As a person often drawn to complex characters, the intricate personalities of various characters from different films have always interested me. There is something so fascinating about characters that don’t always fit the mold of “good” or “bad,” but rather exhibit a range of emotions, motivations, and internal conflicts. It’s the unpredictability and layers of these characters that make me gravitate to them. I’ve never been one to look at the surface of things, I’d much rather look at the full picture. Depth of character adds richness to a story and a thought-provoking element that is missing with flat characters.

There is nothing better than being able to connect with multifaceted characters despite the hate or lack of understanding they may get. I for one know plenty of complex characters who I feel don’t receive enough understanding and attention regarding their complexities.

Some characters that I find particularly intriguing are Wanda Maximoff, Dean Winchester, Lee Eunhyuk, and Allison Hargreeves.

1. Wanda Maximoff | Marvel |

Despite everything she has done in the past, I stand on it when I say I am a firm Scarlet Witch lover, and nobody can change that. Her working with Ultron, holding an entire town hostage, attempting to steal America Chavez’s power that would cause the teen’s death, and absolutely annihilating the Illuminati heroes of Earth 838 are a few key actions that lead to others misunderstanding her. That is just the surface of her story. I think she has one of the most interesting character arcs in Marvel recently.

Wanda is a woman who wants to be happy and will do what she thinks is right. However, she is also a person who will do what it takes to reach her goal, even if it’s not what a “good” person should do. She’s a woman who is constantly dealt a bad hand and can’t catch a break. For years she has had to put everyone above her because she thought it was right and did what she was told. Even when that leads to her being caged like an animal by SHEILD, being forced to lose the love of her life twice, and being forced to erase the existence of her children. It is easy to see that she is tired of getting bad decks, and just wants to be happy and at peace. Even if that means going to the dark side to get it, which I commend.

“You break the rules and become a hero. I do it and I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem Fair.” -Wanda Maximoff

2. Dean Winchester | Supernatural |

Okay, now we all know when it comes to the handsome eldest Winchester son, plenty of people are die-hard fans and will go to the fiery pits for him. That is undeniable. However, I noticed that many people simply look at his handsome bad-boy looks, mostly charming personality, and humor. I don’t see enough people really talking about how fascinating his character arc is and what he hides underneath his exterior. Dean has said and done a lot of “bad” things to the extent it would be a waste of time and energy to list them all. However, he usually tries to achieve something good by doing it. If you look harder, Dean also shows his capability to do what is right, that he isn’t just a violent man who is reckless and lacks empathy.

Throughout the TV series Supernatural, there have been a few times when Dean showcases the hidden parts of himself. And I think that hidden persona is what makes him an interesting character. He hides behind his humor and careless bad-boy persona, but in reality, I think Dean grew up too fast and in an environment that didn’t let him be a normal person who could feel like other people. He doesn’t know how to be a normal human being who embraces all that they are and is happy. Because of that, I think he does bad and reckless things to cover up not feeling like a normal person. Almost like “Since I feel like I can’t be normal, I’ll do things that will make it harder to be normal.” Growing up with a dad like John and in an environment like Dean did, you can’t fault him for not knowing how to be a normal human.

“Why do I have to be some kind of hero? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad?” – Dean Winchester

3. Lee Eunhyuk (이은혁) | Sweet Home |

Lee Eunhyuk is quite a complicated person. Since his appearance in Sweet Home began, it is hard to hate him but also easy to see why he isn’t the best person. His character arc is confusing to many who watch him, but that’s also kind of what draws many people to him. Most don’t even know why they really like him, aside from his handsome face of course.

What makes him complicated is his perception of things, how he goes about doing things, and how both of those things contrast with what he really feels or wants. He speaks harshly with his sister and acts distant from her, but very clearly cares about her. He clearly wants to keep everyone safe and sane in the Green House but acts more like a dictator and keeps secrets because he doesn’t think they can handle it on their own. He obviously felt guilty for treating Cha Hyunsoo like he didn’t matter, but also didn’t want the regular humans to do what he made Hyunsoo do and be in danger, so he kept making Hyunsoo do it. It became apparent to me quickly that he does and says things that directly contrast with what he really feels and wants. I think one of his biggest issues was not being able to let his control go. He felt like he needed to oversee everything and bear that weight, which I think ultimately led him to kill himself.

“When someone is sure about keeping a promise when it’s hardly possible, there’s a good chance that it’s a lie.” – Lee Eunhyuk (이은혁)

4. Allyson Hargreeves | Umbrella Academy |

When it comes to Allison Hargreeves, I am 100% a firm hater. For the life of me, I can’t like her, even though her powers are so cool and she’s a strong female character. Who doesn’t love a female character who has a badass superpower like hers? However, in her case, she is a very complicated character like Lee Eunhyuk. But her complexities don’t draw you in to make you want to understand her, in my opinion, they make you pay attention to her because they piss you off.

It seems like throughout the entire TV series, Allison’s character starts to become more and more unlikable, and for valid reasons. She becomes one of the most selfish and self-centered people in the series but consistently complains and points at others for being selfish. I understand some of what she does is out of self-hatred. It’s clear that is making her spiral and do recklessly bad things. She killed Harlen because she wanted to hurt Viktor, because she blames him for her losing her daughter though everyone knows she lost her daughter way before that because she prioritized her work. She attacked Viktor because she was angry at her issues being pointed out clearly in her face. She attempted to abuse her powers and sexually assault Luther because she didn’t want to see him happy when she was not. Time and time again Allison does stupid and bad things because of her feelings. It’s obvious she wants to be loved and happy, but can’t seem to let her past go and can’t grasp how everyone else can keep moving on with life. I understand she lost her daughter, that’s traumatic enough to be broken, but to keep taking her pain out on others is unacceptable. Every character had their fair share of pain, especially people like Five and Klaus, but that doesn’t excuse taking it out on everyone and ruining their lives because of her pain.

“People don’t want apologies. They want confessions. They want you to stand there and list all the shitty ways you’ve hurt them so they know you understand.” – Allison Hargreeves

All of these characters are complex and multidimensional in their own ways. And I think it’s important to look at these complexities when assessing these characters, whether you like them or hate them.