10 Most Likable Movie Villains Of All Time

But type "Is Magneto really a bad guy?" into Google and prepare to be overwhelmed with literally thousands of think pieces and forum discussions attempting to prove that he, indeed, is not. But if your definition of what a bad guy is includes "kills innocent people" then, by default, you must concede that Magneto is one.

But that doesn't mean he isn't sometimes justified in his actions. As a Jewish boy growing up during the Holocaust, Magneto has already lived through an attempt to exterminate his people. So when he feels a similar threat to his mutant race is on the horizon, it's understandable that he would use any means necessary to prevent history from repeating itself.

To put it another way, if Charles Xavier is the Martin Luther King, Jr. of the X-Men series - trying to achieve unity with humans using a peaceful approach - then Magneto is Malcolm X. They have the same end goal, but Magneto's ultra-aggressive tactics means that many innocent eggs will be cracked to make his omelet of justice.

The further into the franchise we get - watching a young Magneto buddy around with Charles while trying to do things "the right way" in the prequels - the easier it is to appreciate his viewpoint and like him as a character.