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Revision as of 22:16, 1 March 2007 by Killerman2 (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A tragic villain is a character, usually an antagonist, who does not truly intend to be a villain. They are perhaps misled or not entirely in control of their feelings and/or actions, or pursuing morally ambiguous logic. This archetype originates as an antithesis to the more classic tragic hero of Aristotelian tragedy which continued into use as a basis for Shakespearean plays. In modern comic books and graphic novels, the character is sometimes referred to as a sympathetic villain.
Examples
- Denzel Crocker from The Fairly OddParents.
- Magneto from Marvel Comics' X Men.
- Count Dracula (as portrayed in some versions, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula)
- The Operative in the motion picture Serenity
- Darth Vader, especially as portrayed in the films Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and in the "prequel" trilogy when he is known as Anakin Skywalker.
- Daniel de Bosola in the play The Duchess of Malfi.
- Barnabas Collins in the television series Dark Shadows.
- Many portrayals of the title character in Frankenstein as well as the Creature he created.
- Gollum
- Jason Voorhees
- Norman Bates
- Michael Myers as portrayed in Halloween 5
- Hans Beckert, the child serie killer from M
- Dr. Phibes
- Akito Sohma
- Mitsuko Souma
- The Wolf Man
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Davy Jones
- Wicked Witch of the West, not as she was in the original novel by L. Frank Baum but portrayed in the so-called Wicked Cycle.
- Francis Dolarhyde, the serial killer featured in Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon.
- Severus Snape
- Sephiroth
- Fat Bastard
- Mr. Burns as portrayed in some of the episodes of The Simpsons
- Nelson Muntz
- Ken Ichijouji
- Puppetmon
- Doctor Octopus as portrayed in the motion picture Spider-Man 2.
- Captain Nemo
- Gríma
- Londo Mollari
- Count Olaf
- Xehanort
- Xemnas
- Heathcliff in the novel Wuthering Heights
- The Joker as portrayed in the Batman: The Killing Joke
- Harley Quinn, the Joker's totally devoted (and abused) girlfriend
- Two-Face (aka Harvey Dent)
- Mr. Freeze as re-imagined for Batman: The Animated Series
- Penguin as portrayed in Batman Returns
- Syndrome (The Incredibles)
- Callisto on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess
- Gaius Baltar in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica
- Omega in the series Doctor Who
- Kevin Uxbridge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Survivors"
- Mithos Yggdrasill
- Ozymandias
- Light Yagami