Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-24894881-20180818085051/@comment-25375217-20180819224854

Aine1989 wrote: DNK, I ind your point pretty interesting, even if I disagree with it. So here is a counter point: does Regina thinking she is the real hero in her and Snow's story actually make her more evil since it brings a lack of self awareness on her part? I could see the argument for that. I suppose it depends on why she considers herself to be the hero. If it comes from naivety -- she has no understanding that what she is doing is wrong -- then I find it harder to blame her for it. But if it comes from willful ignorance -- she simply doesn't care that some people may see her as evil -- then that's certainly worse.

I think a strong case could be made for either one.

Regina doesn't seem particularly naive and she had extensive experience with Cora's villainy, so it seems like she would know what it's like to be treated as an end to a means rather than a person. There's also the whole matter of her "I don't regret anything" speech in Neverland; although I'm not in the camp that believes this speech was evidence of how horrible her character is, it certainly seems to undermine any attempts to claim she wasn't aware of how terrible she was.

On the other hand, while she may not be naive, Regina is damaged. She was emotionally and all but confirmed to be physically abused by her mother. She had no friends, limited family, and her husband loved his daughter more than her, even though this daughter was (in Regina's eyes) a horrid wretch. She was effectively alone with her thoughts, and her thoughts were convinced (for rather flimsy reasons, but that's more on the writers than Regina) that Snow White was a villain. If she was fully convinced of this fact, it isn't a large jump to say that the people who support her must be villains, too. And then the people who support those people must also be villains! So, really, the whole village was full of villains. And, just like Rumple encouraged her to do to Cora, villains must be punished, right? Burning down the village is, clearly, a heroic act.