Not that I'm complaining about more of my favorite Prince Hal...

...by why is everyone acting like Tom Hiddleston's Loki is the first time a villain/antagonist has been more interesting and attractive than the hero?

Did everyone else actually spend their formative years lusting over the hero, rather than his brother/cousin/enemy with the drinking problem who just needs someone to take care of him?

Looking back at my fictional crushes from being young, it was Francis Poldark in Poldark and Mark in Flambards (good gods was young Steven Grives hot), both of whom are gateway drugs to having a serious antagonist fixation.

Neither of these guys is evil, but they each grew up poor with jackass fathers and no mothers, fall in love with a girl who loves their brother figure, and cover the hurt with sarcasm. In Francis' case it's such an obvious front it's painful. Francis actually gets the girl, but then can't cope with the fact that she doesn't love him much. He's weak, and wastes his life gambling and drinking, which of course does nothing to make him more popular with his wife. I still want to give him a big hug and ask how his day went whenever I read or watch. He was savable.

Mark goes the asshole route, mostly because he identifies with jackass father to save himself the abuse. The war is probably the best thing that could have happened to him, if only because it forces him to realize other people are actually real too. The first three books and the miniseries have him get a happy ending, with a wife of his own, and a decent relationship with his sister-in-law and her children. A good enough life. The fourth book I like to pretend doesn't exist.

So flist, tell me about your fictional crushes! I can't be the only one who found the heroes boring. (Except for the Georgette Heyer reformed rake heroes. I like those guys!)