After all, even some of the most frightening or dangerous movie villains sometimes have a seemingly good reason for what they’re doing. And then there are those who have no clue they’re evil in the first place. These two categories tend to overlap from time to time, and more often than not, make for some of the most compelling villains that appear in movies.
6 The Terminator
The concept of good and evil is something inherent to humans and other emotional species in science fiction. The Terminators, on the other hand, have no emotions, so they don’t consider their actions evil, just necessary. So even though they kill thousands, millions of people, they don’t view themselves as the bad guy.
Of course, as Terminator 2 proved, even a Terminator can begin to understand feelings and what’s right and wrong if given the chance. But the majority of Terminators are never given the opportunity to do so in the first place because of their programming.
5 Terence Fletcher In Whiplash (2014)
J.K. Simmons stole the show as the unapologetic music teacher and conductor Terence Fletcher who’s prepared to ensure that his pupils will sacrifice everything to music. It’s true that he doesn’t treat his students in the best way. He’s rude to them, shouts at them, terrorizes them.
At the same time, though, Fletcher’s results are undeniable as his students, including Miles Teller’s Andrew, either give up… or improve significantly, proving that all they needed to move to the next level of musical ability was just a bit of tough love. Of course, Fletcher isn’t a sympathetic character because of how he acts toward people, but that doesn’t make him any less fascinating. And in his eyes, he’s doing nothing wrong as he’s simply fully devoted to music and making sure his students are the same way.
4 Zombies In Almost Any Zombie Movie
Just like multiple antagonists, zombies are ultimately driven by their base impulses and aren’t aware that their actions are evil. Most movie zombies, be it in comedy movies such as Zombieland or horror movies such as Dawn of the Dead don’t realize that what they’re doing - killing people and eating their brains, or other parts of their bodies as well, is evil. They don’t realize it because they don’t have enough brain power left to rationalize their actions in any way.
Another matter entirely are zombies that are fully aware of what they’re doing, know that killing is wrong, and choose to commit it anyway because their impulses are stronger than they are. Good example are the zombies in the Marvel comic storyline Marvel Zombies who can talk, remember who they once were, know they shouldn’t be eating people but are doing it anyway.
3 Godzilla
Another good example of a character unaware of its actions and not considering themselves evil is Godzilla. Godzilla is smarter than zombies, but she once again doesn’t consider the implications of right and wrong. In some adaptations of the tale, Godzilla, just like her distant kaiju movies cousin King Kong, doesn’t attack until provoked.
But when humans invade her territory and potentially endanger her, or her young ones, Godzilla strikes back, protecting herself and those she cares about. Having survival or a protective instinct isn’t the same as being evil, as Godzilla doesn’t set out to hurt people because she enjoys it.
2 Catwoman
Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance as Catwoman is applauded to this day even though Batman Returns (1992) premiered thirty years ago and multiple other actresses have taken on the role of Selina Kyle since then. When Catwoman starts her journey, she doesn’t see herself as evil since she just wants to get revenge on the man who hurt her and humiliated her. As a result, she doesn’t heed Bruce’s or Batman’s words, determined to go on in her mission, no matter what.
Unlike some other comic book villains who are perfectly aware of what they’re doing and enjoy the chaos and mayhem they cause, this version of Catwoman just wants to get even. And as the comic book stories featuring Catwoman proved, Selina Kyle isn’t beyond redemption as she helped the heroes save the day multiple times.
1 Magneto
DC isn’t the only superhero universe that works with characters unaware that they’re evil. So does Marvel. In the movies, Magneto has one clear goal - to protect his fellow mutants, shunned and ostracized by humans, to ensure that they never suffer the same way he did during World War Two. To achieve his goal, Magneto doesn’t shy away from doing questionable deeds and hurting people, but he’s never malicious about it or boasting, just pragmatic. As such, it’s possible to see where he’s coming from.
Magneto’s complex morality and his life mission mean that he’s able to work even with his presumed enemies if the mutants are in danger, such as professor Charles Xavier, his former best friend. The closest Magneto gets to realizing he might actually be evil and taking his mission too far is when he accidentally hurts someone he cares about - like when the shot he deflected in X-Men: The First Class (2011) hit Xavier instead and was responsible for paralyzing him.
More: Best Villain Origin Stories In Marvel Comics
