'Darkness is good': Inflammatory Trump adviser Steven Bannon argues he, Darth Vader, and Satan are misunderstood

In an interview published Friday, top Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon compared himself positively to famous villains in pop culture, as well as one of the least popular US political figures in recent history.

Trump's chief White House strategist told the Hollywood Reporter that he benefited from left-wing media outlets that labeled him as evil.

"Darkness is good," Bannon told the publication.

He added: "Dick Cheney, Darth Vader, Satan. That's power. It only helps us when they get it wrong. When they're blind to who we are and what we're doing."

Bannon's appointment to a top political position in Trump's administration this week resulted in a swift backlash. Critics have assailed his stewardship of Breitbart News' coverage, which has been viewed as anti-Semitic and racially charged.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have both called for Trump to rescind his appointment. They have drawn attention to Bannon's self-professed commitment to providing a platform for the alt-right movement.

During his tenure at Breitbart, Bannon oversaw the publication's transformation into a far-right, anti-establishment, white-nationalist outlet, which found more in common with European far-right parties than the US Republican Party on issues such as immigration and trade.