Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Villains are bad, right? They have [[Evil Plan|evil plans]] that involve [[Take Over the World|world domination]], [[The End of the World as We Know It|planet destruction]], and [[Murder Arson and Jaywalking|kicked]] [[Kick the Dog|puppies]].

 

See also [[Justified Criminal]], [[Anti-Villain]], [[Tragic Villain]], [[Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold]], and, for nonsapient creatures, [[Non-Malicious Monster]]. When the fandom makes dubious or obviously wrong claims that a villain is this, it's [[Draco in Leather Pants]].

 

* Poor Gaara of ''[[Naruto]]'' started as this. All he wanted was to have a friend, but the entire village was convinced that he was a monster, and this upset him, which caused the ''real'' monster sealed in him to act up. Even after he finally [[Despair Event Horizon|lost all hope and gave in to Shukaku]], deep down, he was just a lonely child who lashed out at the world to protect himself.

* In the same vein as Gaara, Lucy from ''[[Elfen Lied]]'' only wanted love and acceptance. However, she only received [[Fantastic Racism|bitter]] [[Orphanage of Fear|contempt]], which culminated in some kids beating a stray puppy she took care of, the only creature in the world she cherised, to death in front of her while mocking her misery. This, plus the [[Not What It Looks Like|apparent betrayal]] of [[Woman Scorned|the boy she fell in love with]], plus the murder of her best friend at the hand of the man who imprisoned her for years [[The Alcatraz|in a research facility]] that could be better described as [[Nightmare Fuel|a new Auschwitz]], lead young [[Only Known by Their Nickname|Kaede]] to become Lucy, a full-blown [[Omnicidal Maniac]] hell bent on [[Kill All Humans|the extinction of Homo sapiens]], so that nobody could hurt, betray, or abandon her again.

** In fact, in the first book, the Sorting Hat actually thought Slytherin might have been the best House for Harry, thinking that the focus on ambition fit him well (which few would deny) and in a later book, still stood by that opinion. It didn't because Harry asked it not to. Dumbledore thought differently, however, saying in Chamber of Secrets that only a student who had been favored by Godric Gryffindor himself could have pulled his Sword out of the Hat, as he did in the fight with the basilisk. Not that the qualities are mutually exclusive, of course.

* In ''[[For The Love Of Evil]]'', we see an interesting side of how Satan is this. Although his job is to promote evil (and, according to Archangel Gabriel, he is one of the best at it), he himself is a good man. In essence, he is not his job.

 

* ''[[LazyTown]]'s'' Robbie Rotten:

{{quote|"They want me to be nice, they want me to be good

* In ''[[Supernatural]]'', when the fallen archangel Lucifer (better known as Satan to most humans) escapes to Earth, his first order of business is to [[Grand Theft Me|locate and possess a human vessel]]. Since he is an angel rather than a demon, he must acquire the willing consent of the human who will be his vessel. He claims himself as the ultimate example of this trope as part of his argument to persuade his chosen human to agree to become his vessel. Subverted as he is really evil all along.

 

== Web Comics ==

* Roan in ''[[Impure Blood]]''. The general view of him is summed up in his nickname: the Abomination. Caspian, who's the leader, agrees with it, but needs him. Fortunately, [https://web.archive.org/web/20131024215923/http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue3/ib056.html Dara sympathesizes], [https://web.archive.org/web/20140101214718/http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter007/ib041.html Elnor gives him some] [[Tough Love]], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20140117091633/http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue3/ib061.html Mac is cheerfully oblivious].

 

 

* [[Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters]]

* Animals recognized for a pattern of savage attacks on humans will always have some people come to their defense claiming this. [[Grizzly Man|Timothy Treadwell]] was one of the most famous - and according to Grizzly Bears, ''[[Irony|delicious]]'' - champions of this argument. Of course, such people are half-right; it stands repeating that such animals don't intend malice when they attack people, [[Don't Try This At Home|but they are still highly dangerous creatures and should ''never'' be trifled with]].