Nar: This comment probably belongs on the thread you named, but it may bear on this discussion: ever consider that orcs like being orcs? For the sake of comparison, I remember the bullies back in all years of school prior to college - yes - maybe they had psychosomatic and social reasons for why they were the way they were, but could it possibly be that they just liked causing trouble, pain, humiliation and all that? That keeps me from pitying orcs. Haradrim are another matter.
By way of a more general reply, I prefer to have both kinds of villains, and do in my story. M. is the shaped villainess, L. is the arch-villain.
The types of reasons depend on the story. I can't imagine what more could be said. I'll have to leave that for better minds than mine.
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