>>181465802I do believe that part of why these villains are popular is because people tend to embed power fantasies of change, however, it should be noted that heroes can portray this same feeling you described, by starting for example as underdogs and rising (being in terms of power, status or knowledge) to the top to fix the world's problems by defeating everyone on top as time goes on. It doesn't necessarily need to be an extreme narrative of the end justify the means.
The reason I believe the specific archetype of ''end justify the means'' and messiah villains are so popular nowadays is because firstly, people tend to think in a much more globalized manner now compared to before for obvious reasons, so it's easier to have the mentality of changing the whole world before changing yourself.
Secondly, (and pulling from the previous point) feeling like you are living alongside billions of people gives you a sense of smallness and lack of significance. It makes the average joe feels like he needs far more to have any sort of weight or importance to the world compared to before. Post-modernism tends to cause existential problems and existential problems mass produce revolutionary mentality, because lack of real purpose gives birth to revolutionary mentality.
The third is again, the utilitarian mindset which is prevalent today. The idea of treating human lives as nothing more than mathematical equations to reach an result, which again, is very much enhanced by globalization and post-modern mentality.
I definitely think what I am saying ties into your idea of powerless people feeling powerful through the lenses of a powerful villain though.
