Horror fans are eager to see the prequel Orphan: First Kill that gives more backstory to the chilling killer. While many fans saw Leena as just another deranged serial killer, others are sympathetic that her struggle with hypopituitarism made her so unhinged.
While many horror villains are simply depicted as evil, many other storylines give enough depth to the villain to truly understand their motives. Whether a monster or psychotic serial killer, some Redditors believe these horror villains were low-key justified in their heinous acts.
The Creature - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
This adaptation of Frankenstein is one of the best gothic monster movies. This version of Shelley's classic novel is more closely related to the original text than many other films, capturing the suffering of Frankenstein's creation.
Redditor SailorDeath said, " Frankenstein's monster has always been one of my favorite horror creations. I especially liked how in the book the creation had intelligence, could reason and speak." Many viewers think the creature was justified in its deeds because it was created by someone that shamed them for simply existing.
King Kong - King Kong (2005)
The 2005 King Kong is one of the best versions of this giant gorilla story. In this film, people show up on Skull Island after getting lost at sea and unknowingly entering King Kong's territory. As the story increases, the human's capture and transport Kong to be used as an attraction.
One Reddit user said, "I don't know how anyone can watch a King Kong movie and not feel bad for him." Kong showed he was capable of a lot of emotion, feeling protective over Ann after he captures her on the island. As an animal using its instincts to survive, it's hard to write the ape off as just another monster movie beast.
Cujo - Cujo (1983)
Cujo is one of the Stephen King films that need another adaptation, according to fans. In this film, a dog terrorizes a mother and child trapped in their car after he is infected with rabies from a bat bite.
It's hard not to feel sorry for the dog who was depicted in the beginning as a playful, curious animal. One Reddit user said, "he's a dog with rabies, he can't help himself." The people had to do what they had to do to survive Cujo's attacks, but he was also an animal suffering from a deadly virus.
Carrie - Carrie (2013)
In both adaptions of Stephen King's novel, Carrie is a young girl with Telekinetic powers. She's tortured and extremely sheltered by her overly religious mother and tormented by her classmates. When she is covered in pig blood at prom, she unleashes her powers, killing nearly everyone at the event.
Reddit user mehtorite said, "Not that I support killing bullies, but it's very understandable that she killed as many people as she did. Pain and misery was all she had ever known." It's heartwarming to see Carrie try so hard to fit in and understandable that she snapped after years of being tormented for something she couldn't control.
The Thing - The Thing (1982)
In this film, a creature that can take the form of its victims takes the form of one of its human victims, picking off American researchers in the remote area of Antarctica.
The film doesn't go into much detail about the nature behind the parasitic-like creature. Reddit user Tychus_Kayle said, "You can't really blame what is, in essence, a virus, for trying to spread." It's hard to say if the creature is necessarily justified for its killings because the audience wants the characters to escape alive. However, nature is a good excuse for a species doing what it is driven to.
Jigsaw - Saw (2004)
Jigsaw was a man dying of cancer that took people that weren't thankful for the lives they had and gave them a choice in his games to fight for their lives. While his mindset was certainly twisted, some fans of the films thought he wasn't entirely unjustified in his acts.
Reddit user petenoodles said, "Jigsaw always seemed somewhat justifiable." Jigsaw was directly responsible for putting his victims in situations that risked their lives, but he did allow them chances to survive. For this reason, fans believe he wasn't entirely unjustified and rather just tried to prove a point in a terribly twisted way.
Jason Vorhees - Friday the 13th Franchise
Jason's mother was the original killer in Friday the 13th. However, the rest of the films feature undead Jason Vorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake, killing off the teenagers at the campground. Jason is another case of revenge.
Reddit user Wilibine said, "What happened to [Jason] was pretty sad and sick. Not saying he should murder people because of it, but I can at least see the twisted mindset of justice." The teenagers in the films weren't responsible for young Jason's death, but it is understandable why undead Jason wants to take revenge on the type of people that allowed him to die.
Alessa Gillespie - Silent Hill (2006)
Alessa from Silent Hill is more powerful than her video game version, depicting her as being able to not only consume the town with the mysterious fog but also create the monsters that emerge. Before she became a vengeful spirit, Alessa was a young girl burned alive for supposedly being a witch.
One Redditor said, "We see her as the villain but really she's the victim and tortures the real villains." There's no question that Dark Alessa does some terrible things, but she was also a spirit that was tortured by the horrific way she died.
Michael Myers - Rob Zombie's Halloween
Rob Zombie's adaptation of the classic Halloween was different in many ways from the original plotline. While Michael Myers is still the psycho killer, Zombie created a backstory for the man's childhood that outlined a life of trauma and depravity.
Some fans think this newer version of Michael is far more justified in his killings. Nazrael75 pointed out, "People were dicks to Michael Myers." He definitely wasn't justified in his killings of innocent people within his younger sister's life, but the audience can understand why he kills his terrible stepfather and the guards that tormented him.
Mary - American Mary (2012)
In this dark thriller, a young girl begins performing dangerous body modification surgeries to pay her way through medical school. When she is sexually assaulted by an old professor, she goes down a path of revenge and murder, increasingly growing more unhinged.
Mary is clearly a psychotic individual that is moved by her vengeful nature to commit heinous acts. However, her trauma played a major role in her downward spiral. One Reddit user mentioned Mary as a low-key justified villain, pointing out that she was a "[sexual assault victim] turned avenger turned murder[er]." Mary's psychotic personality is shocking, but somewhat understandable.