An edited image of Russell Crow in Gladiator and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator 2. Maximus from Gladiator is one of the most heroic movie characters of all time, but Gladiator II proves that he could also be viewed as a villain. Russell Crowe’s performance as Maximus in Gladiator earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor and made it so that a sequel could never be made without acknowledging his legacy. Even though the Roman Emperors following Commudus’ reign wanted to erase Maximus from history, the gladiators in Gladiator II honor the legendary figure.

Gladiator II also reveals that Lucius’ father is actually Maximus. Therefore, there are a lot of similarities between Lucius and Maximus throughout the movie. However, Maximus also has many similarities with another character from Gladiator II. Like Maximus, Acacius is a Roman general who is stripped of his rank and forced to fight in the arena. The similarities between Maximus and Acacius help explain why Maximus could have been viewed as a villain if certain scenes from the first Gladiator film were shown from a different perspective.

Gladiator 2 Makes Acacius Look Like A Villain By Showing The Numidia Battle From Lucius’ Perspective

Gladiator 2 Flipped The First Gladiator Movie’s Opening Battle

General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) as a member of the Roman Senate in Gladiator II Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) fighting alongside an army of gladiators in Gladiator II Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) with splatters of blood on his face in Gladiator II Pedro Pascal's Acacius sitting with Connie Nielsen's Lucilla in a Colosseum room in Gladiator 2 Bloody General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) walking forward while clad in armor in Gladiator II General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) as a member of the Roman Senate in Gladiator II Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) fighting alongside an army of gladiators in Gladiator II Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) with splatters of blood on his face in Gladiator II Pedro Pascal's Acacius sitting with Connie Nielsen's Lucilla in a Colosseum room in Gladiator 2 Bloody General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) walking forward while clad in armor in Gladiator II

Gladiator II begins by showing Lucius living a peaceful life with his wife in Numidia until a Roman fleet is seen approaching the city. The Romans, led by General Acacius, attack Numidia, and an intense battle breaks out. Most of the Numidia battle in Gladiator 2 is shown from Lucius’ perspective, so the audience automatically roots against the Romans, who are portrayed as an evil army with no claim to Numidia. Therefore, as their leader, General Acacius is seen as one of Gladiator 2‘s primary villains. Acacius is also who Lucius blames for the death of his wife.

Granted, the character of Acacius becomes a lot more complicated when it is revealed that he doesn’t want to lead any more attacks. Acacius is actually one of the leaders of the rebellion against Emperors Geta and Caracalla. Therefore, even though Acacius leads the Roman army in the Numidia battle and is responsible for many deaths, he’s just following orders to ensure his own survival and actually has a different vision of Rome. His vision of Rome aligned with Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome and is exactly what Lucius was trying to achieve in Gladiator II.

Gladiator 2’s Framing Would’ve Made Maximus The Villain Of The First Movie

Gladiator Portrayed Maximus As A Hero

Russell Crowe as Maximus looking over his shoulder in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius on the snowy battlefield in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus looking serious in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus looking weak and despondent in Gladiator. Russell Crowe as Maximus wearing armor in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus looking over his shoulder in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius on the snowy battlefield in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus looking serious in Gladiator Russell Crowe as Maximus looking weak and despondent in Gladiator. Russell Crowe as Maximus wearing armor in Gladiator

Just like Gladiator II, the first Gladiator movie also opens with a large battle scene. At the beginning of Gladiator, the Romans, led by Maximus, fight the final battle to win the way against the Germanic tribes. Unlike Gladiator II, this battle is shown from Maximus’ perspective, while the Romans are portrayed as the heroes in this battle. The opening of Gladiator II proves that if the first movie showed the perspective of German warriors, Maximus would have been the clear villain, at least at the beginning of the film.

From the perspective of many German warriors who lost friends and loved ones to an army under Maximus’ command, he definitely does not come across as a sympathetic figure.

While Maximus’ arc is being compared to Lucius’ in Gladiator II, there are perhaps more interesting similarities between Maximus and Acacius. Just like Acacius in Gladiator II, Maximus is definitely not evil. That said, from the perspective of many German warriors who lost friends and loved ones to an army under Maximus’ command, he definitely does not come across as a sympathetic figure.