10 Famous Movie Villains That Had Understandable Motives

7. Khan Noonien Singh - Star Trek Into Darkness

The original Khan isn't exactly understandable, yes, Kirk did exile him but he did try to murder the Starfleet crew so he got his due course. Benedict Cumberbatch's repackaged Khan was a much more empathetic character who, despite his criminal acts of murder, was simply trying to prevent his people from becoming extinct. Revealed to have stored his crew in missile shells aboard the Enterprise, Khan explains to Kirk in a spellbinding monologue that his crew are his family, and that he will do anything to protect them. Super Space Sherlock isn't a saint by any stretch, a lot of blood has been spilled in the name of his crew, but Cumberbatch makes him believable enough to care. His story is so emphatic that it would be easy to make another film entirely with him as a protagonist seeking to protect his people, and Kirk a cold-hearted military officer who wants him gone. You could call it "Star Trek Out of Lightness", a billion-dollar title if ever there was one.