I was always the odd kid that would absolutely fall in love with the anti-heroes and villains of every tale I have ever heard. Villains like Ursula and Maleficent were so much more interesting than the one-dimensional heroes of the stories. It is like Shrek says, “Ogres are like onions. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers.”

The villains in these tales are the onions. They have layers upon layers of character development, or rather, character derailment, which lead them to destruction. It is the destruction caused by the villain that creates the hero, for without the villain there would be no story to tell.

Imagine if Norman Bates had not been created, Psycho would never have been made. Without Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker would literally cease to exist. Movies used to follow the traditional good versus bad theme, but the world sooner realized that not everything was so black and white. Flynn Rider from Tangled, for example, appears as the quintessential “knight in shining armour,” even though he lacks the typical characteristics of a prince.

But the worst villains of all time are found in history—in the real world.

History is filled with heroes who swoop in to save the day, just as all hope is nearly lost. They save hundreds of lives and end the suffering of the world. Yet, just like movie characters, these heroes would not be heroes without the villains of history—abusive dictators, power-hungry politicians, and selfish colonizers. From Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin to Charles Mason and Al Capone, history has no shortage of notorious villains who received an overwhelming amount of support and attention from audiences.

So, why do humans so naturally follow and admire the villain? The jist of it is, humans revere power of any kind.

In our lives we work and strive towards being better, gaining more power, and working towards attaining the unattainable. But sometimes, being good doesn’t mean being successful. When villains rise to power, it triggers that long-standing desire for achieving the impossible—no matter which way it is achieved.

Villains undoubtedly have many admirable attributes. They have an insane ability to overcome all hardship. Villains do whatever their heart desires, and that’s a pretty alluring and admirable attitude. There have been times in all of our lives where we’ve all felt the need to break free from the rules and regulations of society.

These villains often have something every person wants: freedom. Villains are truly, in all senses of the word, free. Often they have the freedom to act as they wish, living without caring about anyone or anything affected by their actions while crossing all boundaries and societal limitations. This trait appeals to every person who wants nothing more than to break free from the mould and stand out.

Take Adolf Hitler, for example. Despite his horrific actions, he managed to gain widespread support. He was highly intelligent and an incredible speaker who mesmerized anyone listening to his speeches, turning non-believers into believers with the power of language. His persuasive ability definitely worked in his favour.

Post WWI, Germany’s economy was absolutely demolished, with alarming levels of inflation and rampant political instability. During his eleven years as dictator, Hitler managed to rebuild Germany’s economy using a four-year plan that practically eliminated unemployment throughout the country.

After losing all hope after the war, the German people looked to Hitler as a messiah who only wanted the best for them and was willing to do anything to restore the country’s glory. Hitler’s economic prowess appealed to a starving nation, and allowed him to easily climb to power.

He was a man who came from nothing rose up and became one of the most powerful men on the earth. This kind of drive and persistence is what draws people in. This is why people strive to live the “American dream.”

Another villain to gain widespread support and attention was Joseph Stalin. Despite being a ruthless leader, Stalin kept his promises to his people and accomplished his goals. He presented himself as the man of the people. This kind of leadership made his power look attainable and even more alluring to the masses.

Ever since the beginning of time, humans have been lured towards powerful beings. This is human nature. This is something that may never change. Humans want to look up to some kind of leader, someone to place their worries upon.

Historical villains portray themselves as all powerful and indestructible leaders. Psychologically, power makes people happy. Villains have mass followings because they use human susceptibility to their advantage, and prey on their nature. This forces people to believe that they will receive nothing without the leader in power.

We yearn for control, for power, for freedom, and history’s well-known villains have gained it all. In movies, a villain is usually defeated but in the real world, villains are the ones that create history.

By Fatima Al-Sayed

Please note that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.