
Who is the real villain in the Azerbaijani-Armenian tensions?
Definitely not Armenians—because there is no single villain in this story. That’s the hardest part for people to accept. History isn’t a Hollywood movie where one side is pure good and the other is pure evil.
Armenians aren’t villains. Azerbaijanis aren’t villains. The real villain? Trauma, propaganda, nationalism, and the people in power who keep the cycle going for their own benefit.
But here’s the catch—every side thinks they’re the hero. That’s just human nature. Armenians see themselves as survivors of genocide and ethnic cleansing, fighting for their right to exist. Azerbaijanis see themselves as a nation that was displaced, wronged, and ignored. And when both sides see themselves as victims, they stop seeing the pain of the other.
So, are Armenians villains? No.
Are Azerbaijanis villains? No.
But both sides have done things that have hurt each other, and until they acknowledge that the cycle won’t stop.
And what’s the real tragedy here? Most Armenians and Azerbaijanis have never even met each other. Their entire perception of the other is built on stories, media, and pain that they inherited—not actual experiences. That’s how you keep a conflict alive for generations.
It’s heavy. When you really break it down, it’s not just about politics or land—it’s about people who never even got a chance to understand each other before being told to hate.
And the saddest part? Most of them never will. They’ll live and die believing the version of history they were given, never questioning it, never realizing they were just played by politicians…