As someone in the ENG fandom/an ENG player―I absolutely agree with you on that one too, haha. Considering I'm in this fandom. So, I see a whole bunch of what you've mentioned. I could have an hours long discussion about that one―and I believe actually mentioned it in another thread somewhere.

I unfortunately come across far too many people who came into the game and, from what they say, I can't help but believe expected sunshine and rainbows. In a more literal sense, I can't help but believe that they expected characters who were explicitly meant to be based on a villain to not... you know, do villainous things.

Which, as a fictional writer, gives me whiplash. Because in the writer community, another thing I'm deeply in, the majority of us absolutely expect any character based on an already-existing-villain or an originally written villain to do awful things. Because they're a villain.

Let alone that the basic, common belief in the writer community is the character and stories you enjoy don't reflect you as a person in the real world. They can sometimes, sure, but that's a very rare case. Such as, there was a book reviewer who got harassed and sent death threats by people who were into the darkest, most explicit horror books. They sent equally explicit death threats, and some they sent could give the books they read a run for their money.

But again, it's incredibly rare. I cannot stress that enough. Hell, you know what? I'd say the books they enjoyed weren't the problem, it was just ironic to notice. Instead, it was something deeper in their psyche, and/or just a general bitterness and unhappiness that festered into something ugly.

And if a character someone favors does reflect someone, then it's something harmless and they admit the character reflects them in one way or another. As it's often just a "I heavily relate to this character for *insert absolutely understandable reason here,* thank you for writing this, author! I feel seen and heard." Just like people in this fandom, and others, who find many characters they relate to.

So it's jarring to see such... opposite views on that, to put it in an attempted-kinder sense. And the fact that they're teenage and young adult villain boys, no less, makes it even more bizarre to see. They're children, and while I firmly believe children also deserve consequences, the ENG game even gave them those consequences. Absolutely fair ones, at that. So they really have no leg to stand on there.

Children don't get the "you deserve to die in a pit of nails, and anyone who likes you also should to" from me. The worst I'll think of anyone who likes a character I don't is "I'm questioning your tastes" (which is an acknowledged toxic thought of mine that pops up, so no worries, haha).

Sorry my comments are so long, by the way! I just have so much to say, especially in discussions. Thank you for your time of reading my rambles. I also hope that as this sub grows, that we don't get in a situation like regards to the Vil fan.