These are honestly the worst things ever.
I take that back, pro anorexia blogs are. But anyway, let's get back to the topic.
Villains with bad pasts are okay, until they're used all the time. And, they usually are written like this in fanfics.
I really don't see the necessity of this? How does it make your villains any better? Some people seem to think that it makes their villains deeper as a character. And it can, sometimes, but some people think this is the only way to make a deep character. Now, the villain themself is deep. The fact that someone has these thoughts that are, to everyone else, "bad" or "wrong" and believes them to "good" or "right" is deep and complex in itself.
The villain's reasoning, for example. They think they're doing something good. Sometimes it's "For The Greater Good" (Gellert Grindlewald, anyone?) Or maybe it's only for their own gain, but they still believe what they're doing is right. The idea of evil, in Warriors anyway, is very interesting and complex.
Now, why is it so bad to have a villain with a bad past?
The most obvious reason is that it's overused, including the actual series. Scourge, Tigerstar, Brokenstar, Hawkfrost... They all have experienced one bad experience, or a bad past. Most fanfictions are the same.
But, there's another often overlooked reason.
We've all encountered those toxic Scourge fans who excuse all of the "evil" things he's done. (There's no problem with liking Scourge, the problem is when his "evil deeds" are excused and overlooked)
Now, some of those fans act like that because they're those pathetic stans who can't admit that their favourite did wrong. But some fall into the more alarming category.
These other fans (bare in mind that this isn't limited to Scourge fans) actually believe that it's okay for Scourge to murder, and hurt, because he had a bad past.
Do you know how toxic this kind of thinking is? It's terrible. Mental illness/bad past gives a reason, a cause behind and action, but never an excuse.
Mental illness/bad past gives a reason, a cause behind and action, but never an excuse.
Repeat that. Over and over.
What's terrible is that apparently one of the Erin's have said "Don't judge Scourge (it may have been another villain, but I'm almost certain it was Scourge) too harshly, he had rough start to life!"
Do you know how disgusting that is? That is enforcing the toxic belief onto people that it's okay for people who have had a bad past, have been abused, or have a mental illness to hurt, or murder, or commit some sort of crime.
It's also bad because the majority of people who read Warriors are young, generally 11-12. There are people as young as eight who read the series, I myself started at nine. Younger kids are easily influenced, even at fourteen, I am.
These children, through seeing that every villain has some sort of bad past that corrupted them, in fanfictions and in the actual series will start to think those toxic thoughts that I originally mentioned.
We need kids to understand that that isn't true. That people, no matter their circumstances (unless it's self defence, of course, or any occasional exception) should be held accountable for their actions. Mentally Ill, bad past, or completely healthy, whoever they are and whatever they've through.
Let's stop with those overused bad-backstory villains and let's bring in what villains usually are: normal people, just with bad beliefs.