More Than Half of Americans ‘Always’ or ‘Often’ Root for Villains - Survey

Do you side with Batman, or the Joker? Clark Kent, or Lex Luthor? Good villains tend to make great stories. They give the hero a challenge to overcome, and the viewer someone to root against – or for, as a recent poll reveals.

A new study by OnePoll on behalf of Butterfinger (the candy bar) found that more than half (at least 51%) of Americans who enjoy movies root for the villain. Another 60% of viewers, according to the poll, watch a series or film just for the villain, while 77% of viewers think that a villain can make or break a show or film.

The candybar company conducted the poll to help introduce Robin Fingers, Butterfinger Investigator’s newest nemesis. The company was interested in ascertaining what kind of affinity potential customers have for villains, and whether or not they were as important to the viewer’s perception as protagonists in pop culture.

Though only 25% of participants in the study, which comprised over two thousand people, preferred the villain over the hero, most of those participants were Gen Z, who attribute their preference to the villain’s complexity (69%), while older millennials identified more with the villains’ backstory (50%). Gen X participants indicated they were drawn to what they consider to be the “more interesting” powers of villains (62%).

Thirty-six percent of all participants identified most with the anti-hero archetype–like Tony Soprano of The Sopranos or Michael Scott from The Office. According to the poll, the best villains have magical abilities and a higher than average IQ. They’re often associated with access to high-tech equipment and or lots of money.

Interestingly, 39% of the study’s participants considered a “sinister voice” to be integral to the villain archetype — which was followed closely in popularity by masks, technology and swords.

“It’s clear Americans have a lot of heart for on-screen villains, regardless of their talents or motivations,” said a spokesperson for Butterfinger. “Tapping into that love, we've debuted our own villain, Robin Fingers, to help keep the Butterfinger Investigators on their toes this Halloween season and beyond.”

According to the study, vampires were the villain of choice, followed closely by zombies and the devil. Nearly half of viewers consider the most interesting villains to have originated in film, as opposed to TV shows or series (comic books weren’t mentioned). Interestingly, over a third of participants said they would play a villain in a movie about their life.

“It’s no secret villains provide much of the entertainment in any story,” the spokesperson added. “They’re also often the driving force, most notably by giving the hero a challenge to overcome, without which there wouldn’t be much of a tale to tell.”

Gen Z respondents were the most likely participants to favor the villain-turned-hero trope, and 36% of all participants favored the anti-hero. This trend seems to have remained consistent over participants’ lifetimes, with 43% of them admitting that they’re drawn to the same kinds of characters they appreciated growing up.

If you’re itching for a good villain to get you into the Halloween spirit, participants from the poll suggest seeking out action, horror, and thriller films (in that order).