You hated it, but they were right: 11 misunderstanding villains

Heroes are exalted as the only source of justice, but what about the villains make sense? Often their point of view reveals legitimate criticism of corrupt systems, moral dilemmas, or even radical solutions to real problems of their universes. Note, the article includes spoilers.

Your motivations can be complex, and in some cases your actions have a logic that challenges the traditional view of good and evil. This list gathers villains of the games that were somehow “right” in their intentions, even if their methods were extreme.

Handsome Jack de Borderlands 2

Handsome Jack comes to Pandora saying that, under the command of Hyperion, the Atlas moon would become a more organized place: it promised drinking water, medicine, job and safety. On a planet governed by Blood Warlords and looters, at first glance this promise of peace for the strength until it sounds attractive.

The point where the thing goes down, and makes him a villain, is that Jack even puts himself above the law: he manipulates Angel, explores Hyperion workers as disposable pawns and has anyone who dare to question. That is, he denounced the problem well (chaos and unbridled greed), but adopted even worse methods to solve it.

Saren Arterius de Mass Effect

From the first contact, Saren realizes that the reapers represent an existential threat: whole species are erased cyclically. While many at the board summit prefer to ignore or underestimate the danger, he defends a proactive stance.

Although his initial intentions sound legitimate, he ends up being controlled by the immense apparatus of the Reips. There is the point where its radical solution becomes tragedy, illustrating the danger of trusting forces that we cannot master.

Slave Knight Gael de Dark Souls 3

Although not a villain in the traditional sense, his trajectory reveals deep motivations that make sense within the universe of Dark Souls. Gael leaves in search of the final “Dark Soul” to offer black pigment to the painter, allowing him to create a work that preserved the memory of humanity after the apocalypse. Its cause is to avoid total forgetfulness of fire cycles and darkness.

Throughout the journey, Gael turns into a thirsty monster, but this is a direct consequence of his determination to comply with the oath, even if it means destroying everything in its way. Gael devours whole people, corrupts his body and destroys territories in the hunting for the final fragment.

Joel Miller de The Last of Us

Throughout the journey, Joel loses his own daughter at the beginning of the outbreak and then raises a deep bond with Ellie. His choice to save it at any cost is born of this love, is the protection of a unique life that is worth more than a potential healing for everyone.

A group intends to use Ellie, sacrificing it to create a cure. Joel asks if it is fair to take the life of an innocent (and dear) person in a risky operation that does not even guarantee success. When invading the hospital, he annihilates the fireflies and prevents the operation. It is a brutal massacre that condemns humanity to remain vulnerable, but for Joel, saving Ellie justifies violence.

The Quarry Hackett Family

The Hackett try to free Silas, a werewolf, to end a curse that affects their family. Their actions, though tragic, aim to protect their children and solve a supernatural problem. They act for love and despair, which makes their choices understandable.

Hackets do not expose major systems failures, there is no denunciation of corporations, religious institutions or governments, nor reflection on power and inequality. They are simply victims of an ancestral curse and respond with macabre ritualism.

Bode Akuna de Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Bode Akuna makes a deal with the Empire to protect his daughter, Kata, in an oppressive universe. His betrayal is motivated by paternal love, and he believes it is the only way to ensure her safety, even if it costs the lives of allies.

The character tries to protect Kata at all costs, but his actions end up causing more pain than protection, both for her and the other characters in the game. Bode Akuna exemplifies the villain who was right because her goal was always to protect her dear daughter.

Kessler de Infamous

Unlike Cole, who is guided by the momentum of the moment, Kessler sees the Beast catastrophe coming and knows that only a rigorous preparation can save them. He trains Cole to understand his powers and resist consequences, even if it means manipulating it emotionally.

Kessler sacrifices people because he believes that without a radical attitude, Beast will annihilate the entire population. Kessler hits Beast’s real urgency and realizing that only a properly shaped cole would have a chance against him. His mistake was not the vision of danger, but the relentless way as he tried to prepare the world for it.

Edgar Ross de Red Dead Redemption

As an agent of the US government, Edgar Ross sees the old West as a lawless territory, delivered to fugitives and bandits who terrorize civilians. His mission of bringing order and state authority to the farthest regions reflects a real need: few people went to the borders seeking legitimate justice.

Edgar Ross Forces John Marston hunting his old gang to impose the law on the Old West. Although his methods are manipulative, he seeks to bring order. What puts him in the role of villain is the means he uses, and in the end, he also gets rid of the final member of the gang, the protagonist himself.

Revolver Ocelot de Metal Gear Solid

Olalot shares the devotion of The Boss and Big Boss to the legacy of soldiers: he knows that a lot is manipulated by governments for his own interests. By scouring documents, creating disguises and even keeping secret files, he wants to expose that the official story hides war crimes and betrayals.

Olalot works as a triple agent to free humanity from patriot control, using complex manipulations to achieve their goal of freedom. His misconception is to assume that authoritarian purposes justify authoritarian means: manipulate allies, forge conspiracies, and sacrifice innocent lives to cement the order he considers necessary.

Haytham Kenway de Assassin’s Creed III

As a member of the Templar Order, Haytham sees the American colonies as a chaotic ground, dominated by conflicts between settlers, Indians and British forces. For him, a strong, although authoritarian government, would guarantee security, infrastructure and economic development, preventing the land of opportunities from becoming a stable of flags in dispute.

His initial alliance with the British governor and his involvement in secret plots put him on a collision route with Connor. Even so, many of the institutions he helped strengthen would serve the basis for the prosperity of the United States in the future. Haytham gets it right by identifying that a healthy nation needs clear laws, independent courts and effective infrastructure.

Nothing de The Witcher 2

Letho executes monarchs from the Northern Kingdoms because he believes that without kings inflating unstable tensions and alliances, Nilfgaard would be less reason to invade. In his view, removing leaders could even pave a way to peace. Its strategy is relentless: betrayal, disguises and brutal deaths.

Letho Killer Reis to relive the viper school, protecting the witches. His loyalty to his allies and his view of a future for his order make his actions understandable. He maintains his own moral compass, sparing who considers honest or disinterested in politics.

Have you ever changed any villain after understanding your motivations? Share your experience!