I'm new to the community and this is my first post so forgive me and let me know if this is not the kind place to post this. This is kind of a rant about a trope that i see a lot but i would like to know what the community thinks. This might be a hot take but I don't know because I don't see many people talking about it.

(This just an opinion of mine and this is in no way me hating on any stories that contain this trope)

There is obviously a place for redemption arcs, sad back stories and wounded villains. In fact, I absolutely love stories with these characters! In a lot of cases it makes the character more human and less like an easy target or punching bag for the hero. It makes you think and question the line between of what makes a person truly good or truly bad. It shows us that the world isn't always black and white. Its not always a simple answer. And I think that's something that a lot of people should be reminded of.

But with that being said, I do think that a lot of villains, not just in books, are starting to fall away from being actual villains because we want to leave room for redemption. I'm also seeing a lot of people defending characters that are genuinely cruel, selfish, and downright evil because of a sad back story or in some cases, because they're attractive. It just feels really shallow. I'm a believer in that a sad back story or trauma can be an explanation for behavior but its not an excuse for behavior. And again there are obviously shades of gray and various things that factor into these stories and characters, but I feel like people aren't actually interested in a villain that isn't a soft, hurt, damaged, or misguided individual. That's ok every now and again but I think more stories could use genuine villains that are just bad. And just because they're bad doesn't mean they can't be a deep intricate character with a reason for being bad. But I'm a little tired of being made to feel like I'm not empathetic enough or that I don't understand the depth of the villain because I as the reader feel that a character is bad when they have done horrible things. Again, this is all just my opinion and I am under no allusion that it is objectively right or better then anyone else's opinion. And i understand this may not be everyone else's experience. There are a lot of books out there and others may not have run into this as much as I have. Again, this is just my experience in what I have read.

If anyone reading this has any recommendations for a story with a really good villain, please let me know!

What is your opinion?

(Sorry if there are any typos that i didn't catch)