u/DicerTheJester

I have seen a trend of people who mistake "a character that has a reason for their action" with "a character that is justified in their actions".

For everything, and I do mean everything, there is a reason. There is a reason for every good deed and a crime.

I hate it when viewers assume that just because we see the reasoning of a character then the narrative tries to say "he does have a point" or worse yet "he is right".

But you know what I hate more? Authors who have the same mindset. Authors who think that they have to keep their antagonistic forces as bland, two dimensional and generic because they fear that giving them a proper reason for their action (beyond "they are evil" "for money" or "because they are mindless beasts") that they will be endorsing or even justifying their actions.

For every action there is a reaction, and the deeds committed by the characters should be a reaction to their reasons, not just generic actions that exist only for the MC to react to.

Invincible:

I hate people who say that Thragg is justified in his goal to become space hitler 2.0, citing how he is just "loyal" "loves his people" and other crap.

You know what I hate more? The original comic's approach to Nolan's saying he is sorry. Many characters just went "oh yeah he had his reasons, so it was actually justified". Like what the fuck do you mean "forgive and forget"? Man went on a mass murder spree, went on a super racist rant and almost murdered his son all to prove a point that Earth must be enslaved and purged of undesirables.

Nothing that Nolan did was justified. Nothing. It had a reason, but not a justification. That's why I like how the show approaches it with more maturity and have the characters call Nolan out about how big of a piece of shit he is and how they are not buying his "I am the good guy now" until after he backed his words with action.

Akame ga Kill

Good lord that fucking show was abyssmal. I can still remember people discussing how its actually about complex morality because the two main groups have their own reasons to be on the side of the conflict we have.

And the show tries hard. HARD to further this idea. Despite the fact that the conflict is "rebels vs super evil comically tyranical empire".

Why yes, I agree that the guys that fight in the name of an empire that has

>Nobles murdering and torturing civilians for fun (but you know they are the bad guys cause they have no reasons to do that, they are just nobles so comically evil even Jacobins would call bullshit)

>Murders their citizens so much the executioner actually went insane from it and went on a killing spree (but you know he is the bad guy cause he has no reason, he is just crazy)

>Is controlled by an evil prime minister who is gluttonous bastard that seemingly does nothing about actual administration, just tells the emperor "hey, lets execute this guy lol" (but you know he is the bad guy cause he has no reason at all for doing literally anything other than to be evil)

are on equal moral standing as the rebels who

>kill comically evil people

And that is without even getting into the fucking manga the show was based on. Will you believe me if I say that the anime is actually better than the manga? I fucking dare you to look up "Akame Ga Kill: Wild Hunt" to see just how comically edgy and immature the author can get.

In summary:

>Give your villains a reason. Not just to antiheroes or to morally complex guys. To all villain.

>Antagonist without a reason is stupid.

>Assuming that a character is justified just cause they have a reason for an action is beyond moronic, especially if author thinks so.