Infinity War: Why Thanos is a Perfectly Written Villain
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- A video essay analyzing Thanos in Marvel's Infinity War and why I hold that he is a perfectly written villain.
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Thank you, my child, for your praise.
...what did it cost?
Jack Stoutamore 1/14,000,605 scenarios
Thanos
*weeps in Korean*
Thanos are you related to Thanod?
Fun fact: the Greek god of death is Thanatos, which I thought was funny. You may be thinking "wait the Greek god of death is Hades." No. He's god OF the dead. Thanatos kills people, Hades does the paperwork
perfectly written, as all villains should be
lol
Well said
Perfectly referenced, as all comments should be
yes.
Ill Omens lol
I knew Thanos was perfect when
1. He DOES NOT lie, as bad his plan is, he knows it’s evil, but undertakes the task in a “noble” way in his own eyes. He is honest about it to himself and others.
2. He has NO CONTEMPT for the “avengers” specifically. He even lets some of them live, and some he even shows respect towards. He has no personal quarrel with them, they are simply an obstacle.
As soon as he sees his task before him as greater than himself, he transcends the avengers and their little lives and motives. He is bigger than they are, more purpose-driven. His mission even transcends his OWN life.
Dwarves: am I a joke to you?
*Contempt, not content. I definitely didn't look at that for 30 seconds trying to read it lol
A normal villain would’ve killed Ironman
When give the time stone.
But honest ol Thanos did the right thing
Even if it meant his death.
Another good reason Thano's master plan blinds his "good" judgement, the same heroes he spared were the same heroes that led his demise.
This is a good comment but what do you mean he has no content for The Avengers that doesn't make any sense I think you mean contempt
I like how he said he did what he said he’d do. He didn’t trust himself to keep the stones out of pure temptation so he destroys them. Then he goes off to live an honest farm life in a cabin.
the story of Cincinataus comes to mind here, a man who did what he had to do, (Lead rome as an elected autocrat in a war) and once it was done, he walked away and went back to his farm. it was expected of him back then, but as we know now, that is a rare thing.
Didn’t he realize that eventually the population would continue to procriate and comeback to the way it was before the snap? He destroyed the stones so how would he or someone solve the problem then?
He truly is a hero... from his point of view, which I think everyone would agree is the best type of villain.
Yea he was living a peaceful farm life....before the avengers rolled up to his crib and ended him. I mean am I the only one who thought that was messed up?? Even for the avengers!!
@@cucabeludo3596
Bruh you cannot be so sure about that.
What if in a planet only males were left over after the snap.
And even if it does have a chance to come back then, how long would that even take.
Infinity War: Villians Story
Endgame: Heroes Story
They were both amazing
God damn that’s the purest description of these movies
Matt Scallon Perfectly balanced.
Mr. Yeet As all things should be.
Perfectly balanced, as all things should be
It was his smile at the end that sold me. That wasn't a victorial smile, or a smile of success. It was a smile of relief
It was almost a forced smile. Thanos, despite completing his goal, still lost. He lost the only thing he ever loved.
@@nated8678 And he had to swallow his losses because he believed it was his destiny--because he sees himself as a grandiose hero on a journey who honestly thinks he's doing the right thing. Brilliant villain.
Actually made me feel kinda bad for him with what happened during the first half hour of Endgame...
_Whoops_ - that was almost a spoiler, wasn't it..?
@@PeteTheGrouch lol I wouldn't worry about it, everyone who cares about spoilers should have seen it by now.
@@nated8678 Except he doesn't really love her. He loves Death, the entity. He's a lovesick, mad Titan. He was rewritten to the worse.
Thanos has a simple goal: "If I don't kill 50%, 100% will face extinction."
Tbh thats Dumb asf
But he'll recreate the world to be an utopia...that's his true simple goal, he just changed the means to do it because his first attempt failed
GEICO: saves 15%
Thanos: saves 50%
@@vitorguerreiro3902 its actually not dumb. Just think about will you
Skum Don But the thing is, it’s actually stupid as fuck
A proper villain is one where he is a hero when you look at the world from his perspective 🔥🔥🔥
King Penuel much love fam
@@TheLoneChemist It's all love.
King Penuel That was really well-put! Bravo!👏
Matthew Pinon thanks my dude. glad you enjoyed some of my takes. stay safe king.
Any villain is the hero when you look at the world from his perspective as long as the villain is deluded enough. Thanos is a crazy dude who was driven mad by his entire planet "Lord of the Fly"-ing themselves off the face of the universe. His plan doesn't make sense to anyone with their sanity still intact, but it does to him. At least, that's the only explanation I could find for his plan making no sense if you think about it for more than a minute.
One thing I love about thanos is that he’s very calm and soft-spoken, it makes him even scarier
Agree
Yeah. He doesn't need to scream to scare the audience.
Yeah when he knows he is going to die he's calm
I mean he's just not intimidated by anything and only gets annoyed most of the time. His mind is constantly thinking about his next move so he can finally get to that farm in peace, everything that's gets in his way is meaningless to him, especially with the gauntlet.
It made him feel like he genuinely believed that he was fighting for a good cause no matter the means.
Back in 2008, Thanos was only known inside the geek circles.
Now he's among the greatest and most iconic villains of all time, among Darth Vader, and Heath Ledger's Joker.
Thank you Russo brothers.
Agreed.
He really was inevitable.
@@darthsauron8052 don't forget the writers Markus and McFeely.
Thanos is comparable to Joker when it comes to being a great villain. One is a psychological maniac whose goals you'll always wonder what, and one is a survivor and does what he thinks is right to save others.
"Understandable beings that are slaves to their imperfections." I really like this quote! That's what humans are!
ryadh456 much love fam, thanks for the compliment.
@@TheLoneChemistWhat is your opinion on Dr. Emma Russell from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, whose plan was similar to Thanos' plan in Infinity War. Most people criticized her for the same reasons you say that Thanos is perfectly written.
One more thing you should have addded is his integrity and honesty. He never lies. His commitment for truth makes his character more strong and respectable.
Thanos in Infinity War: *Perfectly written villain*
Thanos in Endgame:
Woah buddy, this could have been a spoiler for Endgame. You better be more careful when browsing through the comments
I want to click read more so bad but I haven't seen endgame
@@nicholashopper5862 HAHAHAHAHA HOLY SHIT PLEASE CLICK IT LIKE ITS NOT A SPOILER YOURE GOING TO CRACK UP SO HARD
Dead
You are my hero
Nicholas Hopper iron man and black widow die
Comic Thanos: A thirsty virgin
Movie Thanos: Basically a hippie
*Eco-terrorist
Emil Andreasson Thanos isn’t a virgin. I think the “What Thanos Did On His Free Time” established that
A neomalthusian hippie, but a hippie still..!
@@youknowwhoiam2771 in the comics, thanos was obsessed with "death". Death is a hot girl.
STOP STOP Yeah, I heard that from someone else (didn’t read the comics myself), but that sounds infinitely more interesting than “balance” Thanos. Killing one half of a population doesn’t fix overpopulation, it just restarts the process, until the population numbers correct themselves.
Contrarily, death obsessed Thanos would have been interesting and could be explored in many different ways (he could be a cynic and kill everyone to end their miserable lives, he could be a sadist/sociopath and so it for the joy of killing, it could be a cult things like the Faceless Men in Game of Thrones, maybe he’s vengeful because everyone in his planet was killed and wants to avenge them by killing everyone, etc).
Thanos in the comics was a simp
Joshua Ellerson truer words have never been spoken. thanks for watching fam. stay safe and healthy.
That's why it was the writers' responsibility to make this version an absolute chad
He wanted to clap Helas cheeks
@@Chuked meh close enough
@@childishbambino2024 he wanted to clap DEATHS HERSELF cheeks
The reason Thanos doesn’t double resources is because your just increasing the problem.
More resources = more mouths.
More mouths = more mouths to feed.
You just created a bigger problem and next time Thanos won’t be around to stop it.
@@danker9161 remember we are at a time where we’re working on being better for the planet and we know what we should do and we know we’re over overpopulated if you wipe out half of humans it’ll make the job easier
That doesn't make any sense. Increasing the resources *INCREASES* the standards of living, not the other way around. More resources equals less time and effort needed to obtain said resources, thus more time spent on the quality of life. Also, according to Endgame, the universe originally had 10 trillion souls before the snap. Our solar system can support over 10 *QUADRILLION* people and their standards of living would be *LEAGUES* better than the richest people on Earth. Assuming that a habitable Earth-like planet exists around every star in the galaxy and you spread those 10 quadrillion people across those worlds, they would populate the entire galaxy several times over. There's no shortage of resources anytime soon. Or he could just change reality so that resources work infinitely or make everyone immortal, but no character brings that up in the movie because the story would fall apart instantaneously. Thanos has all this power but he ends up underutilizing said powers in the worst way possible.
@@danker9161 If you like science, futurism, and realistic portrayals of sci-fi tropes, I highly recommend the CZcams channel Isaac Arthur. That's where I got most of my knowledge from. He criticizes Thanos' plan in one of his videos, the Dyson Dilemma version 2 video, if I remember it correctly.
@@kellenwong1321 yeah but he can’t double resources since you can’t make something out of nothing that’s the limit of the stones
@@gstxd Oh, so you are telling me that there's a limit despite the fact that one of those stones can manipulate reality itself? Yeah, I'm going to call BS on that one.
Thanos in Infinity War: *Just wants the stones. Is more or less initially friendly to the Avengers until they attack him.*
Thanos in Endgame: "I'm about to end this whole universe's career."
Change of personality n motivation
@@daemonace5910 Yeah, he was exposed to the fact that his life's work was about to be completely nullified by the Avengers, who he did not even know. With Nebula's recording he knew exactly how much he sacrificed for it and how persisten the avengers were in getting in his way. He was pissed, they made it personal.
He still was altruistic. He wanted to destroy the universe to build a utopia in the ashes after he realized that snapping half of life out of existence would fail. He believed that the universe was beyond repair in Endgame.
@@aster1sk294 That's the sad part. Imagine if they kept Thanos the main character of Endgame indirectly, with the last fight scene not ending with silent Thanos, but a thanos that realized he was in the wrong.
Daemon Ace He's the same guy. His motivation is the only thing that changed. He was just going to go the extra yard and just rewrite everything in his perfect view. No one remembers the snap, the universe is balanced, and no one can stop him.
Can we all just appreciate the fact that a studio, for the first time I know of, hyped a major film up for years, building up to it for a very long time, and actually didn’t mess anything up and made an almost flawless film?
Edit: WHAT? Since when do I have almost 2k likes? Thanks everyone!
Xplosives I know. The movie so easily could have gone wrong with so many characters and plot lines. But it didn’t 🔥🔥🔥.
Thanks for watching my dude!!
Josephi Krakowski
I think he was talking about infinity war
@@appledough3843 I read the comment wrong
Ikr?! Infinty War was something else I don't know how Endgame will top it.
@@Grimloxz Test screenings of end game have gone really well apparently
In the end of first endgame , when thanos sat and just looked at the sunset after the half world ended was really powerful moment , that’s why he was a great villian , he had great personality - dark and twisted but great
Kill Monger : I'm the best villian
Thanos: hold my infinity gauntlet
Neither had a plan that made any sense if you thought about it for more than 2 seconds, but they were both played by impressive, charismatic actors who brought their A-game. They were cinematically good villains, but not narratively.
@@zusfrankenstein8561 I disagree.
Joker didn't make any real sense.
But come on, Thanos has a plan.
The resources are finite.
@@chumlankithan1545 He could have just made more resources.
@@zusfrankenstein8561 He gives an explanation for that as well. If he goes down the road of making more resources then greed will take over.
Kill monger wasn't even a good villian. Kind of whiney actually
The surprised look on Thanos's face after he snaps his fingers make me wonder if he included himself as a possibility in the random killing and he happened to survive. Or maybe he was just shocked that he finally managed to accomplish his goal. Either way it's an interesting scene.
The surprise he had after the snap and the vision of a young Gamora within the Soul Stone world, seem to suggest that not only was he a potential target, but that he was chosen and something about the gauntlet saved him.
In the comics, when Thanos loses the gauntlet, Nebula picks it up and starts using it, despite being a near mindless zombie at the time. She reverses everything that had happened - including the snap - and proceeds to be assaulted by the remaining heroes and the combined might of the Celestials.
However, Thanos notes that while she may have the gauntlet, she lacks the will to use it to its full potential, and that she is reacting mostly out of instinct. Because some of the gems are even sentient, he suggests that the infinity gauntlet itself was protecting her from attacks that would have otherwise easily defeated her.
In the comic line "Illuminati" the group of the same name assemble the infinity gauntlet. Reed Richards is wearing the gauntlet at its completion, and everyone is holding their breath for what he might do, not having thought of the consequences of fully assembling the gauntlet in such a situation. For a moment, there is just strained confusion on Reed Richard's face before he finally says that he can't do it. He cannot will the gauntlet and the infinity gems to simply cease to be. The assembled gauntlet simply wont let it happen.
The stones in the MCU are definitely less powerful than the gems in the comics, and the gauntlet itself seemed nearly destroyed by the act of unleashing its full wish-fulfilling power. Even so, if he really wanted to be preserved, he simply could have made it so.
However, after having just watched a video about good villains needing good motivations, the motivation to preserve himself is quite lacking. Does he have a massive ego? Yes, but it was definitely taken down a notch after murdering the one person he loved the most in the universe. Does he think he is a god? Possibly but I doubt it. A god doesn't need an all powerful tool to do what he wants, and that smile at the beginning of the film to Loki's taunt wasn't one of "I will be a god, you can count on it" but more of a "you really have no idea what I really want, do you" sort of look. He doesn't clarify or argue, but then again, he rarely does for anyone he is outright going to kill. He doesn't argue with Loki, he just crushes his neck. He doesn't try to convince Gamora that he truly loves her, he simply bites back the pain and does the sacrifice. Interestingly, he even gives a soft and even reassuring speech to Tony Stark, who somehow received a non-lethal stab through the gut. Similarly for Wanda Maximoff when he consoles her for her sacrifice of Vision and yet despite clearly being the biggest threat of the entire team, he only swats her away AFTER she attacks him first.
I would argue, to get back to the main point, that Thanos would have been very unlikely to have spared himself from the snap, mainly because the character we are shown throughout the movie isn't the type to do that. Indeed, he is more likely to do the reverse, seeing that preventing his own demise would fly in the face of his goal (that it is random, impartial, merciful, which to someone who has suffered as much, he would consider it mercy to be wiped away). The belief that he is utterly right in his goal, that level of ego, would prevent him from excluding himself. However, the icing on the cake is such, that as high as his ego is, it is not so high, that he doesn't have remorse or doubt, both shown brilliantly after the snap, when he shows genuine surprise at surviving, and genuine remorse at all of the sacrifices he had to make in order to get to that point.
_"I literally cannot believe that worked!"_
Great point! This is exactly what I thought. Thanos didn't look valiant and successful, he looked very much confused and disoriented. Thor's reaction actually cemented that scene for me. In that moment, Thor had NO idea what that snap did but it made him instantly chastise Thanos and halt his attack. In those fleeting seconds, time was suspended and reality itself was warped. Thanos gave no response and simple left... Brilliant scene. Ponder away fanboys. Lol
I guess that he just realized the stupidity of his whole mission cuz in a few centuries the population will be the same it was before the snap! Actually it's a simple evolutionary fact that whenever there are more resources the population grows faster, so I guess in the case of humans, we'll be the same number in max 200 years!
It's confirmed that he does include himself in the snap
the hulk becomes shrek in endgame
so true
#spoilersthatdontspoiltoomuch
@Will Daniels we have a fucking idiot
dont spoil shrek 5 fucking trashbag
*ALL STAR PLAYS*
“I’m the only one who knows that. At least I am the only one with the will to act on it.” I know there is more to thanos than just that line but I still think that line sums him up.
I don't think thanos is a villan, he's more anti-villan with a purpose to make the world balanced with everyone against him and his ideas he is deemed to be a _mad titan_
He's just misunderstood
He saved them from the celestrials so he a good guy in my opinion he delayed the emergence
who knew Thanos has bars 9:03, "scrounging for scraps, your planet was on the brink of collapse"
Bro that hella 🔥🔥🔥
BARS!!!
"Full bellies and clear skies, it's a paradise"
Lmfaoooo
What are bars
If they made a movie focused on Thanos when he first started on his path, I'd watch it. Would be interesting to see Thanos grow into the Mad Titan we all know.
Josh Blount yeah, i feel like the way he grew up and how the people around him treated him/their planet was why he is the way he is. It’s the same with the new joker, Gotham has destroyed him and themselves and he wants to bring a needed change regardless of if it’s evil or not
Knew *
well, there is an Eternals movie coming out soon, of which Thanos is a member species
They might do that in the eternals
He has his own book
I don’t see thanos as a villain, I see him as an anti-hero
I would say anti villain at best villain at worst
Jaden Bryant that’s why ultron is nothing compare to thanos
He killed half the universe...
@@randomname1915 so the other half can live
Congratulations, you don't understand what the word an anti-hero means.
I agree. Thanos is brilliant. When watching the films for the first time I felt that there really was no way to beat him. He was so driven and strong. Actually felt powerful, unlike most villains
They had to make Thanos great...And they did. So, all the prior marvel movies they have tried focusing on the heroes and developing the heroes...Some movies did better than others, but with infinity war they had SO MANY main characters it was the wise choice to focus on the villain...And they did it right.
Charles Gossett totally agree! Thanos was perfect. Thanks for watching, my dude! Sub if you liked the video please!
Well yeah, that makes sense. But there's no reason that villains couldn't be as deep or interesting as Thanos. Iron Man 2's villain played by Mickey Rourke could've been more, in fact the actor was disappointed that his character was so one dimensional. Had he have been better written, he could've provided more character development for Tony Stark as a result.
Very good point. Thanos was the one thread that actually connected every single one of these characters. He's the one character that almost ever hero meets.
Flipsy
@@Khalirei Well, thanks to dinner buying fox, we now have a whole lot of new villains that they can use and do right. I am very exited for when they introduce one of the best and hilarious villains into the MCU and finally do him justice on the big screen. Doctor Doom.
Thano's face when he says:
"I'm the only one who knows that..."
He had PTSD of Titan's destruction
Tamás Pákey i really love that detail
@@solitary2 I love that too .
What I don't get is that Thanos talks about calculus yet he doesn't get that halving the population ONCE is only a temporary measure as he states himself - life will exponentially grow again to reach the same problem later. I mean WTF... you can't just use the snap once. You need to basically do it ad infinitum if you believe his "solution".
@@Shivian124 exactly. Halving a population is a temporary solution at best.
This just popped up in my recommendations and I'm not dissapointed. You just earned yourself a sub.
much love fam. thanks for watching and check out my other essays
@@TheLoneChemist sure will, just watched your star wars defined video, your videos are awesome :)
People always critics Thanos as having a dumb plan.But that’s EXACTLY the point.His motivation and determination to bring balance to the universe blinds him and leads him to a hole filled plan.
Yep. Whether the plan would actually work is irrelevant to his character. The fact that he believes it will is what is important. Thanks for watching.
In my opinion I like Infinity War more as a film.
I like Endgame more in an emotional standpoint. If that makes sense.
Avengers Endgame was a better film than Avenger's Infinity War. A lot less ridiculously absurd writing in its plot, and a closure story for the main Avenger's characters.
@@LordMalice6d9 infinity war is better than endgame in just about every way. Unless you think time travel, nebula network syncing and all the other randomness in the movie counts as good writing.
LordMalice6d9 endgame sucked
Endgame was a little bit to fan servicy for me.
Infinity War: Better Story
Endgame: Better movie
I love his line where Dr. strange says “congratulations your a prophet” and Thanos immediately responds saying “I’m a survivor”
Strange became a priest now huh
XXXTentacles That line gets looked over so much that was a great line. You are so right!!
That's just a perfect video essay
Кръстьо Стоименов thanks so much!
Beautifully said. I already thought Thanos was the best villain, but my friend didn't agree. This video was enjoyable to watch because you explained perfectly why I love this character. You also mentioned something that I hadn't realized before: the peace at the end of the movie. The ending is very chilling, but you're right. There is a peacefulness to it because we know our protagonist won.
Duolingo: did you do it?
Me: si
Duolingo: what did it cost
Me: *ma familia*
mi* you just lost your father
*HECTOR SALAMANCA INTENSIFIES*
Thanks for ripping this straight from a meme you unfunny, unoriginal loser.
U should’ve chosen a less well known meme
*mi familia
instead of ma
The score in that last scene on his home planet is amazingly emotional.
When he was telling a story to dr. Strange?
That's not his home planet. His home planet was where they fought.
he's inside the soul stone I think
Thanos made the planet himself using the stones. The Russos have officially said it's called "Titan II" based off of how Thanos's home planet looked before it got destroyed.
@@ProlificPops Why didn't he make more planets instead of killing half the universe and why was he living by himself on the planet he created? There must have been resources and space for at least a few more people on that planet.
Loki - *Wanted to prove himself for the greater good*
Red Skull and Alexander Pierce: *Aims to bring order and unity*
Ultron: *Promotes Peace and Superiority*
Thanos: *Seeks balance and sustenance*
Hela,Ronan,Malekith,Dormammu - *Seeks absolute power/control*
Ego - *Seeks Fulfillment of his Life*
Kaecillus - *Was fooled but tried to make the world a better place*
Zemo - *Break a team apart for vengeance*
Thanos: has a plan that doesn't make sense.
The top 5 best written movie antagonists (in my opinion) based on character complexity:
5. Darth Vader
4. Hannibal Lecter
3. Thanos
2. Anton Chigurh
1. The Joker (Heath Ledger)
An argument could be made for swapping Thanos and Chigurh. Thanos is certainly more complex than Chigurh; Chigurh is simply an unrelenting force whose presence is omnipresent. Chigurh is written in such a way that he accomplishes this with next to nothing, while Thanos, who has everything, never quite reaches omnipresence. For this reason, I gave a slight preference to Chigurh. It could go either way tho.
I know I'm late here, but Hans Landa?
Imagine thinking that Thanos is anywhere near as interesting a villain as Chigurh. Fucking hell.
That's funny cause Anton Chigurh tried to kill Thanos
Thanos in the MCU doesnt make any sense to me at all. He basically wants to get rid of half the people alive, so that there will be more resources available to the people that are left, right? And he eventually gets the infinity stones to do it, because if you have all the stones you can basically do anything. So why not just use the stones to double the resources... or even triple them ect.. instead of killing half the universe? If you kill half the universes population, they will just breed themselves back up to the original number anyway given enough time, especially with the surplus resources. All hes done is put a temporary baindaid on the problem, at the cost of trillions of lives and the sorrow that comes with it. In the comics he wants to kill half the universe because he wants to create a massive amount of death to impress Death herself, the entity he is in love with, and because hes the mad Titan. Im not going to say which motivation is better, but the MCU version doesnt really make sense.
The ending of Infinity War is so darkly beautiful that I honestly wish that was wrap for the MCU. The hero sits watching a sunrise on grateful galaxy, having lost a lot, but gained peace.
James Trvck I feel exactly the same way. I realized a while ago that I don’t think endgame will impress me more than infinity war, even tho I will still see endgame, IW absolutely blew all of my expectations out of the water. Endgame will probably not do that since we all know this is supposed to be the movie that will bring the dead ones back
Greatful universe
Crystal Dee I’m still excited for Endgame but it was just such a great ending. Glad I’m not the only one who thought so
Zam weazle that’s what he says he would do after he accomplished his goal; he’d watch a sunrise on a grateful universe. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true, but from the hero of the stories view it is.
James Trvck
Your right, I am seriously considering not watching the last avengers movie.
The reason he's so popular is he actually feels human, even though he's not. He's not evil for the sake of being evil. He goes by a philosophy and goes by his beliefs. He has compassion, even for those he defeats. He's never seen gloating or having an ego, he only fights if there's a need to. And once he accomplishes his goals he rests and finds peace, nothing more. He doesn't see himself as evil, he doesn't want to destroy life. He wants it to flourish and thrive, and he believes his methods are necessary for that to happen. There's tons more that can be said about the character but I'll end it here. He's the best on screen villian I've seen in any superhero movie to date.
agreed!! thanks so much for watching
Hitler didnt view himself as evil either. Ironically that's kinda what made him extra evil.
"You're wrong and you think you're right, that makes you dangerous" ~ Spiderman
I'm sorry but you don't know that he's not doing it for the sake of being evil, people can lie to themselves about why they do things.
@@some1350 if he is lying to himself then he's being honest because he's not privy to the truth of his own intentions.
Heath Ledger's Joker was a well written villian and probably one of the best to date
The best villain of recent years was most definitely Nolan’s/Ledger’s Joker. And he is neither relatable nor sympathetic. In fact, the ‘ungraspability’ (i.e. exact contrary of relatability) of the character is the main driver of its success
He is super relatable lol
@@ursosexmachina wait what?!
@@ursosexmachina you sir, seem scarier than joker.
@@helloworldx10 Why
@@etam8099 What?
You know come to think of it, I actually admire Thanos as being one of the few MCU villains to actually accept defeat. Unlike most MCU villains who don’t take defeat too well. Thanos just sits there and takes it like a man.
sportsmanship at its finest
If you think about it, Zemo succeeded in what he desired. He was a good villain too.
and it's no coincidence that the russo brothers also directed that movie as well
I feel like Zemo was a better villain than Thanos. His character was easier to relate to, he used no super powers to manipulate everyone, and basically succeeded in breaking apart the Avengers. The events of Age of Ultron killed his family which gives the viewer a total understanding of why he would want to do what he does. I love Infinity War, but the moment Tony Stark sees his parents killed by Bucky in Civil War makes it the best Marvel film so far.
Christopher Pauley Thanos is automatically better because for someone as powerful as he was, his goal still required sacrifice... a major one at that. Zemo was already an empty vessel with nothing to lose.
@@BillykOTW
The quality of the moments of "sacrifice" feel almost fake. "This day takes a heavy toll" the tears for Gomora. Those moments feel like something someone just put in because they knew that had to. Moments like when he just slaughtered the collector without hesitation or snapped lokis neck - that's Thanos' character. Sorry don't agree...
@@christopherpauley8174 That the beauty of art. We all don't have the same opinions 😁
A little late to the discussion, but another thing that makes Thanos stand out to me is that his sacrificial conviction is exactly what the heroes lack. He is willing to, and does, make sacrifices for his goals, while the heroes repeatedly pull their punches at the most critical moment, leading to their defeat. Although he's deeply flawed and definitely worthy of hate, he has an attribute that the heroes don't that could be seen as noble, depending on where you're standing.
And what really drives it home is that the conclusion of the film doesn't give us any reassurances. Did the heroes earn their failure? Is their unwillingness to make sacrifices a noble ideal, or selfishly naive? Is it even that simple?
AM Journal agreed. Insightful take! Thanks for watching, my dude.
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+AM Journal
Disagree , the heroic archetype is strongly based on *literal , tangible* SELF-sacrifice , heroism much like love has its roots on putting the others before one-self but in a much broader way , Thanos is willing to sacrifice others for his goals , but his version of sacrifice is a more "cultural" version if you will , since he is sacrificing individuals that are very important to him , and in most human societies , that does count as part of one's own individualism.
Thanos wouldn't sacrifice himself for the cause because ultimately , he values himself as much as his mission , or perhaps higher , he even states that he is the only one capable and willing.
The nobility is in him sticking to the plan with or without hesitation , and not being sadistic , the nobility doesn't actually come from being willing to sacrifice others for his own cause.
If anything the classic nobility that we've been completly de-sensitized from of the heros is much stronger and purer , which is why they're heros and Thanos is the villain.
@@juanme555 Yeah, definitely, you make a good point!
I still think that the main downfall that the heroes fall prey to is their refusal to let their friends make voluntary sacrifices that may have been their only way of beating Thanos (though that's debatable, I suppose). It's a weird thing to think about, because, arguably, refusing to let one's friends die could be noble, but then, it could be selfish, if it costs the lives of others (which it does). Is it better to save the people you care about, or let them make the choice to give their life for the good of others? Which is more noble?
We'll have to see how it shakes out in Endgame. It's just a shocking thing to see presented in a movie, none of the heroes being able to do what's necessary to beat the villain even when they have the chance and losing outright because of it. (Thor's failure to kill Thanos in time for instance, and I think there are several other similar moments.)
"We don't trade lives, Captain".
I love how honest he is. You don't doubt for a second that he truly believes that what he's doing is noble. Also, he doesn't immediately kill the heroes. He could have if he really wanted to but that wasn't his goal. He probably understood that the Avengers were good people doing what they thought was right, so he only tried to kill them if they kept on trying to stop him because his goal was the most important thing to him. I don't think we'll ever get a villain as good as Thanos again.
What bugs me is the misapprehension that killing half a population will stop the population problem. It simply delays it ...for a SHORT while. If he tinkered with the fertility rate so growth is 0% he would have achieved his goal. And those who say “just double the resources” have the same misunderstanding of population ecology... just saying.
It’s never talked about. But I think he would see himself as a Shepard. Lead everyone afterwards. Proof he talks about teaching a grateful universe after he’s destroyed the last one.
@@Dannymiles1987 I saw it as a punishment so that people will learn from it and do better next time
Actually, for infinity war, the avengers become the expendable villain while Thanos himself is the protagonist
care to explain why?
todd chavez beacuse most of the heroes were fucked up or killed like fodder characters
Thanos was *_very_* technically the protagonist in that story. It focuses on him as a character rather than the Avengers, which Endgame does.
@@nobutasu3285 basic calculus idiot
He was the protagonist sure, but he’s still a villainous character.
That's why I liked Infinity War more than Endgame.
I'm not the only one!
@ThatGuyHudson endgame had so many plot holes and was all over the place. Still great though. Infinity War > Endgame
i liked infinity war much more than end game because i didn't know what would happen. thanos could win or lose. in end game i knew that thanos would lose and i don't feel as connected the the heroes as i do with thanos. i sort of started to dislike the avengers at the start of end game when everyone just ganged up on him when he was unarmed and did not show any signs to attack. thanos is one of the few villains i really like, along with handsome jack and lelouch
I loved endgame but I think infinity war had a better motivation
I liked infinity war more too, but I still find it hard to compare them since they have such different goals. Infinity war was basically the setup to the culmination, so it gives room for a lot more anticipation since it's not the end yet. Endgame was the culmination so they had a lot more to tackle in order to finally wrap the entire 11 years up which is probably why it felt so conveluded compared to IW.
A lovely breakdown of, definitely, one of the best written villains in recent memory. A perfect demonstration that a comic book villain doesn't need to be silly.
My favorite part of Thanos's character development is one I've never seen mentioned. It's just the subtle moment that he turns young Gamora's head away as her people are being massacred. Every time I see it it almost brings tears to my eyes to think that he's committing this horrible act yet at the same time trying to protect this little girl. It perfectly sets up and adds a lot more weight to Gamora's sacrifice scene.
*gestures* see?? thanos is not a shitty person. is his plan shitty? yes. does it make sense? ...yes.
Thanos stole the show without a doubt he was so well done and he sucks you in, the Avengers seem like just a supporting cast.
TonyDracon nein
Well this movie was thanos’s. Not the avengers. It is evident in the movie
You're not the only one cursed with knowledge, Mr. Chemist.
Why are you everywhere on yt?
@Jonnathan Crane here in Italy they changed it in ineluctable and it really fits him we aren't even mad because during it's projection in theaters the search for this strange word spiked all around the nation a we started using and appreciating this word lol
@@iskandar7354 I've never heard of this word, either. I like it lol it does suit him, like you said.
His only curse is you.
@@dragonempress8367 I know right
Thanos, was not a "Villain".
He was the "Antagonist".
Would a "Villain" have shown mercy in so many instances that it became laughable?
Exactly. He really could have killed every single hero he came across with ease but he chose not to.
@@FourDozenEggs a conveniently forgotten fact during the millions of online debates.
Like the 'borrowing' of 'Shuri-tech' by Stark which allows him to last past the Infinity War opening battle.
One of the best written parts is the sacrifice of gamora. The lines “the tears aren’t for him” and “I’m sorry little one” are some of my favorites.
Alexander Pierce was a good villain imo. His motive was understandable and Robert Redford's acting was incredible.
STONEMATT agreed that Redfords performance was very good. I just didn’t find his motives that compelling. But, like the rest of the video, just my personal preference. Thanks so much for watching!!
@@TheLoneChemist No problem, Great video though! I loved every single second. Your editing and writing really impressed me. Your channel is underrated.
STONEMATT thanks my friend!! I literally just started editing videos so I’m glad you liked it!! If you like and want more, subscribe and spread the word! And please comment any topics you’d like to see for my next video essay.
@@TheLoneChemistya know what? I will! Keep it up!
STONEMATT you’re a king.
"full bellies, clear skies."
-Thanos
Joshua B it’s a paradise
Joshua B Woah nelly! Thanos is the light
believe in the church of Thanos
@BLAIR M Schirmer ya but dude if he keeps on feeding the population it will grow in a faster rate and there will be no space for anyone to live on
HE has so many of these one liners, such a well written, acted, and edited character.
The reason why doubling the resources wasn’t part of Thanos plan is implied: the problem is not only the resources, it’s also about social structure. When he says he wants genocide “But at random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike” it means he wants to destroy also tyrannies, and class division. Doubling the resources would widen the rich and poor division even more, but by killing 50% of the people randomly all survivors would have to cooperate.
I never thought of it like this before. This should be made public.
This is bullshit, if he kills randomly, the ratio between rich people and poor people remains the same
L. Venn It doesn’t matter.
@@carl_anderson9315 How does it not matter? If 10% of people has the 90% of resources, after doubling the resources the race to gain the new ones would be the same as the race after killing 50% of people. The 10% more rich would have still 90% of resources
L. Venn Power systems are structured. If you destroy 50% of the ones in power, the whole power system’s integrity will crumble because rich rely on the poor to survive. If you have Hitler and you take away, out of the sudden, half of his men, his power would’ve immediately crumbled, because he relied on all of them to maintain his power. If you lose half of your chess pieces you pretty much lost the game.
I love the point that, at the end of the day, the villain didn't just win because of power and a flawless plan. The heroes had _numerous_ opportunities to stop him--they could have killed Gamora, killed Vision, let Thor die, or even move past the grief of Gamora's death--but every single one of these actions would have required sacrifice, and that's something the "good guys" would never allow
At the end of the day, Thanos was willing to sacrifice those he loved (or, the one he loved) to save the day. The heroes were not. Guess who won?
I think they did an amazing job with The Vulture from Homecoming. Just a dad who got fucked around too much so decides to do what he has to.
Agreed, he was a very realistic villain, that took responsibility for his actions instead of trying to justify his cause
Because the video was about how certain villains were written
That was the real good Villain
The hero is what I didn't find realistic in that story.
Yeah, you have a good point.
The cinema I saw Infinity War with all walked out in complete silence. Not a word. It was a really somber ending and we all just....left. Nobody felt like cracking a joke or talking about their favourite scene. Such a good movie, a superb villain (kudos Josh Brolin) and a great ending!
@ASDF jkl; I wish I was there to see you do it 😂😂😂
@@HowIsAsh Actually, that's not completely true. There's a video on CZcams that goes through how, at least on Earth, we wouldn't grow back to where we were at due to life and economic reasons etc.
@ASDF jkl; Clapping in the cinema? What?
After that happened everyone was like "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
@pyropulse People mindset is different now. They would be too focused in rebuilding to have children, just like they are too focused in their careers to have children now
This was all beautiful to watch. Extremely well composed!
That was truly lovely Thank you so much!
Guys, Endgame was just one of the 14,000,605 possibilities.
which means dr strange watched endgame before all of us
@Servine dr strange is a true master for not spoiling endgame for an entire year. Props to him
@@brandondinh9225 I mean Strange was dead for 5 years so even if he wanted to spoil it he couldn't
I wanna see a blooper reel of all those possibilities, like if the rat had missed the button haha.
TheDoctor Fez i want marvel to make the 14million timelines into a movie where thanos wins
The end of infinity war is like having 10 years of emotional weight thrown at you
Ikr!
Ending in Infinity War isn't a proper ending. it just a build up in a movie. the ending is in Endgame
@@69mviewsnt Thanos is the protagonist of Infinity War, his goal was to wipe half of the universe and the movie shows his progress of getting there. In that sense, it is a proper ending.
@@MinedMoviez no it doesn't. did you know where the part when the superhero actually lose and then they manage to wake up and win? it is in every superhero plot.
Thanos win is the middle part. Endgame is the Ending. Infinity War? more like Endgame Part 1
I have something in my mind that always says Endgame success in critics is also 1 in a 14, 000 506. But who knows. i just want another good overrated movie by Marvel after Infinity War that doesn't has an ending
@@69mviewsnt His saying it's the end of Thanos' story the end of in Thanos' opinion his journey. Endgame is the end but the end for the Infinity war series, infinity war was the end of Thanos' story.
Man that was incredible brother. Perfect.
One of the better Marvel CZcams videos. Nicely done mate.
10:32 Loki was the perfect one to say this because Loki also wanted to be a god and learned from his ways.
Character development
Dude I really felt bad for him... he just turned his life to good and then gets killed
So true.
Loki is a god tho
Loki is a God. That's why he said that to Thanos, he knows what it is to be worshipped.
Thanos 2020. Unemployment, housing costs, low wages, pollution... snap!
Kids with full bellies
Ronald McDouchebag wtf lol
@Ronald McDouchebag ...Did you just not watch Endgame or what? Because, that was literally 2014 Thanos' plan. To destroy the Universe, and to become the god of a new one.
@@preds43 Bruh, why you even tryna argue. The guy's name says it all
Loki: 420 4 2020.
I still have trouble letting go of Thanos.Everything about him is so well done.For me he is the best character that ever has been and ever will be.I pledged my allegiance oh mighty Thanos.R.I.P
Me too. Haha..wish is he gets resurrected or something.
"It was so artistically done"-
Grand Admiral Thrawn.
*The hardest choices require the strongest wills.*
the best villian is the one where the viewer can think it can happen in his own life.
Word! I agree to a certain extent, but I think that just comes down to the villain having relatable motives. Many villains are intentionally over the top, so it makes it difficult for the viewer to imagine their actions applied to their own life. If the villain is relatable, then no matter what the actions are, they can be somewhat sympathetic and therefore effective. Hope you liked the video, my dude!
Hey there's a monument in the middle of America that states that one of the main goals of humanity is to seek balance with nature and reduce the population of the world to 500m.... seems like Thanos is rather soft on population control compared to that.
@@Peremptor What monument is that?
@@Lord_Muggs Georgia Guidestones
musician here: I think the greatest moment in the film is the last note in the score: the music resolves to a major chord (happy), when most of the whole score up until then was in minor (more sad). this pairs extremely well with that slight smirk he gives: even if he went through self-torment to get what he wanted, making everyone miserable in the process (predominantly minor), he has gotten what he wants; the plot has resolved, as does the music.
This was fantastic! Thank for the vid, dude
no, thank YOU for watching! much love, my dude. glad you enjoyed the essay. i’d love to hear what you think of my other essays so check em out!
One of the best movies of all time, I loved endgame but I think infinity war is my favorite marvel film hands down
AquaticGoat agreed!
Thor Ragnarok for me
both are garbage tbh
Of all time?? You're missing out on alot.
@@oscarcarr7985 yeah marvel movies are for 14y olds , no science fiction , no logic , no plot .
Duolingo: Did you do it?
Me: Yes.
Duolingo: What did it take?
Me: *todo*
Underrated
*Did you learn Spanish?*
_Si._
*What did it cost?*
_Mi familia._
Ay coño, los gringos son unos locos 😂😂😂
👏👏👏👍
*Tudo
I love your video. It gives me chills
best thing which caught me was he as a villain didnt want to kill people with bloodshed or whatever, which he could have done easily. he just wanted them to cease to exist with a snap
Instead of screaming for vengeance, Thanos's last moment was just looking at Tony with a face full of sorrow like he think he had failed the universe. The MCU Thanos IS the best version of Thanos since the comic books are often portrayed him as an arrogant tyrant.
his death was beautiful
@@beeclu yeah he just sit down and rest
He wiped out half the universe because of a Malthusian proposition which could be overcome with a little creativity and something as strong as the infinity stones (Instead of wiping out half the universe, why not just make some more planets?). Killing half the universe seems like taking the easy way out. Oh yeah, and after wiping out half the universe, he goes and lives on a planet by himself. Guess Thanos doesn't practice what he preaches.
@@leowtyx There is plenty of particulate matter in the universe that hasn't coalesced into anything of use, bring it together and make a bunch of planets. First use the time stone to speed up the expansion of the universe and make a little room if needed. Seriously though he could have let a few people live on that planet with him.
@@leowtyx Time Stone should take care of that.
Thanos: The universe is finite, I must eliminate half of the population if it is to survive. *SNAP*
(Sixty years later - Population doubles back to original levels)
Thanos: Do you think this is a ***** game?!
*Thanos: Am I a joke to you ?
Do you think this is a sex game?!
He wiped out half the universe because of a Malthusian proposition which could be overcome with a little creativity and something as strong as the infinity stones (Instead of wiping out half the universe, why not just make some more planets?). Killing half the universe seems like taking the easy way out. Oh yeah, and after wiping out half the universe, he goes and lives on a planet by himself. Guess Thanos doesn't practice what he preaches.
@@slowmotion40 Thanos was so obviously wrong. I find his motivation to be pretty dumb, but yeah... The movie was fine.
@Slow Motion
Wiping out half the population or doubling the amount of resources have the same effect. Eventually populations will rise and you'll be in the same situation.However, unlike creating new planets, repeatedly killing half the population can be done indefinitely. You cannot indefinitely create new planets, eventually some areas will become too clustered, and any life in those areas will suffer the problems of what creating new planets was supposed to solve.
This was an incredible analysis, and really helped me personally when I was writing a villain for a D&D campaign a couple years back. I highly doubt your reading this, but seriously, thanks!
i did read it. thanks for watching fam
*This,does put a smile on my face*
Megamind is a perfectly written villian
SmokingPulp yooooooooooooooo
I'd argue he is more of an antihero; he never came across as genuinely villainous.
caj
if you come up with the ridiculous name megamind, you know they will never be a great villan
Not a real villan
I'll add that Thanos would not want to double the resources because it defeats the purpose. He believes the universe is imbalanced because its inhabitants have a natural culture of excess that makes them mismanage their available resources. Doubling them would make this trend even worse and would lead to even further imbalance down the line. Therefore the only practical solution is the extreme one of wiping out half of life. As far as Thanos is concerned, that is the only approach that has actually worked, and therefore that is his destiny to carry it out on a universal scale.
Exactly!!
Doubling resources makes no sense at all?
How does that even work
He could have made a second universe to send half the population to, he could have changed the minds of the entire universe to his philosophy, or he could have doubled the size of planets. He's omnipotent, he could've done anything.
Aleandro Mirabal True, and the glove was slightly damaged after the snap, so I hope it's not too powerful.
Damn that's good.
Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the universe, but this? This does put a smile on my face.
Perfectly written, as all villains should be
Thanos 3:16
For Thanos so loved the universe, that he gave up his only begotten daughter....
"And Thanos saw that it was good."
The Book of Tony, 4:20.
There were six stones. And on the seventh day, Thanos rested.
Vishal Das Thanos snapped and said “let there be light”
*entire screen goes completely white*
She wasn't begotten. She was adopted. :-P
Thanos so loved the universe, that he killed off one of his many children, who he kidnapped and family he wiped out, to murder half the universe.
Thanos is my favorite villain of all time
Mine too!
Hannibal is still my number 1
I prefer the Joker, but Thanos is a close second
So you haven't seen Watchmen?
SAME, Tho Vader is comparable
What a great video essay... Thank you for this
much love fam, thanks for watching. check out my other essays and let me know what you think. sub for more videos in the future.
you're a king.
Thank you for the narrative .
It was as moving as the subject you were narrating .
You know Thanos is a relatable meme when you’re stuck in traffic and you instantly think: Thanos snap
Maybe it’s just me
Yeah he snaps and you either die or get stuck for good unless you and other survivors hop in the other half of the cars to move them out of the way lol
Yeah, Traffic has a tendency to get worse when half the people on the road mysteriously disappear from their cars, and half of the people who tow the now abandoned cars are also gone.
Yea and then you are stuck for good since, you know, the cars can't drive by themselves...unless they "are part of the people" like evil Steve Rogers man's arm
Mr. Karl McYoda
Hahah! I never noticed that! And their clothes disappeared as well...
Our planet is grossly overpopulated, and the resource/ environmental problems we face will not be solved nearly in time to prevent global catastrophe/ suffering/ mass species extinction. A Snap would absolutely solve those problems.
Both of his deaths in Endgame made me genuinely bad for him.
1st one: He has assumed at this point the universe is happy, grateful for what he’s done. He lives as a humble man farming and knows he will be blinded with power so he doesn’t become a tyrannical god. He is then killed cold blood for doing nothing but believe what he did right. He sacrificed everything, his army in Wakanda, his daughter, his main crew.It’s like working your entire life for something, something heroic, something that will save the planet. Soon to realise the people you saved aren’t grateful and kill you in cold blood.
2nd one: He has at this point knows his destiny. He knows what he’s going to do is right and nothing to stop him. He then watches his entire army vanish before him. Everything he worked for, everyone he worked with, vanish in his eyes. At this point, he’s done nothing wrong except for the fact of destroying (saving) planets. Planet by planet, to then realise what you will do will be worth nothing, the people you save won’t be grateful. He seeks to become a god over a new universe and is again killed for doing what he thinks is right.
Yeah but he killed trillions on earth and in other planets he took away Hawaii's family and so may others families he forced his will to thousands planet and killed his daughter it's not nothing
Underrated comment.
I hope you think, that he did right from his point of view and not from any view of any sane being.
I agree with you man.
@@MANJYOMETHUNDER111 there is an obvious difference between Thanos' and Hitler's motivations and you are the ignorant one for conflating the two.
Rewatching this video years later.. I can’t believe just how good Infinity War is 👏🏼
hey man, just stumbling upon your content today. clearly your videos take alot of effort and time and work to get done, you've got some really good craft here. hope youre staying safe and keepin busy but just wanted to encourage you to keep making awesome stuff like this.
Mark Hanna thanks so much for watching, my dude. can’t tell ya how much i appreciate that! been keeping busy and healthy, and i’m in the middle of putting together my longest (and hopefully best) video yet, so stay tuned. hope you’re doing well on your end. much love fam ❤️
I actually really liked Ronan and thought he’d be a very memorable villain if he had gotten a little more on screen development. He mentions how the Xandarians had waged war against his people and had slaughtered several generations of his family. I would’ve liked to see his upbringing, growing up surrounded by constant war, shaping him into the being of pure hatred we see on screen.
Too bad he got beat by a dancing guy
Reminds me a bit of General Grievous
14:04 The Voice crack that destroyed half of the universe
but seriously a great analysis of Thanos' arc in Infinity War
Why would you take note of such a minimalistic flaw? Nonetheless, thanks for pointing it out I suppose.
@@Marble_Pie get bent mlp fanboy
Lmao, to the people defending me, I love u. But the memes of my voice crack are hysterical.
@@TheLoneChemist I didnt know whether to sub to you or not, i saw high quality content but was skeptical, this comment just instantly changed my mind. You gained a sub wise man.
Literally the only villain Marvel has that can top Thanos is Dr. Doom. Seriously, Dr. Doom is arguably the most complex comic book villain of all time.
His goals are to prove to the whole universe how smart and powerful he is, bring his country Latveria to a new Golden Age, and to save his mother's soul from Mephisto. Two out of his three goals are sympathetic and can make us root for him. Not to mention that he actually "won" in recreating the entire multiverse in his image and actually do a good job in ruling it. He may be a terrible person to the heroes but to his people he is their beloved leader.
He has all the makings of a great man yet his own pride and ambitions pull him back. Done right, he can be one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time.
If Marvel Studios can do a well-written cinematic Dr. Doom like what they did with Thanos, then that would be incredible.
Great analysis. I really wish the MCU had an introduction movie called "Thanos and the black order" to explain everything he knows about the cosmos and his knowledge. He knows more than anyone in the MCU (minus Odin). Captain Marvel movie could have been released after End Game, and introduced at the beginning of End Game. That is my opinion on what they should have done. Great video peace.