I have a confession. I often like the villains more than the heroes.

Not all villains. Some are just terrible people with excellent lighting. The truly sadistic, one-dimensional villains who enjoy torturing puppies and explaining their evil plans for 17 uninterrupted minutes? I’m good.

But give me a villain with an origin story.

Give me context.

Give me psychological complexity, questionable ethics, a sense of humor and preferably some excellent cheekbones.

Because the antihero is where things get interesting.

Heroes in popular culture often seem to just fumble into heroism. Buffy gets called to the job. Spider-Man gets bitten by a radioactive spider. Suddenly everyone expects them to save the world while maintaining good grades and an emotionally appropriate relationship.

Villains, meanwhile, often have a backstory.

Something happened.

They were rejected. Betrayed. Abandoned. Misunderstood. They made a series of increasingly questionable decisions and then, well, here we are.

And some of them are funny.

That matters.

I loved Spike more than Buffy or Angel. There, I said it.

Spike was a villain who had layers. He was ridiculous, romantic, narcissistic, vulnerable, occasionally horrifying and frequently hilarious. You could understand how he became who he was without necessarily approving of what he did.

That distinction is psychologically interesting.

I also have a soft spot for Loki, who seems to have spent most of his life wondering why everyone else doesn’t appreciate how clever he is.

Then there’s Magneto, whose villainy comes with an actual worldview and history. Walter White, if we’re expanding the category beyond comic-book villains, is another fascinating example. You can understand the path without confusing understanding with absolution.

And let’s not forget Darth Vader. The man spent years being the galaxy’s worst employee and still got an emotional redemption arc.

Apparently all you need is a tragic backstory, some charisma and a really good costume.

Which brings me to an important question. If I like villains so much, why don’t I ever dress up as one for Halloween?

I have no idea.

I’ve done plenty of Halloween costumes, but apparently my villain appreciation has boundaries.

Although this year I’m considering a sea siren.

Which may not technically be a villain.

But let’s be honest.

A woman who lures sailors to their doom with a beautiful voice is operating in a pretty morally gray neighborhood.

Perhaps I’ve finally found my people.