How Audiences "Like" Loathsome Antagonists--Hellaverse Edition
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
I legitimately don't understand a lot of fandom trends! If there's something I'm missing, just kindly and patiently explain it to me in the notes.
Something I've been thinking about lately is the reasoning behind why audiences like or dislike certain characters from certain media. Everyone has their preferences--perhaps specific traits click with them, maybe they have an interesting story, or perhaps they'd want to befriend them in real life. And these characters tend to be flawed--sometimes it's apparent at first glance, sometimes not. In any case, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and that goes for a lot of fictional characters.
And then there are characters made to draw audience ire.
These types of characters, at their core, are irredeemable, hateful, and all-around unlikable. They may show off a lighter quirk or a somewhat sympathetic side, but those moments are completely ruined when the characters cross the line--perhaps not once, maybe not even twice.
I've noticed that it's a common occurrence for Vivziepop's Hazbin/Helluva franchise when it comes to the antagonists.
As if him being bigoted to Sinners and hugely hypocritical wasn't enough, he also acts like an obnoxious, boorish frat boy.
Even more bigoted than her boss, which is saying something, and horrifyingly bloodthirsty and vindictive, especially towards Vaggie--just because she justifiably defied the Exorcists.
Even for the trio he's a part of, this guy proves to be a special kind of evil with the shit he puts his employees through. Poor Angel Dust...
Infuriatingly childish, petty, and spoiled, and even if her husband and daughter aren't saints themselves, she's (in)directly responsible for the pain and conflict her family suffers from.
A slimy schemer who piles on to Stolas' suffering with his plans to take away everything dear to him--his plants, his stars, his daughter...
Seriously, this is one fucked up family. Poor Stolas and Octavia!
Beneath the thin veneer of "coolness" is a hypocritical bigot who twists the truth for his own selfish desires.
Ultimately, one of the shittiest dads in the Hellaverse, if not the shittiest. Poor Moxxie...
Much like Valentino, you do not want to work under this guy. Poor Fizzarolli...
Yeah, let's not mince words or sugarcoat them. All eight of these characters are meant to be repulsive as fuck.
And enhancing their unlikability is the fact that, even if exaggerated in-show, people like them exist in real life.
Adam and Lute represent the worst kind of intolerant religious folks.
Stella, Andrealphus, and Crimson symbolize different types of family trauma.
Valentino and Mammon represent the terrible bosses that are all-too-common in this day and age.
Striker represents the most hypocritical performative "activists" who ultimately care only about themselves.
In an interesting contrast, however, I have seen fans that have sincerely taken some sort of liking to a few of these characters. For me, it's not too big of an issue--after all, you can legitimately like a character and not defend or support their actions.
And personally, I'm kind of interested in Stella, Andrealphus, and Lute, if only for the fact that quite a few fans make theories that add an element of tragedy to them.
However, I am legitimately perplexed by people having an unironic liking for characters like Striker, and especially Crimson of all people.
Like, I'm sorry, I legitimately cannot stand those three characters. I can't fathom seeing anything remotely likable or sympathetic about them at all. Crimson for obvious reasons, Striker because his hypocrisy and bigotry genuinely got under my skin (matter of fact, I legit think that the latter trait will get worse if he returns).
Around the time I started to learn about the concept of fandoms, I was really into anime. And that part of it was learning about how audiences took to certain aspects of certain anime--reactions to characters, plot beats, etc.
And that included learning about notorious characters that everyone hated--rightfully so.
Including
Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Used his entire family as part of some twisted experiments just to keep his job as State Alchemist.
Malty S. Malromarc/Myne (Rising of the Shield Hero)
To put it in perspective just how horrible she was, not even her own ENG VA liked her!
So yeah, learning about the "made to be totally despised" character archetype early on in my fandom days may have shaped how I approached the aforementioned "loathsome antagonists" from Hazbin/Helluva.
With that said, if you're an unironic fan of any of these above-mentioned characters from Hazbin/Helluva, why so? What makes them appealing to you, even in spite of how horrible they are?
(please don't give any shallow reasons or whitewash these characters istg)