History Main / JerksAreWorseThanVillains

* ''VisualNovel/ClassOf09'': Surprisingly averted. The only reason it's even ''remotely'' possible to root for Nicole is because of how many people she gets involved with who are leagues worse than her and the fact that her cynical worldview actually seems entirely correct in the world the game takes place in.

* ''WebVideo/NightmareTime'' episode ''Honey Queen'' pits [[RichBitch Linda Monroe]], argurably most direct villain of ''Theatre/BlackFriday'' and Zoey, a self-grandising minor character from ''Theatre/TheGuyWhoDidntLikeMusicals'', against each other. While [[BlackAndGrayMorality both of them scheme their way into winning]] Honey Queen Beauty Pageant, the audience gradually comes to side with Linda, despite her role as a HateSink of ''Franchise/{{Hatchetfield}}'', and her, equally as bad, husband Gerard, over Zoey and her boyfriend [[DirtyCop Sam]]. [[spoiler: However, this trope is subverted. The reason people come to side with Linda over Zoey is that, as petty and manipulative as Linda's actions may be, she's merely the jerk of the story. Meanwhile Zoey and Sam aren't afraid to stoop so low as to murder and kidnapping to get what they want, making them true villains.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': All of the villains in the movie are very enjoyable for many reasons (Jack Horner for being LaughablyEvil, Goldilocks and the Bears for their complex relationship and Death due to EvilIsCool. The one character people can despise is the Governor of Del-Mar at the beginning and end of the movie for his jerk-like treatment of everyone around him.

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': JerksAreWorseThanVillains: All of the villains in the movie are very enjoyable for many reasons (Jack Horner for being LaughablyEvil, Goldilocks and the Bears for their complex relationship and Death due to EvilIsCool. The one character people can despise is the Governor of Del-Mar at the beginning and end of the movie for his jerk-like treatment of everyone around him.

Note that the 'villain' in question can also include the highest caliber of heinous evil villain, the CompleteMonster, making it somewhat more acceptable in the audience's eyes rather than those mundane jerks. It's also possible that both tropes can cross with each other: When a CompleteMonster accidentally becomes known less for their large scale heinousness, but for [[EvilIsPetty the mundane yet petty things they committed]] against the heroes or their own subordinates.

A DesignatedHero is likely to fall under this trope. Often leading to cases of RootingForTheEmpire.

* ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'': The title character's father, Buck Cluck, wants to do right by his son, yet is guilty of continuous ParentalNeglect as his son suffers from AllOfTheOtherReindeer. Even though the actual antagonists are aliens causing havoc on Earth, they didn't really have any bad intentions; they were just looking for Kirby. Many fans see Buck as a detestable AbusiveParent. Buck himself acknowledges his mistakes and actually apologizes for them [[CallingTheOldManOut when his son finally calls him out]].

** VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony: Even despite the fairly controversial reveal of him being a SerialKiller that murdered nearly a hundred people to give his dead sister friends in the afterlife, Korekiyo Shinguji still has a significant number of fans that adore him either for his charismatic personality, unique design or unusual method of murder that became a meme among the fanbase. Korekiyo's aforementioned dead sister, however, is near-universally reviled by the fandom despite not committing any murders herself and (by WordOfGod) being outright disgusted with her brother's actions, due to the heavy implications of her having been sexually abusive to him in life being a case of RealismInducedHorror to a lot of people.

* ''WebVideo/NightmareTime'' episode ''Honey Queen'' pits [[RichBitch Linda Monroe]], argurably most direct villain of ''Theatre/BlackFriday'' and Zoey, a self-grandising minor character from ''Theatre/TheGuyWhoDidntLikeMusicals''. While [[BlackAndGrayMorality both of them scheme their way into winning]] Honey Queen Beauty Pageant, the audience gradually comes to side with Linda, despite her role as a HateSink of ''Franchise/{{Hatchetfield}}'', and her, equally as bad, husband Gerard, over Zoey and her boyfriend [[DirtyCop Sam]]. [[spoiler: However, this trope is subverted. The reason people come to side with Linda over Zoey is that, petty and manipulative as Linda's actions may be, she's merely the jerk of the story, while Zoey and Sam, who aren't afraqid to stoop so low as to murder and kidnapping, making them true villains.]]

* The entire world of ''VisualNovel/MonsterProm'' runs on this logic. Every major character has murdered or at least recklessly endangered the lives of multiple people, and one of them is a genocidal dictator, but all of them are shocked and repulsed by acts of everyday rudeness. Vera, for example, is fine with slavery but takes a passionate moral stance against unpaid internships. Leonard is "merely" a petty, whiny jerk compared to everyone else, with some scenes used as allegory for him being transphobic, but nobody in or out of universe can stand him.

** The citizens of the Marvel Universe are known for being very mistrustful of superheroes, often to the point of violent hostility. It is not uncommon to see fans expressing hate for and disgust towards Marvel citizens regardless of whether or not their grievances with the heroes are justified. Villains with [[IrrationalHatred grudges]] against superheroes are treated with comparatively less contempt.