Why are bad boys so irresistible to women? Why can’t women resist their charms, and why do they always go back to them? Gen Z, have declared declared ‘baby-girl’ guys with soft features and vulnerable personalities are the most attractive celebrity crushes, it seems that nice boys are out, and bad boys are back. Surely it can’t just be down to looks. Could it be their appeal is linked to some ‘primal’ human instinct?

The appeal of the ‘bad boy’ is down to a mix of condence, mystery, and excitement. Bad boys often give o a kind of unshakable self–assurance. They break the rules, and that unpredictability can make them feel exciting and dierent from safe or predictable partners. A bad boy is simply one who has little or no regard for convention. 

The psychological reasoning is a part of human nature and instinct. Sometimes girls and women are drawn to a challenge – the idea that they can tame the wild beast, the wild boy, becoming his saviour.

On a deeper level, it taps into something primal. Bad boys often project traits such as dominance, resilience, and independence, which can be linked to evolutionary instincts about strong, capable and protective mates. Even if they’re not the right choice for longterm stability, they spark an emotional and physical response that’s hard to resist. 

Human instinct includes curiosity and variety. Normal steady relationships don’t provide the same excitement. The mystery of the bad boy is in itself attractive. The psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement tempt partners to return to bad boys because their rewards create a stronger emotional attachment and makes them hard to leave. 

Most often, the celebrity bad boy is tall, dark and handsome. He also may have a ‘dark past’ or a ‘dark side’ as well as an element of mystery, making him seem slightly out of reach, but not impossible to change! Often, the ‘bad boy’ could be someone who’s had bad things happen to him – he drinks, smokes, steals, and takes risks. He’s also handsome, and ‘a player.’ He says all the right things and he plays with your head and your feelings, but you love the way he makes you feel whenever you’re with him. 

Bad boys more often than not have a rugged, well-groomed appearance – almost like they’ve mastered how to draw attention to themselves without trying. But ultimately, it’s about how they carry themselves with condence and charm that make girls and women feel special when they’re with them – even if later, their actions don’t reect their image. 

Some women are drawn to that awful emotional rollercoaster. Being treated badly can create a sense of longing or a need to ‘earn’ their aection, which can be intoxicating.

Where the bad boy keeps you guessing, that unpredictability can be exciting. One reason is that women often believe they can tame the wild, unpredictable spirit of an absolute monster, and it’s possible this is connected to the mothering instinct in most women.

On Taylor Swift’s album, The Tortured Poets Department, she seems to reect on dating the ‘bad boy’ Matty in her song I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can), singing ‘They shake their heads, saying, ‘God help her’ when I tell ’em he’s my man / But your good Lord doesn’t need to lift a nger / I can x him, no really I can / And only I can.’

Another track, ‘But Daddy I Love Him’ appears to show Taylor admitting she falls for bad boys, ‘slamming doors’ in the face of her critics. 

At the time, Glamour Magazine published an article headed ‘Matty Healy and the Allure of the British Bad Boy’, claiming that ‘Girls only want one thing… a cigarette–avoured, enthusiastically consensual snog with Matty Healy’… after all, he’s often seen pung on a cigarette or drinking from a hip ask while on stage, while his past struggles with drugs and alcohol are well known. With millions in the bank, a beautiful baby girl, and a stunning mansion and private jet holidays, the couple look to have it all, and this is the image that seems to appeal most to girls and young women. So what’s not to like?

Aside from the appeal of real life ‘bad boy’ celebrities, it seems women are also drawn to bad boys in the real world. Scientists from the University of Western Australia questioned more than 1,300 women from 47 countries about their preferences in men. The results showed that women prefer men who take risks – but only for short-term ings. In longterm partnerships, the disadvantages of being attracted to a habitual risk taker likely become wearing and so the attraction to risk takers, wains. 

The women were asked to rate how attractive they found descriptions of various men, for both short and long-term relationships. The descriptions included details about the man’s risk–taking tendencies and occupation, such as ‘Dave is a teacher and in his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing and abseiling. He likes the adrenaline rush.’ 

The results revealed that women who rated themselves healthy and lived in countries with a higher life expectancy found high risk–taking men more attractive as short–term mates. 

However… women who said they enjoyed risky activities themselves, as well as bisexual women, were also found to rate risk–taking men more highly for both short and long-term relationships. 

Relationship experts however advise the importance of getting to know someone ‘for who they really are’. 

Dating app Plenty of Fish resident expert Eva Gallagher said that “A person who exudes mystery and charm can seem appealing at rst, but this type of attraction is often short–lived. So it’s important to seek authenticity and dive deeper when looking for a connection, and make sure you’re getting to know someone for who they really are, not for the bad–boy persona they’re portraying or that you are perceiving…

‘Bad boys have always had a certain attraction about them, but their resurgence might say something about the cultural moment we’re in. Scientically, several researchers have found that women are drawn to rugged men, like the Jason Momoa or Leonardo DiCaprio types, especially in periods of uncertainty. Bad boys project this sense of freedom and deance, which can feel refreshing when the world feels overwhelming.

Cultural cycles often revive trends, and the resurgence of the ‘bad boy’ in popular media may be partly a reaction to more sanitised or predictable portrayals of masculinity in recent years. Figures that oer a modern twist on the trope blending the traditional ‘bad boy’ mystique with vulnerability or humour, can feel fresh and relatable, resonating with an audience that craves complexity and authenticity in their cultural icons.”