Without evil there is no good, without a villain there is no hero. Since a young age, we have been taught that we cheer on the hero and hate the "bad guy." There are villains in movies and in books because we need someone or something root against or to fail in their ventures. In every story there has to be an antagonist, an enemy of the hero. Most of the time we know immediately who the villain is, he's the "scary" guy, maybe wearing a mask, dark clothing, or just seems sinister and mysterious. There are many villains in movies, books, and even real life, but before declaring who the villain is, it must first be decided what a villain is and why we have them and create them. .
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There are many different reasons to have villains, the first being that it would seem extremely odd in a world without them. Villains have been around since the creation of the world, all the way back to biblical times. If there were not any villains we would have superheroes flying around in funny costumes with their underwear on the outside of their clothes for no apparent reason. There would be no purpose for police officers, firefighters, or the judicial system at all. And if there are no bad guys, just who are the good guys? In life, movies, and books we need someone to root against, someone to lose. Villains are put into movies for entertainment value; we find the villain's lives, backgrounds, and ideas interesting, even though some of them just seem crazy. They create interest in movies; there isn't a good movie without a good villain. Without villains life would seem pretty dull. Excitement is needed in life and that is what villains give us. .
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Another reason why we have villains and why we create them is to teach. When children watch TV they learn and absorb what they see. For example, the GI Joe cartoon is very pro-American. It's teaching children to be patriotic, and to love and serve our country. By the enemy wearing masks, having mysterious (and often foreign) voices children are being taught be afraid of the unfamiliar and suspicious of other nationalities, or people who do not sound the same as what they are used to.