Movies are full of unlikely heroes, but the protagonists can often be more cruel or despicable than the film's villains.

The best movie protagonists are complex characters with vices and virtues. Their flaws make them endearing and relatable, while their good traits fuel them to save the day. Films are full of unlikely heroes, especially those who start as villains. Sometimes it takes a rewatch and some reflection to notice that the movie's hero is worse than the antagonist.

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While the best protagonists exist in the gray zone, they can sometimes cross the fine line into villainy when trying to prove a point. Despite their dedication to doing good, these characters might commit unspeakable acts to reach the desired end goal.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World revolves around Scott, who is forced to fight his new girlfriend's exes in video game-style battles. Although Ramona's exes are labeled evil, Scott is also a villain.

Not only is Scott a slacker, but he also bails on his friends even though they constantly help him. Scott is selfish and problematic in many ways. He dates Knives Chau, a high school student, while he is 22 years old and then cheats on Knives with Ramona Flowers.

Glinda the Good Witch of the North's name fools the viewers and redirects their attention to the Wicked Witch of the West as the villain in The Wizard of Oz. After Dorthy's house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, Glinda moves the slippers onto Dorthy's feet instead of letting the Wicked Witch of the West have the shoes back.

Glinda manipulates everyone in Oz and creates conflict. Following Glinda's directions, Dorthy does not take off the slippers, which enrages the Wicked Witch of the West and causes her to attack Dorthy.

Based on Mario Puzo's novel, The Godfather became a gritty cultural phenomenon that remains a staple of mob movies even decades later. The film follows Michael Corleone as he joins the crime family that's headed by his father. Despite the movie existing in morally gray circumstances, Michael's initial reluctance to crime and his dedication to his wife made him a hero.

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However, Michael's quick rise up the ranks demanded he ruthlessly cross moral lines to maintain his and his family's power, which solidified him as worse than the film's antagonist, Barzini. Not only does Michael hurt those around him, but he is also constantly fighting against his own morals.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a classic teen comedy with great cinematography. The audience is introduced to Ferris Bueller's plan to skip school when he breaks the fourth wall. Although he's used to skipping class, this time, he brings along his best friend and girlfriend.

To guarantee himself a great adventure, Ferris pressures Cameron to break the rules and take his dad's Ferrari out for the day. The dean of the school, Ed Rooney, is constantly trying to track down Ferris and catch him in the act. However, Ferris does not care about getting his best friend in trouble and often dismisses Cameron's opinions and complaints.

Viewers are programmed to cheer for Daniel LaRusso because he is the new kid in town and the underdog in The Karate Kid. Though Johnny Lawrence is the villain of the movie, Daniel is temperamental and whiny and initiates his rivalry with Johnny Lawrence by flirting with Johnny's girlfriend on the beach. Johnny's girlfriend then breaks up with him for Daniel.

Later on, Daniel embarrasses Johnny at the Halloween party and beats him with an illegal move during the karate tournament. Refreshingly, Daniel's despicable actions and their impact on Johnny are discussed in the TV sequel, Cobra Kai.

Interest in the '80s action staple, Top Gun, has been renewed with the release of its blockbuster sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. In the original, Maverick is a talented Navy Pilot who's recruited into the elite Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School to refine his skills. Although Tom "Iceman" Kazansky is painted as the villain of Top Gun, Maverick proves to be worse.

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Instead of obeying orders and trying to improve his abilities, Maverick ignores the directions and safety protocols of his superiors and classmates. His arrogance makes him constantly show off. He's not only the villain of the film and his own worst enemy, but Maverick is also a danger to those around him.

Superbad is an iconic coming-of-age comedy that follows three friends who want to make the most out of the last weeks of high school. The popular kids in school are seemingly the villains, but the three protagonists are no better. Although all three get into trouble and often have ill intentions, like trying to buy alcohol underage, Seth is the worst of the bunch.

The party is a chance for all three teens to meet girls and get drunk, but Seth is only concerned with his needs. Seth bosses his best friend around and is extremely rude to Fogell. Also, Seth makes his love interest uncomfortable with his unwanted advances.

The thriller Memento follows Leonard Shelby, who suffers from anterograde amnesia from being hit on the head by intruders. In the film, this makes him an unreliable narrator as the amnesia hinders Leonard's recollection of the accident and his ability to make new memories, but his memories before the accident are intact.

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The two timelines shed light on what happened to Leonard's wife as he tries to hunt down the man who murdered her. In the end, it is revealed that Leonard killed his wife. By chasing down her fictional killer, Leonard was escaping his trauma.

Most fans were rooting for Robin Williams' Daniel Hillard to reunite with his ex-wife and children in Mrs. Doubtfire. To spend time with his children after the divorce, Daniel disguises himself as their nanny, Euphegenia Doubtfire. While the film portrays this as an act of love, Daniel's actions cross various lines.

Not only did Daniel deceive his family, but he also did not respect the boundaries set by his ex-wife, Miranda. Daniel's ex-wife is portrayed as bossy, stressed, and strict. However, Daniel is undoubtedly the bad guy, which is seen when he uses his Mrs. Doubtfire persona to become Miranda's confidant and sow doubt in her new relationship with Stu.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan dominated the '90s rom-com scene. You've Got Mail capitalized on the rise of internet usage and focused on the online romance between Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly. Despite their online chemistry, they are rivals offline, which causes Joe to meddle in her life. Though Frank and Patricia are often depicted as annoying or in-the-way, Joe is by far the worst character in the movie.

To protect his corporate book store, Joe often sabotages Kathleen to ruin her small business. Once he discovers that Kathleen is also his online romance, he uses the information against her. All of his tactics result in Kathleen losing her book boutique, but because audiences were rooting for the couple to get together, Joe's toxicity is often overlooked.

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Laila Elhenawy is a Canadian freelance List Writer for CBR. She first realized her passion for writing by creating a set of short stories influenced by pop culture references. Later at her alma mater, she was an editor and writer for various organizations and media. Having studied social sciences at the post-secondary level, Laila enjoys analyzing the social issues portrayed in TV shows and films. She is a proponent of bridging the various gaps in media representation.

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