Whether it's Darth Vader or Cruella de Vil, we all have a favourite movie villain.
But logically, this doesn’t make sense. Such characters are objectively bad, dangerous, often downright evil… and yet we end up rooting for them anyway?
Indeed, a recent study showed that while most people easily recognise the actions of movie villains as undeniably bad, we also typically suspect that they’re actually good ‘on the inside’, often despite a lack of any evidence for this. Why, though?
One potential explanation is that a compelling movie plot requires some form of conflict, and the antagonist provides this. Put simply, when the villain appears, the fun begins.
And the more villainous the villain is, the more entertained we are by them.
Basically, if we enjoy a movie, the villain is often a factor in this. So, despite them being objectively ‘bad’, our brain associates them with something good, just like how countless people love horror movies or bungee jumping.
One way to resolve this cognitive dissonance would be to instinctively assume that the villain “can’t really be that bad”.
Humans are also arguably the most social species in existence, something reflected in our brains’ inner workings.
However, we can only experience the world from our own perspective, through the lens of our own assumptions, attitudes and experiences. And we invariably tend to assume we’re a good, moral person.
Ergo, if we emotionally connect to someone, for example an entertaining villain, we use our inner selves as a template for understanding their inner selves. And if we’re good, and we relate to them, they must be good too.
Right?
There are likely many other psychological factors at work here as well, but the overall point is, while we may boo the pantomime villain, deep down we all know that we wouldn’t be cheering at all without them.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Luke Rees, Lancaster) 'Why do we root for the villain in movies?'
To submit your questions, email us at questions@sciencefocus.com, or message our Facebook, X, or Instagram pages (don't forget to include your name and location).
Check out our ultimate fun facts page for more mind-blowing science
Read more:
