[quote=“Hans”]
Essence has nothing to do with it. If by the end of the film a character does redeem himself, then he is no longer a “bad guy.”
But you also said that The Bride/Beatrix was a villain, which obviously isn’t true.
Hero:
In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.
I’d say Beatrix certainly qualifies as a Hero (and not a Villain). Although she didn’t know until her final encounter with Bill, Bea had been constantly risking her life not only to take revenge but also to save the live of B.B. which became her main mission once they eventually met.
Villain:
A wicked or evil person; a scoundrel.
A dramatic or fictional character who is typically at odds with the hero.
(also vln, v-ln) Variant of villein.
Something said to be the cause of particular trouble or an evil: poverty, the villain in the increase of crime.
Obsolete. A peasant regarded as vile and brutish.
Bill is obviously the villain of the film because he is the most evil (shooting Bea in her head on her wedding day, funding the Tokyo Crime Syndicate, being the biggest obstacle in Bea’s quest for revenge and later redemption as she tries to save B.B.)
And since Bill was most at odds with Beatrix, that would basically mean that Bea was the hero of the story. Heroes aren’t perfect of course, which is a concept that has been found throughout history and Greek mythology i.e. the Achilles Heel, and Bea is far from being a saint. But for all intensive purposes, she is the hero of Kill Bill and Bill is the villain.
[/quote]
Beatrix was an assasin. That to me makes her a villain. Just because Bill is against Beatrix, does not automatically make her a hero. It was Beatrix’s wrongdoing that brought this whole situation into play, in the first place. If she hadn’t have run off with the baby (which is very villainous) Bill would never have tried to kill her. It was Beatrix that started it.
Getting revenge on someone, because what you had originally intened to do, villainously, didn’t go quite to plan, doesn’t make you the hero, you are simply a bad guy that wants revenge on another bad guy.
Being a hero does not make you a good guy. Achilles was a hero, is he a good guy?
I am also questioning whether Bill really was most at odds with Beatrix. To me, it seemed Elle wanted Beatrix dead more than anybody.