Izaiah Shupe in Features

Everybody Loves A Villain: A Look At Cinematic Archetypes

What Is a Villain?

What is a villain? The dictionary states that a villain is: 1. (in a film, novel, or play) a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot. Why do we love villains? Is it due to the fact that they are more compelling than the hero? Do we enjoy seeing their defeat? It could be that we sympathize with them in some way. There is always a reason on why these wickedly delicious characters make the choices that they do and there are many different types of villains as well (read below).

The Villain’s Journey

“Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?” says Glinda (Ariana Grande) in John M. Chu’s Wicked. A question that many people ask themselves when they see a villain in a film, play, or story. That’s where the villain’s journey comes into play, much like the hero’s journey, this is along the same lines but it is associated with evildoers. There are 6 steps to the villains journey (though some stories, films, and plays avoid certain steps to keep their characters more ambiguous). Step 1: The pre-villain, this is often the starting point for how these dastardly characters begin to fuel the anger that is inside of them. Then comes Step 2: The dastardly decision, this is the one thought/action that catapults everything into place. Step 3: Crossing the threshold, this is where the evil plan is revealed or the villain has fully steeped themselves into their devious duties. Step 4: The descent, this is the point of no return, they have fallen so far, they may not ever come back. Then finally there’s Step 5: The fall, the villain has fallen, it can be tragic, it can be satisfying, or it can be a mix of both.

The Mastermind

The Mastermind; this villain is cunning, sly, and knows everything before the hero does. Think of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) in Gone Girl crafting a revenge plot agains her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) so strong that the police don’t even question it. It could be the Joker (Heath Ledger) in The Dark Knight luring Batman (Christian Bale) out of the shadows to show him how fickle life is and how meaningless justice is. It could also be Verbal Kint/Keyser Söze (Kevin Spacey) in The Usual Suspects controlling a group of misfit criminals to pull of a heist all while under the guise of being a member of their group. The Mastermind is a fun villain to watch, because their next move is unexpected.

The Bully

Now onto the Bully; this villain is just angry at everyone for little to no reason at all. They are constantly demeaning others, running over everyone in their path, and tormenting those weaker than them relentlessly. Think of Regina George (Rachel McAdams) queen of the “plastics” and the originator of “the burn book” a diary that says horrendous things about people in her life. It could also be Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future franchise, constantly tormenting the McFly family and attempts assault on Lorraine (Leah Thompson) a couple of times. It could also be Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, butting heads with R.P. MacMurphy (Jack Nicholson) when he defies her nonsensical rules and gets punished for doing so. The Bully is a villain that will make your blood boil, but when they get defeated, the victory tastes so sweet.

The Psychopath

The Psychopath; this is the most popular villain of all time. There are too many examples to choose from. It’s Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction tormenting Dan’s (Michael Douglas) family after a one night stand. It’s Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) in Misery holding her favorite author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) hostage after she learns that he has written off her favorite character. There are also several male psychopaths; Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) in No Country For Old Men going full Terminator to receive the drug money that is rightfully his from Llewyn Moss (Josh Brolin) killing everyone who gets in his way. Or it could be Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in Psycho, a meek motel manager whose dark side comes out once any woman is in sight. These villains are staples in the mental health world and constantly entertain audiences by asking them Why are they this way?

The Tragic Villain

The Tragic Villain; this villain honestly didn’t mean to become the person that they ended up being. Think of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness mourning the loss of Vision (Paul Bettany) so much that it breaks her. It could be Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) in There Will Be Blood as an oil man who has succumbed to greed and violence that he has cut off ties to everyone including his son. Or it could be Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) in The Fly as a scientist who is accidentally mutated with a fly and slowly becomes more erratic, violent, and gross. These villains break our hearts, because we know what will become of them and who they were before it all began.

The Dark Lord

The Dark Lord; this villain is a user of dark magic, leads with fear, and loves the color black (hence, the title). Think of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise (James Earl Jones) and his maniacal plan to rule the galaxy, squash the rebels, and eradicate all traces of the Jedi; it’s Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the Harry Potter series to establish complete power over the wizarding world and acieve immortality. It could also be Sauron in the Lord of the Rings franchise to establish absolute order and dominion over Middle-earth by becoming a god-king. These villains are ruthless, mystical, and power hungry.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

The Beast

The Beast; this villain is not human, it is alien (or actually an alien), an animal, or something that isn’t naturalistic. These villains use their animal instincts (literally) to make their way in the world. They have no conscious, no reason to do anything, they are just being who they are. Think of the Shark in Jaws who just got the munchies and went on a murderous rampage; it could also be the Blob in The Blob slowly devouring everything in its path (and disentigrating them too). Or it could be the Grizzly in Cocaine Bear who happened to consume an ungodly amount of cocaine and then went batsh*t crazy (and also going on a murderous rampage, there seems to be a theme here). These villains are the most baffling, even more than the psychopaths.