User blog comment:Magma MK-II/What makes a hero a villain?/@comment-1969141-20101106141332

I guess it depends on the reasons and motivations behind the crossing of the "Moral Event Horizon." "V," the Punisher and many other vigilantes has a ruthless side and a "End justifies the means" way of thinking that makes them sink as low as the evil they are fighting and effectively making them villainous. Such characters decide their villainous acts on their own free will, or when a villainous persona replaces their true self in the "Possessed/Brainwashed" case. On the other hand when someone unwillingly makes evil deeds that they disaprove of and without really having the choice (such as Namine for example) I don't think they can be labelled as villains.

Mario effectively became a villainous animal smuggler when he abducted Donkey Kong out of revenge, that's a fact. Though given all their heroic deeds in other games, I strongly favor that all the heroes who acted as willing villains should be featured in articles that focus on the game in which they play the villain and precise it in its title, as it is done with the evil alter ego of Superman.