They aren’t so bad: 20 supervillains fans lowkey root for

Riddler is very much like that wildly smart kid in class who everyone knows is going to either create something that saves the world or ends it. There is no in-between. He’s got his issues, but at the same time, Riddler comes across as a crazed genius whose brain people just want to get inside of for a bit.

Many debate whether villains are born or made, which is most definitely the case for Magneto. Would his powers ever have manifested had he not been separated from his family during WWII? The world may never know, but many fans who side with Magneto have considered his past when speaking of his present and why they love him.

It is hard to say whether fans love Victoria Neuman on The Boys because she is such a boss with the ability to pop the heads of those she sets her eyes on or if they love her because they fear she’ll one day pop their heads for hating on her.

Suicıde Squad was made up of villains no one was supposed to like, but DC managed to find a way for each to nestle into the hearts of fans, especially El Diablo. The quiet one of the bunch, El Diablo’s way with fire may’ve been his demise, but he didn’t leave before fans found him quite sincere.

Those with brothers can attest that Hela wasn’t being that difficult in Thor: Ragnarok. She just went about things the wrong way.

When it comes to The Incredibles, who is the real villain? Mr. Incredible for ruining a kid’s day, or Syndrome, the kid whose day got ruined so bad that his life took a left at supervillain?

Sometimes a friend, sometimes a foe. Catwoman has used all of her nine lives to keep fans guessing whether she’s good or bad, but in the end, no one really cares because everyone knows the villains are the ones that make Gotham City interesting.

Venom is that type of friend that only has enough good in them for one friend. So, on the one hand, he’s a psychopathic symbiote, but on the other, he’s a sweetheart to Eddie Brock.  

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have faced a lot of evil in their time, and all of them deserved what they had coming. However, it’s safe to assume fans didn’t want to see Ivan Ooze lose at the end of the 1995 movie because he was such a comedic villain. They should’ve let him live and based the sequel around his comeback instead of the less-than-great one they dropped in 1997.

Batman & Robin is arguably one of the worst adaptations of the franchise, and that may be why fans wanted Mr. Freeze to win in the end. That, and he was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who just rattled off amazingly horrible ice-themed dad jokes and puns.

Fans never know where her loyalty lies, but the sleek way she goes from one side to the other makes Mystique a villain that no one is truly ever mad at.

The villains on The Powerpuff Girls were not the brightest crayons in the box, so there were none viewers ever were that upset with, but there was one that was as cute as he was evil, and that’s Mojo Jojo — a talking monkey with an ax to grind when it came to taking down three pint-sized sisters.

Margot Robbie may have brought Harley Quinn to life on the big screen, but fans devoted their love to this character many years ago in print and later in Batman: The Animated Series. No matter the version, Harley Quinn is revered. Go to a comic convention and see how many are dressed as versions of her.

Killmonger was the first villain in a very long time where fans were like, “You know what? We get it.” His father was taken from him at the start of Black Panther, and he was left basically on his own. Meanwhile, the rest of his family lives in a hidden technological utopia. His feelings were 100% valid, but like many villains in these movies, he went about it with violence instead of common sense. 

The way The Boys mirrors the reality of the US is often a little too scary, and while Homelander is based on the insanity that can come with fame and power in the real world, something is endearing about the red, white, and blue psychopath. He is not the greatest man in the world, even though he believes that to be true. However, viewers can see that this man just wants one of the most basic aspects of existence: a family.

The Penguin has always stood out as one of the coolest guys in Gotham City, whether he was the animated version of Danny DeVito or being played marvelously by Robin Lord Taylor in Gotham.

The internet has done a lot to make society questionable, but one gem that came from it was how people thirsted for Thanos after Avengers: Infinity War. He was declared everything from a zaddy to a daddy, even though the man wiped out half the population with a snap. Interesting, to say the least.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been able to gain new fans with each passing year because, well, the Turtles themselves are wildly captivating. Their enemies are also all amazing. The bubblegum-looking brain that uses a massive body to get around, two punk rock beasts, and of course, their main man of evil, Shredder.

If there were a Hall of Fame of TV and movie bad guys, every iteration of Joker would be featured because if there is one former Arkham Asylum inhabitant fans cannot get enough of, it’s him. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, brought him to life in Batman: The Animated Series , and a multitude of men have stepped into the live-action role, from Jack Nicholson to Joaquin Phoenix to the late, great Heath Ledger.

Loki may sometimes be a mischievous madman, but there’s something utterly charming about how he approaches life. Perhaps it’s that carefree rebellion that makes fans continue to cheer as loud for him as they do for his brother, Thor.