One thing that forever baffles me, are the people who ignore, discard, dismiss and ridicule all the very, very, very obvious evidence that a character cares for another, and insist that the character doesn't give a shit. Afterwards, when the character is explicitly revealed to care, they claim that it was "out of the blue."
This is typically done to villainous characters, who do typically do a lot of extremely shitty things. But the reasoning is that, because they are capable of doing extremely shitty things, then it follows that they must also be unable of giving a damn for anybody but themselves. Therefore, all the evidence that they do in fact care about somebody else is written off as "lol you are reading too much into it."
One example of this is Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy.
In the first movie, we are told that he essentially raised Peter. Then, after the crew demands that Yondu kills Peter, Yondu seems to acquiesce, but turns around in a very clear instance of "I can't bear to watch," then immediately grasps the closest excuse not to go through with it.
Finally and most damningly, after Peter steals the macguffin that was worth billions, Yondu's reaction is to smile. Peter just cost him infinite money, and Yondu is proud! There is no possible explanation for expressing joy and pride over getting fucked over by Peter, other than the fatherly feeling of "that's my boy!"
Yet, people insisted that Yondu "suddenly" loving Peter in the sequel was an asspull.
I'm currently watching Hazbin Hotel, and a lot of people are absolutely convinced that Alastor doesn't care about anybody but himself.
Mind you, their argument isn't just "if Alastor were forced to choose between the people he cares for and his goals, he'd choose his goals." Which is an argument with fair bases in canon, and that could very well end up being the trajectory of the character.
No, their argument is just flat-out "Alastor doesn't give a shit at all."
Alastor, who kept Niffty's cockroach crown.
Alastor, who protected Mimzy for a full century without ever asking anything in return.
Alastor, the Overlord Slayer who values his reputation as a terrifying homicidal monster well above his own survival, and who always immediately disposed of anybody who ever disrespected him in any way. Yet for 70 years refused to go after Vox, the Overlord who constantly calls him "a loser, a fraud, a coward, a pathetic has been, a fossil" and many, many more in front of billions of people. And, when he finally claims he's going to add Vox to his broadcast in the S2 finale and has him defenceless on his back, does such gruesome things to him as "boop him on his cheek."
