9 Sci-Fi Movie Villains Who Were Actually RIGHT

Being at odds with our heroes didn't mean that these villains weren't justified.

By Niall Gray /

Part of sci-fi's appeal is in its futuristic and often alien settings, but the stories they tell are usually at their core very human ones.

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Sci-fi isn't a genre that particularly lends itself to the more traditional good-versus-evil narratives, and instead we most often see something a little more thought-provoking.

Whether it's a commentary on the progress of humanity as a species, an allegory for current or historical social issues, or an in-depth look at the innately flawed human condition, there's certainly no shortage of interesting subject matter lurking just below the surface of your favourite sci-fi flicks.

Seeing the story through the lens of an unfamiliar world can sometimes cloud our view of exactly what's going on, especially when the filmmakers intended us to root for one person or faction in particular.

In spite of narrative or cinematic bias, we do find ourselves every so often agreeing more with the villain of the piece instead of the intended hero.

Whether they were fighting against an oppressive regime, doing their best to survive in a hostile environment or simply trying to earn their basic rights, here are some sci-fi villains that were entirely justified.

9. Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge Of The Sith

Anakin Skywalker is one of the most famous villains in cinematic history.

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Despite a last minute change of heart, the man behind Darth Vader's aggressively loud respirator is undoubtedly bad, and his fall to the Dark Side was the driving force behind the prequel trilogy.

Following Anakin from his childhood as a slave and his induction into the Jedi Order through to the epic battle with his former master that turned him into the black-clad villain he was destined to be, it's hard not to sympathise as we watch his formative years.

Repeatedly told that he has the potential to be the most powerful Jedi ever as a young man, and expected to rid his mind and heart of all attachments to the people he loves, the trilogy follows Anakin's struggle with the often pretty cult-like rules of the Jedi order.

Driven by the (absolutely justified) fear of losing the woman he loves and his unborn child, Anakin descends into madness, although it isn't until the last hour of the trilogy that he actually does anything that could be considered bad.

After all, he stops Mace Windu from killing Palpatine as he believes the Sith Lord deserves a right to some semblance of justice, even if that doesn't totally balance out him force choking his wife and killing countless children.

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