Here’s the truth no hero wants to admit: villains make the story interesting. They’re the heartbeat under the chaos, the whispered temptation that makes the world tilt just a little. Without them, our heroes would have nothing to fight for — or against. But more than that, villains give us something dangerous: perspective.
We know they’re wrong, but sometimes… they make sense. We see the wound beneath the wickedness, the hurt that became hunger, the pain that curdled into power. Think of Wicked’s Elphaba, painted as the villain for daring to question the rules. Or Black Panther’s Killmonger, whose rage was born from grief. Or even Magneto, whose war on humanity began with his own survival.
These are the ones who haunt us — not because they’re evil, but because they remind us that anyone can fall if the world pushes hard enough.
In The Last Ringmaster, Harley’s learned that lesson all too well. Under the fae big top, nobody is purely good or perfectly wicked. The performers who call the circus home all have scars — some visible, some buried beneath glitter and charm. Even the monsters have their reasons. And sometimes, those reasons are heartbreakingly human.
So yes, I have a little sympathy for the devil. Especially the ones who smile while they burn.
🔥 Your turn: Who’s a villain you can’t help but understand — even if you shouldn’t?
