Cold-Blooded Villains Who Say Something Unmistakably True Or Wise

Instead of being inexplicably evil and maniacal like the Jokers that have come before, Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck in 2019's Joker is rooted in mental illness, something deeply unexplored but undeniably present in the backstory of many evil comic book villains.

At one point in the film, aspiring comedian Fleck scribbles down a list of potential jokes in his notebook, including one about the expectations of society when it comes to mental illness and how people who suffer from it are set up to fail from the very beginning. Joker is not the ideal role model, but his understanding of mental illness and how the world views it is achingly correct. 

In The Dark Knight, Joker lectures a room full of thugs and goons on what it means to be a "professional" crook and how to earn respect in your trade. He argues that you should never offer your valuable skill set for free, which is not only a good lesson for someone trying to climb the ladder of a criminal enterprise, but also a great life lesson in general.

If you're talented at something, don't let people convince you to do it for free because you're not "experienced" enough to be paid for your time, or because they think you owe it to them if they are a family member or friend. 

Ra's al Ghul is Batman's former mentor in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Despite landing on the "villain" side of the coin, Ra's al Ghul is certainly wise and helps shape Batman, teaching him how to fight and master his fears, leading to Batman becoming a vigilante hero.

One of Ra's al Guhl's most important pieces of advice to him (and anyone) is, "Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it, it will destroy you," meaning you can figure out how to harness your anger and use it to your advantage, but you shouldn't let it overpower you and cloud your judgment. 

In Training Day, unscrupulous detective Alonzo Harris is tasked with teaching Jake, a young rookie officer, how things are really done in the LAPD. He teaches Jake not only what it means to be a Los Angeles police officer, but also everything that comes along with it, including an invaluable life lesson that knowledge is sometimes less valuable than viable evidence.

The quote encourages practicality in the listener. Rather than going off the knowledge you have, you must always fact-check and ensure that what you believe to be true can really be proven.

Mysterio isn't your run-of-the-mill MCU villain. Starting off as a good guy, he earns the trust of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even becomes a mentor to Peter Parker for a little while before revealing his true intentions. It turns out that Mysterio, AKA Quentin Beck, is an overlooked and disgruntled ex-employee of Stark Industries who becomes hostile after being disregarded by Tony Stark himself.

Although Mysterio has to eventually face Spider-Man as an enemy, Beck forms a genuine bond with Parker, reminding him never to apologize for being the smartest person in the room. Had Quentin taken his own advice, he might have ended up on the good side of things. 

From the opening minutes of The Departed, Frank Costello takes pride in being a self-made man. In this case, the man is a villainous drug overlord, but give credit where credit is due. Frank didn't let his environment stop him from becoming what he wanted to become.

When schooling Billy Costigan on how to rise up through the ranks of Boston's organized syndicates, Costello reminds Costigan that you don't have to submit to the expectations of your environment, and can instead shape your surroundings to fit what you want out of life.