# Villainous characters who truly love one other person **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959 "2008-09-10T16:25:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/41 "2008-09-11T12:27:37Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > The eponymous Flashman was an utter bastard, but in his own admittedly perverse {and decidedly non-monogamous} way, he genuinely loved his dimwitted but redoubtable wife Elspeth, and not just carnally. Rather touchingly, they lived into their nineties together. Non-monogamous on both sides, according to Harry’s suspicions and all but proof. She cried attempted rape when caught _in flagrante_ with Lord Cardigan, but Flashman wasn’t convinced of her innocence. On the other hand, he was quite convinced that Cardigan was guilty whichever way - either of attempted rape or attempted cuckoldry - which turned out to have something to do with bringing about the Charge of the Light Brigage. 😃 Since the OP is after only one other person as the _objet d’amour_, I’ll have to disqualify certain of the Draka, on the grounds that they love a number of their nearest and dearest - they merely share the all-too-common failing of forming an isomorpishm between \*Us vs. Them \*and _Human vs. Non-human_. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/42 "2008-09-11T12:29:22Z")
Catwoman loves Batman ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/43 "2008-09-11T12:29:51Z")
> [@Anduinel](#): > > Scorpius from the _Farscape_ series. I can’t quite put my finger on the flavor of love he has for his second-in-command, Braka (though it probably involves bondage), but they’re definitely joined at the hip. Dammit! you beat me to Scorpius and Braka. Scorpius also had a thing going on with that chick that walked on walls and stuff…but he did end up killing her didn’t he, in the PK wars? ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/44 "2008-09-11T12:34:20Z")
Silent Hill 4’s Walter Sullivan loves his mother enough to warp reality and murder 21 people (including himself!) in order to be with her. Too bad he thinks that Room 302 is his mother. ---
**Author:** ![Anduinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Anduinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduinel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/45 "2008-09-11T12:41:23Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > Dammit! you beat me to Scorpius and Braka. Scorpius also had a thing going on with that chick that walked on walls and stuff…but he did end up killing her didn’t he, in the PK wars? Yeah. Sputnik was a fun toy and useful in some capacity (hey, hot redhead who doesn’t mind the gimp suit), but she was ultimately expendable. By contrast, Scorpy, who usually has no problem offing people who make themselves inconvenient (re: Crais, Sputnik, Medusa, Commandant Cleavage), carries a wounded Braka off of the battlefield in PK Wars. The theme from The Bodyguard really should have been playing at that point. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/46 "2008-09-11T12:52:07Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **G.I. Joe** - I always thought Destro had a thing for The Baroness. In the comics series, they have married, & produced a child, a boy named Eugen. BTW–as per the Baroness’s uniform, & Destro’s—BSDM, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/47 "2008-09-11T12:59:58Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I actually agree with this theory. Remember, Cal realized a small moment of redemption when he gave up a waiting seat on that lifeboat in order to make sure that Rose made it off the ship safely. “Oh, damn it all to hell…” I actually felt sorry for, and maybe even admired him a little in that moment. Not to mention he’s also the funniest character in the movie: “Picasso? He won’t amount to a thing. Mark my words!” I always thought his giving up his seat was more about wanting to “win” over Jack and get Rose back in his clutches. He was a selfish, possessive ass who wanted to control her. Fun character but not nuanced at all. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/48 "2008-09-11T13:15:31Z")
Missed the edit window but wanted to add: Atia from the HBO series _Rome_ was a vindictive scheming beeyotch, but she seemed to love Mark Antony. I was surprised by the depth of her pain when he took up with Cleopatra and refused to see her. I don’t think it was simply a bruised ego. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/49 "2008-09-11T13:28:32Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Heathcliff certainly wasn’t a villian. Did we read the \* same \* Wuthering Heights? From memory and Wikipedia – a. Debauches, swindles, and possibly kills Hindley , Cathy’s brother in order to get the title to Wuthering Heights. b. Seduces and abuses Isabella Linton (hanging her dog on the way out). c. Threatens Edward Linton. d. Kidnaps Catherine and forces her to marry his son so that he can get the rights to Thrushcross Grange. e. Deliberately deprives Hareton of any access to education, condemning him to the kind of brutish upbringing that Heathcliff himself so resented. Not sure what your definition of “villain” is, but Heathcliff fits mine. He’s not even an anti-hero. He’s a vengeful, brutal waste of air. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/50 "2008-09-11T20:25:05Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Hannibal Lecter loved his sister Mischa. To lesser degrees he loved his aunt (name eludes me- Japanese lady married to his uncle in Paris) and Starling. That’s three people, Sampiro. Besides, given that he drugs, brainwashes, and rapes Starling, Hannibal can hardly be said to love her. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/51 "2008-09-11T20:28:33Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s three people, Sampiro. > > Besides, given that he drugs, brainwashes, and rapes Starling, Hannibal can hardly be said to love her. Hey - if the Joker counts because of Harley Quin, then shouldn’t Hannibal fall under the same “sick and twisted, but sincere, love” category? Harley’s also been brainwashed. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/52 "2008-09-11T20:31:57Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Hey - if the Joker counts because of Harley Quin, then shouldn’t Hannibal fall under the same “sick and twisted, but sincere, love” category? Harley’s also been brainwashed. Honestly, I wouldn’t count the Joker either, as I meant true love. Of course that is an amorphous term, but to me it necessarily requires that the love be to the betterment of the object, not the exploitation of the object. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/53 "2008-09-11T20:37:32Z")
Ralph Fiennes’s character in _Schindler’s List_ (Amon Goeth, IIRC), a completely sadistic and twisted bastard, falls in love with a Jewish woman. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/54 "2008-09-11T20:54:17Z")
How about Best-Trek-Villan ever Gul Dukat? He certainly loved his daughter Ziyal, even if he wasn’t the best of fathers. His feelings for her–an illegitimate child–personally & professionally cost him a great deal. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/55 "2008-09-11T21:04:29Z")
My favorite comes from a one-season show called _Brimstone_. The premise is that a large number of damned souls escape from Hell. Satan appoints a late police detective, Ezekiel Stone (Peter Horton), to pursue them throughout America, to where, apparently, they all fled. At one point, the hero manages to track down the ringleader of the breakout, a queen from ancient Sumaria or some such. After a multi-episode arc, she manages to elude her pursuer and vanishes. At the end of the episode, Stone is talking things over with Satan (wonderfully played by John Glover) and noting how Satan describes the escaped queen, asserts that Satan was in love with her. Satan replies, “I never loved anyone but God! And that was a LONG time ago!” I always liked that. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/56 "2008-09-11T21:06:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s three people, Sampiro. But only one at a time. (Besides, I’m not sure if he really loves the aunt- could just be respect, gratitude, and lust.) > [@](#): > > Besides, given that he drugs, brainwashes, and rapes Starling, Hannibal can hardly be said to love her. Oh, like you’ve never done anything impetuous when you’re in love. ---
**Author:** ![hdc\_bst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@hdc\_bst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hdc_bst)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/57 "2008-09-11T21:10:19Z")
In George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire Cersei should be near the top of anyone’s list of despicable characters (a very long long list). She loves Jaime, and her children as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/58 "2008-09-11T21:15:18Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > How about Best-Trek-Villan ever Gul Dukat? He certainly loved his daughter Ziyal, even if he wasn’t the best of fathers. His feelings for her–an illegitimate child–personally & professionally cost him a great deal. Dukat was the best Trek villain, wasn’t he? He was interesting because he did love his daughter, and he really did think what he was doing was right. At least until the final seasons where he turned into an evil for evil’s sake guy. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/59 "2008-09-11T21:41:48Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Hey - if the Joker counts because of Harley Quin, then shouldn’t Hannibal fall under the same “sick and twisted, but sincere, love” category? Harley’s also been brainwashed. Arguable. It’s easy to interpret that she sticks with him because of the freedom from society she gets out of it. In any case, it’s a complicated not necessarily healthy mess for the both of them (or all three if you count in Ivy.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959/60 "2008-09-11T21:43:42Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > Arguable. It’s easy to interpret that she sticks with him because of the freedom from society she gets out of it. In any case, it’s a complicated not necessarily healthy mess for the both of them (or all three if you count in Ivy.) I wouldn’t call her brainwashed, anyway. Joker just freed her madness. He doesn’t love her though; only Ivy loves Harley. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/villainous-characters-who-truly-love-one-other-person/462959.md?page=4)