Sympathetic

Villainous Benchmarks who are played for sympathy in spite of their evil deeds.

Factors consist of:

• Villains with genuinely tragic backstories or have a Freudian excuse for their crimes (e.g. The Postman, Rex Dangervest, Darth Maul, and Stinky Pete).
• Villains who have redeeming qualities, mitigating factors and/or some humanizing moments that reveals a much more sympathetic side to them (e.g. Sandman, Dr. Eggman (Sonic X), Dr. Eggman (Sonic Boom), Endeavor and Agatha Harkness).
• Villains who are shown to be insecure and are played for sympathy because of it (e.g. Prince Charming and Lord Hater).
• Villains who have sympathetic deaths/defeats or suffer from horrific fates (e.g. Larry, Victor and Shadow Weaver).
• Villains who have a combination of all four mentioned factors (e.g. Cho Sang-woo, Jesse Pinkman, Kylo Ren, Loki Laufeyson, Billy Hargrove, Megamind, Sasha Waybright, Akaza, Ezekiel, Surge, Kit, and Prince Hans).

While it is quite rare, Hate Sinks can still be sympathetic if the sympathy they get is very small and don't distract too much for their loathsome traits.

NOTE: Not every villain that has a Freudian excuse or is insecure falls under this category, as they can remain completely unsympathetic, or their actions ultimately nullify any sympathy they once had (e.g. Amber Freeman, Zack Powers, Richie Kirsch, and Princess Morbucks).