Even DC’s Worst Movie Knew DC’s Controversial Sinestro Change is a Mistake

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While Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 movie, *Green Lantern*, is often considered a major failure in the world of DC films, it surprisingly portrayed the character Sinestro (played by Mark Strong) more effectively than the comic books have. Despite the film’s many flaws, the creators at Warner Bros. understood that Sinestro works better as a villain, a realization that DC Comics still seems to miss.

Sinestro first appeared as a Green Lantern who turned bad and formed his own group, the Sinestro Corps, which operates on the opposite principles of the Green Lanterns. While Green Lanterns are powered by willpower and dedicated to protecting others, Sinestro’s corps uses fear to gain control. DC Comics has repeatedly tried to portray Sinestro as a more complex character with understandable motivations, even hinting at a path to redemption. However, he’s currently back with the Green Lanterns, supposedly trying to change his ways. This is a misstep, though, as Sinestro is most compelling when he fully embraces his villainous nature.

DC Needs to Stop Trying to Redeem Sinestro

As a Sinestro fan, I’ve seen DC try to redeem him a bunch of times, and honestly, the latest attempt felt super rushed and weak. It started when this villain, Lord Premier Thaaros, blew up the main power source for all the Yellow Lanterns, leaving Sinestro with nothing. Fueled by anger, he grabbed a Red Lantern ring and actually helped the Green Lanterns take down Thaaros. But then, things got weird. They just handed him a Green Lantern ring, supposedly to control the rage from the red one – it felt really convenient and a bit cynical, even for Sinestro!

Sinestro has surprisingly been welcomed back into the Green Lantern Corps and is now behaving like a true hero. This change is sudden and unexplained-we don’t see how he got a Green Lantern ring, he just has one at the start of *Green Lantern Corps #1*. It’s shocking that, without any trial or consequences, he seems to be forgiven for his past crimes, even those as severe as genocide.

Sinestro’s acceptance back into the Green Lantern Corps feels wrong, considering he only helped them defeat an enemy because he was desperate and fueled by anger. The Green Lanterns usually choose members who *want* to do good, but Sinestro was motivated by regaining his own power and letting his rage guide him. That shouldn’t be enough to earn a Green Lantern ring.

DC has attempted to reform Sinestro on multiple occasions. During the New 52 relaunch, the Guardians of the Universe tried to weaken the Sinestro Corps by offering Sinestro a Green Lantern ring, hoping he would turn away from evil. This strategy briefly succeeded – Sinestro even battled his own followers – but ultimately, he reverted to being a villain. It appears the Guardians’ attempt to use the Green Lantern ring as a reward for Sinestro to abandon his Corps was both a convenient tactic and ultimately unrealistic.

I just don’t get the Guardians’ thinking. It feels incredibly naive to forget Sinestro *was* a Green Lantern before, and used that power to become a tyrant! Just because he’s wearing a Green Lantern ring again doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a good guy, or that he won’t betray everyone again. Honestly, it feels like they’re completely overlooking how truly evil he is. He’s caused the deaths of so many Green Lanterns and innocent people, all in his pursuit of controlling the entire universe. The idea that they’d just let someone like that wander around freely because of a color change is… baffling, to say the least.

Look, let’s be real: Sinestro is just a fantastic villain when he’s allowed to be purely evil. I found him so much more captivating and genuinely scary when the filmmakers didn’t try to soften him with a backstory trying to make him sympathetic. He’s at his best when he’s just bad to the core.

Sinestro Never Cared About Order, He Only Cares About Power

Sinestro is a major villain in the DC universe, but writers often try to add shades of gray to his character and suggest he could be redeemed. They’ve repeatedly attempted to show him as a villain with good intentions who simply uses extreme methods – similar to other complex characters like Black Adam and Doctor Doom.

DC Comics has portrayed Sinestro as a character driven by a desire for order in a chaotic universe, which has led him to embrace a fascist worldview. Writers often emphasize that he genuinely believes fear is the best way to govern. Early in his career as a Green Lantern, he was similar to vigilantes like the Punisher, taking justice into his own hands. He eventually created his own group, the Sinestro Corps, hoping to replace the Green Lanterns and become the universe’s new leader. However, his belief in “order through fear” is ultimately damaging and wicked, demonstrating the dangerous consequences of seeking absolute power and control.

Sinestro intended to create an organized force to bring order to the universe, but he made a critical error in choosing his followers. He specifically sought out those who could inspire fear and would willingly use the power of his Yellow Lantern rings, which were fueled by that emotion. Predictably, this didn’t attract heroes; instead, the rings bonded with criminals, murderers, those who thrived on chaos, and actual monsters. Sinestro had previously argued that criminals didn’t deserve forgiveness, yet he now readily empowered the most dangerous and evil beings in existence.

Even villains known for wanting to destroy everything, like the Anti-Monitor and Superboy Prime, were brought into Sinestro’s group. The writers attempt to explain Sinestro’s actions by showing that new members are brutally reprogrammed and tortured until they obey him. However, fighting evil with evil doesn’t make things better – it just makes things worse. While this harsh conditioning might make Sinestro’s followers more obedient, it doesn’t change their core nature or stop them from doing terrible things, as seen with Romat Ru, who still enjoys killing children. Sinestro isn’t building a force for order; he’s creating a chaotic, destructive system fueled by his own ego, essentially imprisoning the universe.

From the very beginning, Sinestro has prioritized his own power over the well-being of his people. After conquering Korugar, he forced its citizens to worship him. He only helped them when it suited him, even when they faced real danger. When he formed the Sinestro Corps, he behaved like a cult leader, demanding adoration from his followers. He lived a lavish lifestyle, surrounding himself with luxury, all while claiming to be morally superior to everyone else.

The Sinestro Corps is responsible for numerous terrible acts, all supposedly in the name of Sinestro, but they’ve failed to bring any real peace to the universe. Sinestro himself acknowledges the danger of including ruthless killers in his ranks. This, along with his choices for recruits, demonstrates his deeply flawed character and harmful beliefs. His focus on order at any cost echoes the justifications used by oppressive regimes. Attempting to present Sinestro as a hero or someone with good intentions actually undermines the story’s important message about the dangers of tyranny and the true nature of evil organizations.

Dictators often talk about bringing peace and stability, but their main goal is always to stay in control and maintain their position. Simply put, Sinestro is truly a villain, and that should be clear in how he’s depicted.

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2025-09-20 21:11