In tribute to the recent death of acting great Alan Rickman, we reflect upon his long, prosperous and touching career. Rickman is most known among millennials as the both abhorred and adored Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" Series. Snape has proved himself to be an extremely complex character and is a pivotal and emotional piece in Rowling’s saga.

So what is it exactly that makes such a hard and at times cruel antagonist such a beloved fan favorite, both in the text and the film?

Some may say that the draw to Snape is his dark and menacing presence that is contrasted with a sleek and clever wit. For myself, however, I see my attachment to Snape come from a place of relatability. Yes, you see what make Prof. Snape so cherished by his fans is that he is someone we can identify with, that is to say, we all have a little “Snape” in us.

It is clear that as we step back to look over the character’s life as a whole, we see one that is marked in love, pain and regret.

When Snape was a child he experienced isolation and the sharp pains of rejection. It was his only friend and only love, Lily, that brought him any sense of comfort and warmth through the hard times of his life. Then, through both the misfortunes of life and misguided anger, Snape drove Lily away from himself and into the arms of his rival, James Potter.

And much like us, Snape went to the one place in his life that offered power and control: the service of Lord Voldemort. It was this decision that lead Snape to his greatest regret, Voldemort’s ruthless killing of James and Lily Potter. It is Snape’s regret and his ever-remaining love for Lily that brings him to repeal the work of the Dark Lord that he helped to establish, no matter the personal cost to him in the end.

See, what we love about Snape’s story is this: he emerges from the pain of his mistakes to stand for the one thing worth fighting for—love. We can all identify with someone who has made mistakes, for that is a road we have and will walk time and time again. It is the desire to right wrongs that often drives us to the highest good. We have no higher respect than for those who love self-sacrificially.

See, what makes Severus Snape a hero that we love is this: that he was willing love through all pain and all suffering. Few of us can say that we have walked that path, but all of us can see it’s beauty.

So, as we mourn the loss of the man who brought such a relatable and complex character to life on screen, we have but one hope. May he be now with his Lily forever. Always.