While watching a movie set in a fictional world, it's not uncommon to see characters who possess otherworldly powers. While this is most common in superhero movies, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror movies have also incorporated the trope to further elevate their stories.
Watching these movie characters make use of their incredible powers can often feel quite spectacular, but not all of them enjoy the powers they have; some despise the gifts they were given, and will usually make this clear to the viewer quite frequently. Cinema is chock-full of ridiculously powerful beings, but some of them actually hate their powers.
5 Polka-Dot Man - The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn, documents a group of superpowered individuals on a quest to save the world. As inmates at the Belle Reve prison, each member of the group embarks on this task due to the promise of a shortened sentence. The group is then sent to Corto Maltese, where they are tasked with infiltrating a secret laboratory known as Jotunheim and destroying everything inside, as its existence poses a threat to humanity.
Once the first Task Force X group fails, Bloodsport and his band of criminals begin their journey. The further they progress into the vast jungle, the more they grow to consider each other as friends. Each character has a fascinating origin story, but the Polka-Dot Man's is one of the most unsettling. Hoping to transform her son into a superhero, Polka-Dot Man's mother experimented on him and inflicted him with an interdimensional virus. Because of this, Polka-Dot Man's skin tends to swell up with brightly colored lumps that can only be removed by vomiting or attacking. If not for this side effect, Polka-Dot Man might have enjoyed his powers, but sadly, he hates them.
4 Will Turner - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Directed by Gore Verbinski, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, follows Jack Sparrow on his quest to vanquish Davy Jones once and for all. Taken to Davy Jones' Locker during the climax of Dead Man's Chest, Jack eventually returned to the land of the living thanks to his former crewmates. Though his return results in some complications, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann believe it's better to combine their efforts if they hope to truly defeat Jones.
During the final battle, Jones disarms and impales Will with his sword. Shocked by this, Jack elects to place a blade in Will's hand and guide it directly into the heart of Davy Jones. In doing so, Jones dies, and Will becomes the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. While this grants him great power, it also limits him to walking on land once every ten years. Because of this, Will and Elizabeth are only able to see each other once per decade, which in turn, causes Will to detest his newfound power and the confines it placed him in.
3 Sunspot - The New Mutants (2020)
The New Mutants, directed by Josh Boone, follows the life of Dani, an inexperienced mutant whose home was destroyed by a tornado. When she awakens, she learns that she has been taken to a derelict hospital run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes, a seemingly kind-hearted woman who claims she wishes to help Dani understand her mutant powers.
Dani meets four other powerful mutants during her stay at the hospital, but like her, none of them have complete control of their powers, and some actually despise them. Sunspot, a mutant capable of controlling fire, inadvertently ended up burning his girlfriend to death because of his inability to keep his powers in check. This event resulted in his admission to the hospital and also caused him to hate his powers because of the guilt he felt.
2 Miles Lee Harris - Guns Akimbo (2019)
Directed by Jason Lei Howden, Guns Akimbo tells the story of a computer programmer named Miles Lee Harris (played by Daniel Radcliffe). Set in a world wherein a criminal organization named Skizm livestreams murders online, much of society has become insensitive to death. Disagreeing with Skizm's actions, Miles decides to troll their website and insult all those who enjoy it. He then smugly retires for the night, only to be awoken by Riktor, the head of Skizm himself.
After getting beaten up and falling unconscious, Riktor commands his goons to punish Miles for his comments, which results in the group nailing a pistol into each of his hands. When Miles wakes up, he can no longer use his hands for anything other than shooting bullets. To make matters worse, he has also been made a target for Nix, Skizm's most lethal killer. Though Miles eventually comes to accept the guns in his hands, it remains clear that he doesn't like them.
1 Sang-hyun - Thirst (2009)
Thirst, directed by Park Chan-wook, follows the story of a Catholic priest named Sang-hyun, a high-thought-of man who has dedicated his entire life to helping others. One day, Sang-hyun volunteered to take part in an experiment to uncover a cure for the Emmanuel Virus, but instead of finding a cure, he contracted a deadly curse. He dies on the operating table, but upon receiving a blood transfusion, he comes back to life.
Upon his resurrection, Sang-hyun is revered as a miracle, which prompts countless fans to seek him out to ask him to heal them. Initially, Sang-hyun seems to enjoy his newfound strength, but he quickly comes to detest it when he learns what it is. The blood transfused into his veins belonged to that of a vampire bat, which led to him becoming a vampire. Having spent his whole life trying to help others, Sang-hyun begins to hate himself because of his craving for blood and his need to kill for it. While he enjoys the idea of being a vampire, he hates what it has turned him into.