We all have a not-so-secret
love for villains. From their motives to their dress sense, the bad guys are
just interesting.
However, much like
storytelling itself, characters continue to evolve. The more stories out there
in the world, the harder it becomes to surprise and scare. But writers and
creators adapt and overcome, constantly pushing the boundaries of the fiction
world.
Recent books have given
us a number of great villains that not only stake a claim for best of the best,
but defy expectations.
Here’s a list (with a few
spoilers), heavily influenced by my own personal preference, of villains from young
adult books that have done their titles justice.
1
AIDAN – The Illuminae Files
“Am
I Not Merciful?”
AIDAN – the Artificial
Intelligence Defense Analytics Network. Not the first AI to go homicidal, but
AIDAN’s set apart by the way his dysfunction gives him almost human-like characteristics
that have him questioning life, his place in the world, and how a machine can
love a person. Throughout the series, he still holds on to his original purpose:
to protect the fleet, even if it means sacrificing some to save the majority. Being
a programmed machine, he’s a villain that’s hard to blame. Yet, as he develops
these human-like characteristics, he begins to understand it’s not as simple to
humans, but makes the decision anyway – even knowing what will happen to him
for it.
Creating a memorable
villain with no physical appearance, only a voice presented like a code, gives
all the more awe to its creators, Kauffman and Kristoff.
2
The Darkling – Shadow and Bone
“Fine. Make me your villain.”
Villain
in disguise, the Darkling’s first appearance leads us to believe he’s the
possible love interest of the story. His actions captivate the reader in the same
way they captivate the main character, Alina. There is something about him that
we first like and then can’t let go of, even after the revelation of his evil
ways. The closer we get to the end, the more human he becomes, until his
inevitable defeat is almost sad and disappointing in itself – his last words leaving
us feeling like he could change.
His
relationship with the main character is a complicated one, blurring and, in
some cases, crossing the line between enemy and lover, making
every interaction between them tense, exciting, unpredictable.
3
Levana Blackburn – Cinder
"I
will not be announced by an android!"
Levana, in her twisted fairy-tale
villainy, is a rendition of Snow White’s Evil Queen. Levana uses her glamour and manipulation to
control those around her and reign supreme, first creating the virus that
plagues earth, and then using the antidote as a bargaining chip for her
marriage to Prince Kai. Although stunningly beautiful, Levana is more often
veiled than not, and has her sights set on destroying Cinder and anyone else
who threatens her crown. She can be cruel and easily enraged, but appears every
bit the graceful Queen. What sets Levana apart is her tragic backstory, more
thoroughly explored in Meyer’s Fairest. Like
so many real-world villains, Levana stands in a place of power on Luna, not
only ‘turning a blind eye’ to, but actively causing, the suffering of those on
earth.
4
Maeve – Throne of Glass
"You know how quickly this can end.”
Although Throne of Glass
has had more than one villain, Maeve has stood the test of time as the biggest
and baddest (not a real word). I may quickly be discovering that there is
something about an evil Queen – in and out of fairy tales – that I will always
have a fondness for. This particular Queen, and villain, impersonates, lies, and
manipulates to bend all to her will. Maeve commands with a blood oath – one
only she can severe. She’s a formidable villain, with fondness for separating
mates and breaking hearts.
5
Catherine Pinkerton – Heartless
"I am not empty. I am full to the brim
with murder and revenge. I am overflowing and I do not think you wish for me to
overflow on to you."
Although Catherine is not
the true villain of her story, Heartless is the tale of how our Wonderland
Queen became the villain we know and love. Third on my list of Queens, and
second created by Marissa Meyer, I could not include a list of villains without
mentioning Catherine. Although her parents, and Sir Peter, are the true
monsters of this story, I can’t deny that the true tragedy is the choice
Catherine makes. Despite all the warnings and signs, she takes the path anyway
and it leads her to an inevitable fate – a broken heart.
6
Steelheart – Steelheart
“I will accept your subservience. Give me your
loyalty or die.”
I will never not love
heroes and villains of this magnitude, with their cool but corny names and
tailored outfits, and individual strengths and weaknesses. More and more we are
seeing alternate takes of the superhero stories we know too well. Steelheart sets itself apart. Although named,
dressed and walking like a hero, he’s eager to prove he’s every bit the villain
the world should fear. Not only does he take over the city and turn it to steel, he broadcasts videos reminding
everyone of why they should be afraid of him, showing off his incredible power
and mercilessness. Steelheart is every reason all those citizens and
politicians protested Superman. With incredible powerful and invincibility, how
long was saving the world going to last when he can rule it instead? But, like
every superhero story, everyone has a weakness.
7
Callum Harker – This Savage Song
“People are users. It's a universal truth. Use
them, or they'll use you.”
Leader of one side of Verity,
and questionably raising his rebel daughter, Harker first appears as the dad
you’re never going to like. Although his little pet Sloan may be the true villain of the story, I have to give the
mention to Harker. I love villains, but Schwab made me hate this guy. He equal
parts protects people from the monsters and uses them for his own personal gain.
Even in a world of monsters, Harker has all the attributes of a real-world
villain – masquerading as a leader and protector, but standing corrupt, and
living for his own greed and power. Although our beloved Kate wants her
father’s approval, and at first, we understand, it is only through her memories
that we learn who the true monster of Verity is.
8
Joseph Kavinsky– Raven Boys
“See
you on the streets.”
Ahh, Joseph Kavinsky.
Just one of those people, even on the page, that you see approach and some very
loud, very instinctive voice in your head screams run away. Kavinsky, like our beloved Ronan, dreams things into
existence, including the people he’s killed. He may seem tameable, but anger
him, and he quickly turns into the enemy no one wished for. What I enjoyed so
much about Kavinsky in these books, is although he is, generally, a bad person,
I felt for this character. He was deeply lonely and it showed. Although it’s
been said that Kavinsky dreamed his friend Prokopeno because he killed the real
one, I remember wondering if he’d dreamed him because he’d wanted a friend. I
loved this villain Stiefvatar had painted – equal parts sad and wicked.
9
Everyone – Three Dark Crowns
“Three dark sisters, All fair to be seen, Two to devour, And
one to be Queen”
Three Dark Crowns was an
extremely enjoyable read for me, and was somewhat of an emotional roller
coaster ride. It’s a story of three sisters budding for the crown, and although
Mirabella stands amongst them as seemingly the one to bet on, we know enough of
story plots now-a-days to look toward the underdogs. So even from the
beginning, the crown was fair game. In a story where we stand firmly behind the
eyes of our three queens and find it difficult to pick a favourite, we also
have to ask, who is going to inevitably do the most evil for the crown? The
elemental, the poisoner, or the naturalist? Throughout this read, we are ever
wondering which sister will emerge triumphant, which will be the gracious
leader that deserves it, and which is the big bad who either reigns supreme or
gets her comeuppance? And finally, who will survive?
“A villain must be a thing of power, handled
with delicacy and grace. He must be wicked enough to excite our aversion,
strong enough to arouse our fear, human enough to awaken some transient gleam
of sympathy. We must triumph in his downfall, yet not barbarously nor with
contempt, and the close of his career must be in harmony with all its previous
development.”
Which villains have defied your
expectations?
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