"You either die a hero," Harvey Dent famously says in The Dark Knight, "or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." It's a tale as old as time. The hero-to-villain story is a recurring trope in movies and television. As the name suggests, it follows a gallant figure who, one way or the other, descends into a path of darkness and cruelty from which there is no return.
These stories shine a new light on the complexity and intricacies of the concepts of "good" and "evil." They illustrate how, under the right circumstances, all humans are corruptible. These tales are captivating, rich, and deeply human, and they keep audiences appalled and fascinated all at once.
Sharon Carter, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
Fans last saw Sharon Carter in Captain America: Civil War when she helped Steve break Bucky out of government custody. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier reveals that, unlike Sam and Bucky, Sharon didn't receive a pardon from the US government, forcing her to go into hiding.
Feeling wronged and betrayed, Sharon eventually takes over Madripoor under the criminal guise of the Power Broker. By the show's end, and despite finally receiving the pardon she deserved from the beginning, she's ready to sell US intelligence to the highest bidder, cementing her place as a new villain in the MCU.
Lex Luthor, Smallville
Lex's evolution from Clark's closest friend to his mortal enemy is one of the pillars upon which Smallville stands. Audiences meet Lex as a young and morally ambiguous character, who nonetheless becomes fast friends with Clark. Their friendship remains strong and steady for the first couple of seasons before being destroyed by Lex's obsession with discovering Clark's secrets.
Lex descends into darkness in the show's seventh season, which is coincidentally Michael Rosenbaum's last as a regular cast member.
Abigail Masham, The Favourite
Abigail Mashan, portrayed by Academy Award winner Emma Stone, is one of the protagonists in Yorgos Lanthimos' 2018 dark comedy The Favourite. Abigail is a naive but ambitious young woman who finds herself fighting her cousin to become Queen Anne's favorite.
Abigail starts the story as an unassuming and restless yet decent woman who only wants to escape her impoverished destiny. As she gains influence at court, she becomes cruel, cold, and shameless but still lacks the requisite cunning to survive the treacherous world she now inhabits.
Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
At the start of The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent is Gotham's new and promising District Attorney. He runs a campaign of honesty and justice and has genuinely good intentions for his city. Many view him as a classic knight in shining armor, and Bruce even considers him the perfect complement to his own Dark Knight.
Harvey's spirit breaks after the death of his finacée, Rachel. With half his face burned, he begins a vendetta against those who failed him, confirming his transformation into Two-Face. Harvey is one of the most memorable characters in any superhero movie and a tragic example of how feeble the human spirit is.
Morgana, Merlin
Morgana Pendragon is the very definition of a tragic villain. Cursed to live in a kingdom where magic is outlawed and punished with death, she hides her abilities from the world, becoming angrier and more bitter with each new day. She eventually becomes Camelot's greatest enemy, a witch so powerful she brings the downfall of the Once and Future King.
What's really sad is that Morgana's fate was avoidable. Merlin toys with the idea of the inevitability of destiny, but there are numerous times where Merlin simply chose not to help Morgana. Fans still wonder how different things could've been if Merlin revealed his magic to Morgana sooner.
Will Graham, Hannibal
The intimate and complex relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter is the beating heart of Hannibal. Will, like the audience itself, is both enthralled and appalled by Hannibal. The serial killer also shares the same sentiments towards Will, with neither fully understanding the other.
Hannibal spends most of the series trying to seduce Will into becoming a killer, eventually succeeding. The show takes its time developing the connection between the two so that Will's eventual choice doesn't seem out of character or underserved.
Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane
The seminal masterpiece Citizen Kane portrays the journey of Charles Foster Kane, from an ambitious but slanderous journalist to a megalomaniac newspaper tycoon. The character, widely believed to be inspired by real-life newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, wasn't precisely a hero to begin with, but rather an ordinary man who suddenly finds himself the heir to a vast fortune.
Citizen Kane remains highly respected, and it truly lives up to the hype. It's a detailed, unrestrained, and unforgiving character study into the mind of a narcissist and a scathing critique of media manipulation and the American dream.
Anakin Skywalker, The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
The story of how Anakin Skywalker becomes the most dangerous and fearsome figure in the galaxy is the cornerstone of the Star Wars prequels. Love them or hate them, the three movies do provide some insights into the life of the young Jedi, even if they spend too much time trying to justify the character's actions.
The prequels also turn Anakin into a tragic villain rather than a full-on despot. The death of his mother, his fears of losing Padmé, and his growing resentment for the Jedi order lead him to the Dark Side, in a story that ends up being more powerful than anyone could've guessed.
Walter White, Breaking Bad
In the last few years, Walter White became the seminal example of a hero-to-villain arc. Initially a decent and even inconsequential high school chemistry teacher, Walter becomes a ruthless and powerful drug lord.
Much of Breaking Bad's time goes to explaining Walter's actions. The show details his descent into villainy, purposefully blurring the lines between doing something out of need and actually enjoying it. By the end of the show, Walter has become the biggest threat to every character, with his former associate Jesse Pinkman referring to him as the devil.
Michael Corleone, The Godfather Trilogy
Michael Corleone, the de-facto protagonist in Francis Ford Coppola's iconic film series, goes through a classic journey that takes him from unwilling participant to leader and perpetrator. Despite his claims of wanting to legitimize the family's business, Michael soon indulges in the power and violence that surrounds him.
Michael's actions end up tearing his family apart, eventually driving him to a place of regret and wariness. His desire to atone never overpowers his pride, and thus he never truly escapes the life he initially reviled. Michael's character arc fits that of a tragic hero, but he also has everything to excel as an ideal villain.