Everyone knows that most movies, especially Disney movies, usually have a villain that tries to ruin the plans of the protagonist. We have Scar, Maleficent, and the cats from lady in the Tramp. But when it comes to Studio Ghibli’s films, there is usually not a villain, and it’s just so wholesome that it makes you love them even more.
For example, in Kiki’s Delivery Service, nobody is trying to hurt Kiki; sure, there are obstacles in her way, but overall, nothing bad happens to her, and she finds a town to settle in. In My Neighbor Totoro, no villains- just cute creatures who are super funny and a cat bus that is just hilarious.
There are so many movies that could do without a villain and still be good, that the villain doesn’t even make sense sometimes; sometimes they feel like filler to make the movie longer. Sometimes the villains do make sense, like Tarzan, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, but in movies like Princess and the Frog, the villain doesn’t need to exist.
The only exceptions I see for movie villains are if it’s a thriller or superhero movie; most superheroes have bad guys that they fight, and so that makes perfect sense. In thrillers, the villain is the story pretty much, and without them they wouldn’t have anything to fight against. Whether it’s a murderer, a serial killer, or whatever, it makes the story more exciting, but to be a good movie, there needs to be closure, and the villain needs to be able to be defeated.
I watched a movie about natural disasters, and it was called “How it Ends.” The ending was so frustrating that it makes you want more: a sequel or a secret ending that superhero movies like to do. If there was a sequel, i would’t of been so mad. The director of that movie was the real villain.
Villains can make a movie great, but it’s not always needed. We need to think about what makes a villain because sometimes they are just doing what they can to survive.
