It’s been quite a while since Avengers: Endgame was first released, but MCU fans are still buzzing about the Mad Titan, Thanos. He appeared in post-credits scenes and was mentioned by other characters for about six years before he finally made his debut in the series. Avengers: Infinity Warand with such massive growth, it’s no surprise that the character has lived up to the hype.
No matter how viewers view Thanos, it’s hard to deny that he’s easily one of the greatest. MCU antagonists franchise ever seen. His ultimate goal in finding power is rooted in the betterment of the universe, though Thanos’ realization of this goal is certainly questionable. Despite that, it’s hard to judge whether he’s turned out to be completely good or completely evil.
GOOD – He could have prevented the appearance
Thanks to the release the eternal, the conversation about Thanos has begun again with a vengeance. The film reveals that when planets reach a certain number of populations, Celestials can emerge from the planet, simultaneously destroying worlds and absorbing power from the inhabitants.
By wiping out half of Earth’s population, Thanos has technically saved humanity from being turned to nothing by the ancient space god that accidentally grew at their feet over the centuries. Not to mention, Thanos’ brother, Eros, makes an appearance in the post-credits scene. Aeros has extensive knowledge of the Celestials, Eternals, and appearances, meaning that Thanos most likely knows about these as well.
BAD – He killed a lot of people
Despite his ability to stop the Apparitions, Thanos killed tons of people. Not only did he take them down in a split second, but he resorted to more brutal, bloodier ways before obtaining the Infinity Stones. In most cases, the people he killed were innocent, their only crimes (according to Thanos) simply existing. Thanos’ support of genocide is what makes it hard to see him as something other than a villain.
GOOD – He doesn’t discriminate in the conservation of life
One thing that Thanos has for him in erasing lives is that he doesn’t discriminate. Thanos doesn’t make decisions about who lives or dies based on who they are, he just wants to eliminate half of the population. Regardless of things like power, status, or personality, Thanos doesn’t let personal opinions determine which individuals deserve to live or die. He only seeks to fulfill his goals and does not consider some people less worthy than others.
BAD – He’s arrogant
With that said, Thanos is arrogant enough to think that the fate of the universe is in his hands. By killing anyone, even if he doesn’t discriminate, Thanos is still playing God by taking the life of another against their will.
BAD – People don’t want his help
His arrogance also makes him think he knows best, which is why he “helps” the planets by wiping out life, even if they don’t ask for it.
GOOD – He wants to avoid starvation and overpopulation
As mentioned, Thanos’ last game (pun intended) is to ease the suffering of others. In his mind, preventing overpopulation was his destiny, so that he could save others from hunger and misery. Witnessing this on his own planet, he wanted to make sure that others wouldn’t be forced to watch their homes die the way he did.
GOOD – He wants a more peaceful universe
In addition to conserving resources, Thanos also wants to create a better, more peaceful universe. He really hopes to see people find harmony and stability, so even though he’s not going to bring peace the way he should, it’s hard to deny that. His heart was in the right place.
BAD – He doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions
Because Thanos believes there’s a logical end to the means, he doesn’t care much for the survivors of the Snap. He was so focused on the economic advantages of population control that he was completely unconcerned with how survivors felt afterwards. It’s correct, Blip wiping out everyone at random, but everyone left behind forced to accept the loss of their loved ones inevitably feels targeted. Everyone in the mourning family was completely unable to see Thanos’ vision the way he wanted it to, which only resulted in an exorbitant amount of pain and suffering.
GOOD – He is willing to sacrifice his own happiness
Strangely enough, Thanos suffered just as much as the people left behind in the aftermath of the snap. He sacrificed Gamora to Vormir to get Soul Stone, giving up the only person he ever truly loved. It’s a bit messy, but this scene really personifies Thanos and proves that he’s willing to put in a lot of effort to get the results he wants.
BAD – He hurt those who trusted him
In addition to killing her, Thanos put Gamora through a lot of pain. He murdered her biological family, then forced her and Nebula to fight each other for his approval. A lot of Marvel characters have father issues or struggle to be good parents, but Thanos took “bad dad” to a whole new level. Forcing his children to fight, then removing the loser’s body parts is certainly not the way he should be treating the young women he calls his children.
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https://gamerant.com/mcu-reasons-thanos-bad-guy-right/ 5 reasons why Thanos is the bad guy and 5 reasons why he’s not