #87 Eclectic Cyborg

I’ve often thought that’s because heroes have certain rules they have to follow or else they are not the Hero anymore. They can’t be unethical, they can’t be immoral, they can’t be corrupt, etc.

A goody two-shoes hero can’t be. But some of the more interesting heroes are deeply flawed people who try to do the right thing.

Han Solo is considered a hero and the first time we see him he shoots Greedo, no questions asked. (And no, I don’t accept Lucas changing that scene. Han shot first, dammit.) Tony Stark is a womanizer, war profiteer, alcoholic and all-around arrogant asshole the first time we meet him and he ends up the hero.

I think the best heroes are the ones who aren’t perfect.

The villain on the other hand can be as immoral, unethical, petty, sadistic or vindictive as they want and still make it fit the character. For that reason, to me, villains have more flexibility.

There’s a reason Darth Vader is probably the most popular of all Star Wars characters.

Boba Fett called. He wanted to point out that despite not doing much in the films, he’s pretty damned popular. Hehe.

There’s something liberating about playing the villain. For an actor, they can get mean and nasty and do and say things that they wouldn’t do in real life. If they’re really good at their job, they’ll make us like or even sympathize with the bad guy as the story unfolds. Just look at Dexter. There are people who think he’s the hero of the story when he’s a serial killer.

I love a good villain. When the actor can make me feel empathy for a monster, that’s a win in my book.