What Makes a Good Villain? - Intentionally Blank Ep. 166

[@writing_steve]

Emperor Palpatine is a Skeletor. Highly memed, highly fabulous - every line delivered like he's in a different film to everyone else. Can monologue like a beast.

[@Xarfax321]

Naah, he can't monologue like Skeletor.

[@jemangerrit1747]

Im not sure why but I was also thinking about the emperor so it has to be true. A design that is super generic but by pure fame has become iconic. He is singular, kinda funny and awesome. Def a skeletor

[@UncleMikeDrop]

In the extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo surmised that Aragorn was not a servant of Sauron because if he was "He would look fairer and feel fouler".

[@thestolenchariot]

I'm trying to remember if that was a line from the book, because I also remember that line from the Ralph Bashki animated film from the 70s

[@UncleMikeDrop]

@@thestolenchariot It might be.

[@kaladongstormguy]

​@@thestolenchariotIt is ^^

[@jpjordan90]

He's a hot slob

[@AnathemaMysticalcel]

That idea is express to day psychologically as the "halo effect bias." It is an interesting read. We often over look wrongs for people who look fairer then those who look like villans. I literally work with a woman who looks like a witch from the old fairy tales bit is the sweetest person and quite humorous. Where as I have met dime peices who were the worst sort of b**ches.

[@TarmakWorm]

I think unpaid paid intern Donald has earned the title of Podcast Producer at this point lol

[@davidmackay7558]

For a villain in the Skeletor category, we have to go with someone who has been in meme-d as much as Skeletor. Yzma from the Emperor's New Groove fits in well.

[@BensonCope]

one of the few propositions i can agree on

[@snozzmcberry2366]

Within 0:39 you can see the exact frame where "avocado desperados" blossoms in Brandon's head

[@MaxKOdu]

You mean "Big Daddy"! I was excited to hear your thoughts of 1984's Big Brother 😂

[@CihanSan]

Exactly :D

[@patrickcosgrove5256]

I was so confused! I kept thinking “when did 1984 get referenced in Bioshock??”

[@TonySloan2112]

I was like: is this a Mandela effect? Did I crossover sometime?

[@prehistoriconion]

I think that Sarumans character is described simply as “Evil does not always look evil, sometimes it looks like your best friend.” Because he was Gandalfs friend, confidant, and his ‘better’ and he still fell to the power of the ring and Sauron. Different than the small nobody of Sméagol, or a human warrior king.

[@simoniel_l1646]

I think a key part of Skeletor tier is a character who technically should go in bad character bad design (he wears a hood, a leather harness, and a speedo) but accidentally became an icon. Few can replicate Skeletor’s success.

[@jemangerrit1747]

As an another commenter said. The emperor rivals skeletor in generic design, flat character, and arguably surpasses him in meme-cred. He is so iconic that I dont even have to specify which emperor im talking about.

[@ThePhantomTomo]

Sometimes simplicity is the best option. Why should the villain for a giant muscle Chad wearing a loincloth be some complex and deep character? For the type of story He-Man is, a giant evil ham of a villain works much better. And the power of theatrics shouldn't always be discarded. Skeletor and Palpatine are more memorable because they're loud and extra.

[@wynnefox]

To the Rock's character in SNL: Roy isn't an evil scientist, he is an evil engineer. The scientists were working on what ever evil hypothesis they had and testing for results. Roy saw a problem, designed a solution, and solved it. Also the moment Roy talks about Mussolini and Castor oil, the audience only gives an uncomfortable laugh and someone just goes, "oh..." at the horror of it.

[@MitraKesava]

I was NOT ready for the "Xenomorph is basically just a rapist" take 😂😂 That one shook me for a second. He's not wrong...

[@tonoornottono]

i mean that’s directly the theme of the movie. honestly don’t know how you missed that one 😭

[@MitraKesava]

@@tonoornottono I was a child when I saw it, haven't watched it since, horror isn't my go-to. So yeah this was the first time I thought about the Xenomorph as an adult. Sacrilige I know, they should probably jail me or something for such a heinous crime. So yeah sorry, not everyone has your life experience cry harder.

[@tonoornottono]

@@MitraKesava that was kind of a weird reaction i’m not gonna lie

[@MitraKesava]

@@tonoornottono I felt the same way, sorry for the pop off

[@ryanwalker8843]

The face hugger in particular was designed to play on fears of being... violated let's say.

[@abyrupus]

I would say Moriarty in the original was some Math professor in a university. The idea that the most dangerous man in britain the head of powerful criminal rings is a professorial academic who loves solving puzzles - is a unique character design.

[@teabot9398]

Yep, math professor and researcher at i dont remember high tier university. Awesome character

[@charles3840]

What's great about Moriarty's lack of design is that it's the benalalty of evil. There wasn't anything noteworthy about him, except he was much higher placed than Sherlock's other adversaries. He's corporate evil, in a way that the likes of Lex Luthor and Kingpin can't be, because they have to hold their own against superheroes in some way. What makes Moriarty extra special is *anyone* can be him. You won't know someone is playing Moriarty in an adaptation until they introduce themselvs. Heck, Moriarty is a surname and a woman could play the character. Imagine a Moriarty that doesn't introduce themselves until they've enacted their plan 15 minutes ago. I think those are the aspects that make him such a cultural touch stone second only to Sherlock himself. Heck, if you think about it, Sherlock has as much of a lack of formal character design as Moriarty, making him playable by a very wide range of actors.

[@Merdock19]

I was thinking the same thing, you wouldn't want a mastermind puppet master to be noticeable. In an adaption where they are enacting their plans, I would like them to be on screen and yet unseen before their identity is revealed. Not because they are in disguise, but because their overall appearance is a natural disguise. Which means a relatively unknown actor. I'm sorry, but if I see someone like Jared Harris pop up in the background I'm probably going to notice them. If I recall, in the Robert Downey Jr movies, Sherlock is occasionally putting on disguises to blend in. His notoriety requires that of him to go incognito. I don't remember them capitalizing off of it, but that allows for a great opportunity to contrast the two. Moriarty makes so few appearances into the field of play, and is so subtle in what he does, that he doesn't need all the makeup and prosthetics that Sherlock does.

[@a_wild_Kirillian]

In Elementary (2015) Moriarty is a woman and she pulls a big "prank" on Sherlock by presenting as an ordinary woman. They did a lot of work on adapting the characters to their narrative and it's pretty cool.

[@mycointhetrees]

“What if Sauron but Snake” is the funniest yet most accurate phrase about voldy 😭

[@MasterGill4645]

I'm so glad they pulled that off at the end,as soon as Dan asked who else is in the skeletor row, I was screaming BEN

[@jemangerrit1747]

Who the heck is ben?

[@nintandao64]

you guys should def keep the images on screen somewhere for us to reference as they're still being discussed, a few seconds isn't enough :(

[@fiorellapesoa5619]

Ok but Dan making puns in Spanish was amazing, I lost it at Robando Hood, es muy bueno 😂😂😂😂

[@SunSwipePrime]

The history of Transformers is a bit of a maze. The toys were imported from japan, and the Transformers IP was formed by stitching together several toy lines. They main two lines were Diaclone and Microchange. The Diaclone line is where the jet design for Starscream came from. The toy came out in Japan in 1980. The designer of that toy would go on to design the Veritech fighter for Macross/Robotch. The toy rights to the Veritech fighter was licenced by Hasbro and used to create the toy/character of Jetfire for the Transformer's franchise. Because of this, when Robotech launched in North America, they couldn't produce/sell the Veritech fighter toy, which was the iconic mecha from that IP. On the flip side, Hasbro couldn't use the design of Jetfire in the cartoon, because that likeness was being used in the Robotech cartoon, so Hasbro reimagined the character for the cartoon, naming it Skyfire. The amalgam of different toy lines is why there's a weird scaling issue. Toys like Megatron and Soundwave came from the Microchange line of toys. That line's gimmick was they were real life objects that could transform into robots, so they were supposed to be in 1 to 1 scale. Megatron's pew-pew form is the same size as the real thing. Same with Soundwave's Walkman mode. Any way, just a little FYI for those who care.

[@TheSilverwolf97]

Thank you, my blood boiled a bit with Starscream ripping off the veritech when the only similarities are he's a robot that turns into a plane. And on top of that Diaclone predates Macross...

[@hippie_4762]

Reading enough of Joe Abercrombie's books, I'm starting to realize that what makes a perfect villain almost forms a perfect venndiagram with what makes a good protagonist.

[@p-j-y-d]

Guess who's the actual protagonist in the villain's mind.

[@BrianM785]

There is also the way Voldemort treats his followers just to show how evil he is. In reality, such a leader would be knifed in the back at the first opportunity. In many ways, Rowling's 2nd swing at a villain, Grindelwald, is a much more interesting character. He treats his followers with respect, he has a personal ethos (no casual murder for him, he leaves that to his minions) and he has a goal in mind. Like all good villains, he thinks he is the hero.

[@zoltandemeter919]

Something intrigues me about Voldi in the good way. I think, he's got an agenda indeed - he's luridly, exceptionally afraid of death, and he does everything what lies in his power to avoid that. All of the hunting after Harry's family is about a vague prophecy which had a tiny hint about even just the possibility of terminating his life, and he became entirely obsessed with that. He's personal tragedy and the justice of fate is that this chase concludes to his final, irreversible ending.

[@BrianM785]

@@zoltandemeter919 True, it is like a Greek tragedy - his attempt to forestall his fate is the thing that causes it to happen.

[@timothysheridan8134]

What if Sauron but snake is my favourite Brandon quote

[@sandroserrano9186]

Imagine saying Castlevania's Dracula, the most Dracula of all Draculas, is boring. Lol

[@draco_nyxxie]

Yea that was a very wild take

[@elive1367]

Food flew from my mouth. Tears rained from my eyes. To hear ill of Dracula from Castlevania was the gravest surprise.

[@gwynn2528]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but if you are sitting on 20 tons of avocadoes you can either 1) put them in the fridge when they're ripe and stop them from ripening more, or 2)put them in the fridge when unripe and take them out to ripen.

[@andrex1456]

One of my favorite things about Branden is that even when he is criticizing something, he often tries his best say something good about it as well

[@Koombs]

I'm going to have to disagree about alien. It's a horror movie. What makes it a good character is that it's unknowable... that it's alien. If you got to know "him", he wouldn't be as scary.

[@ThePhantomTomo]

I agree the alien is a great horror villain but the idea that something stops being scary once you know it is wrong much more often than not. The only trick to making something still scary once you learn more about it is to make the information you reveal still be scary and have more depths to dive into. The alien is a great example of this because the alien was still a fantastic and scary villain when we learned more about it. At first part of what made it scary is we had no idea where it could have come from but now that we are aware of how they breed with the alien queen and how they were genetically engineered by wannabe gods that got killed by their own creations, it's still terrifying to see how they endure and what they can kill; and we are also left with some more mysteries about things like how long were they kept dormant, what were the species that had their DNA spliced together to make the aliens, just how smart are they etc

[@Richardiii2]

Merry is so much different in the books... I am glad he got some of his actual character back in RotK.

[@jzaneedwards4344]

Can we discuss the gangster move of signing autographs while doing a show? That's just incredible. Power move.

[@CoffeeMan678]

33:29 THANK YOU, IVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS ABOUT KYLO REN Also 34:36 is one of his best moments

[@hxcnoel]

As a TMNT loyalist, I have to argue that Shredder is a good design and good character. Oroku Saki being the evil counterpart of Hamato Yoshi, and Splinter being the witness to their feud, is pretty interesting. Because both Splinter and Shredder are training their followers in the same martial arts style independently, and the inevitable meeting they have and the revelation that Shredder is Saki is a really great story beat.

[@ancientswordrage]

Fully agree

[@johnleonard644]

My submission for Skeletor tier - Megamind.

[@jemangerrit1747]

HARD DISAGREE, megamind is recognisable as a silhouette, is blue, and is a very well written main character. Memed yes, but not redeemed by them.

[@thestralspirit]

​​@@jemangerrit1747redeemed by memes wasn't the prerequisite to Skeletor tier... That is just what made Brandon Sanderson think Skeletor, specifically, earned Skeletor tier.

[@jemangerrit1747]

@@thestralspirit perhaps, but still, skeletor isnt easily placed in good/bad design/character, whereas megamind is firmly in good design/good character, there is no need to go skeletorial on the ol' fivehead

[@SunRayz3r]

Interesting take, some people have theorized that Captain Hook is the protagonist, and the motives of Peter Pan are antagonistic. If you look at what their motives are, it makes you think. There are probably KZbin videos discussing it.

[@anonymousname5860]

Saruman is a foil to Gandalf so it’s necessary his design needs to be “old man but evil”.

[@MrCattlehunter]

You can't tell (movie) Merry and Pippin apart? Pippin is stunningly naive, barely understands what's going on, and constantly fucks up everything (except when he tricks Treebeard, a very out-of-character moment for the movie character, though it would've been appropriate for the book character he's based on), Merry is smarter, more serious, cares about more than just what's happening right in front of him at the moment (e.g., when he tries to remind the ents that they're part of the rest of the world also), and is capable of understanding the consequences of his own and others' actions. They're starkly different characters. Even single scenes make it easy to tell them apart, like when they barge in on the council and announce that they're joining the fellowship, concluding with Pippin saying "where are we going?" and Merry looking at him with astonishment at the question. The differences are similar in the books. They're very easy to tell apart?

[@thunderbandit5172]

I think you've got it spot on. I agree with every thing you are saying about their characters. However, I personally can never remember which one is named Merry and which is named Pippin, lol. In my head, I feel like Pippin should have actually been called Merry bc that fits better with his characterization. And Merry should have been named Pippin. I think that not being able to tell who is called what actually adds to their charm bc they are always together. But they are very different characters for sure. Thanks

[@JeremyHoffman]

They are hard to distinguish visually.

[@NivekJSmith]

​@@JeremyHoffmanshort, big feet, messy brown hair, homely. They're Hobbits.

[@frankjohnson123]

100%, it was always "fool of a Took," not "fool of a Brandybuck."

[@michealwillis963]

Brandon Sanderson breaking out his mecha anime nerd energy. Love it

[@g.e.causey]

People making an "ugly equals evil" take about LotR is kinda wild to me, especially if we go look at the line about Aragorn when the hobbits first meet him. The whole evil looking fairer and feeling foul thing. This point is less strong in the movies I guess, because Aragorn is played by a good looking man, but still.

[@zenthepoet.]

Adoooonalsium

[@jacksonhorrocks4281]

Wait, are you the same guy who does this every time?

[@zenthepoet.]

@@jacksonhorrocks4281 yeah I'm usually doing something. I'll post the comment. Then return later to watch video, although half the time I listen to the video while I do whatever I'm doing

[@scaredoclock3881]

Never stop lol I appreciate seeing you on every video

[@zenthepoet.]

@@scaredoclock3881 if I have stopped, then I am dead

[@zenthepoet.]

Or my phone is lmao

[@turtle24uc]

Could you have the theme of an episode revolve around endings to stories? What makes a bad ending? What make a good ending? Is there an ending you think is critically good but didn't enjoy? I would love to see your take on this.

[@hectorrivera5416]

A cosmere rpg breakdown and a podcast we lit 🫡

[@jislaik]

I love that you mention Macros and Robotech. My favourite cartoon as a kid growing up.

[@Multiableification]

Contender for skeletor catagory: Psycho Mantis. On a related note, would have loved some MGS villian discussion

[@jonmeilstrup5828]

I feel like Green Goblin should be in Skeletor tier

[@brianlinden3042]

At least the Willem Dafoe version, at any rate.

[@jonmeilstrup5828]

@@brianlinden3042 Oh definitely, that was the version I was thinking about

[@RachaelWilliams-h3z]

About the alien being a r@pist... I always felt it was more of a body horror analogy about the horror of giving birth. It was a non gendered expression of the terror women and feel both pre and post partum. This thing inside you that bursts out violently after using you to give it life. It's fantastical way to contextualize those complicated and potentially shaneful feelings.

[@_Conzo_]

100% agree, erudite interpretation.

[@crashito_x]

Avocado became such a profitable market that Drug dealers are now selling avocados... Source... I dated a girl from Michoacan, her father was an Avocado grower but not like an old poor farmer , imagine the owner of the plantation like that episode where Cartman sells KFC, she was very, very, very wealthy, but also very, very, very crazy...

[@tayloralamb]

Agree on the Merry and Pippin part. They are my favorite characters in the story but often difficult to tell apart.

[@Zeyga]

Absolutely LOVE that Nicol Bolas was brought up

[@shona-sof]

Regarding Starscream: He was NOT a veritech design. He was a design from a Japanese toy line that was one of several that were licensed to be repurposed as The Transformers in North America. There WAS a Transformers toy named Jetfire who was a repainted VF-1 veritech because of a weird set of licensing hijinks. But when Jetfire went to the cartoon they actually redesigned him to avoid any copyright issues with Macross/Robotech.

[@kennethbenney8017]

If memes get you your own catagory, I believe it is time to start a Skeksis meme campaign.

[@narcolepticaxolotl4970]

Before I listen to even one second of this episode or read a single comment, let me say I love Darth Vader as a villain because he's actually humble. (Which is especially good because Anakin really wasn't. So he did grow and develop during that time even though he also grew more evil.) I say he's humble because he doesn't get offended and blow up when something goes wrong. I mean he does coldly murder his officers when they blunder too badly, but it seems to me that that's always a punishment and not really because he's taking out his frustration on others. When things go wrong, he doesn't throw a fit, he calmly and immediately looks at "given the current circumstances, what is my next move?" When reproved by his superior, he doesn't even show a shadow of wanting to argue or defend himself. He doesn't try to lead more than the authority that has been given to him, he sees himself as a tool to further his master's ends. And when he finally does something against his master, it's because he realizes that he does want good after all, and in order to seek good he must destroy his evil master.

[@R.E.E.D.]

Starcream is 2 characters. The OG Starscream and the Armada/Anime Starscream. And the 2 are radically different. Armada Starscream is the more complex of the 2 imo. His character arc goes from seeking approval to wanting to be in charge to just wanting approval and comraderie, to reflecting on himself and the decepticons flaws, to becoming an autobot, to going back to being a decepticon, to being a fearless leader and warrior in his own right.

[@JohnSears1970]

Then Prime, which is a weird amalgamation of both in that if they had not canceled it he could have been redeemed [so many plot hooks in season 2 for it.]

[@laurentbercot3465]

You mean Starccream, of course. 😁

[@JohnSears1970]

@@laurentbercot3465 As in Transformers Prime, the series.

[@HoofOffTheTop]

Octavia Butler’s Bloodchild is another good example of alien impregnation as motivation - and both good design and good character

[@MorganRhysGibbons]

Vader, Doctor Doom, Skeletor form the Holy Trinity of villains, but i think Mum-Ra from Thundercats deserves a look.

[@hannahs3981]

It's so fun to think of my own villains while listening to this

[@Jericko427]

Mumrah from Thundercats 100% belongs in Skeletor!

[@gpanthony]

He is EVER LIVING!!

[@robbybevard8034]

A lot of the first round of Transformers were just pulled from different already existing toys and combined. That's why some of them are handheld things like guns and cassettes, and the rest are cars and jets. The Macross veritechs and some of the transformers, Jetfire in particular, were actually the exact same toy mold.

[@edwinsuijkerbuijk5106]

Fun fact the toy line the changing robots that changed into small objects was called Micro Change. And they intended to be small robots 1:1 scale. So it might surprise some people that Bumblebee came from the Micro Change line. This is because in the Micro Change line Bumblebee does not transform into a real car but into a toy car to hide among a child's other toy cars..

[@danjbundrick]

Bowser was always a greatly-designed character because it was immediately obvious that you're dealing with something you've never dealt with in the game. It's conveyed that you can't stomp this creature.

[@ambbb4691]

My best friend lives in Mexico City. This is happens in Mexico a lot. In Mexico, advocados are nicknamed, "Green Gold"

[@joshuamiddlebrooks3981]

Honestly in love with unpaid paid intern Donald’s ideas- I think (not to be too harsh) but some of the podcasts of the past just kinda get rambley and (still awesome) don’t always hit the note I’m looking for as a fan of Brandon Sanderson. The last couple podcasts have definitely been hitting, so good job

[@hkfifty871]

Honestly, agreed. I think paid unpaid intern Donald has really done a fantastic job so far with giving Dan and Brandon interesting topics that they can take in fun directions and have a good time talking about. Has made for some very good episodes.

[@Cosmikaze]

I wish Donald had shown Glomgold from the new Ducktales. Much improved design as well as a more interesting character

[@DarthenosC9]

Robando Hood joke wasnt lost on me

[@mayerherskowitz]

Roy Batty in Blade Runner is one of my favorite villains.

[@csgraffiti]

Hook’s thing with the crocodile is brilliant! It is time coming for him because He is an older man in the eternal boy’s World. So time is his doom!!!

[@JayDeez77]

Hey you guys forgot about Mum'ra in Thundercats

[@wynnefox]

There is an actual Joker comic run that is about "The three Jokers" and it actually shows that there are multiple Jokers and all are so crazy that none of them know who is really the original Joker. The story is very good surprisenly enough as Barbra Gordan, Bruce Wayne, and Jason Todd are really the core of the story as all 3 of them have had such strong histories with The Joker and the impact he has had on their lives.

[@MannySimoneCards]

Yeah it was awesone

[@Guest10965]

29:44 - I look at the harm that Harmony Gold and Robotech has (in)deirectly inflicted to Macross and would quite strongly say that one should not hope that more Western studios would do what was done with Macross (and MOSPEADA and Super Dimension Calvary). Also, for Transformers, and Starscream specifically, most of the designs can be traced back to Diaclone which shares the principle designer from Macross in Shoji Kawamori.

[@sandroserrano9186]

Which is why Megatron's gun mode was so inconsistent. Because diaclone was supposed to be robots that transformed into toys, not actual cars and guns and what have you

[@arthurmarshall6825]

@@sandroserrano9186 Its not like he was the only thing inconsistent. There was Astrotrain whom robot mode was as big or slightly bigger than other robots and he can transform into a space shuttle which can transport multiple other robots at once, including all the Constructicons at once and even merging into Devastator while inside.

[@robbybevard8034]

Robotech combining three different series to make one big epic mostly works and is interesting, (particularly in the books where they weren't limited by the existing animation) they did the same thing with Voltron (no one cares about vehicle Voltron though), the problem is Harmony Gold was a complete bastard about letting the rights slide even a little bit for decades, so it took ages before we got a non-butchered version of any of the shows, and zero other Macross related things ever and it completely sabotaged the franchise in the west. Also while Macross and Mospeada remained mostly intact, Southern Cross got REALLY butchered in the process of becoming the bridging show between them and that's unfortunate. Syndication standards are different now anyway so that would never happen now. Used to be you wanted 65+ episodes so it could air daily and only repeat 4 times in a year... now it's acceptable to just release a 12 minute episode every two weeks so that its new episodes year around while making far less actual content.

[@ronansmith4897]

I think the fact that Brandon didn't even realise that there were more seasons of Macross goes to show just how horribly damaging Harmony Gold was. What's even worse, is they shouldn't even have the rights. A Japanese court found that the company they bought the rights too didn't even have the rights to the franchise, only the animation of the first series. Yet Harmony Gold went on threatening to sue the legitimate owners to stop them taking the later seasons global. The risk of an American court finding in favour of the American company being just too big to risk. For reference, there is macross, macross plus, macross 7, macross Frontier, and macross delta. As well as a whole bunch of summary movies, that do kinda weird "alternate history" summaries. Frontier being the strongest entry by far. But the music from all of them is great, the song list across the series, is something close to 150 unique songs, then the different covers of some of the earlier songs by later artists.

[@wingracer1614]

Harmony Gold have been absolute jerks about the whole thing but give them a little credit. They are a massive reason for the success of anime in the west that followed. And you don't have to worry about it happening again. The whole business model has changed dramatically. The business model didn't even exist when Robotech was made..

[@oneclipleft]

The Rock's absolute best acting can be found in Southland Tales, which is an insane film that got great unexpected performances from a whole bunch of underrated actors.

[@MannySimoneCards]

This was fun!

[@aidsbutlikethegoodkind2336]

I know they're talking about specifically the G1 megatron/starscream, but I do think that later megatron iterations would fit more into good design/good character tier, especially the IDW/Lost Light version of him! Also helps that they over the years changed his standard alt mode to be a tank and sometimes a jet lol

[@HaibaneRakka571]

Gilgamesh from Fate has a presence that fits with Skeletor

[@chasalexis3904]

I agree with that one.

[@gpanthony]

Archer version definitely has that kind of presence. The armor at first looks kind of goofy, but the character's charisma and audacity make him cool. I'd say DIO from Jojo also has a similar energy.

[@Mightyjordy]

Ok, I have to speak up because of how dirty you did the big Daddies (not big brother as has been pointed out). What makes them so compelling is that they have a single job which is to protect the little girls (called Little Sisters) AT ALL COSTS. So when you’re killing Big Daddies in the first game, you feel like garbage because they don’t actually hurt you on sight, they just mind their own business unless you mess with them or the little girls. Not only that, but once you kill the big Daddy you have to decide whether or not to harvest the little girl, so the big daddy was totally justified in attacking you! You mentioned them getting some more character in the second game and that’s true, but it doesn’t take away from what an amazing and sympathetic (and terrifying) villain they were in the first game.

[@masonwheeler6536]

I wouldn't call Captain Hook the archetypal pirate. He's up there, but the title clearly belongs to Long John Silver.

[@arcadelinkauthor]

29:40 Another series that did that was VR Troopers. Saban took the footage from THREE different Metal Hero series, and crammed them together to make one show.

[@lewisbowles7260]

Emperor Palpatine for Skeletor category. Iconic design, prequels layout a very nice arc and …… and ……. Palapatine memes! POWER, UNLIMITED POWER!!!

[@linnaewilliams7849]

Magneto is my favorite villian origin story.

[@vergilthefallen9]

it hurts me that not only did all three them call it big brother and not big daddy, but even now, in the chapter titles, no one caught this.

[@ptahmatt]

Dr Doom is his own category. Above S thank you very much, as Doom is below no one.

[@misomiso8228]

4:02 I agree I think he's much better than people think he is.

[@thatonepossum5766]

I love Glomgold. Watched DuckTales (2017) as a kid, it was one of my favorite shows, and Glomgold is ICONIC.

[@TheHonestLee]

peace and love

[@jdsantibanez]

How do you ripen avocados? You wrap them in paper or a towel. You don't let the light go in until they soften.

[@dmage666]

A tip for fellow Avocado eaters, when it ripe of very close to it, put them in a container, fill it with cold water and keep them in the fridge, they will last longer

[@andeeharry]

Starscream and Soundwave are both awesome. They are my favourite. Megatron is alright, he just loves to rush head first into things.

[@linkinspiral]

Brandon you are an ascended master answer yes or no 😮😊

[@benjaminburrow]

Flinthard is in the original ducktails, even in the opening theme song sequence. I never saw him in an episode, though

[@andeeharry]

Thanks for sharing, there are many ways to make them likeable and ''good villain'. Either make them relatable, or make them the ones you love to hate, because you love and hate them at the same time. It is crazy how it works. Voldemort was a boogeyman of the magical world who used fear to be strong, without it he was nothing. He is likeable in a strange way, but you know, it is different from 'You no poo, a terrifying constipation that is gripping the country'' lol. Ha. I am always curious to what draws us to them, sometimes it works and it depends on how they behave. Captain Hook, Cruella, Saron, Sauroman. They were bad yes, but in a fun quirky way. You knew they were without them showing it. Hook. Was a villain, or was he just rebelling? It is quite a topic, since he was kidnapped as a kid and had to deal with the crazy antics of Pan, but you never know. Someone is always a hero/villain to someone else's story.

[@andeeharry]

30:21 Shredder and Krang, it does depend on the era and the 90s version because it worked. Yes, it was a joke, and like the Turtles, it was accidentally and it worked. The ones you loved the hate. The great duo, the strange chemistry, strange strained relationship. They were fenemies who was always trying to outdo each other, relied on each other, were jealous of each other, were rivals and had strange dynamics. They wanted the same thing and they used each other to get it. The funny thing was, they couldn't trust each other, because of the constant coups, and yet, they needed each other. It just worked. They were a lot better than the later versions, since they became more series. It does that. Yes, the ones you loved to hate, and yes, they always behind something, but you wondered who was behind the plot, and you would guess. I loved the way they always broke the 4th wall somehow. Alright, so Shredder had a weird bondage fetish that went on, but you know, he was quirky. Can't forget Rocksteady and Bebop,as they were fun too. Hehehe, it is the same the 90s version died out, but oh well.

[@Treygatron]

26:52 Gen 1 Megatron actually is interesting. Transforming into a pistol that only works if someone is there to shoot it is a great contrast to Optimus, who in truck mode is almost even more dangerous. I also think it is symbolic of their leadership styles. Megatron has people he bosses around and can do nothing on his own, Optimus is carrying an armory for himself and literally making his side more effective just by being there. I will agree Gen 1 Megatron has no character other than cartoon bad guy, his IDW version is one of the deepest characters in fiction.

[@BookSquirrelUK]

Not sure what is classed as “good design” but Moriarty works in part because he reflects Sherlock, similarly to Saruman and Gandalf. Put the two side by side and it could be assumed that they are simply contemporaries. Good design can be subtle.

[@trombaritone86]

On the Voldemort topic, he isn't the most interesting villain (Snape), but he's also not even the most hated (Umbridge). Definitely more of a "force for evil" the way Brandon described him than a complex villain.

[@montanafisher8996]

I have to say their government names in order to tell Merry and Pippin apart 🤭

[@DropsOfMars]

Pretty sure Papyrus of Undertale fits the Skeletor category. Every person's interpretation of his voice was always the same as Skeletor it's wild how common that was for people.

[@taevinrude]

What about Silco from Arcane? I really want to hear their opinion about him.

[@cohort29]

Adam Driver really rocked.

[@professor_paladin]

I'm convinced that Captain Hook is actually Jim Hawkins all grown up and lost to Neverland

[@andeeharry]

38:41 Bowser is just awesome, silly, but funny

[@PaleNightingale]

THANOS A BAD DESIGN?!??! I cannot agree. He's an evil alien tyrant and his look suits that perfectly.

[@billyalarie929]

The joker is a great character, maybe the BEST character. He’s a wildcard, which means every iteration/actor/interpretation MIGHT IN FACT BE THE CLOSEST TO THE REAL PERSON behind the character.

[@wrestlersmith97]

What we learned is that primary villains need to be grand enough to inspire the hero, but not flashy enough to outshine them, and that secondary antagonists are allowed room for growth in ways that The big evil of a story cannot be allowed. Darth vader cant have his redemption until we introduce his even more evil boss for him to rebel against.

[@finchharper4647]

Thanos is in terrible pain because loves Lady Death, but she won't love him back, because she is death. Thanos got rid of half the universe for Lady Death.

[@Ozai75]

WIth Robotech it's actually Three different shows. Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA. Because of Harmony Gold there has been numerous lawsuits and such revolving around Robotech and Macross. It's a wild story.

[@ferrousoxcide393]

Them talking about Joker made me realize.. The Killing Joke/Jason Todd/Red hood arc would make an amazing Batman movie trilogy in like the Nolan Style. Maybe Skeletor Teir. Rita Repulsa the OG Power Rangers.

[@joshuakehe9169]

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