This has now happened to me a few times. I’ll be watching a movie, enjoying the heck out of it, then all of a sudden—WHAM! I start rooting for the villain instead of the hero.
Sometimes, the villain will have a sly wit that appeals to me. Or sometimes, he’ll just be so sexy and bad that I forget about the boring good-guy hero and start hoping that somehow, my villain will prevail with his dastardly plans.
The first time I rooted for a villain, I was watching the old Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie with Kevin Costner. Instead of hoping Kevin would sweep away with his Maid Marion, I kept eagerly waiting for Alan Rickman (the Sheriff of Nottingham) to walk on screen.
Since that long ago time, I’ve come to be a huge fan of what many call the “anti-hero.” Think Vin Diesel from Pitch Black, or Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These guys are far, far from perfect. Their moral compasses are in disrepair, but these men have a power and a raw appeal that is undeniable. And with the anti-hero, well, while he might tell the rest of the world to just go to hell, this guy always does the right thing by his lady.
What about you? Do you always root for the hero…or sometimes, do you fall for the bad guy, too?
You’ve named two of my faves: Alan Rickman (especially from Robin Hood and now in the Harry Potter movies) and James Marsden (sp?) – Spike in BtVS. Rickman is just so…distinctive. He has such a strong presence and just takes over, even with the simple inflection of his voice. It’s incredible. There is such a sexy quality about him.
Spike was bad, horrid, evil. But when he fell for Buffy all of a sudden it’s like “Hel-lo Spike!” Letting himself be vulnerable yet not really losing that other side, the bad side. There were times I wanted him and Buffy to end up together instead of Buffy and Angel.
I’ll have to check out the Vin Diesel movie – sounds intriguing.
Stacy, I wanted the same thing for good old Spike! To me, when his character really started to develop, he became so much more interesting than Angel. I was rooting all the way for Spike.
There have been times in books, when you can associate to the villians, and even start pulling for them especially when they are really not that much of a villian in the end. Those are the times, when you wish that there was a book for them as well, to see how they fare or if they ever get their HEA. I watch so little TV or movies that my thoughts would have to come from the books I read.
sometimes but i love the hero
Okay, I admit, Vin Deisel is great as the anti-hero. But, I don’t often end up pulling for the villian.
Thanks for the comments, ladies!
Years ago, I read a book by Maggie Shayne called FAIRYTALE–great book, with one awesome bad guy (more anti-hero than straight up bad guy). She went on to write his story in FOREVER ENCHANTED–and I waited months, stalking those poor folks at the bookstore, because I was so eager to get my hands on that tale.
I just saw the new Harry Potter movie today, and love Alan Rickman in it.
I guess Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Hannibal Lechter might have been a bad guy that enthralled us, although he was actually helping Jodie Foster’s Clarice character. Until the end, anyway.
I didn’t watch the sequel, so don’t know what happened there.
Oh, Cynthia, you hit on my weakness – sexy villians!
I LOVE Alan Rickman in just about anything, wanted Spike to prevail and fell in love with Cyrus in Jennifer Armintrout’s “The Turning.” I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the last Harry Potter book and am fearful that my beloved Snape is going to bite the dust in this one. 
I also have a WIP in which I fell for the villian, too, so I think he’s going to have to star in a sequel so he can redeem himself.
(Oh, and congratulations on your Brava success!)
Ah, Edie, Hannibal is such an interesting character. Now, I haven’t actually read the Hannibal book (just saw the movie and later watched Hannibal Rising), but I’ve heard the ending of the book is much different than the movie. According to the gossip I’ve caught, in the book, Hannibal and Clarice get together.
Can anyone verify this? (I know, I know–I need to read the dang book!)
That’s not the kind of book I read. He must’ve had to change Hannibal and Clarice’s characters drastically to pull that off–although maybe their characters in the book were nothing like they were in the movie. I can’t see Clarice from the Silence of the Lambs movie getting together romantically.
Once I get around to reading the book, Edie, I’ll let you know what happens.
You already named most of mine.
The Rickman characters, Riddick… yum.