Okay, I know the title of this post is a little click bait-ish. Or is it? I guess you’ll have to tell me in the comments if you only clicked on this post because of the title. No matter how you ended up here, I hope by the end you might nod along in agreement.
First, let me set some minds at ease (particularly those of the people who know me and live nearby). I don’t actually love real-life murderers, sex traffickers and psychopaths. I think these particularly twisted individuals represent the worst of humanity — assuming they, indeed, have any humanity in their souls, or even have a soul. So please don’t call the police and suggest that mine is a safe house for the criminally insane.
Now, if you have read some of my other posts (it’s easy, I’m not exactly a prolific poster), you already know that my favorite literary color is gray, I hate happy endings and I believe there are no true bad guys in fiction.
And fiction is exactly what I’m referring to. I have a fascination with murderers, sex traffickers and psychopaths of all stripes in literary works. Why? Because in the right hands, they make multi-dimensional characters that drive the narrative forward. They bring fictional worlds to life. They make you want to turn the page even if some of their actions turn your stomach and make you want to turn away.
Good guys without flaws are boring. Give me a villain any day. Sure, I will root for the good guy (no matter the gender) to win. But only if the villain is a worthy opponent. And especially if the villain seems to have the advantage. And, frankly, I prefer my good guys/girls with some rough edges, maybe a dark secret or two, or perhaps a dark past. Why? Because that makes them more realistic. I have a hard time rooting for an obviously fake person. In the real world, good guys don’t have all the answers. They don’t always make the right moves. And they seldom have the upper hand over their opponents.
And, let’s face it, villains don’t always see themselves as villains. For them, they’re the main character. They’re the one with a mission, and it is the so-called “good guy” who has intervened to stop them from being happy.
When is the last time you enjoyed a story that started with sunshine and roses and stayed that way for the entire book? I’d venture to say never. Even in the sweetest of sweet romances, trouble arises that our couple must overcome. Children’s stories also have villains. I mean, have you read the original versions of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales? Those are some dark tales! And they were meant for children. Heck, look at the Harry Potter series for a more contemporary example. The entire plot is driven by the murder of Harry’s parents and the attempted murder of Harry. As. A. Baby.
So, yes. I love bad guys of all stripes. Don’t you?
