We do need more non-stereotypical villains in our media! Here are some great little plot ideas for villains who go against the typical depictions we are used to:
(via: Imgur)
Can you think of any other good examples of villains like this? Let us know in the comments below!
Zed and Rita repulsa from Power Rangers….
I once thought up a villain, The Crimson Manta, who does not commit any sea based crimes, who was robbing a bank with his army of henchmen and giving it the full monologue. However it’s Bring Your Daughter To Work Day so his two kids are with him, both dressed in their own custom Crimson Manta themed outfits.
The younger one is totally jazzed about the whole thing while the teenager is absolutely mortified and embarrassed to be out committing super villainy with her dad. Then the local big name superhero turns up to do a bit of foiling. After he takes out the henchmen and breaks the Manta’s manta ray-gun he’s just about to punch the villain’s lights out he’s suddenly blindsided by a fire extinguisher to the face swung by a teenage girl scream “LEAVE MY DAD ALONE YOU &%$$*!”.
A Practical Guide to Evil has this as a major theme. The main characters are a found family – and all Villains.
The (now completed) webcomic, Supervillainous. Main character is a notorious supervillain and family man who will WRECK. YOUR. SHIT. if you make his kids cry.
Aside from Dr. D:
– Vulture from Spiderman: Homecoming was a family man.
– Rita Repulsa in Power Rangers had minions who acted like her best friends when she was upset, and even got a boyfriend (Zed).
– Villains of Valley View is about a family of lower-level villains trying to fit in with normal people while running from their mom’s boss. *spoiler* The daughter ends up taking over the boss’ operation, but she still loves her family and doesn’t want to disappoint her normie best friend. The older brother also has a love interest in one of the superheroes, who is also his sister’s arch-nemesis.
– La Brava and Gentle Criminal from My Hero Academia were besties/lovers, where they supported each other. Gentle even gave himself up to the heroes on the condition that they let La Brava go, then told her to keep her head down instead of trying to avenge him because he didn’t want to see her get hurt.
– Ty Lee and Mei in Avatar: the Last Airbender were wholesome best friends who supported each other and Azula (even when Azula didn’t deserve it). Mei even got a boyfriend (Zuko), and had a loving family. She seemed bored while doing so, but shortly after she was introduced she went on a single-minded mission to rescue her baby brother from the heroes, too. And Ty Lee made friends with the Kyoshi Warriors while they were stuck in jail together.
– Harley Quinn may be a psychopath, but she has a boyfriend/baby daddy in the Joker (even if Joker is an abusive asshole to her), a daughter whom she adores, a best friend in Poison Ivy, and other relationships.
– In the Flash TV series, Leonard Snart/Captain Cold commits crimes with his best friend (Mick Rory/Heat Wave) and his little sister Lisa Snart/Golden Glider.
The list goes on. We have a lot of wholesome villains already if you know where to look.