Why are these characters so well liked?

[rosyd555333]

I've been wondering why anyone would like these characters, much less have them as their favorites.

Bellatrix- I know she's a good villian, but she tortured the Longbottoms as well as killed Sirius

Lucius- He's a bigot and I don't see his appeal

Lord Voldemort- It's like having Hitler be your favorite person in WW2, and besides, Voldemort can be pretty dumb sometimes

Umbridge- Does anyone like this character?

[Kitty279]

With Lucius (and Draco and Snape) I suspect it's mainly because people love the actor and transfer that to the role he's playing. The same might be true for Bellatrix.

As for Moldyshorts, no idea. He's cruel, arrogant, stupid and ugly, so why like him) And Umbitch - I'd think that we actually love to *bash* her! Look at how long that 'let's kill Umbitch' thread already is!

[G. Novella]

For Voldemort, I think it's his appeal as a villain. I have many villains I adored before seeing them in a movie for their brains, crearivity, psychotic tendencies, and unique backstory. Voldemort doesn't apply in any of the four for me, so I think he's arather poor, simple, childish, static villain who sucked.

I loved Bellatrix more. She was just plain fucking pyscho, and she had no reasons for it, making her a mystery.

It's not hard to adore a villain. Plenty of people believe Hitler was great until he got psycho kill-everyone-and-jews, but they even admire his military strategy and power to sway millions. It's admiring a villain for their qualities, rather than their actions.

[Nahara46]

Personally, I loved Voldemort for his back story. He's just so fun to make in your own fanfictions, mold to what you want in said stories.

As for Bellatrix- What Gnovella said . And because of the fact I've seen several fanfictions giving her an amazing back story, which just make me love her more.

For Lucius- never saw the appeal myself, so I can't say. Draco and Snape- First, let's be clear I don't like them because of their actors. I don't even really like Movie Snape... (Though I will admit that Tom Felton is hot.) Honestly, just like Voldie, I'm a sucker for back stories. Anyways, Snape's loyalty to Lily, despite her leaving him and his hatred for James, is something that endears me to him. I admire loyalty in someone, and he has it- even if he goes about it stupidly at times...

[viralic1]

Can't really explain why I like Bellatrix, but I do. Especially when she's redeemed.

I hate both Malfoys, but love Narcissa. Draco and Lucius were both arrogant murderers who should have been shot the first time they were sent to jail, much less let into public.

Voldemort is an idiot. He will never succeed, because he's so stupid he murders his own followers. He will never make it as an emperor, because eventually one of his followers will slit his throat.

[kumainpink]

Umbridge: While there probably are fans of her out there, I have never met or seen one.

Bellatrix: She's fun to hate, loves what she does and is entertaining to watch.

Lucius: His actor is sexy, so that makes him appear to be a "sex god" *shudders*

Voldemort: He is pitied for his past, and like Bella, he's fun to hate.

Those are the reasons I think they're liked, at any rate. Save for Umbridge... fuck her.

[Kitty279]

Well, I have seen *one* story with a good Umbridge, but that was the exception to the rule. Otherwise, it's usually rather Umbitch-bashing, and I'm the last one to complain

[kumainpink]

A good Umbridge? *interest peaked* Do you know the name of the fic?

[Kitty279]

*goes to dig through her favourites*
There you go: Insidious Inquisitor

[kumainpink]

Oh dear.... lol XD

[Kitty279]

Interesting take on the toad, isn't it? She starts out such a monster, and then you end up so surprised ;D

[kumainpink]

Indeed! This is how she should have been in cannon!

[viralic1]

Insidious Inquisitor is a decent story, although I don't like Hermione bashing stories. I read a different story a couple weeks ago where Umbridge was really an ICW operative sent undercover. Somewhat like Insidious Inquisitor, but different in that she is actually a metamorphagus, and not connected to the British ministry.

[Kitty279]

Oh, I like Hermione-bashing for a change. Not always, mind you, but why always only Ron and Ginny?
Oh, do you accidentally still remember which fic that was, it sounds interesting?

[viralic1]

I can't quite remember it, but if it pops up, I'll send you a message. I do remember the ICW peace keepers completely took over the ministry and instilled a good goverment though.

[Kitty279]

Thanks, that would be much appreciated! That really sounds interesting. And imagining what certain people will have to say about it is fun.

[readingdeatheater]

Lucius: because he is the lovable bad guy, (In the books realised what he did wrong) also i think Jason Isaacs performance did a lot for the character.

Bellatrix: May be crazy but she is a very powerful woman which makes a lot of people like her (Personal i hate her in Harry's words she killed Sirius)

Voldemort: He is the idea villian that has no likable quality which is why people love him so much after all a hero is a hero but everyone loves to hate a villen.

Umbridge: HATE HER NOTHING TO LIVE ABOUT HER AND I WILL NEVER LOOK AT PINK AGAIN IN THE SAME WAY!!!!

[readingwizard4]

The only reason I like Umbridge is from A Very Potter Sequel. Joe Walker is awesome in this

[dracosfairmaiden]

Lucius: Because he realizes following Voldemort isn't all that good.

Bellatrix: She's crazy and she's probably the most powerful witch in the entire series.

Voldemort: I think people like him because of Tom Riddle. I don't like him.

Umbridge: One of the only characters I absolutely hate.

[teflonbilly]

Sorry, none of these characters have enough redeeming qualities.

1. Lucius did not reform, he quit being a Death Eater only after his treasured position of influence was lost due to his failure to get the prophecy. He didn't even become a turncoat and work for the other side, he just turned inwards and tried to pull himself and his family out (this is the sole redeeming aspect IMO of the man, he did love his family.)

2. Bellatrix is a homicidal sociopath that tortures other human beings for fun. She isn't even a part of the tribe known as Humanity at that point. Other than blind loyalty and adoration for Voldemort, and this is a very very borderline positive character trait, there is nothing about her that is admirable. She is a violent bigot and genocidal madwoman.

3. See Bellatrix above, only add testicles.

4. Umbridge IMO was worse (as written) only because of her complete lack of caring, Bellatrix/Voldemort/Death Eaters in general HATED their victims, Umbridge never expressed any hatred (beyond her tantrum at the centaurs for defying her) she'd shove muggleborns into the oven with a smile rather than a snear. I'm probably not describing this properly. But Volcemort wanted to rule, he was a megalomaniac, his quest for power and the people he was willing to kill to get there at least made some kind of sense. Umbridge never really demonstrated a shred of megalomania, she had no reason for her evil, she just was evil for evil's sake. Which IMO makes her oh so much more deserving of being driven to insanity by the cruciatus curse before receiving the Dementors Kiss IMO.

Now, as villains, oh yeah, I think they are cool. Voldemort is a little on the too impulsive and irrational side, but overall they all rock as bad guys. They just aren't anti-heroes like Thanos, the Punisher, or others.

TB

[physicssquid]

For me, I like to think that we only see one side of these characters, and wonder what they are actually like.

1) Voldemort: He is shown to be charming and charismatic, but his experiences in the orphanage, as well as the fact that his father wanted nothing to do with him, his mother's death, and the fact that he spent some years meeting and talking to people like the grandparents of Lucius, Sirius and the Black sisters, may have turned him into the muggle-hating psycho bastard that he was.

2) Lucius: We only see what he was like in certain situations. We don't know what he was like as a teenager, nor do we know what he was like at home, in the years between the disappearance of Voldemort in 81 and Voldemort's rebirth. There is the possibility that his public persona, the way he acted in the bookshop, at Hogwarts, at the Quidditch world cup and in the few mentions of him after that, was just a mask, to protect both him and his family from Voldemort's wrath. To me, whenever Lucius is mentioned in the books, he appears to be a bigot, but that is only an appearance, and in the seventh book, he clearly showed that he loved Narcissa and Draco, so maybe he was far less of a bastard behind closed doors.

3) Bellatrix: Again, we only see what she was like in certain situations. There is no mention of what she was like as a child, what she was like as a teenager, and there is no way to know whether she was insane before Azkaban. IMO, she may have been a bit like Sirius, but something made her change, so maybe in different circumstances, she could have been very different.

4) Umbridge: I didn't particularly like her in book 5, but I have seen a story redeeming her, which I liked, so I'm neutral towards her. I can read both Umbridge-bashing and good-Umbridge, and I don't really have an opinion of her.

Note: I do not base my opinions on who played them in the films. While I do think Jason Isaacs is good looking, I'm not too keen on the way he played Lucius, and would like to see what Jeremy Irons would have done with the character. As for Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Feinnes and Imelda Staunton, they did very well at playing their characters, but I don't judge a character in a film purely on the actor/actress who played them.

[dracosfairmaiden]

Jeremy Irons would make a great Lucius I agree. There are a lot of things about the characters we don't know. I've seen stories where Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa got along just well until they got older. So there are lots of things behind the scenes that we don't know.

[physicssquid]

I wonder what Philip Glenister or Liam Neeson would have been like as Voldemort instead of Ralph Feinnes.

[Chameleon]

I think that Lucius' only redemption is that he loved his family. Bellatrix... Sociopath. Psycho. Voldemort. Psycho. I think he was a better villain, when he was good looking, but I suppose all villains have to bee ugly. Umbridge. Seriously. That woman, is just as bad as Voldemort. She would be on his side, if there was any power in that, and if he was controlling the Ministry... Which he did in the seventh book.

[Kitty279]

It must have been the proudest moment in her life when she was allowed to start and head that awful commission.

[moonlightfox143]

I don't like Umbridge, but I respect her as a villain. I think she was by far the best villain in HP. I mean she was the one that drove me mad with frustration, because I knew that no one in the books could do anything about her. She took away the people Harry loved without killing them. Making it ten times worse for him, because he knew they were there, he just couldn't reach them. I also had to applaud the way she used Harry's stubbornness and pride against him with the quill thing. She was evil to the core and she knew how to make everyone feel hopeless.

I never liked Voldemort. I always found him to be a weak villain. He mostly reminded me of an overgrown two year old throwing a hissy fit. He seemed a whole lot smarter to me as a student then as an adult.

Bellatrix, I thought, was another good villain. That completely insane but still intelligent thing she had goin' could seriously creep a person out.

As for Lucy, I hated him. He was annoying... that's pretty much all I got from him...

[Kitty279]

Sept 1, 2012 18:51:52 GMT -5 @moonlightfox143 said:

I never liked Voldemort. I always found him to be a weak villain. He mostly reminded me of an overgrown two year old throwing a hissy fit. He seemed a whole lot smarter to me as a student then as an adult

Well, that's not so surprising. He kept splitting his soul, and I doubt it was only affecthing his soul alone. IMO his brain was impaired with it, too, considering all these stupid, convoluted schemes to get his hands on Harry. And was he always such a braggart?

[moonlightfox143]

Sept 2, 2012 0:28:57 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

Well, that's not so surprising. He kept splitting his soul, and I doubt it was only affecting his soul alone. IMO his brain was impaired with it, too, considering all these stupid, convoluted schemes to get his hands on Harry. And was he always such a braggart?

Yeah, I always found his need to monologue all the time annoying. I mean, if it wasn't for that and his other need to play with his food, he could have killed Harry multiple times.

[Kitty279]

Well, he had to make sure everyone knew he's the Great Perfect Evil Overlord and likes to hear himself talk. And he never learned that this is what gives Harry time to escape. Not learning fast, either. But then - he can't even imagine that he can make mistakes ...

[Chameleon]

Yeah. Arrogant bastard. That Harry escaped in GoF was his own mistake by playing him.Little Harry is incapable of fooling Voldemort in his mind.