Why the generation is obsessed with the anti-hero

A different example, as reviewed by Cowden (2014) is the Ruthless killer in Captain America, the movie. He is a ruthless killer whose memory is frequently erased so that he lacks the emotions of regret. This is worse when he beats a friend he had. Throughout the movie, the watcher is still hopeful that his memory is regained to stop the evil nature. The big question is why do we secretly love and enjoy these kinds of characters yet they are schemers, evil, horrific and merciless?

The first reason for hating while loving the antagonists is the fact that these characters are a reflection of who we are. If not for rules and the law, most people would be involved in evil and negative acts. Therefore, watching someone else do what we consider evil and hide within brings a sense of commonness and adventure to the viewer. Secondly, according to Langley (2012), the psychological mindset of reactance is also another reason. He reports that human always desires what is prohibited. Since society is against the actions of villainy, the psychological reactance makes us root for the survival of the bad guy. Another reason for the love for villains is revenge. In most cases, villains are motivated by revenge. We understand and recognize their feeling and the spirit behind revenge(Vivanco, 2012).

Vivanco (2012) also explains the fundamental attribution error that makes us love the antagonists. It is noted once a person understands the need of a stranger they are likely to treat them as they would have desired to be treated. Another reason for the love of villains is the psychological mindset that beautiful is good. Most people view people that are physically attractive as good and hence are held in high regard. The villains in most of the films and books are usually beautiful with features that attract people to them. Due to their appearance, we always believe that they have more positive values than their counterparts: protagonists. Villains also give us the opportunity to face our fears. Watching scenes that have death and blood and in some cases of horrific and unsafe surroundings. The experience of watching villains handle circumstances that frighten us is a way of facing our fears. Generally, we relate to the experiences of the villain in our lives and thus we love him (Langley, 2012).