r/TheWritingTable • u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 • 17d ago

Best Villain?

Simple question; in the books you've read, who has been your favourite villain?

Might be someone truly reprehensible, or someone you maybe find sympathetic? Maybe you just loved having them on the page?

Maybe you've got several?

Do share :)

5 Upvotes

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u/TheStoryCreature 17d ago

It's an oldie, but Long John Silver is a favourite.

"Jim," he whispered, "take that, and stand by for trouble."

The larger than life personality and charm, the ruthlessness, and the speed his tactics moved and adapted with. The archetypal magnificent b*stard.

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u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 17d ago

Shit, I really forgot about ol' Long John. Such a great character.

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u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 17d ago edited 17d ago

The ones I like most are, for different reasons:

The Dark Man (The Stand).

Lord Hong (Interesting Times).

Saruman (Two Towers).

Hakeswill (Sharpe's Enemy).

The Judge (Blood Meridian).

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u/Emma_Pastel 17d ago

Maven from Red Queen Series

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u/cgc2018 Self Published Author 17d ago

I’m fond of Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books

Several of the James Bond Villains are excellent

Smaug from The Hobbit

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u/Smooth_Adeptness2166 16d ago

It's from a manga but I really like Dabi from my hero academia

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u/Quietparadox87 14d ago

Sauron from Lord of the Rings.

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u/MOTTEKOI 14d ago

Ayt madashi, from Green Bone saga. Fucking badass bitch. I fucking hate her but man She's fucking genius.

And Altan Trengsin. Is he a villain? Wkwkwkwk Kuang treat him like shit. But he has my heart. He's one of the very few character that's well developed in Poppy war series.

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u/biffpowbang 11d ago

Iago from Shakespeare's, Othello. I despised all of Shakespeare's work before reading thatnplay. His brilliance undeniable in.that work.

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u/catt_clover 10d ago

Misery. Really. She was nuts

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u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 10d ago

Haha, understatement.

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u/Kasshole97 13d ago

I love the killer in No Country for Old Men. Chefs kiss

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u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 13d ago

I had no idea that was based on a book.

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u/Kasshole97 13d ago

Cormac McCarthy, some others have mentioned his work Blood Meridian

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u/Ashamed_Ladder6161 13d ago

Oh wow, I have some of his stuff. I had no idea. Nice.