The Top 10 Villains I Sympathize With

Based on a previous journal, I thought I'd wait for people to cast their opinions on who should rank on which place. But after reading a surprising comment from , I'm gonna place this in its original order. This is how I'll start off the new year.

Now unlike most memes, I'm going to be showing the villains' facial expressions. They help define the word "sympathy."

10. Loki Laufeyson from Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: the Dark World
Abandoned by his (biological) father, Loki’s adopted by Odin. He’s constantly lied to by his adoptive family, and constantly verbally abused by Odin (from what I hear from those who have read the comics). All he wants is Odin’s love and approval, but never gets it, and is embittered by it, growing resentful in his envy of Thor who, in his eyes, has everything he wants. Some time after his incarceration, his mother—the only person he truly loves after his turn to evil—is killed, and we see him crumpled and positively distraught in his trashed cell after the fact. It’s pretty easy to feel for the guy.
9. Mister Freeze (Dr. Victor Fries) from Batman: The Animated Series, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, The New Batman Adventures, and Batman Beyond
Poor dude just wants to save his terminally-ill wife. He's a scientist, after all. He needed to buy her time so that he could find a cure. This led to him being assaulted by Ferris Boyle, left to die, mutated, unable to live outside his suit and freezing cold conditions, and still on a (seemingly) unending quest to save the love of his life. He succeeds (with Batman's help), but at the cost of his being reduced to a disembodied head. What's touching about this is the quote he delivers in the episode "Cold Comfort":
"Ironic, isn't it? After all I did to keep my wife whole, I end up like this. You understand now why I could not return to my Nora. My treasure. There's no hope for me... or you or your city. Everyone's going to feel my loss."
8. Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) from the X-Men franchise
He grew up in/during (and survived the horrors of) Nazi Germany, which by itself is a nightmare. He became best friends with Professor X, which only caused him strife when they were constantly at odds (to put it lightly). His goals alone are sympathetic; seeing his fellow mutants suffer at the hands of humankind, his only desire is to see mutants free. Unfortunately this also comes with a desire to retaliate against humanity, either wiping them out or enslaving them.
7. Two-Face (Harvey Dent) from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures
Struggled with how he had stood up to a bully in his childhood (causing severe mental issues) but, for a time, rose above it, becoming a DA to fight Gotham’s crime. He's got a fiancee who works as a lawyer (Grace Lamont), and is best friends with Bruce Wayne. This all goes downhill when Rupert Thorne tries to blackmail him with his psychological profile, leading to his horrible accident. Unhinged by his disfigurement, he descends into darkness, running away from his loved ones and blaming Batman for failing to save him.
6. Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Quinzel) from Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventure, Justice League, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Poor girl. She started out as a psychiatrist, only to have her own mind shattered by the Joker. It didn’t take long for him to have her wrapped around his finger. She positively adores him and suffers a great deal of abuse at his hands. She's doomed to be the on-and-off girlfriend of Batman's greatest enemy.
5. Sandman (Flint Marko) from Spider-Man 3
He had a sick daughter and stole in an attempt to pay for her medical bills. He had a shrew of a wife who didn’t appreciate his efforts. His transformation/attaining powers looked very painful. He was racked by guilt for accidentally killing Uncle Ben, who had a very sad, yet touching, death scene. What's more, Venom had preyed upon his desperation so they could team up against Spider-Man. That's just cold!
4. Sunset Shimmer from My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
I do see that she longed for Princess Celestia’s attention and respect, and she felt lonely. Envy is a powerful emotion. Her situation appears to be similar to that of the next villain.
3. Asajj Ventress from Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars mini-series and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Asajj was given up as a baby, basically sold into slavery, and as a child would have died during the assault that killed her former master had she not been rescued by Ky Narec. Ky took Asajj as his Padawan, and the two were heroes, for a time. But Ky was killed and this started Asajj down a very dark path as she avenged him, hating the Jedi for "abandoning" her former master to die. She suffered many disappointments and losses on the dark side, including betrayal at the hands of Count Dooku (alias Darth Tyranus). She fled to her homeworld, taking refuge with and finding a family in the Nightsisters. But even that didn’t last because the whole clan was slaughtered, causing her even more pain. The last we see of her, at least, it seems she’s slowly turning away from the dark side.
2. Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: Rebels
Maul started his life as a slave, as is common to the males of his species. Things only went downhill for him when he was acquired by Darth Sidious and his Sith training began. He was bisected by Obi-Wan, fell a great distance, but managed to survive, kept alive solely by his hate and the dark side. He was away on a junk planet for twelve years, going mad from his isolation, his hate, and his pain. He was eventually found by his brother Savage Opress, nursed back to health by Mother Talzin, and restored to near-sanity, but was driven by vengeance. When Savage was killed in front of him, it became very clear that some part of Maul was still capable of love as he rushed to his brother's side. Sidious captures and tortures him, all the while using him to destroy his beloved Mother Talzin. All that is left for Maul now is revenge.
1. Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) from the entire Star Wars saga
Like Maul and Asajj, Anakin was raised in slavery, which sucks enough on its own, but was freed by Qui-Gon Jinn (I am sensing a pattern here). Unfortunately his mother could not be freed along with him and he had to leave her behind. Qui-Gon promised to be his master but very soon after was killed. Anakin was mistrusted by the Jedi Council from the start, (causing a self-fulfilling prophecy on his later turning on them), lost his mother immediately after reuniting with her, pushing him toward the dark side when he slaughtered the Tusken Raiders in revenge. He was frequently lied to by the counsel and then by Chancellor Palpatine (aka Sidious), further twisting him to the dark side. He also suffered frequently as the Master to Ahsoka Tano, particularly during her time as a fugitive and after her leaving the Jedi Order behind. It all culminates when he takes his final turn to darkness, slaughtering children and battling Obi-Wan, his former best friend and Master, but doesn't even end there; he suffers greatly as the Emperor's puppet. It's not until he learns that he has twin children—Luke and Leia—does he slowly return to the light side.

Honorable mentions:
Karai from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
Marik Ishtar from Yu-Gi-Oh!
Randall "Randy" Boggs from Monsters University and Monsters Inc.
General Grievous (Qymaen jai Sheelal) from Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars mini-series, Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Harry Osborn from the Spider-Man series
Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures
Judge Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Doctor Octopus aka Doc Ock (Dr. Otto Octavius) from Spider-Man 2
Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Lizard from the Spider-Man series
Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise.
Suigintou from Rozen Maiden
Erik from The Phantom of the Opera
Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean
Boba Fett from Star Wars
Mystique from the X-Men franchise
Sōsuke Aizen from Bleach
Demona from Gargoyles
Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) from Batman Returns
Sweeney Todd (Benjamin Barker) from Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Winter Soldier (James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes) from Captain America
Dave from The Penguins of Madagascar
Frank Butterman from Hot Fuzz
Hodge Podge from Action League Now!
Nappa from Dragon Ball Z
Handsome Jack from Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2
Dio Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Jarath the Goblin King from Labyrinth
Thundercracker from Transformers: Cybertron

Villains only from literature, graphic novels, card games, and video games:
Revan from the Knights of the Old Republic game series and Star Wars: The Old Republic
Ulic Kel-Droma from Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game
Darth Caedus (Jacen Solo) and Tahiri Veila from Star Wars: Legacy of the Force
Darth Bane and Darth Zannah from the Darth Bane trilogy
Xanatos from Star Wars: Jedi—The Dark Side and the Jedi Apprentice series
Nightmare Rarity from the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comics
Magnus the Red from Warhammer 40,000

Any more honorable mentions are welcome.

Hope you'll all enjoy it!



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