8 Fantasy Movie Villains We Feel Kind Of Bad For

In fantasy films, the villain can often be painted as an unreachable, otherworldly figure who is evil for the sake of being evil, but when the villain has a nuanced backstory, it becomes easier to feel for them. In the real world, many contributing factors come together to make a person do what they do, and in fictional characterization, there should be nothing less. If a villain is written well, they should be just as well-developed as the hero and have reasonable motivation behind their actions.

When the audience finds themselves practically rooting for the villain, it can be a confusing situation to be in, as it’s more usual to hope that the hero will win. However, when a villain has an interesting backstory, and the morals of the film are not black and white, it makes for a better story and better conflict. Fantasy films often hold moral lessons at their center and attempt to teach about good and evil throughout the plot. However, the best ones acknowledge that it’s rarely as clear-cut as hero versus villain, even in fantasy.

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8 Gollum

The Lord of the Rings (2001 – 2003)

Gollum (Andy Serkis) is a tragic casualty of the power of the one ring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For many years before the events of the story, he hides in a cave completely isolated as the ring drives him to instability and becomes his only desire in life. When he encounters Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) on their quest to destroy the ring, he is clearly conflicted over his desire to possess the ring and his joy at the kindness Frodo shows him.

Though he betrays them, in the end, it’s Gollum who ends up destroying the ring, but it’s an accident that also ends in his death. It’s not his fault that the absolute power of the ring corrupted his mind, and by the end of the last film, even Frodo is seduced by the power of the ring. Whoever Gollum was before the ring is lost forever, and he becomes a vessel for the evil and manipulation that it sows.

7 Draco Malfoy

Harry Potter (2001 – 2010)

As with many of the most sympathetic villains in films, it’s not Draco’s (Tom Felton) fault that he was raised in an environment full of abuse and misinformation. It’s his actions when he grows up and becomes his own person that matters the most. When he’s introduced in the first Harry Potter movie, he’s only a child, and whatever opinions he shares are ones he has heard from his parents. As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is also a child, he paints Draco as the villain immediately, but as they grow older, both start to see the nuance in each other.

Draco is forced into the role of Death Eater practically against his will, and tasked with horrible actions that he attempts to do for fear of his life. Although he is not blameless as a villain, his behavior is much more understandable in the context of his upbringing and what was expected of him. Though Draco has more work to do before he can be redeemed, he’s hardly the worst villain of the series.

6 Loki

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008 – )

Being the brother of an all-powerful and beloved god is not an easy task, and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has plenty of reasons to be angry with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the rest of the Marvel heroes. There is no excuse for many of his actions, but he felt alone and unloved, so it’s not shocking that he turned to extreme measures. Additionally, throughout his time in the MCU, he has greatly evolved and shown how much he regrets what he has done. Tragically, as soon as he and Thor begin to thaw their relationship, they are ripped apart once again.

5 Magneto

X-Men (2000 – )

The X-Men films have many heroes and villains, but Magneto (Ian McKellan) is easily the most iconic. He takes a firm stance on mutant rights and believes that there is no version of reality where humans will accept them in society. This puts him at odds with his once close friend Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who becomes his greatest enemy. However, like most mutants, he has good reason to be angry with humans considering the damage they inflicted on him. Additionally, to the people that he loves, he is fiercely protective and would do anything to keep them safe.

4 Davy Jones

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 – 2017)

Though a fearsome entity to behold, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) was not always the creature that’s introduced in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He was once a man in love, a fact that humanizes him despite his horrible actions against the protagonists of the film. His tragic romance with Calypso (Naomie Harris) is the reason he becomes a villain, and he is so anguished at his separation from her, and perceived betrayal, that he cuts out his heat. Though the supernatural nature of his evil is terrifying, there is still a man underneath the monster.

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3 Maleficent

Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is an irredeemable figure in Sleeping Beauty, but when she got her side of the story explored in the recent Maleficent, her character became much more interesting and understandable. In the film, she is betrayed by a man she considers a dear friend and loved one, who later becomes king and father to Aurora (Elle Fanning). This fuels her hatred of Aurora, but after meeting the child, she can’t help but love her. By the end of the film, Maleficent is hardly a villain at all, just a misunderstood and hurt person who wants to be loved.

2 Morgana Le Fay

Excalibur (1981)

As one of the best King Arthur movies, Excalibur excels due to the fantastic performances in the film, most notably by Helen Mirren as the fearsome Morgana le Fay. Though she is a dark figure who fights hard to destroy King Arthur (Nigel Terry), she believes she has a good reason. She blames Arthur’s father, and by extension Arthur, for the death of her parents, and though she is his half-sister, she is never recognized as a ruler of Camelot. Isolated and betrayed, Morgana uses her powers of magic for evil but is defeated in disgrace by the end.

1 Lady Eboshi

Princess Mononoke (1997)

One of Hayao Miyazaki’s best films, Princess Mononoke is a beautiful elegy to nature and a nuanced explanation of the people who mine the Earth for personal gain. Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka) takes advantage of the natural resources and hurts the forest in the process, but she does so to protect and support the people in her care and shows time and again her tremendous loyalty to those under her protection. Though her means of sustaining her village do not always align with the balance of nature, she learns the importance of respecting the land as the movie progresses.