Line #28 Main/JerksAreWorseThanVillains


1	-> ''"Next he mentions various tactics to make the villains hate-able... [m]ostly he just mentions stuff like personal insults, killing off developed characters for petty reasons, generally being petty to people. It's a lot of small stuff. I think he's suggesting that grandiose acts of villainy tend to be too large in scale to solicit a significant emotional response from the audience due to lack of personal connection."''
2	-->-- '''The Baron''', ''WebAnimation/TerribleWritingAdvice'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=875UDp5stOo VILLAINS - Villainous Writing Advice]]"
3
4	Fiction is created for a wide variety of purposes, but it's safe to say that almost all fiction has one goal in mind: make the audience feel something. The audience knows that what they're experiencing isn't real, but [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief is willing to go along with it because they want to be entertained]]. If a work succeeds at this one thing, then it's accomplished at least that much. Of course, as this wiki has [[UnexpectedReactionsToThisIndex extensively documented]], the emotion that a work provokes isn't always necessarily the emotion that the creator had in mind.
5
6	One common unexpected reaction to fiction is that audiences tend to react with greater disdain to garden-variety {{Jerkass}} characters than they do to the BigBad of the story, even if the villain's deeds are far more heinous in nature and/or by comparison. The Big Bad may want to cripple the economy, rule with an iron fist, or destroy the world, yet the audience will show greater hatred for TheDragon or TheBully who only has a few scenes tripping the protagonist or [[KickTheDog kicking their dog]]. While this makes no sense from a rational perspective -- unsurprisingly, as cold facts often have little to do with how a person feels -- there are some rational explanations for this phenomenon.
7
8	The most plausible explanation is a difference in ''context''. Everyone has been affected by garden-variety jerks and bullies in one way or another. Thus, the audience can personally relate to the everyday cruelty of such people's fictional equivalents, which can make the audience actively dislike such characters. By contrast, many fictional villains, especially those from SpeculativeFiction, are committing acts of cruelty far beyond those of normal experience. An EvilSorcerer who is [[OmnicidalManiac out to destroy the world]] is [[SlidingScaleOfAntagonistVileness doing things much worse]] at [[SlidingScaleOfVillainThreat a grander scope]] than anything a [[TheBully schoolyard bully]] could possibly manage, but the Evil Sorcerer isn't and can't be real. The audience can understand that the villain is only there for our entertainment, whereas certain {{Jerkass}} characters don't have the same dissociation from RealLife.
9
10	There's also the fact that EvilIsCool; Jerkassery isn't cool. Villainous characters appeal to the desire to be rebellious and wild, or our [[ForbiddenFruit natural fascination with forbidden things]]. Creators often try to make their villains [[EvilIsCool cool]], badass, funny, charismatic, [[LargeHam full of ham and cheese]], audacious, perhaps even [[SexyVillainsChasteHeroes sexier than the heroes]], because an interesting or LikableVillain helps make a fun and interesting story. They also tend to have real goals and actually do things to attain them, often showing VillainousValour and other such EvilVirtues. Even when the audience ''does'' hate them, they [[LoveToHate love doing so]]. By contrast, Jerkasses typically lack the flair and charisma that makes the villain enjoyable or interesting as well as lacking any particular goals and just being assholes for no real reason, making them not only unpleasant and unlikable but also mundane and uninteresting.
11
12	Jerkasses are also distinct in that they're a very real type of person that can easily escalate to horrid, but mundane type of evil. Through their [[UngratefulBastard ungratefulness]] and [[EntitledBastard entitlement]], they can drive decent or heroic people into despair or misery through their banal form of cruelty. They can also [[CreateYourOwnVillain be the catalyst to more grandiose villains]] whether it be their bigotry and nastiness towards the future villain, or by directly influencing the villain's evil values.
13
14	Getting punished relates to this fate too; a jerk being a KarmaHoudini is just asking for audience vitriol. Because of their lower-scale evil and [[InherentInTheSystem the unfairness of society's systems]], there's not always a guarantee that they'll be held accountable, while a villain is far more likely to get their just deserts.
15
16	There are also storytelling devices that can depersonalize the main villain's evil. AMillionIsAStatistic means that the villain can do terrible things to countless people, but because the audience doesn't know anything about those people, they don't care. Conversely, a Jerkass being cruel to a character the audience knows and is emotionally invested draws a more significant emotional response. OffstageVillainy can cause this as well, as the villain doing terrible things out of sight is easy to dismiss or forget, while the Jerkass's deeds are more likely to be front-and-center.
17
18	Some tropes that help provide explanations for this include EvilIsCool and the stereotype that AllGirlsWantBadBoys (plus [[GenderFlip any applicable variations of that concept]]). All of these are merely expressions of the truism that rebellious, forbidden, and even dangerous things have their own appeal to people. The logical outcome for ''that'' concept, of course, is DracoInLeatherPants.
19
20	On the other hand, this can be combated by having the villain engage in bullying, jerkish behavior themselves: See EvilIsPetty. A Jerkass can avoid this fate typically by being funny enough for the comedy factor of PlayedForLaughs to come in. Of course being funny also works in a villain’s favor as well. See LaughablyEvil. Jerkasses that are fully developed and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold have redeeming factors to them alongside their Jerkass traits]] are usually exempt from this fate, too.
21
22	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 the fandom comes to believe that a CompleteMonster is more known for their [[EvilIsPetty mundane yet petty things they committed]] against the heroes or their own subordinates than their large-scale heinousness, which the narrative acknowledges to paint them as an irredeemable threat. In other words, the CompleteMonster becomes more scorned by the fandom for their {{Jerkass}} side than their heinous side.
23
24	Contrast JerkassDissonance, where jerks in fiction are actually more likeable than the ones in real life.
25
26	See also MoreHateableMinorVillain, an intentional example of this phenomenon where a more minor villain is meant to get more scorn than the larger villain or overall threat in the story, and RealismInducedHorror, a similar concept but with fear instead of hatred.
27
28	A DesignatedHero is likely to fall under this trope, often leading to cases of RootingForTheEmpire.
29
30	Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease It is not appropriate to discuss anything resembling real-life examples of this phenomenon on this site. Regardless of how you or others may personally feel, greasy public figures or the jerks in your personal life should not be argued to be worse than a genocidal dictator. Moreover, this is not the place to [[Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike grouse about characters you personally dislike]], or grouse about people who don’t like certain characters. This trope only discusses a verifiable phenomenon.
31	----
32	!!Example subpages:
33
34	[[index]]
35	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains/AnimeAndManga
36	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains/FanWorks
37	* [[JerksAreWorseThanVillains/LiveActionFilms Film — Live-Action]]
38	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains/LiveActionTV
39	** JerksAreWorseThanVillains/ColdCase
40	** JerksAreWorseThanVillains/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent
41	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains/VideoGames
42	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains/WesternAnimation
43	[[/index]]
44
45	!!Other examples:
46	[[foldercontrol]]
47	[[folder:Comic Books]]
48	* ComicBook/{{Crecy}}: The entire story can be off-putting for many readers because its main character, an English archer named William of Stonham, is a LowerClassLout who screams that the Welsh are subhuman ([[BlamingTheVictim and deserved to be conquered by the English]]) and that the French knights are the real monsters. Contrast that with the actual antagonists, said French knights, who are just trying to defend their countrymen as well as their country.
49	* Franchise/TheDCU:
50	** ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''
51	*** An InUniverse example of this trope occurs in ''ComicBook/ArkhamAsylumLivingHell'' regarding CorruptCorporateExecutive Warren White. After White [[WhiteCollarCrime embezzles the life savings and pensions]] of nearly every one of his company's clients, he decides to plead insanity to try to beat the rap, only for the furious judge to sentence him to [[BedlamHouse Arkham Asylum]] instead. He quickly becomes [[PariahPrisoner the most despised, reviled, and hated inmate in the place]]. Jeremiah Arkham, the head doctor, outright calls White "the worst person I've ever met"-- Arkham houses some of the deadliest mass murderers, sociopaths, serial killers, and outright inhuman monsters in all of fiction. One of those mass murderers--the Joker himself--also declares White the epitome of evil, remarking that "I didn't steal [victims'] kids' college funds." Never mind that the Joker has probably slaughtered a college campus's worth of people... Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that, while the other inmates of Arkham have committed deadlier crimes than White, they at least have the reasoning of actually being mad to fall back on; White, who is 100% sane, doesn't get that excuse. Also Jeremiah just got his retirement plan pushed back because of the embezzlement so he is stuck with the murderers and inhuman monsters because of White, and White does not even try apologizing.
52	*** Another ''Batman'' example comes from [[AnIcePerson Mr. Freeze's]] backstory: his former boss Ferris Boyle. Whereas Mr. Freeze (real name Victor Fries) was motivated to develop his cryogenic technology to save his [[TheLostLenore terminally ill wife Nora]], Boyle is a straight-up {{Jerkass}} who interfered with Victor's experiments and ended up turning him into the coldhearted monster he is today. Freeze's body count and crimes have long surpassed Boyle's singular action, but fans have a ton of sympathy for Victor and absolutely no love for Ferris.
53	*** Jason Todd, the second ComicBook/{{Robin}} and current ComicBook/RedHood was [[ReplacementScrappy hated]] for being violent, aggressive, and defiant of Batman's orders, aka things that every other member of the Batman family have been (albeit mostly not to the same extent). Fans actually cheered when he was [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily murdered by the Joker]], a villain whose crimes include [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke crippling Barbara Gordon and torturing her father]], and shooting Dick Grayson, the original and much more popular Robin, in the shoulder.
54	** ''Franchise/TheFlash''
55	*** Wally West's parents, Rudy and Mary West, were both utterly detestable and obnoxious people who treated Wally horribly throughout his entire life. Mary was emotionally abusive and smothering towards Wally as an adult by frequently guilting him into keeping all of his attention on her, while Rudy was physically abusive towards him when he was a child and later graduated to straddling the line of actual supervillainy as a ConMan when Wally became older. It's no wonder that Wally, and the fandom, preferred to think of his aunt Iris and her boyfriend Barry Allen as his surrogate parents.
56	*** Barry Allen fell under this heading after he was brought back from the dead during ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''. As a result of Reverse Flash altering Barry's past by killing his mother and framing his dad for it, Barry became defined by his mother's death. Unfortunately, his half-assed attempt to save his mom by using time travel not only shattered time itself and created the horrific ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}} world, his subsequent attempt to fix it led to the creation of the ComicBook/New52. Even with the roles Reverse Flash and later [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Doctor Manhattan]] had in these events, Barry gained a lot of hatred from fans due to his selfishness and stupidity throughout these incidents. He only came out looking like an even bigger jerk when he did next to nothing to fix his mistakes before making even ''worse'' ones (such as ''ComicBook/FlashWar'' and ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'') while offering empty apologies and looking sorry. Barry comes off as worse than his enemies because he's just as horrible and manipulative, yet he's supposed to be a good guy.
57	* The Franchise/MarvelUniverse:
58	** 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. This is ''especially'' apparent when it comes to their mistreatment of mutants in particular.
59	** Henry Peter Gyrich. The king of the ObstructiveBureaucrat, and a general all-around asshole to everyone and everything in his sight. Unlike the villains, he has no cool factor, and only one thing close to a redeeming feature, and never gets any real punishment for his behavior (even when he ''is'' a villain), escaping to sneer another day. [[spoiler:Until the events of ''S.W.O.R.D.'']]
60	** ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Reed Richards is a flawed but heroic man who often neglects his family, was responsible for getting his best friend turned into an orange rock monster, and has made a number of morally questionable choices, such as trying to take away his son Franklin's powers when he was a baby. Reed's ArchEnemy ComicBook/DoctorDoom is a petty, vindictive, murderous tyrant whose grudge against Reed is based on envy and a mistaken belief that Reed was responsible for scarring him. Despite being far worse than Reed and far less aware of his flaws, a segment of fans view Doom in a more sympathetic and heroic light than Reed.
61	** ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'': Despite the reveal that the Illuminati (Iron Man, Mr Fantastic, Blackbolt, and Dr. Strange) did not plant the bomb that killed the Hulk's wife, they are still hated by fans [[ComicBook/PlanetHulk for sending the Hulk into space in the first place]] and other stuff Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic did during the ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006'' event. Fans make less of a big deal over the loyalists of the Red King planting the bomb or even Meek, one of Hulk's new friends, keeping this information from the Hulk because he wanted the Hulk to become the World Breaker.
62	* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'': The first year has Metalhawk, who spends near all of his page time being a HolierThanThou jerkass, doing his best to undermine and insult Bumblebee, such as implying to a newcomer Bumblebee arranged the deaths of everyone on the ''Lost Light'' right in front of Bumblebee, then saying he did no such thing, while at the same time treating the Decepticons, who are a bunch of murderous psychoes and thugs, as mistreated victims. It's kind of satisfying when one of those Decepticons, Starscream, murders Metalhawk for political advantage. You really expect TheStarscream to be a total wad, and he is. But he never acts like it gives him (much of) a moral high ground.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
66	* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAsThePrincessAndThePauper'': Erika's [[BadBoss boss]], Madam Carp, has a grand total of ''zero'' redeemable or likable qualities, she treats poor Erika like a slave and verbally abuses her; meanwhile, the story's main villain, the Queen's advisor [[EvilChancellor Preminger]], at least has a number of over-the-top and comedic traits.
67	* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'': In the first half of the movie, the Beast (The AntiHero) imprisons Belle, which makes him a worse person than Gaston (the villain, who was harmless at first, and his obnoxiousness was PlayedForLaughs). However, in the second half of the movie, the Beast [[TookALevelInKindness learns to genuinely love Belle]], respecting her choices and letting her go, while [[NotSoHarmlessVillain Gaston]] turns into a StalkerWithACrush who blackmails Belle into marriage, even threatening to lock Belle's father in an insane asylum. There are still many fans who think of the Beast as a domestic abuser and Gaston as a LaughablyEvil guy who is a saint compared to him, completely overlooking Gaston's villainous actions in the second part of the movie.
68	* ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'': Many people dislike the ant colony (bar Dot) for being such nasty, hypocritical jerks towards Flik, exiling him for his ruse even though they set him up ''first'' simply to get him out of their way. Hopper, on the other hand, is considered to be quite a memorable villain, even though he goes as far as [[WouldHurtAChild almost feeding Dot to Thumper]] and strangling Flik to near-death in the climax.
69	* ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'':
70	** The title character's father, Buck Cluck, wants to do right by his son, yet he 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]].
71	** Special mention goes to the general population of Oakey Oaks in general, as they are the ones who pulled an AllOfTheOtherReindeer on Chicken Little all because he rang the bell that caused them to go into a panic, ignoring the fact that most of the destruction that was blamed on Chicken Little was caused by their own recklessness when dealing with the situation.
72	* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'': Vector is a smug, egotistical asshole who kidnaps the girls solely to spite Gru, but his wacky antics as well as his incompetence make him outright impossible to hate. Likewise, while there isn't much to talk about Mr. Perkins, the owner of the Bank of Evil [[spoiler:and Vector's father]], he's more of a StraightMan than anything; his reasons for not wanting to fund Gru's schemes are understandable. [[EvilOrphanageLady Miss Hattie]], on the other hand, is the most repugnant character in the film due to her callous nature (especially where the girls are concerned) and ending up a KarmaHoudini.
73	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'': One of the main reasons Alma Madrigal has quickly become a BaseBreakingCharacter and RonTheDeathEater is because she reminds viewers so much of their own neglectful relatives with ControlFreak tendencies. Abuela not only put unrealistic pressures on her family for decades, but she also cherished their gifts over their well-being and treats as [[TheUnfavorite The Unfavorites]] those who mar her vision of perfection, [[ParentalNeglect including her only son]]. This, combined with the fact that the conflict Abuela caused in the movie hit close to home for viewers who grew up with similar strict parental figures and suffer from great pressure because of it, meant that even though Alma gets her family's sympathy in the end, she doesn't get any sympathy from almost anyone in the audience. By contrast, the faceless Horsemen, despite being the closest thing the film has to a villain and being remorseless killers, don't nearly get as much hate due to being a OneSceneWonder.
74	* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': Syndrome is a LaughablyEvil PsychopathicManchild whose hamminess makes him quite memorable and entertaining to watch, even as he commits heinous acts such as murdering dozens of superheroes or trying to abduct a toddler. Gilbert Huph, meanwhile, is shown to be a despicable CorruptCorporateExecutive who encourages his employees to avoid helping clients with their insurance claims to ensure low payouts and high profits for the stockholders. He shows a total LackOfEmpathy towards a mugging occurring right outside his window and threatens to fire Bob if the latter tries to intervene. Many audience members were quite satisfied when Bob threw him through several walls.
75	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'': In the first film, Cera exemplifies this along with BaseBreakingCharacter. Despite being the deuteragonist, Cera shows almost nothing but antagonistic behavior and reprehensible qualities towards the main characters. [[BigBad Sharptooth]] is undoubtedly the main antagonist and a bigger threat overall to the cast, but it can be (and has been) argued by fans (and by Creator/DonBluth himself, no less) that his villainy is because of the food chain and only acts as such out of survival.[[note]]Although the original scriptwriter intended for Sharptooth to be more villainously AxCrazy, which is [[AdaptationalVillainy reflected in the film's novelization.]][[/note]] Cera doesn't get that excuse: she not only openly intimidates, physically hurts, and insults the others (especially Littlefoot), but she even stoops so low as to [[UngratefulBitch insult Littlefoot's mother, who was killed trying to save the both of them]], and leave Ducky, Petrie, and Spike to their deaths in [[LethalLavaLand the Mountains That Burn]]. In response to criticism about her character, the sequels [[TookALevelInKindness greatly toned down Cera's less-than-savory traits]], making her more of a short-tempered, bossy, yet loyal and caring JerkWithAHeartOfGold who always helps her friends when they're in danger.
76	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'': Chi-Fu is such a [[StrawMisogynist misogynistic]], [[{{Jerkass}} obnoxious]], ObstructiveBureaucrat and [[DirtyCoward sniveling fraidy-cat]] that you would end up hating him more than the actual villain (who shows zero misogyny towards Mulan), who burns down several villages during his conquest of China and is heavily implied to kill the civilians he comes across (including children). Chi-Fu is so pompous and [[UngratefulBastard ungrateful]] that even in-universe, [[HatedByAll nobody can stand him.]] Even the Emperor detests him so much that after [[spoiler: Mulan saves China from the Huns,]] he offers Mulan Chi-Fu's job when the latter states there are no other positions open. His absence in the sequel would suggest the Emperor fired him anyway despite Mulan turning down his offer.
77	* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Many people see Elliot as a terrible friend to Boog and a bad character in general, as, despite his claims that [[IJustWantToHaveFriends he only wants to be friends with Boog]], his actions still got him separated from his loving owner, Beth, among other things. Shaw, meanwhile, gets a lot of praise from fans for being an [[LoveToHate entertaining villain]], having so many [[LaughablyEvil hilarious moments]], [[TakeThatScrappy targeting Elliot]], and displaying a significant amount of VillainousValour. This is also the case in ''Scared Silly'', where Elliot's negative qualities are {{Flanderized}}, while Shaw gets even ''more'' funny bits and shows his valour once again, up to and including [[spoiler:going one-on-one with Boog, a grizzly bear, even after his gun is destroyed]] in the climax.
78	* ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'': The title character is supposed to be the embodiment of a cocky and impulsive kid who can be unintentionally cruel but ultimately is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, and the Disney version toned down some of his more questionable traits from the books. To many fans, however, he's still much worse than the BigBad Captain Hook, even if the latter is an evil pirate who WouldHurtAChild (even innocent children, not just Peter himself) and casually kills his own men for random reasons. Since Captain Hook is portrayed as a LaughablyEvil loser, fans find him more pitiable than anything.
79	%%* ''WesternAnimation/PocahontasIIJourneyToANewWorld'': Even though he's in this movie for less than a minute, you may despise this background character more than the main villain. After Pocahontas saves the life of this English settler, he calls her a "[[FantasticRacism bloody savage]]" and knocks her to the ground [[UngratefulBastard instead of thanking her]]. He nearly started an uproar between the Powhatans and the settlers. The worst part is that he was [[KarmaHoudini never punished for being a jerk to Pocahontas]].
80	* ''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.
81	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Robots}}'': It's near impossible to hate the villains, Ratchet and Madame Gasket, due to their comedic traits and their somewhat endearing, if smothering, dynamics. Compare that to Rodney and Herb's [[MeanBoss boss]], Mr. Gunk, who is a short-tempered bully. Tim, the security guard, also qualifies, forbidding Rodney to see Bigweld and laughing at him when he gets magnetized.
82	* ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'': Despite being the main protagonist and being intended as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, [[DesignatedHero Oscar]] is near-unanimously hated for his constant lying, general insensitivity towards [[OnlyFriend Angie]] and his stupidity leading him to make reckless decisions (see: selling Angie's [[TragicKeepsake prized heirloom]] and betting the money on a seahorse race which the horse he bets on ends up losing). The BigBad, fish-eating mob boss [[TheDon Don Lino]] is viewed in a much more sympathetic light by comparison due to his [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes love for his sons]] and his motivations revolving around [[PapaWolf avenging the death of one of them]], while villainous GoldDigger Lola earned some love in the fandom by being played for {{Fanservice}} despite (or perhaps even because of) constantly abusing Oscar during their short-lived relationship.
83	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'':
84	** It's near impossible to hate [[LaughablyEvil Bowser]], considering just how likable he is and a hopeless romantic to boot. [[MeanBoss Foreman Spike]], on the other hand, was just a downright petty jerk to the Mario Brothers simply because they left ''his'' business to start their own; calling them childish names, mocking their commercial and writing a one-star review on their business website (when they were still waiting on their first customers) just out of pure spite. Even before [[spoiler:the climax]], he nearly accidentally hits Mario with his car, and Spike tries to beat him up over it despite Mario never even touching it. [[spoiler:Naturally, most people were happy to see Bowser’s goons beat him up before Luigi, the one whom he picked on the most, saves him. Thankfully, he semi-redeems himself by showing he is grateful to the both of them for saving his life and leads the people of Brooklyn in cheering for the brothers]].
85	** [[BewareOfViciousDog Francis the Dog]] counts for being a petty jerk who ruins the brothers' first plumbing job, [[DisproportionateRetribution all because Luigi accidentally stepped on his favorite bone.]] While he eventually drops his grudge after the Mario Bros [[spoiler:save Brooklyn,]] it looks more like he begrudgingly does it rather than being genuine (unless it's meant to be a look of respect).
86	* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': King Candy/[[spoiler:Turbo]] is a self-absorbed [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who not only [[WouldHurtAChild deliberately ruins the life of a child]] for sake of his ego but also attempts to ''murder'' said child when the chips are down. However, he manages to stand out for both his [[LaughablyEvil childish antics]] and his [[EvilIsHammy hamminess]], the latter of which is especially shown when [[spoiler:he becomes a OneWingedAngel]] at the climax. Meanwhile, the Nicelanders (Gene in particular) are simply a bunch of unlikable jerks who treat Ralph like crap, even when he actually tries to make a first impression on them.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Literature]]
90	* ''{{Literature/Atonement}}'''s readers ''really'' hate Briony or view her as the nastiest character, considering she ruins several lives because of her FalseRapeAccusation. Except for the most part, Briony was a naïve twelve-year-old who misunderstood a situation that the adults around her didn't explain very well - and she was driven to help her cousin after she was raped. World War II broke out shortly after this, meaning her sister and her lover (who was falsely named as the culprit) likely would have been separated anyway. Marshall the actual rapist and Lola, the victim who allowed Robbie to go to prison knowing he wasn't guilty, get less hate from fans - presumably because they're side characters and it's unknown what happens to them. The reader meanwhile knows that [[spoiler: Robbie and Cecilia never get to be together because of the war, and Briony grows up to have a family and can only atone by writing a fake happy ending for them in her book]].
91	* In ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', Scrooge never does anything criminal or particularly unethical in his business practices, he's just a stingy and uncaring man. Nevertheless, there's little sympathy for Scrooge or anger towards actual criminals when (in the reveal of his future) his cleaning woman and undertaker steal his belongings and pawn them to Old Joe, a crooked fence.
92	* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'':
93	** [[SadistTeacher Dolores Jane Umbridge]] is perhaps one of the best-known examples of this trope, maybe even the modern TropeCodifier. Lord Voldemort, the BigBad of the series, is a genocidal maniac who's [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Wizard Hitler]], responsible for the death and torture of thousands. Umbridge, however, has nothing to do with Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but is far more hated by fans because she's a tyrannical and abusive school teacher and administrator. A lot of it has to do with the fact that many in the audience are more likely to know someone like Umbridge than they are to know a fanatical supremacist like Voldemort.
94	*** Initially this was made an explicit point in the books, with a character remarking that as bad as Umbridge is, the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters. Not every cruel person is automatically a Nazi. This got somewhat nullified in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows the last book]] as Umbridge allies herself with the Death Eater-run government, though this might just be because she's an opportunistic weasel who tries to always be on the "winning side".
95	** Speaking of SadisticTeacher, Severus Snape can also count as this for some due to his favouritism to his own house and his bullying of Gryffindor students. What takes the cake is his treatment of Harry and Neville despite the fact he was also a victim of bullying; his treatment of Neville got so bad that a boggart tried to scare Neville by taking his form.[[spoiler:The fact that he was an ex-Death Eater who told the prophecy to Voldemort leading to the death of James and Lily and the torture of Neville's parents also adds to the jerk factor. There is also the fact his HeelFaceTurn only happens because of OriginalPositionFallacy: he worked for Voldemort without any remorse and never really regretted his actions until the one person he cared about became a target. Not to mention he also projects his hatred of James onto Harry despite the fact that the latter did nothing to deserve this and the fact he is Lily’s son, which paints his love for Lily as an immature crush. Because of this, many readers see his "love" as an obsession and the character as a DoggedNiceGuy, an incel and/or a StalkerWithACrush]]. And like Umbridge, because a lot of people know someone like him, it makes it easier to hate him
96	** The Dursleys, Harry's abusive family, are also more hated than Voldemort. Like with Umbridge, many people have either experienced abusive relationships or know someone who has, which makes them easier to despise. Vernon gets the most hate of all the Dursleys since, unlike Dudley, who eventually grew to respect his cousin, and Petunia, who is somewhat sympathetic due to being TheUnfavorite compared to her sister Lily, Vernon has no sympathetic or redeeming qualities at all. He just hates Harry because [[FantasticRacism he thinks wizards are freaks]].
97	* ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' has many villainous entities in every iteration of the books, [[WouldHurtAChild most having no qualms about hurting kids]], but they're usually hard to hate. This is mainly because most can't be called "evil" [[BlueAndOrangeMorality by human standards]], or are just too [[EvilIsCool entertainingly villainous.]] By contrast, there are [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters many human characters readers walk away absolutely hating]], ranging from [[KidsAreCruel violent bullies]], [[ParentalNeglect clueless parents]], [[SadistTeacher cruel teachers]], and on rare occasions, ''[[DesignatedHero the protagonists themselves!]]'' This is even a plot point in ''Literature/CallingAllCreeps'' where [[spoiler: Ricky decides to help transform humanity into Creeps because while the Creeps are maniacal lizard monsters, they're still nicer to him than anyone at his school]]. Tara Webster from ''The Cuckoo Clock of Doom'' might be the one that takes the cake, though.
98	* ''Literature/MercyThompson''
99	** The series is full of vile villains like Cory Littleton, Tim Milanovich, The River Devil, Hopcross Jilly, and the Widow Queen just to name a few. But who is the most hated by readers? Christy Hauptman, Adam’s emotionally abusive ex-wife and Jesse’s neglectful mother. While the named villains are awful, most of them usually cross the LoveToHate territory and are at least entertaining to read. Christy on the other is just plain unbearable and unlikable with an ItsAllAboutMe attitude. When she returned in Night Broken and stayed at Mercy and Adam’s home, Christy tried to cause a rift in Mercy and Adam’s marriage and successfully managed to get more than half the pack to turn on Mercy for no other reason but because she knew she could. Even worse? She led the book’s BigBad to Mercy’s home which led to the deaths of several people. Oh yeah, Christy is also a KarmaHoudini as she never faces punishment. You know it’s bad when Tim Milanovich, a sociopathic thief who kidnaps and rapes Mercy, is far more liked by readers than Christy.
100	** Several members of Adam’s Pack are also this to a lot of readers, namely Mary Joe and Auriele Zao just to name a few. The fact they continuously treat Mercy like dirt and still refuse to accept her as their alpha’s mate/wife, despite Mercy doing so much for them and stands by their side in their darkest moments. Even worse? They greatly prefer Christy despite knowing how much of an awful wife she was to Adam. Auriele is hated for always placing Christy’s best interests over Adam or his daughter Jesse and Mary Joe is despised by readers for trying to outright murder Mercy in Silver Borne despite Mercy saving her life previously just because she is jealous Mercy was chosen as Adam’s mate over her.
101	* ''Literature/TheNeapolitanNovels'': Nino is a toxic LoveInterest who has no problem cheating, lying, and manipulating women, and readers hate him to the point of considering him the most despicable character in the series. Keep in mind that this is a series full of criminals and domestic abusers, like Nino's own father (rapist and child molester), the Solara brothers (violent gangsters in a dangerous mafia family), Stefano (rapist and wife-beater), or Lila's father (who threw Lila out of the window when she was a child, breaking her arm, and then used her as a tool for his family business). While these men are used as a representation of the misogynistic society of the time (Naples in the 50s), Nino tries to present himself as an intellectual, idealistic guy who is different from the other men and from his father, but is actually a huge manipulative {{Hypocrite}} who only sees women as objects, and it's infuriating that the female lead is madly in love with him.
102	* Most of the ''Literature/{{Nevermoor}}'' fandom dislikes Corvus (Morrigan's [[ParentalNeglect unloving father]]), Baz Charlton (an insensitive boor and overall pain), and Inspector Flintlock (a bigoted cop), ''way'' more than the series' actual villain, Ezra Squall. Part of this is EvilIsCool, and the fact that Squall has shown some HiddenDepths that the other three mostly lack, part of it is that Squall is a monster from your nightmares, the other three are assholes you have to deal with every day. (The fandom's hatred of Corvus, in particular, really cannot be overstated; some have joked that Squall at least [[VillainTakesAnInterest encourages Morrigan]] and takes an interest in her education, which is more than Corvus can say.)
103	* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': Zeus is a brutal {{Hypocrite}} and UngratefulBastard who has an inflated opinion of his own intelligence and is far harder to like at all than most of the AxCrazy (but often AffablyEvil) villains from the first two series whose goals tend to lean heavily on such ideas as 'enslave humanity' or 'wipe out humanity', whereas Zeus otherwise would do nothing particularly malicious to humanity, but it just a ''really'' arrogant jerk who is literally too powerful to face consequences for his actions.
104	* ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'': In a series of blood-thirsty and murderous characters, one of the most disliked characters is a dog that's actually TheLoad of his pack: the slimeball Pug named "Whine". Whine blackmailed Lucky, inadvertently got a packmate killed, and was all too keen to let Alpha kill the Fierce Dog puppies, all because he didn't like being the Omega of his pack.
105	* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': The BigBad, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, is portrayed as a WorthyOpponent verging occasionally on {{Friendly Enem\|ies}}y of the protagonist Laurence, and is genuinely interested in improving the lives of his citizens. In contrast, Laurence's fellow captain Rankin is a [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain classist, racist, sexist]], [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman speciesist]] ass whose defining moment is abandoning his dragon companion to die alone, begging to see him, while he goes for drinks.
106	* ''Literature/WarriorCats'': Appledusk is one of ''the'' most glaring examples of a BaseBreakingCharacter in the franchise. Many readers wish he was sent to the Dark Forest or even that he was [[CessationOfExistence killed twice]]. Yet, Appledusk himself only rejected and cheated on his former mate Mapleshade, who subsequently proceeded to go [[SerialKiller on a killing spree]] that [[DeathByWomanScorned included him]]. This rejection also led to his kits being killed, and to make it all worse, it's [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation easy to interpret]] Appledusk as rejecting his children as well. Appledusk's cruelty towards his own family makes him one of the most despised cats in the series, yet he never laid a claw on anyone.
107	* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'': Many of the characters, including [[VillainProtagonist the protagonist]], are either criminals, terrorists, or outright world-destroying monsters. But the most despised characters are [[AlphaBitch Emma, Madison, and Sophia]], the bullies who caused Taylor to gain powers by subjecting her to a really DeadlyPrank. Glory Girl straight-up tells a remorseful Madison InUniverse that she is a more despicable person than Taylor.
108	* In the ''[[Literature/Overlord2012 Overlord]]'' light novels, one of the most despised characters is Remedios Custodio, a KnightTemplar paladin who's the leader of the evil-slaying military order of the Roble Holy Kingdom. She is widely hated by the fans because of her forceful, stubborn, arrogant, and unreasonable personality, yet she is also honestly concerned with protecting the people of her kingdom and saving innocents. But because she's mean to [[VillainProtagonist Ainz]] and to fan-favorite [[LesCollaborateurs Neia]], many fans hate her while singing the praises of Ainz, a genocidal despot who thinks nothing of killing millions of people in the name of making his "children" just a little bit safer.
109	* ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'': It's not hard to find fans who see Victor Frankenstein as worse than The Monster he created. The Monster may have killed a number of innocent people, but given that he only became homicidal after being abandoned by his "father" and ostracized from society just because of his appearance, many viewers end up feeling sorry for him. Meanwhile, Victor is the one who created The Monster and then abandoned him in the first place, kept The Monster's existence secret from his friends and family even after he knew that The Monster was hunting them down, allowed an innocent woman to take the fall for The Monster's first murder, and then had the audacity to insist to Robert Walton that ''he'' was the primary victim in all of this. If you mention that [[IAmNotShazam Frankenstein isn't the monster]] on any online forum nowadays, you're likely to quickly get a response from someone insisting that, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters actually, Frankenstein]] ''[[HumansAreTheRealMonsters was]]'' [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the real monster]].
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
113	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The most evil faction isn't generally considered to be Chaos, a collective of evil gods attempting to conquer and corrupt the whole galaxy. Normally, that honor goes to the Dark Eldar, a group of backstabbing, decadent, hedonistic pirates hiding in the Webway and sometimes going out to kidnap people in order to torture them to death in the most horrible ways possible to stave off the devouring of their souls by one of said gods. They can always join their Craftworld brethren and instead stave it off through proper discipline, but that means giving up the hedonism and backstabbing. That said, in spite of how utterly heinous they are, [[EvilIsCool the Drukhari do have a diabolical appeal]]. They are generally well-liked for being [[MagnificentBastard Machiavellian badasses]] with sleek, fast vehicles and [[ClarkesThirdLaw technology so advanced that it looks like magic]], plus their GlassCannon nature means many players consider them the hardest army to play well. The Craftworlder Aeldari, however, are quite widely disliked for being supremacist[[note]][[ScrewYouElves In a way that comes off as grating and hypocritical to human audiences]]; they have already proven they will sacrifice planets of innocent people [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman to save a handful of Aeldari]], and we may be violent and decadent but we at least didn't ''{{Squick}} a Chaos God into existence''[[/note]], [[StatusQuoIsGod status-quo defending]] fairies.
114	** Among the most detested individuals in the setting is Kubrik Chenkov, the worst example of GeneralRipper ever. His infamy comes from the fact that he sends waves upon waves of guardsmen straight into enemy fire, with little to no regard for losses or casualties. Most commanders would be reprimanded for senseless waste of life, but since his actions yield victory, he is seen as a capable commander by high command.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Theatre]]
118	* ''Theatre/{{Heathers}}'': Heather Duke, Kurt Kelly, and Ram Sweeney are all ''far'' more disliked than the actual villain, J.D.--who is an actual ''SerialKiller'' -- mainly because they lack his charisma and [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds tragic backstory]]. By contrast, Heather Duke is a BetaBitch who taunts her friend's suicidal feelings, and Kurt and Ram are {{Jerk Jock}}s and attempted rapists... which explains why many fans aren't very sympathetic when J.D. targets them.
119	* In ''Theatre/PrinceIgor'', the whole plot is kicked off when Prince Igor goes to war with the Cuman khans Gzak and Konchak who are responsible for devastating raids on Russian towns. However, the character viewed as the vilest one both in- and out-of-universe is Vladimir Galitsky, Igor's own brother-in-law, who starts a regime of debauchery when Igor is away on campaign and plans to seize power in Putivl for good. It doesn't help that the actual central villain Khan Konchak is revealed to be an honourable AffablyEvil man and FriendlyEnemy to Igor.
120	-->'''Maidens of Putivl''' (on Prince Galitsky and his cronies): Worse than the enemies, worse than the Cumans!
121	* ''WebVideo/NightmareTime'' episode ''Honey Queen'' pits [[RichBitch Linda Monroe]], argurably most direct villain of ''Theatre/BlackFriday'' and Zoey, a self-aggrandising 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.]]
122	* In ''Theatre/SixDegreesOfSeparation'', Ouisa obviously cares about and wants to help Paul even though he's a sociopathic ConMan, liar, and thief who exploited her trust and that of many other people. This is almost certainly because to her, even those faults pale in comparison to her own spoiled, obnoxious, [[UngratefulBastard ingrate]] college-age children and those of her friends.
123	[[/folder]]
124	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
125	* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
126	** In general, annoying or [[BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible unhelpful]] witnesses get more hate than the actual killers. A good example is in the third case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Justice For All'', "Turnabout Big Top", with two of its witnesses getting a lot of hate. Ben Woodman is a shy ventriloquist who uses his puppet Trilo to insult people, and [[{{ephebophile}} has a creepy crush on the teenage Regina]]. Meanwhile, Moe is a clown who keeps on telling obnoxious jokes (in the middle of a murder trial!) and going on long tangents that get the player penalized. The actual killer is a lot more sympathetic, [[spoiler: since he only attempted murder because of a misplaced attempt at avenging his comatose brother]].
127	** ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' has Zak Gramarye, one of the most hated characters in the franchise, even though he didn't kill anyone. To recap: [[spoiler:he hid evidence from his lawyer Phoenix, causing the man to be disbarred. Then, he ran away, leaving his daughter Trucy to be taken care of by Phoenix. Later on, he came back, trying to frame Phoenix for cheating at cards, even though that would mean that Phoenix wouldn't be able to afford to take care of Trucy. When that attempt failed, he hit his accomplice with a bottle, knocking her out.]] The actual BigBad of ''Apollo Justice'' doesn't get that much hate, [[spoiler:despite murdering two people, including Zak, and attempting to poison a teenager]].
128	* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'':
129	** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Monokuma/[[spoiler:Junko Enoshima]] is a despair-obsessed maniac who regularly commits atrocities like forcing teens into a DeadlyGame, but is generally beloved for being a charismatic and [[LaughablyEvil hilarious]] villain. Byakuya Togami, TheRival, never murders anyone or does anything outright villainous, but still manages to have a very vocal hatedom relative to his sheer {{Jerkass}} behavior towards other classmates. Highly elitist, condescending to everyone he meets, and extremely unpleasant, Togami draws more ire to him by some fans than ''the actual Mastermind themselves'', both for his sheer LackOfEmpathy and [[spoiler:tampering with the Chapter 2 investigation just to make the trial more ''interesting'']]. Some players felt that Togami's abusive personality hits too close to home, and when combined with his treatment of Toko, even [[spoiler:him [[CharacterDevelopment gradually getting slightly better]]]] felt too little, too late to fans.
130	** ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' has Hiyoko Saionji, who is an [[{{Jerkass}} unpleasant bitch]] that, with one exception, likes to mock her classmates, especially [[ShrinkingViolet Mikan Tsumiki]]. However, she doesn't tend to do much more than throw childish insults at others, and said insults don't even affect them at all with the exceptions of Mikan and Kazuichi. In fact, she is ''[[EveryoneHasStandards horrified]]'' [[EveryoneHasStandards at the idea of actually killing someone]] (though the way she voices this through mention of the students who ended up killing someone and were executed for it [[SpeakIllOfTheDead really doesn't tend to help her case]]). There also is [[FreudianExcuse a fairly harrowing reason]] for why she acts the way she does that's on par with many of the [[DarkAndTroubledPast most tragic backstories in the series]]. Judging from the way [[AmericansHateTingle the western fandom]] talks about her, however, you'd believe that she is morally lower than any of the students who end up becoming murderers and more detestable than even [[BigBad Monokuma]].
131	** A more... interesting example is that many fans are willing to forgive [[spoiler: Nagito Komaeda]] for ''orchestrating a murder'' while appearing to be friendly and polite, but not for [[spoiler: constantly insulting Hajime when he finds out that he is a student from the Reserve Course of Hope's Peak Academy and thus doesn't have a talent]].
132	** In ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'', while [[BigBad Monaca]] does a lot of reprehensible things, she does a good job being a LoveToHate villain, and some do cut her slack with her FreudianExcuse. The same, however, can't be said about her brother, Haiji. He gets far more hatred from players because of [[LoliconAndShotacon his shameless fetish for younger girls]] and abuse towards Monaca, indirectly making him responsible for the events of the game.
133	** ''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.
134	* This is an IntendedAudienceReaction for ''VisualNovel/MonsterProm'', of which it applies both in-universe and out. 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.
135	* In ''VisualNovel/ShinraiBrokenBeyondDespair'', the most hated character in the murder mystery visual novel's cast is Kotoba Gaikoku, a notorious pervert who is later revealed to have [[spoiler:been a StalkerWithACrush to Momoko]], but nevertheless is not the killer; [[spoiler:in fact, he's one of the victims, and will die if the right options aren't chosen]]. Hiro Shiratake is similarly hated for being an arrogant {{jerkass}} who [[spoiler:was planning to callously cheat on his girlfriend Momoko with the latter's lesbian best friend Kamen]], although it's slightly mitigated by him being the resident HateSink of the cast [[spoiler:and an AssholeVictim]]. The true killer, [[spoiler:Hiro's girlfriend Momoko Mori]], is somewhat better received due to being more affable while being alive, as well as being a TragicVillain and a SympatheticMurderer.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Web Animation]]
139	* This trope has afflicted ''WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland'' for ''years''. About 95% of the time, if a character shows jerky traits or qualities, and their team is up for elimination, they're bound to get eliminated immediately. This was the reason that Flower was eliminated first in ''BFDI'', Donut was eliminated first in ''Battle for Dream Island Again'', and Pencil was eliminated first in ''WebAnimation/BattleForBFDI''. Granted, ''Battle for BFB'' and ''[[WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIslandThePowerOfTwo The Power of Two]]'' attempt to avoid this by changing the voting system from elimination to immunity, but unpopular characters who gain the least amount of votes are usually the ones who are jerks. Likewise, Leafy's change from a GenkiGirl into a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] with a DarkAndTroubledPast was seen as the best thing to come out of ''BFDIA'', keeping her as an EnsembleDarkHorse, and her reversion back to a cheery person in ''BFB'' left quite a few fans [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter disappointed]], especially considering that she was the second eliminated contestant after Pencil (before [[SubvertedTrope rejoining]] by fan voting) because she acted like a commandeering jerk to her team.
140	* ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'' has a colorful cast of villains and antagonists who are beloved by the audience for being [[LaughablyEvil funny]], [[AffablyEvil friendly]], [[FreudianExcuse sympathetic]], [[AntiVillain understandable]], or just plan [[EvilIsCool cool]]. However the same cannot be said for Molly's [[ParentalNeglect negligent dad]] Martin, whose irresponsible and idiotic nature is not played for laughs and causes untold strife for his youngest daughter while passively enabling his eldest Lorelai's toxic behavior. Many fans would even go so far as to say that the villains would be better parents than Martin.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'':
142	** While it goes without saying that Fliqpy is one of the only characters to intentionally kill others on a regular basis, Lumpy, Pop, Splendid, and The Mole are more hated by the fanbase. While all of them are responsible for ''many'' deaths in the series' run, the latter four have a far worse reputation, given their habit of killing others through stupidity, selfishness, or even malice. It doesn't help how that, while Fliqpy has a FreudianExcuse and is used sparingly, Lumpy, Pop, Splendid, and The Mole's episodes revolving around their flaws often come across as stale and formulaic to viewers.
143	** There are also the Ants, who, despite their actions being ([[DisproportionateRetribution partly]]) in self-defense, are the most despised characters for their ColdBloodedTorture of Sniffles. While Flipqy has killed others in horrific ways, he does have a lot of charm, something the Ants do not have.
144	* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'': Alastor was a serial killer in life who became a demon overlord in hell. He seems to only help Charlie's rehabilitation program because he [[ItAmusedMe finds it funny]]. He's quite popular among the fans, thanks to his EvilIsCool factor, his radio-like voice, and his design. One character that few people would admit liking is Katie Killjoy, a {{jerkass}} reporter who mocks Charlie on screen, makes homophobic remarks to her ("I don't touch the gays"), and generally comes off as the most unpleasant character in the show.
145	* Similarly, this trope also afflicted ''WebAnimation/InanimateInsanity'' during Season 1 and the first half of ''Inanimate Insanity II''. This mentality resulted in contestants such as [[HateSink Knife, Balloon, Cherries, and Trophy]] getting voted off rather early, whereas villainous characters like Taco managed to make it extremely far.
146	* ''WebAnimation/MurderDrones'': Tessa's rich, snotty AbusiveParents, whose worst crimes (that we know of) are horribly abusing their daughter and treating their sentient Worker Drones staff including their daughter's dear ones like objects they can break on a whim, are much more hateable than the outright psychopathic [[BigBad Absolute Solver]]; whose crimes include facilitating genocide, gleefully slaughtering or mutating [[spoiler:or possessing]] everything within its reach, [[spoiler:and causing the ''literal destruction of Earth'' with the implication that it intends to [[OmnicidalManiac keep doing this]]]], but it has a [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud quirky]], [[FauxAffablyEvil morbidly charming]], LaughablyEvil personality and antics to go with it.
147	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Volumes 1-3 includes both school bullies and villains. As ringleader, Cardin demonstrates FantasticRacism towards Faunus, kick-starts Jaune's development via blackmail, and highlights Pyrrha's exceptional abilities. He's therefore a flat character the fandom loves to hate while the villains all have interesting hooks. As leader, [[TheHeavy Cinder]] is a mysterious woman with unusual powers. Her team includes the stylish, charismatic Roman; the flamboyant, acrobatic Neo; and the sassy Emerald and Mercury who really enjoy their work. The spin-off show ''Webanimation/RWBYChibi'', which often uses fandom reactions to parody the main show, lampshades this by making Cardin a villain-wannabe, whose attempts to join the villains constantly lead to them [[EvilerThanThou outclassing]] and duping him.
148	* ''WebAnimation/SonicForHire'': The series features Mario as a mob boss, Kirby as an AxCrazy psychopath that loves murder, and Sonic as a VillainProtagonist. But Tails is the one who gets the most hate from fans for his actions in Season 4: throwing drinks at people's faces, pissing on Sonic, and just acting like a douchebag. Even Sonic, who tried to [[spoiler:blow up a movie theater with dozens of people inside just to kill Tails]] in the ''same season'', isn't hated as much.
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Webcomics]]
152	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
153	** By far one of the most [[BrokenBase divisive]] characters in the comic is Vriska Serket. Mainly due to her lying, manipulation, the fact that she broke Tavros' legs [[spoiler: and later caused his death]], and being the direct cause of a HUGE WhamEpisode. It's not rare to see her much more reviled in the fandom than genuine villains like [[OmnicidalManiac Jack Noir]], [[ManipulativeBastard Doc Scratch]], [[EldritchAbomination Lord English]] or [[TheEmpress Her Imperious Condescension]].
154	** Eridan Ampora is similarly hated by the fandom due to his creepy, desperate attitude towards Feferi, his FantasticRacism towards the other Trolls, and his condescending, snooty attitude. [[spoiler: After killing two of his friends and attempting to betray everyone, not many fans were particularly upset after Kanaya chainsawed him in half.]]
155	** Cronus is one of the biggest HateSink[=s=] in the story despite never killing anybody since he's a boundary-ignoring creep and a complete asshole to Mituna. He also lacks anything that could put him under EvilIsCool. Andrew Hussie's AuthorAvatar calls him "the worst character in ''Homestuck'' by a nautical mile" in an EasterEgg, and a good portion of the fandom agrees with him.
156	* An InUniverse example occurs in ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' with the interactions between Dominic and Hans Reinhold. Their first meeting was in the "War in Hell" storyline where Hans, under the misguided belief of his superior officer's orc racism, insulted Luna's orc teeth syndrome, causing Dominic to claim to have a vision of Hans dying alone and unloved. When the two meet again a year, Dominic is still ticked about it and brings it up publicly unaware that Hans had learned from his mistake and was trying to atone. While the two eventually develop a grudging respect and bury the hatchet when forced together in the "March Across Maltak" plotline, Hans is the only character Dominic is antagonistic towards that he makes no attempt to fully make amends with, especially considering Dominic has attempted to make peace with every other one of his enemies except for the GreaterScopeVillain.
157	* The most divisive character in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is Miko Miyazaki, a paladin of Azure City. While she is ostensibly on the side of the heroes, she is incredibly abrasive and judgmental, and ends up doing more harm than good with certain actions (notably [[spoiler:killing her liege lord Shojo, a murder that strips her of her paladinhood]]) despite being committed to fighting evil. The actual villains are more popular, likely because they're more entertaining to watch.
158	** The author made an overt attempt to avert this trope and JerkassDissonance with regards to Xykon, the BigBad of the strip, by making it clear that not only was Xykon a villain in a "wants to destroy the world" sense, but he was also a ''jerk'' in a "[[EvilIsPetty petty, annoying asshole]]" sense. He's charming and charismatic enough to be worth following through the story, but in case you find yourself reaching a point where you might start thinking he's actually okay he'll do something unbelievably dickish just to remind you that he's both evil and a massive prick.
159	** Roy's father, Eugene Greenhilt, is also almost universally despised despite technically being on the heroes' side because he's an emotionally abusive father who puts far too much expectation and pressure on his son. That pressure, by the way, is there because ''he'''s the one who abandoned an oath he swore to kill Xykon only to foist it off on his children rather than trying to fulfill it himself. And that's not to mention constantly belittling his son for being a fighter instead of a wizard. He reached a new low when he was revealed to be impersonating his daughter, the only living family Roy has left and who he cares for, just to try and force more unwanted advice on his son. More people can relate to having an abusive parent in their lives who outright hates their life choices than the more cartoonish super-villains of the comic.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Web Videos]]
163	* Discussed in the ''WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings'' pitch meeting for ''Series/BreakingBad''. The Screenwriter introduces the character of [[Characters/BreakingBadWalterWhite Walter White's]] wife Skyler to the Producer, and after telling the latter about how she wants to uncover the truth behind her husband Walt's lies, the Producer finds her reasonable. However, the Screenwriter points out that Skyler is "naggy," and thus the audience will hate her more than the violent criminals on the show.
164	* Despite being the BigBad of season two of ''WebVideo/EscapeTheNight'', The Sorceress is a fan favourite due to [[EvilIsHammy her hamminess]]. The people who get all the hate in the fandom are Matt, a whiny but well-meaning {{Jerkass}}, and Colin, a SociopathicSoldier who might be a colossal {{Jerkass}} and TheScrooge, but isn’t exactly evil, in fact, he aides the heroes in their mission. It’s his serious LackOfEmpathy and the revelation that he willingly got many innocent people killed that makes him much more detestable then the sorceress.
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Context Main / JerksAreWorseThanVillains