Heroes and Villains in Media
When we are young, heroes are people who helo others. Like police, firefighters, good samaritans. We’re told that heroes are people who help others without getting anything in return. We’re told that villains are criminals, people who are selfish and don’t care about others.
But as we get older, we start to realize that it’s not so black and white. Some heroes are revealed to be selfish, helping people for money or fame or power. While there are plenty of selfless heroes, a lot of them aren’t as good as the media tries to pass them off as.
Villains are no longer selfish, but relatable. They want revenge, they want to survive, they have no other choice.
As we get older, and we see more portrayals of characters that are far more complex than the classic heroes and villains we saw as kids.
The media and society tell us that people who don’t fit in with society are villains. Anyone who doesn’t listen to the government’s rules, anyone who is slightly different, anyone who doubts the system, they’re all bad guys. They tell us that heroes listen to authority, heroes do as they’re told and don’t ask questions.
In reality, no hero is solely good, and no villain is solely bad. A lot of the time, villains wouldn’t have became villains if society helped them instead of outcasting them more.
The most obvious examples come from My Hero Academia. The show portrays a hero society and its faults. We see that some heroes aren’t as good as they appear (All Might). Some heroes hide their true personality (Endeavor). Some of the heroes have no choice but to be ‘heroes’ (Hawks). Sometimes the better heroes aren’t as well known (Eraserhead).
The show also shows how most villains are just a product of society. Dabi was abused and traumatized, and wanted revenge against his abuser, who was loved and adored by the public. Toga was outcasted because of her quirk. Kurogiri was a normal hero student until All For One took his memories and made him into a villain. Mr.Compress, Twice, Magne, Spinner, none of them really had a choice to. Shigaraki was traumatized and then manipulated by AFO.
We also get to see teenagers question their morals as they are exposed to different views.
Deku always wanted to be a hero, but is now a vigilante, and could easily become a villain. He starts to realize that hero society is corrupt.
Bakugo wants to be a hero, but his past actions show that he is more ‘villainous’ than a ‘hero’ should be.
A lot of people are discriminated against because of quirks
(Discrimination against quirkless people being the main)
Anyone with a ‘villainous’ quirk is declared a villain, or is discriminated against. (Toga, Shinso, etc)
The hero community in the show accurately portrays the way heroes and villains would actually be.
DC- (specifically Gotham)
DC shows the darker side of heroes and villains.
While some of the villains have actual reasons to be villains, they could have chosen a different path if society was kinder to them. Some of them just want to be heard (Poison Ivy). Some of them have no choice and are doing it to help someone (Mr. Freeze).
But other villains are actually insane. (Joker, Scarecrow, etc.) We see that not all villains have a reason to be evil. DC shows that some bad guys are evil just because they like to cause pain.
DC also shows different types/tropes of ‘heroes’
You have the dark, mysterious one, who wants revenge, but draws a line, and protects his family (Batman)
The happy, cheerful one, who used humor to hid his pain (Nightwing)
The angry, rebellious, morally gray one (Red Hood)
The smart but self-sacrificing one (Red Robin)
The arrogant, aggressive one that is learning to be human (Robin)
DC shows that while people are rarely ever black and white, sometimes people don’t have any motives to what they do.
(I’m not very deep with these examples cause that would take way too long)
There are tons of media portrayals of villains and heroes, and sometimes the line between the two get really blurry.
But villains are usually a result of the failures of society.
The main difference between heroes and villains is that:
One if them has a traumatic experience and goes “this bad thing happened to me, so I’ll make sure it never happens to anyone else, and I’ll help people who it already happened too.”
And the other one goes “this bad thing happened to me. That isn’t fair, Why did it happen to me. They deserve to experience it too. They didn’t help me when I needed help the most, so I’ll get revenge.”
Also can we talk about how in media we’re always shown that ‘the best heroes’ are people who listen to the government and society? And how the villains always go against the government and societal norms?
