Some villains make your teeth hurt, others make you smile with wordless approval and the best do both somehow. In the golden age of morally complex storytelling, television and film have come to flip audience allegiances on their head. Characters once given as obstacles or downright villains are now stealing hearts with deep backstories, sharp intelligence, and unexpected acts of heroism.
Why is there this reversal? Part of it is the thrill of watching someone subvert expectations. Part of it is the inexorable charm of charisma, even when it comes with questionable ethics. These are the actors who start out as the hero’s villain, then possess sufficient humanity or sufficient entertainability that the audience finds itself rootng for them. These are ten terrific examples of that emotional shift.
1. Sue Sylvester – Glee’s Beloved Villain
Sue Sylvester was built to be the nemesis of New Directions, always disrupting the high school choir. But her over-the-top badness, snappy put-downs, and outlandish scheming were part of what made the show so enjoyable. Her inability to get angry at making enemies, combined with Jane Lynch’s impeccable comedic timing, made her a meme queen. Sue proved that sometimes, the most enjoyable character is the one trying to set the whole thing ablaze.
2. Skyler White – Breaking Bad’s Misunderstood Moral Compass
She was demonized early on by viewers for interfering with Walter White’s crime spree, but Skyler grew to be one of the show’s best characters. Across the years, her strength, her intelligence, and her ability to navigate Walt’s poisonous world were impossible to overlook. By the end, even the critics recognized she had more sense and agency than the man viewers first began to root for, and she emerged a quietly heroic figure in the morally complex story.
3. Thomas Barrow – Downton Abbey’s Redeeming Arc
Played as a manipulative footman who embodied the “gay villain” stereotype, Thomas Barrow was an easy person to despise. Slowly, the series peeled away the layers to reveal his vulnerability and the price of social bias. His journey toward self-acceptance, acts of courage, and eventual romantic fulfillment in the Downton Abbey movies transformed him from villain to a person audiences really wanted to be happy for.
4. Jaime Lannister – Game of Thrones’ Knight of Contradictions
Few character openings are as damning as pushing a child out of a window, but Jaime Lannister’s path undercut that first impression. Throughout the series, his loyalty, honor, and periods of self-doubt worked against him. His coming-of-age with Brienne of Tarth and estrangement from Cersei make him one of Westeros’ most compellingly conflicted morally complex characters, even though his conclusion divided viewers.
5. Regina George – Mean Girls’ Queen Bee You Secretly Admire
High school ruler Regina George is defined by despotism dictating the social hierarchy with precision and brutality. And her self-assurance, cleverness, and sheer force of being render her inescapable. Whether portrayed by Rachel McAdams or Reneé Rapp, Regina’s “girl boss” energy flips things on their head: viewers find themselves admiring the same traits that make her awful.
6. Magneto – X-Men’s Reluctant Revolutionary
From his hellish childhood as a concentration camp kid to his zealous advocacy for mutantkind, Magneto’s driving force is survival and justice. Sure, his methods typically bend previous moral structures, but his cause is worth it. Whether brought to life by Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender, Magneto’s blend of vulnerability and conviction renders him a villain audiences can understand if not root for.
7. Hannibal Lecter – The Charismatic Cannibal
Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs turned a terrifying serial killer into an oddly captivating figure. His humor, refinement, and chilling charm make one struggle to avert their eyes and bring the reader in. No surprise he was the center of multiple movies proof even the darkest characters can be fascinating.
8. Loki – Marvel’s Mischief Maker
Loki’s brand of chaos is as stylish as it is destructive. In the MCU, Tom Hiddleston’s performance balances mischief, vulnerability, and sharp humor, making him impossible to fully hate. His knack for survival and occasional flashes of loyalty keep fans invested, leading to his own series where his complexity takes center stage.
9. Gollum – The Lord of the Rings’ Tragic Obsession
A secret menace to Frodo and Sam at first, the backstory of Gollum as Sméagol is one of pitiable downfall into corruption. His conflict of loyalty and greed, along with Andy Serkis’ masterful performance, makes him pitied yet deadly. Viewers wish despite all that he would be able to overcome the hold of the Ring.
10. Killmonger – Black Panther’s Noble Rebel
Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is Wakanda’s isolationism, countered with a vision spawned out of justice for the oppressed everywhere. His rage is righteous, his arguments compelling, and his charm irrefutable. His means are radical, to be sure, but his refusal to back down and instead kill himself makes him one of the MCU’s most nuanced and unforgettable bad guys.
These characters show how storytelling flourishes in the gray areas. When a villain’s motivation, charisma, or humanity make their way through, they complicate our notions of good and evil and create more complex, more surprising stories. To love them is not to approve of their actions it is to appreciate the complexity that makes them unforgettable.
