What movie villains do you consider to be the good guys based upon your beliefs and principles and what are your best arguments for it?

[AlexanderAnttila]

An example from my point of view:
Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading company from Pirates of the Caribbean.

It's just good business.

Everyone romanticizes and perhaps even fetishes pirates and piracy in this franchise. And while Captain Jack Sparrow is an iconic figure whom I also enjoy greatly, my favorite characters besides James Norrington, are those spear heading the East India Trading company. For one thing they operate within the Law, and I have always been a staunch supporter of Law and Order, which is also a Christian value. And Beckett's ultimate aim is to eradicate piracy in the world, which is hugely watered down even in the most brutal scenes of the series compared to real history. Pirates were the ISIS of the seas for near a thousand years and especially during their "golden age" in the 17th and 18th centuries. They assailed unsuspecting colonies teeming with civilians and raided, pillaged, murdered, raped and wreaked havoc, taking pleasure in self-identifying themselves as children of the devil. Whether man, woman or infant they slaughtered any and all. Theirs was an ideology of anarchy and barbarism clumsily claimed to be "freedom" which I highly doubt anyone would support if they actually suffered their advances today. Maybe, as a fan of the British Empire I am a tad biased, but the East India company brought great prosperity to the West and was an epitome expression of the foundation on which the British Empire was formed, one of free market mercantilism and shared economic structures of the people in their domains rather than the ineffectual and rigid, tyrannical Catholic social classes such as that of the Spanish. (And yes I am not in the dark as to the atrocities they also performed, any such one-sided moralistic tirade will be ignored in the comments). Besides that they just have such classical admirable British class I mean come on. Beckett's entrance in Dead Man's Chest is one of the most badass in my opinion.

[TurboKid]

Tywin Lannister if I can use a TV series (and mostly TV version, not the book version):

Well, I don't mean in the sense that I see him as a saint. He's a failure as a father and seems to lack honor. I'm also evaluating him based on the setting. Yet I think he's the most capable leader in that show and I think he could have brought peace and prosperity if he sat on the Iron Throne.

[AlexanderAnttila]

Good example, and I do agree actually. Tywin is one of my favorite Got characters, even though I am more drawn ideally to those like Barristan Selmy and Arthur Dayne, Tywin wasn't a "bad guy", like Charles Dance himself said; he's a man who knows what he has to do in his position to survive in this feudal world."

[AlexanderAnttila]

If you read the lore as well, when he was the Madking's hand he made Westeros prosper politically and economically for lowborns and highborns alike, though he was still disliked for being stern and harsh.

[TurboKid]

I should pay more attention to the lore. I think he's excellent and a good guy in the sense like if he was in charge, people would have benefitted greatly. Well, I often think leaders get too much flak. The great ones are a rare breed in my experience and thoroughly unappreciated for their leadership skills and the difficult decisions they have to face. Tywin is an exceptional leader as I see it with just a few blindspots and mostly towards his immediate family.

[TheFlak38]

Sergeant Barnes in Platoon. That's the kind of men that can win you a brutal war like the one in Vietnam.

[Anonymous]

The Wicked Witch of the WestHer sister was murdered by an unknown girl, who proceeded to then steal a special family heirloom which possessed (as we understand) some form of magical power. From her side, you could say she was just trying to gain back her family's belongings and protect her world from an unknown assailant.

[AlexanderAnttila]

Good example from an older classic!

[Sweetener_]

Sorry but my brain is way too little for this conversation 😂

[AlexanderAnttila]

Haha, don't berate yourself Sweetener, I know you're far more intellectual than you give yourself credit for.

[Sweetener_]

Aww, thank you 😊

[Anonymous]

Count dooku. He actually wanted to overthrow sidious, just knew there was no other way... too bad obi wan didn’t accept his offer in attack of the clones

[AlexanderAnttila]

Good one!

[Anonymous]

I was going to comment about the ills of colonialism and imperialism but my comment will be ignored, so I won't bother
I suggest you read less eurocentric historical and literary sources
Also, you miss something important: Beckett wasn't fighting for law and order or his own country but out of greed. He wanted to establish an empire of his own. So, I personally find it impossible to empathize with this character.

[Anonymous]

Easy India company are absolute scum. They were drug dealers getting as many Chinese hooked to opium so they can fight off bankruptcy due to idiotic management