Ah, villains. You love to hate them or maybe even genuinely love them or some confusing mix of the two. But either way, stories would be terribly boring without these nefarious foes.
Since it is indeed October and we’ve entered “spoopy” season, I really couldn’t help but do a whole post about one of my favorite topics: VILLAINS. Because yes, yes, I do love me a good ol’ villain (erm, fictional villain I should clarify). Can’t live with ‘em (‘cause they’d probably kill you), can’t live without them (‘cause then there’d be no story). Villains truly make the fictional world go ‘round. Or blow it up which is cool too.
There are many, many villain tropes out there. Some that, let’s face it, probably need to die. But SOME, some I will cling to with the last shred of my fingernails and happily watch these dastardly beings ‘cause havoc with stars in my eyes forever.
I promise I’m okay.
And THAT is why we are here today during the middle of this crisp, spoopy season. To list my favorite villain tropes of all time! Because LISTS. And VILLAINS. My two favorite things in one. This shall be funnnn. *rubs hands together and cackles*
Is anyone surprised I’m starting out with this one? Anyone?
OF COURSE I love those sassy ones. I mean, not just with villains, but like…anytime. But there is a special place in my heart for any villainous being who’s persona is 97% snark.
Those ones who can down an entire room with an offhanded one-liner that shoots through the air like a hundred throwing knives. I mean, sure, maybe he’s good with a sword, but why bother when his tongue is the sharpest thing on hand?
These people also have a sense of s w a g g e r. They’re the type of villains who probably walk slo-mo away from an explosion. Their resting face is a smirk. I Don’t Care™ is their motto. Pretty much the only thing that comes out of their mouths is snark, and if that fails them (which it rarely does), a raised eyebrow works just as well. They may literally have a sword protruding from their abdomen, but if you think that’s going to stop them from spouting one last sharp-edged one-liner of snark, then you are sadly mistaken, my friend.
The sassmasters are legends, and maybe it’s their own sarcasm that is their downfall, but I will stand by them to my dying breath.
EXAMPLES:
LOKI, ANYONE? Also Hades from Disney’s Hercules, Peter Pan from ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Snape from Harry Potter, and Prince Humperdinck from The Princess Bride come to mind, to name a few.
This is a really weird brand of villain that I probably shouldn’t love but I DO. These people are the creepers. You know they’re bad, you know they’re probably going to kill absolutely everyone. AND YET. You just can’t help but be intrigued by them. There’s something strangely alluring about their personalities that draws you in.
These are the smooth talkers, the refined ladies and gentlemen that know how to charm an audience. Often they’re two-faced. At first appearances they seem cool and collected, but deep under the surface there’s a chilling madness driving them. Maybe they act like the good guys for a while and you almost want to believe their intentions are right. But, of course, that usually leads to a dagger in the back. #rude
EXAMPLES:
One of my FAVORITES of this kind is the Keeper from Entwined by Heather Dixon. See also: The Lady of the Green Kirtle (and Jadis for that matter) from Narnia, Mictar from Echoes from the Edge trilogy by Bryan Davis, and honestly so many more. This seems to be a fairly common villain trope and I am 100% on board with that.
Alternative title: The “I’m-a-villain-but-really-don’t-want-to-be” type.
I have a particular soft spot for these poor souls. These are the villains who got thrust into a life of villainy against their will. Maybe their father is a renowned assassin or mob-boss and expects great things from their child, only…said child’s real dream is to be a dentist or open a nice, quiet floral shop. Maybe they were dealt a hard blow during childhood and the only way to survive was to lead a life of thievery. Maybe they fell for the ruse of the “creepy but intriguing” villain we just talked about above without realizing the person was a villain, and now whoops, suddenly they’re a villain’s henchmen. However they got to their title of villain, it really wasn’t their choice but they can’t seem to find a way out.
This type has a wide range of personalities from soft and innocent, to Tough Cookies™ who are just trying to survive, to everything in between. But whoever they are, their hard plight always worms them into our hearts.
EXAMPLES:
I’m going to be liberal and say Edmund from Narnia falls into this category, even though he’s not a villain. But, hey, the boy did end up accidentally becoming the White Witch’s henchmen, so YA KNOW. Nebula from the MCU totally fits here too don’t @ me.
To piggyback on the reluctant villain, let’s slide right into one of my FAVORITES. Villains-to-heroes!
Ah yisss. These are those who undergo most glorious redemption arcs. They go from being a thorn in the protagonist’s side to helping them SAVE THE ACTUAL WORLD. Usually it takes time, and maybe a lot of pain (pretty much always a lot of pain let’s be real), but ohohoho is it worth it to watch this glorious 180 transformation.
This type is often the reluctant villain who finally found a way out. Or maybe they realized that, hey, they were actually WRONG and decide to do something about it. Or maybe it’s just more fun to be in the winning side. Ya know, evil isn’t always fun and games (even if there are cookies).
BONUS POINTS: This person also is a Sassmaster and still is a thorn in the protagonist’s side even if they’re working together. I will take 27 of them, thanks.
EXAMPLES:
Obviously the only important one to list here is ZUKO FROM AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. Because OF COURSE. My favorite redemption arc in the history of fiction.
Okay and Loki actually totally fits here too. (YES HE DOES.) And Discord from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (you gotta love ‘im). I mean, I guess Darth Vader as well??? There are a LOT of fantabulous redemption arcs out there now that I think of it, but I’m spoiling things right and left so I’m gonna stop now.
Let it never be said I’m not fair and balanced. Sure, redemption arcs are great, but may I also offer you a NEGATIVE ARC??
It’s true. I love them. Probably shouldn’t, but here we are. There’s just something so intriguing about a seemingly good person spiraling to the dark side. Heartbreaking, but intriguing nonetheless!
There is such a number of ways these people chose the dark side—from less-than-helpful counselors who nudged them that way, to maybe the protagonist wronging them, to the Big Bad actually making a good point, to just, hey, the dark side has cookies why shouldn’t I be over there??? Truly, the possibilities are endless.
Extra bonus points if they go from good to bad to good again. What’s better than one arc? TWO.
Extra, extra bonus points if they were already an antagonist but then spiral into complete madness. (Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender, anyone?) I don’t know why, but that’s just really fun to me. (Seriously, what is wrong with me?)
EXAMPLES:
I mean, Loki totally fits in this category too, so there we are. I’m also thinking quite a few of the villains from the Afterverse books by Kyle Robert Shultz? But I don’t want to spoil things… And OF COURSE Morgana in BBC’s Merlin. The girl knows how to pull off a fabulous villain role…even if it was heartbreaking. *sniffles* OH. And let’s not forget what happened in Heartless by Marissa Meyer. #ifyouknowyouknow
Because if you’re going to be evil, why not add a little chaos?
These villains are especially fun because you can’t predict what they’re going to do next. They’re not the chessboard villains, perfectly planning out each move. Oh no. They’re all about spontaneity and explosions. Make a mess and make it FABULOUS. Rules? Pshaw. What are rules? There is only chaos. Also mad laughing, there is a lot of mad laughing involved. I mean, wow, these guys must be extremely happy. So much smiling and laughing.
I love them.
EXAMPLES:
MORIARTY from BBC’S Sherlock. OF COURSE. And I’d be remiss to talk about chaotic evil beings without mentioning THE most infamous one of all: The Joker. And, really, like 95% of the other villains in Batman as well. (Seriously, what do they put in Gotham’s water supply???) Discord from My Little Pony totally would go here as well before he reformed. (Then he just kind of went to chaotic neutral, which is also fabulous.) The Master from Doctor Who? Zelena from ABC’S Once Upon a Time?? Bill from Gravity Falls??? The QUEEN OF HEARTS. My goodness, so many chaotically evil beings out there. IT’S GREAT.
And lastly, my absolute favorite villain trope…
Ooooh yes. The drama kings/queens. Black coats, black capes, black boots that make that oh-so powerful click when they stride across the room like they’re on an evil runway. Only the best for them.
Perhaps they will stab you, but you better believe they’ll do it with a well-polished, well-crafted, utterly sleek knife (that matches their outfit). These are the girls who can wear stilettoes and still murder. The dapper guys with top hats and white-toothed smiles who walk away from destruction (that they caused) with that perfect swish of their trench coat.
If you’re going to be evil, why not do it with flare?
Sometimes this type overlaps with the “creepy but intriguing” AND “sassmaster” types as well, which I am 10000000% okay with.
EXAMPLES:
My girl Maleficent is the epitome of evil with style. Truly a legend. And honestly so very many Disney villain. Hook, Cruella de Vil, Jafar, Gothel, Dr. Facilier. Honestly, these people know how to be evil and fabulous all at once.
I’d say Erik/The Phantom from Phantom of the Opera could probably fit quite well here too. Levana from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer as well. I’d also say Lord Whitlock from Beaumont and Beasley by Kyle Robert Shultz. He’s quite the dapper gentleman. And Azula! Can’t have a hair out of place, after all. And Uncle Andrew from The Magician’s Nephew tried to always look respectable and dapper and keep his swagger, but we all know how that turned out. *cackles* And, ya know, Loki has some moments of absolute fabulousness as well. (Can we all just agree that Loki fits in all these categories??? THERE’S A REASON HE’S THE BEST.)
THERE WE ARE. 7 types of villains I will immediately claim as my own even as they go off murdering people and conquering worlds. (We all have our hobbies.)
What can I say? Sometimes fictional villains are just way too fun!
LET’S TALK!
I can’t be the only one who gets totally starry-eyed over villains. DON’T DENY IT. So spill! What is your favorite villain trope??? Do we share any? Or do you dislike any I listed? Share with me all your villainous preferences. I’ll give you cookies if you dooo. >:)
Ahhhhh, yes, I love the villains! Often they’re my favorites. Okay, sassmasters are THE BEST. And villains with style (those two seem to go together a lot from what I’ve seen, which is great). And, yes, Loki is absolutely the best. Chaotic villains are amazing, reluctant villains are amazing, villains-to-heroes are amazing. Really, I love all of these tropes. I mean, villains get thee best songs and the best lines, so it only makes sense that they’d get the best tropes, right?
AHHH, THIS POST IS JUST THE GREATEST. And, also, you mentioned so many stories that I love (I still really need to see Merlin…..).
Would you mind checking out my blog? I totally understand if you can’t or don’t want to or something.
McKayla
http://Www.thetalesofatriplethreat.blogspot.com
YES. Someone who understands! Villains are just way too fun. XDD
ALL THE YESS TO THE SASSMASTERS. They get me every time. And, well, ALL these tropes. XD I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loves all these types. You are so right that villains always get the best lines and songs and fashion sense and everything. They are fabulous beings.
Oh my goodness, THANK YOU!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. This was a fun post to write! (OKAY BUT MERLIN. It is my favorite show of. all. time. I mean…it’s super cheesy and ridiculous but I don’t even care because the characters are so amazing. <333 I 10000% recommend it!)
But of course! I’d be honored to check it out! ^_^
AHHHHHHHH!!!! Villains have to be my favorite character types in books!! *coughs* Because obviously I want to see them redeemed of course….
though I don’t mind them staying evil because VILLAINS….Redemption arcs have to be the best, and Zuko’s was PERFECTION. But sassmasters and creepy villains are also amazingly alluring. Though they usually do have a bunch of fangirls falling in love with them….
IT’S REAL THOUGH. Villains are just so fascinating. (The poor protagonists. They go off and save the world and here we are fangirling over the villains. XD)
Ah, Zuko. *clutches heart* My boy. It was watching his story in ATLA all those many, many years ago that made me realize just HOW MUCH I am in love with antiheroes and redemption arcs and all those delightful things. His arc was e v e r y t h i n g. BUT YES. All of these types are such great fun! Hehe.
Okay, I LOVE the Evil-With-Style trope–that one might be my favorite. But also sassmaster. And don’t get me started on the redemption arc. (Obviously I am a decisive person. XD)
I read Heartless about two years ago, and I am STILL SCARRED because she was such a good girl, and then…argh! I knew that the book was about a negative arc, and it still made me sad.
Also–morally grey villains? Who might be on the hero’s side at one moment and then not? Because of what benefits them? I like those. 🙂
YAAAAY!!! *high-fives* You just gotta love those stylin’ villains! ;D
Heartless was the ultimate Feels Destroyer. *SOBS* That ending will forever be ingrained in my mind. IT WAS JUST SO SCARRING.
OH OH YESSSS. Like the antiheroes? SO MUCH YES. I am absolutely with you there. They are amazing!
My goodness! This was just utterly fantastic! I love all these so much! Fun fact: BBC’s Morgana was my inspiration for my villain before I even knew who she was, because of that smirk. And on that note: so many of my characters fit into these roles you described above. One day (hopefully sooner rather than later), I will get to share them with the world.
*BEAMS* I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I had quite a blast with this one. Hehe.
Oh my goodness, really? So her smirk IS legendary if it’s inspiring characters before you even officially “met” her. That is the best thing. XDD
Okay but the fact that you have multiple characters that fit into these roles makes me SO EXCITED and I cannot waaaaait until the day we get to meet them!!!
*grins* I can’t wait until you get to meet them too. I’m introducing my Morgana-inspired villain for your “Know the Novel” link-up this month. I started writing yesterday. Should have it posted next week.
YAAAAY!!! So looking forward to reading it! 😀
Oh yes! I love the sassy, creepy mysterious and stylish villains! And I absolutely love the ones who reform! They’re probably my favorite! And yes, Loki is pretty much the best. 😀
They are all GREAT! 😀
And my goodness yes. The ones who reform get me every single time. <333 And then there’s Loki. ALWAYS LOKI. *grins*
Awesome awesome awesome! My favorite villain tropes have to be chaotic evil, reluctant villain, and the creepy but intriguing ones. Mrs. Dervish from N.D. Wilson’s Outlaws of Time series is an awesome example of creepy-but-intriguing, and YEs for the Queen of Hearts being chaotic evil. Hahaha. XD
Oooh! Also Alexander Miracle from the Outlaws of Time series is the perfect example of hero-to-villain, villain to hero, and reluctant villain. I’ve gotta tell ya, that OoT series is AMAZING. Arguably my favorite series EVER.
Okay CLEARLY I need to read this Outlaws of Time series! :O I just looked up the first one on GoodReads and it sounds SO FUN!!! Plus I love me some time travel-y stuff SO YES. I need this!
Love this! When I read the description of “creepy but intriguing” I immediately thought of the Keeper and was so happy you included him on there! I didn’t think of Uncle Andrew as falling into the “Villains with Style” trope, but once you mentioned him, I could totally see that. And Morgana… oof. *the feels*
A couple others:
-I’m pretty sure Aetius Nimrod from The Silver Eye webcomic is like the dictionary definition of a sassmaster villain. Making up ridiculous nicknames for people while wildly swinging his axe at them… yep.
-Wolfgang Dankworth from Blank Mastermind?? Combination of sassmaster and villain-to-hero=perfection.
The villain-to-hero trope is probably my favorite, to be honest… I mean, I guess it kind of defeats the purpose of a villain… but redemptions are so satisfying! And alternatively, hero-to-villain… is just really depressing, so I kind of ignore that one. 😛
THE KEEPER YESSSS. YOU UNDERSTAND. He’s just so…well, THE KEEPER. So very, very creepy but intriguing!
Oh man, the Morgana feels are eternal. *sobs*
I’m so sad that I don’t know either of these you mentioned! But sass and redemption arcs, you say??? Clearly I need to read these! (They also have really epic names, I gotta say. XD)
Villain-to-heroes truly are spectacular. I just love the message that EVERYONE is redeemable. It’s so beautiful. <3 But yes, on the flipside, as fun as hero-to-villain arcs can be, they’re also just PAINFUL. *sniffles*
You should totally read them! Blank Mastermind is a finished serial story by writefury. If you like amnesiac villains, superpowers, and really unique and original characters, you’d like it. I think I’ve read it at least three times? The Silver Eye is a webcomic I discovered back in May and have been a hardcore fan of ever since. It has gorgeous art, mysterious curses, really realistic, flawed characters, and a super welcoming and fun community. The author, Laura Hollingsworth, is (I think) Baptist and it’s really cool how she incorporates Christianity in there.
Anyways *cough* I hope you don’t mind my little spiel, but I think that you’d really like both of them! AND both of them are free to read online, so the only thing you need is time 😉
(That being said, I really need to read Renegades sometime… and the Lunar Chronicles… and watch Avatar… and most of the other ones you mentioned… 😛)
OOOOH. That’s good to know they’re free to read! And they sounds EPIC!!! How fun the author of Silver Eye incorporates Christianity into the story. Now I need to check these out more than ever! 😀
No, no, I’m SO glad you told me about these! You know I will happily discuss good stories all the live long day. 😀
(LOL. Goodness I understand. Time is an elusive thing. Doesn’t it know we just want to read and watch Netflix all day??? >.>)
*LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY*
My favorite villain trope? ALL OF THEM. Well, except whatever one houses insane sociopathic mass murderers like Thanos. *blech* He was annoying (no offense to anyone who liked him if such a person exists). BUT, I agree with the rest of the world. LOKI IS THE BOMB. Snark+ Flare+ Betraying everyone who exists but himself= THE BEST CINNAMON ROLL EVER. I rest my case.
YEESSS! Keeper was the definition of creepy. At first I thought he wasn’t so bad but now….*looks back at immature past self and shakes head* Should’ve seen the signs.
ANYWHO, thanks for this post! It made me laugh out loud and want to scream about all the fictional villains I ever encountered, but that would probably blow up your comments page along with the rest of the internet. 😉
I’m with you! GIMME ALL THE VILLAINS. Well…except for a certain few. LIKE THANOS THE JERKFACE. No, no, feel free to hate on him here on my blog allllllll you want. He’s like my least favorite villain ever. He made me so mad. SO MAD. Which I guess was the point, but still. >.> Loki now, Loki is e v e r y t h i n g. <333
RIGHT??? At the beginning of the book I was totally loving the Keeper and thinking he may be all right but THEN. o.o Yeah. No. The guy has problems.
*BEAMS* You are so welcome! I’m thrilled it made you laugh. And hey, you can come to me and fangirl about villains any time! ;D
All of your choices of villains types are great. My personal favourites from this collection are the sassmasters, the redeemed villains and the evil with style. These are some of the types that I like to use for some of my own villains. *evil grin*
Why thank you! *grins* You know, those are probably my top three favorites as well! You can just never go wrong with ’em!
OOOH. That is so fun you write villains like that! YES. We need them allllll!!! 😀
I write a lot of the creepy but intriguing villains. But I think I have to go with the sassmasters and evil with style for favorites. In fact, now I’m thinking about changing some of the villains I write. (You’ve given me so many ideas.)
Creepy but intriguing villains are SO FUN to write!!! But yes, you can NEVER go wrong with those sassy, stylin’ ones. *grins*
Awww! I am thrilled I’ve given you ideas! 😀
Oh, YAS!!! I love all of these types of villains! <3 And I love this post! Be prepared for a looong comment because I have fangirl thoughts! ( So, um, sorry in advance? But you offered cookies so of course I couldn't help myself! XD {By the way, where does that gif of the Disney villains gathered around the fireplace come from? I don't think I've seen it before.})
Sassmasters – Yes, yes, yes, yes! Loki all the way!!! And Hades! Totally one of my favourites, even as a kid I never hated him because he was just too funny. I really need to watch OUaT because I didn't know Peter was a villain and that is such a cool twist! (I'm guessing that's him in the gif?) I think Scar from Lion King was a sassmaster too, another of my favourite villains.
Creepy but intriguing – I was completely enthralled by The Lady of the Green Kirtle while at the same time completely horrified by her. And yes, definitely Jadis too. How about President Snow? Or Dr. Gaul from Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? She was sooo creepy. Galbatorix from The Inheritance Cycle was very creepy but so intriguing.
Reluctant villain – This type is one of my very favourites. Nebula! Yes, all she wanted was family. She wanted Thanos to truly be a father to her and Gamora as a sister, she didn't want to go around the galaxy killing people, but if that's what it took to gain Thanos' love? She was going to do it. Oh, I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler, but Murtagh from Inheritance Cycle totally fits in this category and his story breaks my heart. </333
Villain-to-hero – Loki totally fits here!!! (Still mad about not getting at least half a movie of him helping the Avengers. *fumes for eternity* Just, WHY!?) Oh, I really need to watch ATLA!!! From what little I know I already love Zuko and that gif! Oh, my, that poor boi! He looks like he wants to be good so desperately but… can't? This type of villain is also one of my very favourites. Hey, Axel from KH goes here too, I think, though he was never quite a villain, just worked for the wrong side so maybe that puts him in the reluctant category.
Hero-to-villain – Loki again!!! Ooh, for the bonus points one you've got Bucky, he was a hero then he got mind-wiped and turned villain and then he turned hero once again. ^_^ I SO, SO badly want to watch Merlin, I mean, who doesn't want to watch something where Merlin is a teenager? Coin, from Hunger Games goes here too, I have no words to describe my hatred of this woman and what happened to Prim.
Chaotic evil – The Joker is very chaotic! (I also want to know what's in Gotham's water supply. XD) The Queen of Hearts, yes! Dr. Doofensmirtz from Phineas and Ferb is pretty chaotic though he's not exactly evil despite all his claims and schemes, so he's more chaotic neutral. And then there's Dr. Hamsterveille from Lilo and Stitch, he's crazy and chaotic.
Evil with STYLE – I looove the drama kings/queens too! Maleficent, yes, so very much so! And all the other Disney villains! Disney seems to have quite the knack for stylish villains. Ooh, yeah, The Phantom definitely has flair, though I've only seen the movie with Gerard Butler, I've yet to actually read the book. Uncle Andrew! *cackles along with you* Yeah, lolz! YES! Loki fits ALL the categories and HE IS THE BEST! <3 Capricorn from Inkheart also had style, he couldn't stand having his image marred or out of skew.
Yes, we all have our hobbies, we can't help if the most intriguing characters have a penchant for murder and mayhem. All the yes to them being way too fun! My personal favourite villains are the kind where the person does terrible things to ensure their loved one is kept safe and doesn't have to suffer the same thing they have, which I guess would put them in the reluctant villain category, bonus points if they are siblings and it's the older one protecting the younger.
Wowza! If you read all of this YOU deserve cookies! Apparently I have a lot to say concerning villains?
OKAY BUT I ADORE YOUR LONG COMMENT. SO SO MUCH. There is so much goodness here, so get ready for a long reply! 😀
(I actually have no clue where that gif came from myself! I just typed in “villain gif” or something like that in Google and got that one. Lol. I, too, would love to know where such a fabulous gif came from!)
That was indeed Peter Pan in the gif and he was GREAT in OUAT. Like…my favorite character despite the fact that he was a terrible person. XDD But the twist of him being evil was loads fun! And the SASS. Ahhh, the sass. You are totally right about Scar! In fact, I almost listed nearly every Disney villain for that category because, like, they’re all so sassy??? Disney knows how to dish out the sass it seems. XD (Which I am totally cool with.)
Oooh, President Snow yes. He was…something. Although he didn’t exactly intrigue me. I just wanted him to die. XD And GAH. I still need to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!!! THG are some of my favorite books of all time and I’m so ecstatic about this prequel. I just haven’t gotten my hands on it yet. BUT I’M EXCITED.
NEBULA JUST WANTED TO BE LOVED. *sobs* And no worries! I think I already knew Murtagh has a big arc, so not a spoiler at all. ^_^
I will forever be bitter we didn’t get a movie with Loki helping the Avengers and shall pout about it to my dying day. >.> BUT YES. AXEL FITS HERE TOO. I actually thought about listing him in fact! But I was tryyying to do characters most people would recognize. Alas, I’m not sure many of my followers play Kingdom Hearts. But Axel’s arc is one of my favorites OF ALL TIME.
That’s a point about Bucky! Although I never really considered him a villain since he was being brainwashed. He would have never turned villain on his own, ya know? HYDRA is the actual villain. >.> BUT OH MY GOODNESS YES YOU NEED TO WATCH MERLIN. IT’S MY FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIME. <333333 Ahem. Sorry. I go into ultra uber fangirl mode at even the faintest mention of Merlin. XD Also great point about Coin! UGH. I hated her worse than Snow!
Oh my goodness, I was SO CLOSE to adding Dr. Doofensmirtz in the chaotic evil category but…I don’t even know if he really is evil. He wants to be so bad but he’s really not. LOL. XD (Also high-five for watching Phineas and Ferb! I love that ridiculous show so much.) But you are SO RIGHT about Dr. Hamsterveille!!! I had forgotten about him. He was indeed chaotically evil!
Disney does have a knack for stylin’ villains and it’s great! I’ve only ever seen the Gerard Butler Phantom of the Opera too! So yeah, I can’t say I’m all that familiar with the story, but I suspect he’s a drama king in all his forms. XD
OOOH. THAT’S A GOOD ONE. Super protective villains who do awful things to protect a loved one are FASCINATING. YES. I totally agree to that! You really can’t help but sympathize with that type even when you know what they’re doing isn’t right. Why do villains always gotta give me the feels? XD
Your comment MADE. MY. DAY. and this has been so much fun discussing all the villains! Thank you for coming up with even more examples! This was great!!!
Oh, lol, though it’s perfect for your post! The gif almost looks like it belongs in a Disney short film where the villains tell Halloween stories. XD
Yes! Disney villains are just the best! Except Hans, I think it’s safe to say everyone hates Hans. XD
I was mostly intrigued by how Snow truly thought he was doing what was best, in his own demented way. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was sooo cool! And just as traumatizing as all the other books… XD
Heh, we should start a Kingdom Hearts campain and build the fandom! XD After further thought, Axel actually goes from hero, or at least good guy, to villain and then back to hero. I love his arc too!!!
Yeah, Bucky would never have turned villain on his own. I still hate Hyrda with a passion for what they did to poor Bucky. :'( Yes! Coin is the worst and I hate her! One day I shall get my hands on the Merlin series and then I can fangirl right along with you because I am positive I’m going to love that show! 😀
Haha, yeah, Doof isn’t exactly evil, but I couldn’t resist adding him. XD (Yes! My siblings and I love Phineas and Ferb to pieces and we actually own the entire series on dvd. :D) I loved the scenes where Lilo and Hamsterveille would argue and sass each other, such fond childhood memories. XD
Thank YOU for doing this post and starting the discussion! I loved finding out which villains you love best! <3 ^_^
THESE ARE LITERALLY ALL THE BEST ONES. I’m a big sucker for Villain with Style (I LOVE Hela. She’s just…wow. Such pizzazz) and it’s also just the most fun to write (the DRAMA. Nothing’s better than writing a villain who’s all style and drama, with an absolutely chaotic personality).
Ok and Loki wins title of the Best Villain Ever.
*GRINS* I’m so glad you agree!
Oh goodness, yes! You just gotta love the drama and pizzazz–they are so much fun to read, watch, AND write!
Loki literally wins all the awards. XD
Yeesss, you picked such perfect ones!
Gotta love the villans!!
I’m so glad you approve! Hehe. Villains are just way too fun! XD
The last book I read had a magical artifact as the antagonist. But not sentient entities aside, I do like a good villain-to-hero arc. I also love The Worthy Adversary. They’re not necessarily evil, but they’re definitely on the other side and they love crossing blades with you and on top of a war there’s this personal rivalry between the two of you. You hope they’ll survive or in the slightly more villainous version, you’ll have to be the one to kill them.
Non-sentient antagonists can be really, really fun and clever! Especially if they’re done in a unique way! A magical artifact sounds so fun!
OH OH. THAT’S A GOOD ONE. Kind of like an antihero! And YES. It’s really fun when they have a personal rivalry with the protagonist outside of the main plot. It adds so much tension! I totally agree! 😀
The hero-to-villain trope is such an interesting exploration of character. Totally one of my favorites.
#Ifyouknowyouknow #butmaybeIdidn’twanttoknow #sobs That ending was so…heartless. Like, I knew it was going to happen, but at the same time I still believed it wouldn’t.
RIGHT??? It’s fascinating and tragic all at the same time!
UGH. I was the saaame! Like, this is a story about the Queen of Hearts, of course we know how it’s going to end. AND YET I kept holding out on hope that it’d be different. *sniffles*
I love this list and the tropes on it are some of my favourites, though I’ve never really been a fan of chaotic villains. Its just not my cup of tea. But swaggering, sassy villains? Fabulous villains with flare? Redeemed villains? All my favourites!
Thank you! 😀
I can see that. The chaotic villains are definitely…something sometimes. Haha. But YES. You can never go wrong with the sassy, dramatic, styling ones! *grins*
Okay but YESS to the sassmaster villains! They’re seriously the best. xD
Discord is such a mess. xD I never fail to be super entertained whenever he’s on screen. (Also I still haven’t quite finished MLP: FIM?? I was watching it while it was current but then got behind, soo… need to get on that.)
You didn’t mention Rumpelstiltskin from OUAT but he totally fits into several of these categories! Sassmaster, chaotic, creepy/intriguing… I’m gonna throw him in there with the “evil with style”, too.
I’d have to add the “whiny villain” to my list of favorites. The entitled, spoiled brats are always a hoot. I can’t really think of any examples right now, but I love them. xD
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RIGHT???? You just can’t go wrong with the sass!
Same, same! I get so excited whenever they do a Discord-centric episode. He’s seriously the best! XD (I think I’m behind too! I always just wait for Netflix to pickup the new season, but I think it doesn’t currently have the last season [or two???], so yeah, it’s been a while for me too!)
*GASP* How could I forget Rumple???? THE SHAME. He’s one of my favorite antagonists in existence! But you are so right! He’s like Loki in that he fits like…every single character? Man, can you imagine if those two met? Now THAT would be chaos. XDDD
Oh yeah! That’s a fun one. Sometimes those types can drive me up the wall. BUT if they’re well written they can be a blast! Hehe.
GOLD, BABY. THIS POST WAS GOLD. I was cackling so hard and rolling in my chair. You are just a HOOT, Christine. “Or blow it up, which is cool, too.” THERE’S A REASON WE’RE FRIENDS, I’M TELLING YOU.
Your glee in this post is just hilarious and infectious. THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN TO READ. *still laughing* What a fabulous composition on villainy. *wild applause*
*BEEEEAMS* There is absolutely a reason we’re friends and I’m so glad you enjoy my insanity! XD I’m grinning so hard right now over your whole comment. THANK YOU, M’DEAR! I’m so happy you enjoyed this!
I really like creepy and chaotic evil ones. XD Moriarty is definitely a fave of mine as well as Xigbar (Kingdom Hearts), Ardyn (Final Fantasy XV), Saruman, and President Snow.
They are such fun ones! To read AND write! 😀
Oh man, YES TO THEM ALL. Well…I’ve yet to play FFXV, sadly (I really want to!). But the others you mentioned are such fantastic villains. Moriarty and Xigbar are especially some of my faves! THE SASS. XD
Great list! I like the different villain personality types you examine here; they’re all varied and colorful! A lot of the old 2-D animated Disney villains fall into these categories. And speaking of Disney, some of the villains in Star Wars: Rebels might also be right up your alley. One character in particular has several of these traits in one personality. 🙂
Also you kinda forgot to mention Anakin in the “Hero-turned-villain” slot? Anakin always had the potential to be good before he made that fatal choice; and while he had plenty of character flaws, he was a really sweet kid with a good heart. Initially. I find his descent into darkness fascinating because it’s such a complex blend of his own flaws and faults + a not-the-best-envoironment-for-his-trauma + flawed mentors + being manipulated + legitimate fears and concerns that weren’t addressed and that he didn’t control…gah, see what I mean about the complexity? And will I ever shut up about Star Wars? Probably not. 🙂
Anyway, this was fun to read! Perfect topic for the month of October!
Thank you! And I totally agree! I actually kept thinking about how so many of the classic Disney villains fitted these categories. Especially the sassmaster one. So many sassy Disney villains. XD
OH OH. Did I tell you I started watching Rebels??? 😀 BECAUSE I HAVE. I’m only like…4 episodes in, but I’m really liking it so far! I will have to keep you updated as I progress with it!
Ooooh yes! I did, didn’t I? Anakin has never, erm, been my favorite person BUT I’ve only seen him in the prequal movies. I never watched the Clones Wars animated series, so I’d probably appreciate his character more if I did! And I do so love complex characters!
Thanks, girl! So glad you enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun with this one. *grins*