Movie villains that really "Gru" on us! #DespicableMe3

Sometimes the bad guys really aren't so bad after all, just like our favourite friendly super-villain Gru in Despicable Me. Sure, he was the evil mastermind behind nefarious plans such as trying to steal the moon, but he was also a big softie when it came to Margo, Edith, and Agnes, his adopted children.

Equally comfortable in his trademark black, and a pink fairy dress, Gru is the villain we all love to loathe! So assemble your minions, and settle in as we look at the movie bad guys that you can't help but love.

Loki

Whilst the heroes in The Avengers might be taking centre stage, all eyes are really on the villain, Loki. Tom Hiddleston is incredibly charming and likeable as the God of Mischief, with his sarcastic and theatrical delivery making for a truly memorable villain.

We first meet Loki in Thor and whilst the God of Thunder is posturing and smug, Loki was quiet and under-appreciated, constantly in his brother's shadow. As he desperately seeks his Father Odin's approval, we can't help but feel sorry for him.

It really feels like he's been dealt a bad hand, and because of this, you can understand why he would be lead to do the things he does. Sure, he still tries to destroy New York by opening up a wormhole and summoning an alien invasion to destroy humanity, but we still love him anyway!

Gollum

Whilst the true intentions of this two-faced villain are always a little bit hazy, it is in the opening scenes of Return of the King that we learn a little bit more about 'Smeagol', before he became obsessed with his "precious".

Before finding the One Ring, he lived a normal life as a hobbit, and it soon becomes clear that he is not inherently evil himself. It was the Ring that twisted his mind, so actually we end up feeling sorry for him. Whilst the evil 'Gollum' ultimately ends up triumphing over Smeagol, and does do some truly wicked things, he also played an instrumental part in getting Frodo and Sam to Mordor where they were able to destroy the ring.

Not exactly a loveable villain, but one which we can sympathise with; he is a victim of circumstance, and sadly Gollum's fate could have happened to anyone.

T-Rex

Let's face it, the big draw of Jurassic Park is the dinosaurs, and whilst we do want to see the human heroes emerge unscathed, that's not to say we aren't secretly cheering on the prehistoric protagonists as well!

Being kept in a cage with goats on tap is no life really, so of course we want to see the T-Rex flex her tiny arms a little bit! Watching her run amok and cause havoc is undoubtedly entertaining, and we reckon you were secretly cheering the T-Rex on as she gobbled up the unsuspecting lawyer on the toilet!

In Jurassic World, our favourite dino returned to take on the formidable Indominus Rex, and in fact helped save the day, which in our mind makes her a hero! #TeamTrex

Darth Vader

One of the most fearsome screen villains of all time, Darth Vader has committed his fair share of dastardly deeds. From blowing up entire planets to slaughtering children in his younger years, there’s no doubt Vader is one of the baddest baddies ever!

However, could you imagine the Star Wars movies without him? The evil Sith Lord provides the perfect dark counterbalance to our hero Luke Skywalker, and this is a key part of his character arc and journey with The Force.

Whilst it might seem like Vader is beyond saving, in Return of the Jedi he actually manages to redeem himself somewhat by saving Luke from the evil clutches of the Emperor. Perhaps he's not so bad after all!

The Winter Soldier

When we first meet the mysterious Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he is a ruthless, soulless assassin, programmed with one mission: kill Steve Rogers! With his badass metal arm, and incredible fighting skills, he is seemingly indestructible and a very dangerous opponent!

After the big reveal that he is in fact Bucky, Cap’s old army buddy, our minds are completely changed, even though he doesn’t stop being a threat. Knowing the bond that he and Cap once shared, means that no matter his evil deeds, we don’t want to see any harm come to him. This makes for a great battle when we finally see him and Cap go toe to toe, as deep down, we want both of them to win!

Severus Snape

The late-great Alan Rickman was responsible for bringing one of the most well-loved Harry Potter characters to life, and despite all his wrong-doings, Snape will always be one of our favourite bad guys.

The question of whether he is indeed a "bad guy" is possibly up for debate, but the character is an incredibly complex one, who tows the line between good and bad very closely! With a shady past, and an initially hostile attitude towards heroic Harry and his pals, Snape is immediately painted as one of the baddies.

Later, just as we’re starting to warm to him, he murders Dumbledore, one of the most beloved characters, and sides with Harry’s nemesis, Lord Voldemort; now we don’t know what to think!

In his dying moments Snape has a moment of redemption, and Harry then discovers that he was protecting him all along, due to his deep affection for Harry’s mother, Lily. We certainly have a very tumultuous journey with this character, but we love him anyway. Always.

Maleficent

Whilst the cartoon version of this fabulous Disney villain from Sleeping Beauty might have been portrayed as pure evil, the 2014 live action version showed us a completely different side to her.

Sure she still puts a lifetime curse on a baby and turns into a badass dragon, but we’re also treated to more information which turns everything on its head. Maleficent’s back-story is a tragic one, betrayed by someone she loved, it lets us see perhaps why she did the evil things that she did.

Angelina Jolie seems born to play the dark fairy, and with a heart-breaking "true love’s kiss twist", we love Maleficent even more!

The Joker

Whilst many actors have played this well-known comic book villain, it was Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight which made us fall in love with this bad guy.

Nothing about this psychotic clown with his penchant for knives should be appealing, but yet Ledger’s performance turns this into one of the most beloved screen villains of all time! The glee with which he dispatches thugs, and a particularly memorable disappearing trick involving a pencil, is undoubtedly entertaining.

Whilst we never stop rooting for the Caped Crusader himself, Batman, The Joker absolutely steals the show, and we can’t help but secretly root for him as well. It is tragic that Heath Ledger passed away after this film, as we would’ve loved to have seen more of this incredible actor; regardless, it ultimately turned out to be a completely iconic and unforgettable role.