Heroes suck, Villains rule!

With the release of The Dark Knight, and the overwhelming acclaim of Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker, many fans and critics have cited the stories of The Joker and, potential villain, Harvey Dent as superior to Batman’s. This creates a paradox: the movie is, technically, Batman’s, but the villains prove much more interesting. Why is this? Simple. While heroes represent the best of what we could be? Noble, brave, civic-minded. Villains, while often displaying our worst traits, reflect our desire to embrace individuality and break free from social constraints. Specifically, villains have four qualities that make them infinitely more interesting than the average superhero:

• Villains are agents of change
• Villains are patently individual
• Villains are fearless in the face of law and order (or at least they appear that way)
• Villains are outlaws who exist beyond systems that maintain order

First and foremost, villains are agents of change. In most cases, villains seek to enact change on their world rather than maintain the status quo. In the case of the Joker, he wishes to toss the world into to chaos just to see what will happen. In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth sought to destroy, what he saw was an imperfect world. Despite terrorist tendencies, the arch nemesis of the X-Men, Magneto simply wanted to prevent the genocide of his people (mutants), and maybe create a world where his people are treated equally. Prince Nuada (Hellboy II) tried to prevent the extinction of his race (fantastic creatures), even if it meant the extinction of another, more obviously oppressive race (humans, as usual). Villains take the steps to change their world, sometimes for the better mostly for the worst. The best villains normally pave their way to hell with good intentions, consequences be damned. Unlike heroes who uphold the status quo (i.e. Superman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Iron Man, etc.) and aim to keep the world exactly as it is, villains dare to change world, whether we like it or not. Either way, you can’t hate someone for being proactive.

Second, villains are patently individual. Rarely are there two villains who are exactly alike. Villains are often more colorful than the primary color or basic black/white heroes. They have dazzling, attention grabbing costumes and weapons. Think of the Joker’s acid bathed green-purple-white-red ensemble, or maybe Green Goblin’s Halloween-style getup, or Dr. Doom’s retro-medieval toga and armor ensemble. Bottom line, most villains look cooler than heroes. Really, who wants to dress up like an intergalactic cop, wear their underwear outside a pair of tights, or drape themselves in a flag when you can rock a snazzy suit, creepy mask, or full regalia. Beyond the colorful costumes, villains operate in the grey matter of the moral spectrum. Their psychology is rarely black/white. Villains can be terrorist one day, anti-heroes the next. Magneto repeatedly works with the X-Men for the greater good. Lex Luthor constantly champions the will of the common man over the Superman. Dr. Doom once took over the world and made safer and more productive than ever. Villains break the rules because they, and in many cases they alone, look beyond the vision of the average, oppressed citizen.

Villains do not fear paragons of law and order. Most of us seize up when we see sirens in our rear view mirror, but do you think the Joker, Two-Face, or even The Sandman are worried about getting a speeding ticket. Fearlessness is a trait shared by heroes and villains. Both show courage in the face of odds that the average person cannot fathom. They will face a hail of gunfire, nuclear explosions and certain death, all in pursuit of their goal. Many of us barely have the courage to ask for a raise(though these days, that is quite risky), but can you imagine facing death for your convictions, or maybe just to get the money to feed your family.

Villains are outlaws who subvert the systems that oppress us. In almost every villain origin there is a point where the villain decides to buck the system. Two-Face chooses vigilantism over proper police procedure. Green Goblin prefers violent corporate takeovers that leave bodies and collateral damage in their wake. Lex Luthor uses money from his own business to fund any endeavor he chooses. The Joker believes in a world without rules. Or does he? Outlaws and rebels are always enticing to people who feel trapped by circumstance. They do what we wish to do. Break out. Kick ass. Take no prisoners. And live by our own rules. Their moral complexity never hampers their vision or their purpose. Rare is the villain who sits on the rooftop, musing about their daily angst. They’re too ambitious and driven to put. They know what they want and they are unafraid to go get it. They follow no rules but their own. They are devoted only to their needs and convictions. While this is less appealing than the noble, self-sacrifice of the hero, it speaks directly to the heart of man, a heart which is often selfish and petty, but always desires freedom.