Is it true that in order to understand the hero, you must understand the villain?

I just thought of that. Everything the hero does seems to be a direct result of what the villains do. I understand that i's important that we have a full understanding of the protagonist, but isn't it just as important--if not more--to understand the antagonist?





Now that I write it it seems like a dumb question lol. But what do you think?Is it true that in order to understand the hero, you must understand the villain?
Yeah, I think you're right, actually. Normally (or at least in every good book or movie), the villian is evil because of something dreadful that happened in his/her past. And the hero is often good for that very reason. But the villain acts out with vengeance and the hero acts out with determination. Villains and heros are really both very similar.Is it true that in order to understand the hero, you must understand the villain?
ya, i agree too





without the villian, the hero is just some cool, law abadding goody-goody





but pop in a villian, with his crazy lifestyle, damaged past, and erratic morals and shabang! the hero has a new meaning





for example, have you ever seen The Dark Knight? with out the Joker, we never would have seen Batman and Harvey Dent's dark side





with the villian, we see all of the heroes' personalty, stuff we coulnt have sen without them