Maybe authors have had it all wrong – at least those authors with aspirations of seeing their properties turned into movies or TV shows. That is, if you buy into results of a recent survey conducted by OnePoll.
According to the survey of 2,011 U.S. adults, close to 60 percent said they watch a series or movie just for the villain. More than three-quarters of those respondents who watch movies or shows also noted a villain can make or break either.
The research was conducted on behalf of Butterfinger to help introduce Butterfinger Investigators’ newest nemesis, Robin Fingers. The survey was designed to explore the affinity consumers have for villains, and if they were viewed just as important as protagonists in pop culture.
VILLAINS UNDOUBTEDLY ON THE RISE
“It’s clear Americans have a lot of heart for onscreen villains, regardless of their talents or motivations,” said a Butterfinger spokesperson. “Tapping into that love, we’ve debuted our own villain, Robin Fingers, to help keep the Butterfinger Investigators on their toes this Halloween season and beyond.”
“It’s no secret villains provide much of the entertainment in any story,” the spokesperson added. “They’re also often the driving force, most notably by giving the hero a challenge to overcome, without which there wouldn’t be much of a tale to tell.”
A quarter of people were found to prefer villains to heroes. Among those 497 respondents, Gen Z attributes this preference to villains’ complexity (69 percent), while Millennials could relate more to their backstory (50 percent) and Gen X are drawn to their more interesting powers (62 percent).
MORE TO THE VILLAIN THAN MEETS THE EYE
Results also found what makes a villain the most powerful. Magical abilities (3 percent) can do the trick, as well as a high IQ (35 percent) and powerful tech (34 percent).
According to the poll, the best villains have cool powers (41percent), a sinister voice (39 percent) and an amazing costume or accessories (37 percent). The top three accessories for a villain are Masks (38 percent), technology (33 percent) and swords (30 percent).
With villains often linked to a story’s key moments, 31 percent said they look forward to their final battle with the hero the most, more so than the villain’s first entrance (22 percent) and origin story reveal (13 percent).
This information was first presented by SWNS Digital.
