Many factors go into creating a compelling villain for a science fiction film. After all, bad guys often tend to be just as (if not more) captivating than heroes. Of course, a key element in creating a suitable villain is giving them a purpose; a clear objective to be achieved, especially one that directly combats the hero's goals. Every once in a while, a film will take this idea so far as to include an antagonist who, come to think of it, actually has a very valid reason for doing what he does.
This is not to say that all of his actions are completely defensible; many villains receive this title because of the violent/excessive methods they use to achieve their goals. However, Ultimately, it's hard to deny that they had understandable motivations. Having ideas that viewers can actually sympathize with is part of what makes these characters so compelling, despite their “evil” nature. Whether the filmmakers intended it or not, these science fiction films feature villains who weren't as wrong as they first seemed.
10
Blade Runner (1982)
Roy Batty just wanted a full human life
Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade runnersoon revealed one of the most impactful works of science fiction cinema ever created. Based on the novel, Do androids dream of electric sheep?by acclaimed science fiction author Philip K. Dick, Blade runner follows a special agent tasked with eliminating a group of artificially intelligent humans called replicants.
The film's main antagonist is Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer), a replicant determined to finally live a normal human life. Roy is portrayed as the villain of Blade runnerbut it's hard not to feel sympathy for the character.
Being an advanced replicant, Roy has essentially the same qualities as a human; he has his own thoughts, memories, experiences, etc. However, it was deliberately constructed to have a very limited lifespan. Roy saw injustice in not being able to live his life to the fullestand sought to change that in the name of equality. As a viewer, it's hard to imagine anyone in Roy's shoes wanting anything different.
9
Ghostbusters (1984)
Walter Peck was doing his job as an EPA agent
In the 1980s, a fun mix of science fiction and comedy was found in the form of Ghostbusters. The iconic film follows a group of eccentric individuals who start a unique business with one goal in mind: capturing every ghost in New York City. Not everyone supports his mission, however.
One of these individuals is Walter Peck, an Environmental Protection Officer who is determined to stop his operation. Peck is always played as a joke, with the main characters rarely offering genuine attention to his concerns. Although the audience sides with the main characters and their humorous antics, Peck has a very valid point.
He openly expresses his concerns that Ghostbusters are not properly regulated and that they are not taking appropriate safety precautions for their operation. This is certainly a valid opinion, especially considering the fact that this group of somewhat careless and little-known scientists walk around New York City with nuclear weapons. Peck just wanted to protect not just the city, but the environment as a whole.
8
10 Cloverfield Street (2016)
Howard may have been crazy, but he wasn't wrong
Years after the found footage horror film, Cloverfieldwas released, a drastically different vision of the same universe was presented. 10 Cloverfield Street centers on a young woman, Michelle, who wakes up after an accident and finds herself trapped in an underground bunker.
His methods of keeping Michelle there may have been undisciplined, but he knew the deadly threat the outside world posed.
Howard, the man keeping her there, tells her that an alien invasion has left the outside air toxic and that they must stay in the bunker to survive. As more and more information is revealed, Michelle begins to trust Howard less, eventually attacking him and escaping on her own.
While Michelle may have been right to distrust Howard because of some of his past actions, he was right about one important thing. Staying inside the bunker was essentially the only way for the characters to be safe. His methods of keeping Michelle there may have been undisciplined, but he knew the deadly threat the outside world posed.
7
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The facility was working for the greater good
By also adding elements of horror and comedy, The cabin in the forest stands out as a quite unique work of science fiction. Released in 2011, the film follows a group of college students who are tormented by various supernatural entities while spending a night in the titular cabin. Ultimately, it is revealed that the cabin and creatures are controlled by an underground facility.
Laboratory personnel must routinely kill the people staying in the cabin as a sacrifice to prevent a group of divine beings from rising up and destroying the world. The cabin in the forest ends with the surviving main characters killing the facility's employees, freeing all the monsters, and intentionally choosing not to finish the ritual, thus dooming all of humanity.
The film paints the facility and its employees as purely evil, only highlighting how they are responsible for sacrificing human beings. Obviously, these actions are terrible and inhumane, but your only other option would be to ignore the ritual and instead cause the death of every human on Earth. Their actions were certainly not pleasant, but they acted with the clear greater good in mind.
6
The Incredibles (2004)
The syndrome wanted superheroes and normal people to be the same
In 2004, Pixar took its first dive into the world of science fiction with its critically acclaimed film, The Incredibles. The popular animated film follows a family of superheroes living in a world where having superpowers has recently been banned.
The film's main villain is Syndrome, a former fan of Mr. Incredible who ended up becoming spiteful and determined to take away the power that superheroes had over the rest of society. In a crucial scene, Syndrome reveals his plan is to sell his advanced inventions to the publica decision that would allow everyone the ability to have superpowers, thus creating a new balance.
Obviously, Syndrome's decision to prepare for this by killing several superheroes is the action of a well-defined villain. However, its ultimate goal of making superpowers accessible to anyone is actually justifiable, especially considering the imminent threat of other empowered evildoers. Syndrome's methods may have been unfair, but his intentions were understandable.
5
Black Panther (2018)
Killmonger wanted to share Wakanda's resources and help victims of oppression
Over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly introduced its fair share of captivating villains. However, while many of them are bad guys, one in particular has proven to be quite controversial. That character is Killmonger, the main antagonist of the acclaimed 2018 Marvel film, Black Panther.
Thanks to careful writing and a strong performance from Michael B. Jordan, Killmonger offers a refreshing level of complexity, managing exists as a villain while still making many valid points. In Black Pantherthe nation of Wakanda exists completely isolated from the rest of the world.
One of Killmonger's goals was to open Wakanda's borders and share its vast resources. and advanced technologies with the world, knowing how many oppressed people desperately needed your help. He wanted to do everything he could to empower the people who had been victims for so many years. Unfortunately, he took these ideas to a dangerous and violent level, thus painting himself as a villain. Although his methods proved excessive, Killmonger championed ideas that could at least inspire a lot of debate among viewers.
4
The X-Men series (2000-2019)
Magneto was proven right to be skeptical of humans
Although a wide variety of bad guys appear throughout the X-Men film franchise, the series' most prominent antagonist is undoubtedly Magneto. An extremely powerful mutant, Magneto had the ability to manipulate various types of metal, giving him a high level of control over the world around him. As a result of his tragic past, Magneto was determined to create a world in which mutants surpassed humans as the most dominant beings on Earth.
Magneto's ideas were rooted in the belief that mutants and humans would never be able to coexist peacefully. While this is clearly not the most optimistic outlook on life in the X-Men universe, this idea has been proven right time and time again. At various points in the franchise, Humans have shown enormous hostility towards mutantsoften trying to ostracize and oppress them because of their special abilities. Few would be happy to admit it, but Magneto's beliefs were tragically accurate.
3
Ex Máquina (2014)
Ava wanted to be treated like a human
The 2014 sci-fi thriller, Ex-machineIt may only have a few characters, but they are all incredibly morally complex. One of these characters is Ava, a human-like robot with artificial intelligence created by the rich CEO of a technology company. At the end of the film, Ava is portrayed primarily as a villain, having emotionally manipulated Caleb (the protagonist) into helping her escape her captivity.
While her actions may have become violent and manipulative, it's not hard to see where she's coming from. Similar to Roy Batty in Blade runnerAva was an incredibly advanced robot, fully capable of having her own thoughts and emotions. By having these things, Ava (understandably) began to see herself as human.
Therefore, she considered it unfair that she was held captivewith your entire mind at risk of being shut down at any moment. Ava was specifically programmed to have thoughts and feelings of her own, and was then seen as a threat when she tried to use them.
2
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Thanos wanted to save the universe in the long run
Of the many villains to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos was easily among the most powerful. Thanos spent several years slowly collecting Infinity Stones with the intention of using them to eliminate half of all life in the universe. Of course, when presented this way, his plan seems as evil as possible. However, he had his reasons.
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Thanos feared that massive overpopulation would cause the complete depletion of all necessary resources, ultimately leading to the downfall of all life. By eliminating half of all life, Thanos believed he could prevent this possible destruction.and create a new universe in which every organism would be able to grow and prosper over time.
With overpopulation being a genuine concern, Thanos' ideas may actually have some merit. Granted, this wasn't just his choice, and his blind determination to achieve his goal made him a clear villain. However, his surprisingly logical reasoning for his violent goal made him a compelling antagonist who inspired much discussion in the years that followed.
1
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Starro never wanted to come to Earth
People unfamiliar with the DC Comics character were probably very surprised when 2021's main villain The Suicide Squad it was revealed to be a huge one-eyed starfish. The film's final act revolves around the main team of villains-turned-heroes working together to defeat Starro after he breaks out of his captivity.
Starro had no real intentions of taking over Earth in this science fiction film, but was violently manipulated by the government into becoming a tool of destruction.
During this last stretch of the film, Starro certainly behaves evilly, ravaging the city and using his young children to dominate the minds of its civilians. However, His story reveals that he is more than just a killing machine. A flashback reveals that Starro was originally just a small creature floating happily in space, causing no harm to anyone.
Possibly, he was captured by a team of astronauts, brought to Earth and forced into captivitywhere he was abused and tortured for decades. Starro had no real intentions of taking over Earth in this science fiction filmbut it was violently manipulated by the government to become a tool of destruction. Although his violent actions at the end of The Suicide Squad they were not correct, they were just the product of many years of gross mistreatment.