Villains and Heroes, but mostly Villains.

 In my family, I'm often teased about liking "bad guys". The accusations hold substance, though. I do like villains. From Ursula in "The Little Mermaid" to James Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes, they're the most interesting part of the story. So what is it that draws me to them? These bringers of injustice and instituters of wrongdoing?

 Well, what would "The Little Mermaid" be without Ursula?

"Once upon a time, there was a fish girl who was in love with a human, but she couldn't marry him because she's part fish and that's just not socially acceptable."

 If someone told me that story, words would come to my mouth such as "Well... isn't that... umm... interesting?". There's simply nothing to hold my interest. Insert Ursula and the plot becomes more deeper.
"Once upon a time there was a fishgirl. She loved a human, and she wanted to marry him, so she went to an evil octopus. The fish girl traded her voice for humanity. She married the human and they lived happily ever after."
 I'm not saying that the bad guy is what makes the "happily ever after" (even though that's pretty often the case), but I am saying that they make the story a whole lot more interesting.
 Often, the bad guy doesn't contribute a lot to the plot, but they complicate the current story. Let's take Sleeping Beauty for example. Aurora might have found her Prince Charming, even if she hadn't pricked her finger on a spinning wheel.

 James Moriarty is perhaps my favorite villain: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-9sP-8O-9Y&feature=watch-vrec

Here's a quick explanation for those of you who aren't familiar with him. He's Sherlock Holmes's rival. Not to mention, he's brilliant. 

"Every fairy-tale needs a good, old fashioned villain." ~James Moriarty

[Pictures below, James Moriarty {Sherlock Holmes}, The Master {Dr. Who}, Bowser {Mario Bros}, and assorted disney villains]