Theres a saying that suggests that the best villains are the ones who, if you change the circumstances or story slightly, could have been the heroes. Back when Final Fantasy VIII was shiny and new in 1999, it might have been easy to look at Seifer Almasy, one of the antagonists, and see him as a jerk.
Source: N4G PC Final Fantasy VIII Remastered helps Seifer's actions seem more understandable