-1.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1100&h=618&dpr=1.5)
The basic rule of storytelling states that every protagonist needs an antagonist, someone or something that will put obstacles in their way to make the story even more interesting. And it's true that many fans grow to like the fully fleshed-out villainous characters rather than the heroes they see in their favorite TV shows.
A proper villain can make any show they appear in more interesting. Sometimes, though, the villain has no clue that they're actually evil, and in even rarer cases, they can be one of the protagonists! This usually happens when they do bad things without considering them or believing their actions are perfectly justified.
5 Khan Noonien Singh
One of the best villains in Star Trek: The Original Series was the augmented human Khan, played by the late Ricardo Montalbán. When the Enterprise crew has the misfortune of coming across Khan, they soon realize that he considers himself superior to them and has very little respect for human lives. At the same time, Khan is capable of being gentle to some people as he strikes a romance with one member of the crew, Marla, and in the end, they leave the ship together. Throughout the entire episode, Khan doesn't seem to show the slightest realization that his actions are wrong and that he's hurting people.
He later becomes so obsessed with revenge that he goes after Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies which even leads to the death of Kirk's closest friend, Mr. Spock. Another antagonist in Star Trek: The Original Series who fits the description of a person unaware of their evil is the special-powered teenager Charlie who slowly gains control over the ship and punishes people unless they're doing what he wants them to do, all the while maintaining their notion that they're the one at fault.
4 Wilson Fisk
Even though he only recently was linked to the MCU, Wilson Fisk, aka, Kingpin is considered by many fans one of the best MCU villains. He's powerful, intelligent, strong, cunning, and ruthless. At the same time, Fisk is capable of caring about people, as his romance with Vanessa demonstrates. Just like multiple villains, Fisk doesn't see any evil in his actions and even when he hurts people or kills them, he considers it justice instead. The reason is that they hurt him first, be it by lying to him, betraying him, or simply failing to fulfill his wishes.
Fisk excels at punishing those around him and not once does he consider the fact that his approach might be faulty, let alone evil. In his own eyes, Fisk has a moral code that he upholds, as he, for example, demonstrates, by warning his enemies (such as Kate Bishop's mom Eleanor) that they're about to do something that will cause his displeasure. What's more, he genuinely seems to believe he's saving his city, even though he's hurting it instead.
3 Rachel Berry
The musical hit show Glee has many sympathetic characters, but Rachel Berry isn't one of them. Rachel has her strong moments sometimes, but most of the time, she comes across as self-centered and arrogant, convinced she's the best singer and that no one else deserves the same time in the spotlight. For example, when her classmate Tina finally gets her first solo, Rachel tries to bribe Tina to give it up.
She also isn't supportive of others, even though she's a member of the Glee club, and by all rules, should try her best to work as a team player. Rachel's diva-like behavior is something even the characters themselves noticed and pointed out on multiple occasions, but Rachel herself failed to see that she didn't always behave like a good person.
2 Captain Hammer
Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is one of the superhero shows that came before the MCU started in big fashion. And it's in many ways unique, not just because it stars an antagonist in the leading role (Neil Patrick Harris' Doctor Horrible) or because it's a musical. One of the most prominent characters is Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion. Captain Hammer poses as the good guy, and he seems to genuinely believe he's a good guy. However, his behavior is problematic.
He doesn't care about the people he's protecting, he thinks he's better than them, and he starts dating his girlfriend Penny (Felicia Day) even though he doesn't really love her, just because he wants to get back at Doctor Horrible who's in love with Penny. And when the time comes to do what superheroes are bound to do, protect people, Captain Hammer runs away in fear. While not as bad as other TV characters, Captain Hammer is far from heroic despite being a superhero and loved by the public.
1 Henry VIII
King Henry VIII is one of the more controversial historical figures. On one hand, he was well-educated, revolutionized his country's religion, loved poetry and music, and was loyal to his friends and loved ones. On the other hand, the king had multiple people executed, including some of his closest friends (Sir Thomas More) and two out of his six wives (Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard). He also cast off his first wife and when she refused to obey him, he forbid her from ever seeing her daughter again.
All of this and more is shown in the TV series The Tudors, which captures both the good and bad aspects of the king's personality. As Henry VIII ages, he becomes crueler, more aware that as a king, he can do whatever he wants and there's nobody who can stop him. At the same time, the king doesn't think he's doing anything wrong when he has multiple people executed since he believes they betrayed him and deserved to meet such a fate.