Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is the obvious How I Met Your Mother villain - at least, that's what most people think. As the womanizing playboy with a Rolodex of inappropriate schemes, Barney’s flaws are loud, flashy, and impossible to miss. He’s a walking punchline, a bundle of toxic masculinity wrapped in expensive suits and absurd pickup lines. Over the years, HIMYM frequently acknowledged Barney’s bad behavior and often made him the butt of the joke. However, while fans were busy scrutinizing Barney’s playbook, one of the show’s other central characters was getting away with some deeply questionable behavior, all hidden behind a warm, seemingly wholesome persona.

How I Met Your Mother ran from 2005 to 2014 and followed Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) recounting to his kids how he met their mother. However, the story became just as much about his close-knit friend group - Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), and of course, Barney. While each character had their flaws, Marshall was often presented as the moral com of the group, being the loving husband of Lily and devoted friend to Ted. However, that image doesn’t hold up under close scrutiny. Barney may seem like the obvious villain in HIMYM, but he’s not the worst of the bunch when compared to Marshall.

Marshall Acts Like A Violent Fraternity Boy Throughout Most Of How I Met Your Mother

Marshall Never Really Matures - He Just Becomes A Man-Child In A Suit

For all of Barney’s sleaze, Marshall’s behavior in How I Met Your Mother is often more insidious. He hides behind his “nice guy” charm while routinely acting selfish, condescending, and even aggressive. From the very beginning of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall Eriksen is positioned as the sweet, goofy, ideal partner. However, scratch the surface of Jason Segel’s character, and you’ll find someone who’s emotionally stunted, quick to anger, and prone to childish violence.

The clearest example of this is, of course, the infamous Slap Bet. What starts out as a joke becomes a years-long running gag in which Marshall physically assaults Barney, sometimes without warning, always for laughs. Yes, it’s a sitcom trope, but the joke wears thin. Marshall treats the ability to slap his friend as a power trip, gleefully tormenting Barney in scenes that are often played for humor, but reveal something darker: Marshall doesn’t just enjoy justice - he enjoys control.

Even more telling is how Marshall reacts to stress or conflict - not with reason, but with aggressive outbursts and ive-aggressive tactics.

The Slap Bet is just the tip of the iceberg, too. Marshall is often engaged in elaborate prank wars, childish competitions, and over-the-top revenge plots that feel like frat boy behavior rather than that of a mature adult. Whether he’s rigging a machine to dump pudding on someone’s head or using song and dance to mock people, Marshall consistently relies on physicality and immaturity to assert dominance. These antics might seem harmless, but they show that he hasn’t evolved past his college mentality.

Even more telling is how Marshall reacts to stress or conflict - not with reason, but with aggressive outbursts and ive-aggressive tactics. In a show that’s ostensibly about a group of friends growing up and navigating adulthood, Marshall is often the one holding the group back. His Peter Pan syndrome is rarely called out, and instead, his behavior is masked under the pretense of being the group’s “teddy bear.”

This image is a facade, though - teddy bears don’t slap their friends, sabotage careers, or throw tantrums when things don’t go their way. While Barney is the easy target as the How I Met Your Mother villain, Marshall is the one quietly normalizing toxic behavior under the guise of “being a good guy.” His lack of real growth (emotionally or morally) is more disturbing because it’s subtle and socially accepted.

Marshall's Obsession With Tradition Sees Him Mistreating Female Characters

Marshall’s Moral Code Often Crosses The Line Into Slut-Shaming And Judgment

Marshall Eriksen’s traditional values are often framed as charming quirks - he wants a stable marriage, a house in the suburbs, and a family with deeply rooted traditions. However, HIMYM often forgets there’s a fine line between wholesome and harmful, and Marshall crosses it more often than the series acknowledges. Despite his gentle giant persona, Jason Segel’s character repeatedly shows that his traditionalism often manifests as judgmental, outdated, and even sexist behavior.

Take the How I Met Your Mother season 4 episode "Naked Man." When Robin reveals that she slept with Mitch (the inventor of the Naked Man move) Marshall instantly calls her a “slut”. There’s no humor in his voice, no hesitation. He’s genuinely disgusted. While the show tries to brush it off as friendly banter or shock, it’s a glaring moment of slut-shaming from someone who’s supposedly the respectful one in the group. Marshall’s response isn’t just unkind - it reveals an internalized belief system that punishes women for expressing sexual agency outside his rigid framework.

Marshall’s double standard is particularly damaging when it comes to the women in his life, who are often put in the position of defending their choices to someone who’s supposed to them.

This isn’t a one-off moment. Throughout How I Met Your Mother, Marshall repeatedly expresses disdain for people who don’t fit into his idea of normal. He looks down on Barney’s escapades (fair enough), but also on Robin’s independence, Lily’s career choices, and even Ted’s more whimsical pursuits. His version of love and success is very specific: traditional marriage, traditional gender roles, and the suburban dream. Anyone who deviates from that is subtly - or overtly - criticized.

The irony is that Marshall himself isn’t morally spotless. He lies, cheats in minor ways, and uses manipulation when it suits him. Yet, he sets himself up as a moral authority, holding others to a standard he doesn’t meet. Marshall’s double standard is particularly damaging when it comes to the women in his life, who are often put in the position of defending their choices to someone who’s supposed to them. Again, this is what makes him a more dangerous How I Met Your Mother villain than Barney. Barney might be offensive, but he never hides who he is. Marshall, on the other hand, presents himself as progressive and kind, even as he upholds outdated gender expectations that hurt the women around him.

Marshall Hides His Villainy Behind His Nice-Guy Persona

Marshall Gets Away With Everything Because People Think He’s Sweet And Harmless

There’s a reason fans (and even the characters in the show) often describe Marshall Eriksen as a “great guy.” He’s tall, goofy, loves his wife, and fights for justice as an environmental lawyer. Jason Segel plays Marshall with wide-eyed innocence and earnest warmth, making him seem like the emotional anchor of the show. However, beneath that “nice guy” exterior lies a deeply manipulative, self-righteous, and often hypocritical person who uses his likability as a shield.

Barney Stinson may be a lot of things - offensive, manipulative, and emotionally bankrupt - but he’s honest about it. Barney wears his flaws on his (tailored) sleeve, and the show constantly calls him out for them. In contrast, Marshall hides behind his charm. When he messes up, he deflects with jokes. When he’s called out, he guilt-trips. When Lily tries to pursue her own path, like when she moves to San Francisco in HIMYM season 2, Marshall positions himself as the victim, even though he had every opportunity to her dreams.

Even with Ted, Marshall’s advice is often cloaked in superiority, couched in condescension disguised as concern.

This pattern repeats itself over and over. Marshall frames himself as the martyr in situations where he’s actually the aggressor. When his dream job clashes with Lily’s career, he expects her to give up her ambitions. When Robin challenges his worldview, he dismisses her. Even with Ted, Marshall’s advice is often cloaked in superiority, couched in condescension disguised as concern.

His manipulative streak is perhaps most visible in how he handles the slap bet. Rather than letting it go, Marshall drags it out for years, turning a moment of juvenile humor into a symbol of dominance over Barney. The fact that the group goes along with it - and often laughs - only highlights how deeply embedded Marshall’s unchecked behavior is within the group dynamic.

That’s what makes him the real How I Met Your Mother villain. Not because he’s evil, but because he represents a very real kind of toxicity that flies under the radar. He’s the “nice guy” who’s never questioned because he meets just enough criteria to be considered a good man. But real goodness isn’t about image, it’s about action. And over nine seasons, Marshall consistently acts in ways that harm others, all while keeping his halo firmly in place. Barney was obviously problematic in How I Met Your Mother, but Marshall’s subtle toxicity was much more detrimental to those around him.