I did a post last year about the Top Ten Villains of 2012. It got me thinking- What is a villain? Is the line between villains and heroes so thick after all?
When I think of villains, I think of evil people with a penchant for killing. Lord Voldemort often comes to mind. However, not all villains are like him. Some are just ordinary people in drastic situations. People are such complex things.
Here's an example that I think many of you can relate to: Sydney Sage from The
Golden Lily by Richelle Mead. She's the heroine of her story. Strong-willed and willing to do anything for her friends. Even if it means protecting the enemy: Adrian. Because even if Adian is her friend and a good guy, she is betraying both her family and her cause by questioning her beliefs. She's the opposite of what her dad and the Alchemists (people who hate vampires like Adrian) want.
I know this is controversial. But I want you to think about it. Think about your favorite heroine. Do they have factors that make them a villain, too? Also, something I've found is that some stories have kind of one-dimensional villains. Sometimes the only thing I see about villains is how evil they are because that's all I'm told. Like with Severus Snape. Until the seventh book he was a bad guy. A really bad guy. Then I, as a reader, was given more of an insight into his life. I realized he'd made mistakes but turned out not so bad after all.
Which got me thinking. I know there are people out there that are truly evil. But some villains aren't. Some of them just needed a Dumbledore in their life to become a hero like Snape. Some of them needed a second chance. People make mistakes.
That's my rants on heroes and villains. I just feel like it's such a two-sided topic. There are so many stories to a person. I've realized in reading how things aren't always black and white. Often (not always) villains are just scared and alone. I watched an episode of Vampire Diaries about a month ago that summed up my feelings perfectly. If you haven't watched the Diaries one of the main characters is a character named Stefan. He used to be a mass murder but the help of his family pulled him through his dark times and helped him find a better path. In the episode I watched he said something about the villain, Klaus. He said the only difference between him and Klaus was that he had people he could count on to keep him sane.
In conclusion, I just wanted to get my opinions out there. What are your opinions on this topic? Do you feel that villains don't deserve a second chance or that things often aren't as they seem?
When I think of villains, I think of evil people with a penchant for killing. Lord Voldemort often comes to mind. However, not all villains are like him. Some are just ordinary people in drastic situations. People are such complex things.
I know this is controversial. But I want you to think about it. Think about your favorite heroine. Do they have factors that make them a villain, too? Also, something I've found is that some stories have kind of one-dimensional villains. Sometimes the only thing I see about villains is how evil they are because that's all I'm told. Like with Severus Snape. Until the seventh book he was a bad guy. A really bad guy. Then I, as a reader, was given more of an insight into his life. I realized he'd made mistakes but turned out not so bad after all.
Which got me thinking. I know there are people out there that are truly evil. But some villains aren't. Some of them just needed a Dumbledore in their life to become a hero like Snape. Some of them needed a second chance. People make mistakes.
That's my rants on heroes and villains. I just feel like it's such a two-sided topic. There are so many stories to a person. I've realized in reading how things aren't always black and white. Often (not always) villains are just scared and alone. I watched an episode of Vampire Diaries about a month ago that summed up my feelings perfectly. If you haven't watched the Diaries one of the main characters is a character named Stefan. He used to be a mass murder but the help of his family pulled him through his dark times and helped him find a better path. In the episode I watched he said something about the villain, Klaus. He said the only difference between him and Klaus was that he had people he could count on to keep him sane.
In conclusion, I just wanted to get my opinions out there. What are your opinions on this topic? Do you feel that villains don't deserve a second chance or that things often aren't as they seem?
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