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Is Thanos really a villain?
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Thanos murdered millions of living beings

Thanos murders half of the Earth’s population with the snap of his fingers. While he argues that he is doing what is necessary for the good of the world, it does not condone the murder of billions of people, making him a true villain.

The Argument

Thanos’ view that he is truly helping Earth (and all of the planets he has left in ruins) through destruction and murder securely places him within the villain archetype. Thanos murders half of the Earth’s population with the snap of his fingers. His argument that he is only doing what is necessary for the good of the world does not condone the murder of billions of people.[1] Marvel creates a backstory for Thanos that seems to justify his actions in his own mind. Thanos calls his solution to overpopulation and lack of resources “mercy.” He argues that this genocide is “dispassionate” and “fair to the rich and poor alike.” However, murder is inexcusable. That action alone removes any form of justification out of the argument, no matter what his reasoning was.[2] By the end of the series, he becomes desperate to complete his goal. He even utters the famous line- "I am inevitable"[3]. Desperation suggests ulterior motives. This reveals his true intentions to act as a powerful god, to have control over who lives and who dies, and to be given gratitude from the survivors. This ultimately makes him a dangerous villain.[4]

Counter arguments

Thanos had justification for his actions. He intended to spark new life of a broken planet, and killing half of the planet was just something that had to happen in order for planet Earth to start again.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Thanos murdered millions of living beings [P2] This act is inexcusable

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://literaryterms.net/villain/
  2. https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/avengers-infinity-war-thanos-motivations-destroy-life/
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_anDMGmck-k
  4. https://www.scripts.com/script-pdf/3317
This page was last edited on Sunday, 7 Jun 2020 at 01:11 UTC

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