My Top 5 Literary Villains

"The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture"

- Alfred Hitchcock

pic copyright: liquidmatrix.org

So I was inspired by ZellaKate to post my top 10 literary villains. I have never really thought about villains as much as I do about heroes, but I think understanding how to craft a good, non-stereotypical villain is very important. 


But instead of 10, I could only come up with 5, but who knows, I could add more if I think of them. I think this was so hard for me because I don't read books that have a clear antagonist in it, just a force opposing the main character. I feel like real villains are more in comics, children books and movies? I haven't been reading as much fantasy or mystery and that's where real villains seem to appear.


 I also discovered that I am incapable of spelling the word villain without spell check, so I guess I am improving my writing skills in multiple ways.  


Without further ado, the list:



1. Villefort, Danglars and Mondego: The three stooges who imprisoned the innocent Edmund Dantes and ruined his life forever. I hate hated them as they put their selfish desires first and didn't blink at the crime they were committing until Dantes reinvents himself into the dazzling, charming and wealthy Count and strikes back. Ahh vengeance!


2. Voldemort: Come on, he was the epitome of evil against the symbol of hope and goodness, 'arry Po'er. His twisted, troubled childhood, mysterious omnipresence, obsession with snakes, hanging out in the back of Quirell's head, passion for eugenics... Everyone's fear of Voldemort made Harry's struggles against him that much more epic and exciting. You have to be an incredible character to be worthy of lasting seven books without becoming a washed up maniac. Rowling's creation of Voldemort is simply magic.


3. Cruella deVil: Her name pretty much sums it up. Fear a woman who puts fashion first above feelings. (Wilhemina Slater, anyone? Sidenote, RIP Ugly Betty.)  I had continuous nightmares after watching Disney's 101 Dalmatians, even though I have never had any pet dogs. I can also no longer see Glenn Close as anything but this demented skunk-haired diva.


4. Simon Legree: Yes, Uncle Tom's Cabin was very melodramatic and slipped into borderline bathos with its preachiness and wordiness, but Legree was a great concentrated depiction of the evils of a slave owner. He had no heart, soul or sense of morality and deserved everything the slaves did to him.


5. [WARNING SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ/FINISHED THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO!!]
Martin Vanger: A sick sick minded man who was a Nazi sympathizer and engaged in incest and sexual abuse of women, including his own sister. Reading the chapters with his explanation of what he did made my stomach churn. 




Hope this wasn't a downer on your day. Here's something positive to cheer you all up, or atleast me lol. My short story  "A Sorceress Spurned" was picked as a finalist for the 2nd Sparknotes Fiction Contest! Hooray! 


Please read it if you haven't and let me know what you think. I also appreciate your votes in the final user contest. Thank you!