My Favorite Book Villains

Who doesn't love a good villain? Villains can make or break a story and are often the most iconic characters. Everyone knows Darth Vader and the Wicked Witch of the West. In my opinion, the best villains are ones that are undeniably human. Caricatures of manically-laughing criminals are far less intriguing than ones who show depth and motive. 

Sebastian/Jonathan Morgenstern (TMI)

*The Mortal Instruments spoilers ahead*
Jonathan Morgenstern and his father Valentine are one of the best aspects of the Shadowhunter world. Valentine is a great example of a villain who believes that they are seeking a great and purposeful goal but is going about it the wrong way. Sebastian on the other hand is purely a tragic figure. While he is irrevocably evil, you know that he is only this way because of the evils done to him. That ending scene in Heavenly Fire when he has the demon blood burned out of him has always stuck with me because of how unfortunate it is. Jonathan represents an innocent person who has been corrupted by evil, which gives his violent persona and actions a harrowing feeling.

The Mother (Coraline) 

Who isn't haunted by the creepy button-eyed monsters from Neil Gaiman's Coraline? One of my favorite things about this book is something that Gaiman himself has pointed out--that children tend to read the book as a heroic adventure story, while adults are the ones who are scarred by the horror in the Other World. The reason why the doppelgängers are so terrifying is because they, and the rest of the parallel world represented in the story, lure you in with the promise of a desirable life. Evil that poses as kindness is always more pervasive and manipulative than characters that are clearly meant to be the villains. 

Big Brother (1984)

The phrase "Big Brother is watching you" is widespread in society today. I mean, there's an entire reality show called Big Brother where the contestants are constantly observed. In the classic dystopian novel 1984, Big Brother is not truly a specific character. Big brother represents the oppressive government that monitors its citizens' every move. The world created in this book is still scarier to me than any other dystopian novel I have ever read. Big Brother sends the message: conform--or else. The controlling nature of the Party and Big Brother as an idea will scare you more than an obvious monster because Big Brother doesn't present itself as one. If you haven't read 1984 yet, I recommend you do so and also pick up Brave New World. In some ways, Brave New World will alarm you more than the world of 1984. 

Victor Vale (Vicious)

I think everyone in the world has read V.E. Schwab's Vicious by now, but in case you haven't, this is a book centered around villains. The main characters and the protagonist are not presented as heroes or as the "good guys." Rather, Victor and his ensemble are antiheroes, like Deadpool or Severus Snape. To me and many others, this is what makes Vicious so compelling. The characters and the story are morally gray. The actual enemy, Eli, isn't necessarily more evil than our protagonist--he's just on the opposing side. Villains fighting villains is something I didn't know that I needed until I read this book and I haven't found anything quite like in since. In fact, I think I am going to reread this one soon so I can continue with the sequel, Vengeful. 



Luke Castellan (Percy Jackson)

Was anything more shocking and heartbreaking than finding out that Luke was the villain in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief? Everyone loved Luke; he was the kind older mentor. The fact that he was corrupted by Kronos as a child and turned to the dark side was so sad. I definitely owe this series a reread because it has been years since I read it. However, I do remember rereading the ending scenes of The Last Olympian multiple times as a kid because that ending was so incredible and the part that Luke played in it was such a fantastic and fitting twist. The way Luke's journey and character ended felt so satisfying and yet saddening at the same time.



The Killer (Sharp Objects)

*Major spoilers for Sharp Objects ahead*
I have read all of Gillian Flynn's thrillers and I love all of them, but I love Sharp Objects the most. The story is incredibly dark and somber, plus it has a killer ending (pun intended). Flynn reveals Amma as the serial killer at the tail end of the novel and it is a jolting and spine-tingling answer to the mystery that persists throughout the book. The fact that a child could be twisted so much by her past and her parents that she would resort to murdering her classmates and friends for attention and love puts a bad feeling in your stomach. Disturbing is the best word to describe the twist and the deaths themselves. I can't wait to watch the miniseries, but I don't have Hulu (yet) in order to binge it. 


Miss Trunchbull (Matilda)

As a child, Miss Trunchbull was the ultimate villain. If you have ever read the book or seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about. An oppressive and abusive figure in a children's novel never fails to garner hatred. People in positions of power over kids, especially teachers, who use their authority to torture those children are the worst kind of people. Seeing Matilda and Miss Honey triumph over Trunchbull was such a satisfying win. For once, the bad guy got what was coming to him and the good guys came out victorious. Don't you miss how straightforward and clear cut the stories in kid's books are? 




Holland Vosijk (ADSOM)

I'm telling you, V.E. Schwab knows how to write villains. Holland has one of the best character arcs I have read in a long time. Who doesn't love a good redemption story? In the first book, Holland is clearly the enemy as he hunts down Kell and Lila. But his story grows deeper and more complex throughout the series, causing you to sympathize with him and then to truly appreciate his character. I would consider Holland another almost tragic figure and he ended up being one of my favorites by the end of A Conjuring of Light.





The Bear (The Bear and the Nightingale)

The Winternight trilogy is one of my favorite book series of all time now since its conclusion this year and the Bear was such a great foe to face. This series features a myriad of enemies and those who could be considered villains, but oftentimes the Bear is the driving force and mastermind behind these other characters. The priest is probably the most hated in this series, but his character is made more interesting by him being controlled and driven to the point of insanity by the Bear. The Bear represents chaos and life, which does not render him automatically evil and I love the themes explored in this series surrounding him and Vasya.  

Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Admittedly, I am not usually one for classics. I find many of them to be overhyped and boring, but Dorian Gray was an exception for me. This is definitely my favorite classic book and Dorian Gray is one of my favorite characters. Not only is the writing beautiful, the way Dorian is represented and posed as the main character/could have been hero of the story makes it even more fascinating. We all know the tale: Dorian trades his soul to stay young and beautiful while his enchanted portrait shows his true nature. Dorian is the iconic self-centered and half-mad man who devolves throughout the course of the novel into a raving killer. He unravels and loses any semblance of a moral compass. Honestly, I just enjoy books focusing on villains rather than heroes and I do wish there were more of them. 

What are your favorite villains?