"One of the things that's fascinating about characters, about human beings in general, is that we tend to wear a lot of hats, and we often have conflicting motivations that are driving us in different directions."
"He's a monster, but we want him to get away with it."
"Not every character has to be a perfect little angel."
"The fact is Po is both the main character and the story's comic relief."
"He’s witty with an interesting shade of morally gray, which describes most of the best characters in Game of Thrones."
"An astonishing creation of humanity but also a deeply tortured, troubled character who achieved so much in his time but ultimately was placed into a situation that was in many ways an unwinnable one."
"The main character performance and the dual personality thing is so good that it really propels my thoughts on this show."
"How do you frame contradictions within characters' actions to be a reflection of their complexity rather than an inconsistency? A great question."
"It makes for a more interesting narrative if your character has some things they're good at and some things they struggle with."
"Jason was the inadvertent hero of the story. He's the villain you want to root for."
"At the end of the day, Villanelle and Eve see each other, and by extension, allow us to feel seen in their complexities."
"Characters who are a shade of gray just much more interesting."
"What all of this ultimately means is that, though he meets Legosi on a certain intersection of alienation, he has a far more nuanced and complex understanding of something we don't really get from other main characters... C L A S S."
"Elliot has a whole miscellany of mental issues that are troubling him constantly: anxiety, depression, delusions, paranoia, and a whole host of others."
"Trevor is the most complex character... He has so many layers."
"Creating empathy - but not sympathy. Sympathy means that we approve of the heroes' actions and completely identify with him as a person. If that were to be true, however, we could never have morally challenging and interesting main characters."
"The anti-hero is a conflicted character who often has a cloudy moral compass, but that's what makes them realistic, complex, and oftentimes even likable."
"The more complex the character in a story is, the more satisfying and impactful it will be to an audience or reader."
"Maybe I'm very shy and withdrawn among some people and in some situations, but then very open and talkative in others."
"Rachel McAdams continues to be great as multiple Christines and really sells the 'Stephen, I used to love you, but you're just too much' vibe."
"It takes the foundation of The Last Jedi and tells a story that turns away from a perfect 2-dimensional character who wins in the end, into a flawed three-dimensional character who loses in the end."
"I came into it with the idea that no one is just black and white."
"Lee Sin is one of the highest skill cap champions in League of Legends. His entire playstyle revolves around movement."
"When a villains done really really well, I love it."
"Masato is a nice lady but like nice ladies in the real world she's got a messed up side to her because that's often what happens to people when they experience trauma."
"Nobody in Jujutsu Kaizen is necessarily the good guy or the bad guy."
"Sam Evans, the most flushed out and complex male character - Chord Overstreet got more attractive every season."
"Kindred may arguably be the most difficult jungler in the game to play."
"Red is symbolic of the love that the queen has for her son, while the black embroidery makes it clear to the audience that there's a darkness to that love."
"Well, the best characters are flawed characters."
"If you want to attract really great actors to the part of Bond, you are probably gonna need to give them something meaty to play."
"Paul is definitely one of the more interesting ones Ash has ever had."
"His body is nothing more than sand being held together with bandages, yet he shed some tears."
"Zuko is a memorable villain because he is one of the most human villains ever written."
"And despite our antagonist being so fierce in his opposition, he is without doubt one of those people."
"Namor is a character who's been both a good and bad guy in the past. If he is indeed the villain of Black Panther 2, will he have a shot of redemption later on?"
"Scarlet Witch: one of the most morally complex characters on this list."
"Thrawn was actually well intentioned and he was also a smart individual with a genuine desire to bring peace and stability to the Galaxy."
"Seo-Yeoung finds that despite being a cocky kid, he is also funny."
"This Batman is able to preserve all the psychological and moral complexity while still being... honest-to-goodness fun."
"To tell the whole story, you must understand the complexities of the villain and the hero."
"Doctor Doom can be a villain and he could be a hero."
"I'm living a lie but also you know I like being Justin Hammer this hero."
"Kylo Ren is such an interesting character with so many different layers to him... I was so pleasantly surprised."
"For newcomers, the blood hunter might be a bit overwhelming—consider starting with an easier class."
"Sometimes I wish I could be like him. I know that some of the things he does are bad, real bad, but I think it's possible to be both good and bad at the same time."
"Heavy alcohol abuse throughout the film, but she's trying to do good by her daughter."
"Yueh is a traitor, but he’s not some one-dimensional villain – he’s a complex layered character."
"Villains that are essentially a good guy, but just have different motivations than our main protagonist, make more compelling characters."
"His scenes with Arya are that much more special because we see a glimpse of the good side of Tywin."
"A character who is between human being and the supernatural."
"The Prophet of Truth, the greatest deceiver in the history of the galaxy. Truth is gonna go, I would say, above Tartarus."
"Jane Foster's not that way. She's conflicted, she struggles, she's an average human being."
"I want it to be hard to like Mark but I also want us to like him even if we're not certain if we should."
"Basically all of the characters in this title are morally gray."
"April May is such a delightfully awful main character. I loved her and I loved to hate her."
"Far Cry 2 doesn't feature any traditional villains, only bad people."
"Dennis is the kind of character who is seemingly always on the cusp of murdering someone and now he may have actually done just that."
"If six had saved mono would we even be in the right world the hero of little nightmares is deeply broken she just has more willpower than the normies."
"One of the most fascinating and complex characters is reduced to a narcissistic artist."
"Moments like these are why I think people love Kylo so much. He's one of the most complex and layered villains I have ever seen in a blockbuster movie."
"He does such messed up [ __ ] this season, but you know what? He is a morally gray character and I guess that makes him interesting."
"The idea of a godly man and a warrior one the same."
"Sombra is going to be the hero that people take the longest to try to relearn because, well, even in Overwatch one people are still trying to figure out Sombra."
"She's like a bottomless pit of like issues and fun."
"It's tricky with characters like this...being a mom is my priority."
"I like stories that have complex characters but relatively simple plots."
"Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong. She was troubled. She was a terrible mother and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit."
"I don't think you can ever consider Jaime a good guy, but his character has definitely been the most complex, grey character in the show."
"It's absolutely fine to have complex characters."
"Anti-heroes on the other hand are morally ambiguous."
"For each separate Persona that resides within him, each has their own unique set of powers. He is an Omega Level mutant capable of pretty much almost anything..."
"Johan from Monster... one of my favorite characters... greatest antagonist of all time..."
"Bondrewd from Made in Abyss... one of the best antagonists ever... one of the best dads in anime and manga ever..."
"Even the bad guy in this game is pretty damn good."
"This was a powerful final line to a complex, morally ambiguous character who loved her children."
"Characters aren't black or white. They're more like gray."
"Lord Azrael is absolutely one of the most compelling antagonists. He murdered a child for the greater good."
"The best characters are the ones with flaws because we're human."
"Rich was a psychopath, but he also had a good heart. That's why people were attracted to him. He was a good dude."
"He's a rather complicated individual and stands apart from most of 40k's characters."
"The complexity comes from who these people are."
"I do think she's a bit more complex than people let on."
"Echo's story unfolds with gripping intensity, revealing the complexities of her character."
"But you don't have to agree with Eren's actions to recognize that he is an extremely well-written character and that he has undergone one of the most incredible character developments in all of fiction."
"Die Hard brought us another side to the action hero, one that was vulnerable."
"He's not a perfect character, and I think that's what makes him great."
"In my mind it is these really rather human flaws that make Smaug such a compelling villain."
"Whether you choose to see his ambitions through to the end or bash him over the head with a golf club, Mr. House will ever remain one of the most morally intriguing characters."
"I absolutely adored all of the character writing here, particularly Sasuke's own troubles with his desire for atonement."
"Marceline is amazing because just like her outfits, the girl's got layers."
"In an era where units are becoming increasingly more convoluted, Nalet stands out as a breath of fresh air."
"King Cold did care a little bit, even though he acted like he didn't around Trunks."
"I think villains are cooler than heroes. I've always found the characters a little deeper and more complex, more memorable."
"Characters are complicated and their stories can be deep."
"Do we want villains to be evil or do we want villains to be complicated, sympathetic, and tragic?"
"We all love a good anti-hero, everybody loves Han Solo."
"Nicholson embodied the contradictions of the Jack Nicholson persona."
"They're beautiful women that are also mass murderers."
"No one needed to be so troubled. What do you mean, Clee's mother Alice is an extremely enigmatic and near-omnipotent sorceress?"
"He's a character with high expectations thrust upon him from birth, someone pulled in opposite directions at all times."
"I'm definitely on track to finish tonight. It has magic, it's dark and intense, but also just like gray characters. Really liking this book so far."
"Playing against type in that manner, you are opening up a more complex, memorable character."
"Sharon Stone's character in particular was so complex and well written."
"Besides her superiority complex which causes her to frequently belittle others Wednesday also pushes people's buttons and ignores their clearly expressed boundaries."
"He's people have mixed feelings about him is he a villain is he a good guy he's both I appreciated that."
"She's just so layered and complex and takes this power on stage which is so unusual for Shakespeare characters."
"Underscoring Kang not only lives out of time but outside of the constructs of hero and villain, right? Kang, I guess, is the ultimate anti-hero to some degree."
"The tough girl only becomes interesting when there's more to her personality and her story."
"Light himself is not evil...but sometimes all you need to sow evil in the world is a hopeful dream and a path to achieve it."
"I think these movies are so good because of how complex Tony Stark is as a character."
"She's funny, she's terrifying, you wanna hate her but you can't."
"Sarah Connor is a deeply flawed character with real human frailties."
"I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice."
"His experience, his ability, his weaponry, his dark blessings from the gods make him more, so much more than just the ex-captain of the lunar walls."
"That's what makes him a complex character because he hates others' faith, but he's so fascinated by faithfulness."
"The characters in this show are all so well written, it's crazy. There's no such thing as good and evil in Banshee."
"He's fits some of the stereotypes obviously but he's not a full stereotype of a neckbeard like he's a multi-dimensional person."
"Sheik is such a high skill cap character because the micro spacing of sheik is so ridiculous."
"Sigmar can smash things flat with no problem if he needs to, but the man is more than just a roid-raging barbarian."
"He sounds like a noble hero but he's hiding a dark secret."
"They did such a great job you know making him like a three-dimensional character."
"It's not perfect as in the sense of them being this hero who's fully flawless and loved by everyone."
"The perfect character as in someone who has flaws, who has phobias, who has weaknesses, and who is relatable to a lot of different people."
"Gwen, my goth queen, one of the most complex and developed characters in total drama."
"Rebecca the book is a story about very very flawed people, so much so that you would be forgiven for being unsure who were the real villains at the end."
"Not everyone has to be holy good in order to make a show interesting."
"This will give you a better idea of how to craft an antagonist who is layered and believable."
"Raina has like 140 moves, so I didn't study her move list or anything."
"Ledger's Joker kind of feels like a stand-up comedian who kills people but not only that, he's so complex that most people who watched this movie missed out on the finer details of the character."
"Namor is at times presented as a flat-out villain and other times as a prickly antihero."
"Kane has always been a dark, complex, and haunted man. And fans have always been drawn to him. They have wondered what caused his pain and suffering, what was his motivation."
"Twice was definitely a deeply flawed character, but he was also deeply human."
"Deacon as it turns out is a very complex man indeed. He's figured out that the more information he reveals, the more vulnerable he makes himself."
"I really believe in strong women but I also believe in women being complicated characters and not just strong."
"I love strong characters and I love characters who are wrong. I really love characters who are wrong."
"Daenerys is not evil or mad, but nor is she good and pure. She is a human being capable of great good and great evil like we all are."
"Shaco in particular is very interesting as a character because he's actually had reworks attempted and cancelled for him more than once."
"Despite being chaotic, there were moments of care and humor in Majin Buu's character."
"Venom is technically speaking like two people combined into one right now."
"Finding genuine friends is about having meaningful conversations over time. Weed out those who are around for a season or a reason."
"His introduction with Tivic is so interesting... he's not some clearly good guy."
"No longer is the witch a one-note archetype."
"One of the most incredible things about her story is that it makes the audience understand and empathize with even the most detestable of characters."
"Whether or not you agree with me and my findings and interpretations, I still believe that the fact that we are able to pick apart the lore in this way and that the characters are this deep and complex is something that we should celebrate."
"I love that idea for Ubben it would already you're making him the street of three-dimensional character because he has to deal with his past."
"Paul is such a complex and interesting character."
"Here we have another classic character who's always blurring the line between good and bad, it's Catwoman."
"I think Sanji is one of the most complex and fascinating characters in the series."
"Instead of making all our heroes and villains gritty flawed Moral Gray Areas, we could start throwing in some characters that are dangerously certain that they're doing the right thing."
"Essentially just three different personas: there's the Batman with the mask on who's on the mission, there's the Bruce Wayne that Alfred knows that is this hurt person that's trying to save the city that does care about the Wayne name..."
"It's a show that's gone hey women are complex beings."
"Marvin can hold a gun, spill a drink on himself, be vulnerable with his daughter... he's not in any kind of box."
"Batman is one of the best characters in the history of fiction is he is so multifaceted he has more than one opposite."
"Strong kept Ingrid from being just a one-note genius by layering her voice with compassion and a touch of sadness."
"Draco himself seems to have had the most confusing year of anyone."
"Dutch Vanderlund, a charismatic grandiose and morally complex character."
"Nihilistic misanthropic characters in Western media generally have a decent level of complexity behind them."
"The most mature, most complex character to hit the sonic franchise."
"Xander's inexplicable tolerance for Perry gets even more confusing when we consider what he says to Charlotte in their C support."
"Jorgen Von Strangle: from antagonist to defender, a complex fairy enforcer."
"He's also selfish, but in a much smaller way. Next up is Hunson Abadeer. Hunson is the father of Marceline and the ruler of the Nightosphere."
"Murdering someone is like second nature to Killua, but he doesn't actually like doing it."
"Stopping a prideful and powerful elven mage who can take shape into a wicked dread wolf at any moment."
"He's a sleaze ball that you love to hate and hate to love."
"Urahara has so many layers to this character, it's crazy."
"15 years of prison camps... but you also want to kind of hug him."
"One of the hardest characters to play in this game."
"Yuki had the self-indulgence that her fellow special grades had the self-indulgence of the strongest but in her case it was simply paradoxical and this trait of Yuki is what I liked most about her."
"The disciples obsession with revenge drives her to commit reprehensible sins but unlike most Psychopaths her face gives nothing away."
"There's more to Wario than you may have been led to believe."
"In squid game all the players aren't quote-unquote good people, but again they don't need to be perfect victims to have our sympathy."
"Powerful yet reserved, absolute justice but kind in person, present yet not present, Oda remembers him but never uses him."
"Villains are, or at least can be, far more interesting than the heroes."
"Unlike some of those he inspired whose characters were defined by their shtick and their self-righteousness, Scott's heroes were always flawed."
"He views himself as a god on par with Teague."
"A man like Travis is a walking contradiction, a ticking time bomb of angst and anger just waiting to be unleashed upon the people he believes deserves it."
"I love playing that side of her. I don't like it when she gets too nice."
"The first legitimately good Star Wars villain, Thrawn had layers as well as all the presence."
"Female characters are often put into a single box: good or evil, and I think Meredith Blake is a perfect example of someone who exists somewhere in the middle."
"Me personally, I love Harley Quinn. She's the sum of everything, she's totally crazy, she is but then nice, but then generous, but tender, but aggressive like she's the mix, the perfect cocktail of all of this crazy, crazy characters."
"That's the beautiful thing about it all these characters the good guys the bad guys they have these fifty shades of grey and it's beautiful."
"When a person who's writing can make me feel compassion for the bad guy, that's good writing to me."
"Our good light characters are capable of darkness."
"The illusionists reveal shades of gray as their lives unravel, showing that they've both gone too far for their art."
"Thor represents such a broad and complex image of masculinity."
"Barbara: a double-edged sword with one edge exponentially longer."
"Michael Keaton is unbelievably good in this movie... a villain and a caring father and husband."
"Schwab is a goddess, okay? She just writes the greatest characters with so much complexity."
"He's an interesting, detailed flawed character who continues to be a funny a-hole throughout it all."
"The idea of making a character who is consciously the antithesis behind the themes of their own game, knowingly does bad things, who isn't empathetic, is no doubt a risk in writing."
"He was a villain, but he was a really interesting villain, really complex, had a lot of different layers."
"It's amazing, very emotional, and our hero has a lot going on."
"He's a very apologetic psychopath, which kind of psychologically makes you feel sympathetic in a weird way."
"The long-term NPC is the NPC whom the party will love because they embody so many different things."
"The Penguin is actually a genuinely interesting character."
"That's wild, the amount of work and thought that go into developing a hypothalamus for a video game character, that's incredible."
"Stormfront was one of the most exciting additions to season 2 of the boys she proved to be a compelling antagonist who could manipulate homelander."
"No one bad is ever truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good."
"Heroes and villains both have the same void to fill."