a deep dive into villain characters

[@elanorly1505]

Catchier name for "villain-is-the-only-one-that-is-willing-to-teach-the-mc-to-reach-their-true-potential" trope: Menacing Mentorship.

[@saskia5644]

Or 'I can show you'

[@morganakanan8204]

love it!

[@marinKem]

@@saskia5644 sounds a bit sus

[@winterillust]

that's just mob psycho 100.

[@alexia6685]

AARON WARNER

[@charlesbackstrom6571]

oh! a villain trope i love so much is when the hero and villain have to spontaneously team up in the middle of a fight because something worse happened

[@catdownthestreet]

OMG I NEED TO GO WRITE THIS TROPE _RIGHT NOW_

[@alma3468]

i’m a bit late, but do you (or anyone else) have recommendations for this trope?

[@charlesbackstrom6571]

@@alma3468 in a way, except the protagonist is the villain people have to team up with. "shadow of the conqueror" by shad brooks. the protagonist is a deposed dictator whos given a second chance at life to make things right but no one knows its actual him because he looks different. its very good if you also like a really muddy path to redemption.

[@megan88]

@@alma3468 Movie Sinbad legend if the seven seas- the beginning. also clocks friends to enemies and a redemption

[@SnailHatan]

@@alma3468Pirates of the Caribbean movies 2-3 I believe. Great villain-turned-partner but I won’t spoil which character it is.

[@beeeater9722]

The third female villain trope is where her whole personality is being in love with the male lead lol

[@malublue1013]

misa from death note lol

[@basement_gremlin2577]

@@malublue1013she’s not really villain tho, is she?

[@Challenger-pi2vm]

Shout out to every cdrama love rival ever

[@soaber]

@@basement_gremlin2577 She’s a villain, just not an antagonist.

[@malublue1013]

@@basement_gremlin2577 considering how her morals are very questionable and her only motivation is self gain (light's affection) i would consider her a bad person/villain.

[@retitauts186]

Homelander from The Boys is probably among the top 3 scariest villains of all time and he should be permanently included in every villain discourse

[@TheBookLeo]

i've heard so many good things about him, i'm considering watching The boys haha

[@tabaluke2584]

@@TheBookLeo you really, really should! It's so good 😁

[@KYX1994]

​@The Book Leo watch it! The show in general is SO good!

[@arbaaz9992]

@@TheBookLeo the show is absolutely amazing but... Very, very graphic. Just letting you know 😂

[@luizabertolini5556]

Another one in that same area is "Invincible"...can't talk much about the villain here because of spoilers but holy cow

[@anniekr184]

I think the 'complex backstory: yes or no?'-question depends on the genre quite a bit. We all love the iconic villains of renaissance era Disney (Scar, Ursula, Gaston) not because of their tragic past, but because they have such a menacing presence and are just having a lot of fun being evil. In those cases, adding a tragic backstory will do the story more harm than good. A good example is the Cruella live action movie, in which it's explained that Cruella's mom (or someone else, i don't remember) was killed by dalmatians. We don't really need a tragic backstory for the puppy skinning villain. Of course there are exceptions, Frollo being one of my favourite Disney villains because of his complexity, but it's fair to say that different genres will lead to different answers to the question.

[@pottertheavenger1363]

Except the live action cruella wasn't evil, just an anti-villian. This version isn't skinning dogs, just pretending she does.

[@hijabiloser313]

I find ur insight intriuging. I'd love to analyze more on the impact that different genres have on villains as well as how different intended audiences can impact it as well because when it all boils down, we love diff villains for diff reasons and they r plenty of factors that can change how we perceive things

[@kingofhearts3185]

​@@hijabiloser313 8t also depends on what type of villain. To use star Wars as an example, Palpatine doesn't need a personal backstory to work, just his rise to power. But Vader's backstory makes his redemption more impactful.

[@SuvuIC]

In Arcane, I love the combination of getting the explanation and backstory of how Jinx became the villain she is. While we at the same time accept that she also is quite crazy and "evil" just because she's unhinged.

[@swordigosung994]

@@kingofhearts3185 But don't you like to know more about the tell of Darth Plagueis the wise?

[@clemoswin]

Explanation is not an excuse : I completely agree ! I love having a backstory for the villain that explains why they turned out to be what they are, but I hate it when it is considered as an excuse.

[@ladybug-sb2uj]

Especially when it is used so that the female mc can be with him without feeling guilty

[@YEY0806]

I believe that relates to the trope "Woobie, destroyer of worlds," where an incredibly evil villain becomes one due to exaggerated abuse and shitty life. I have seen plenty of examples, and they are usually hard to take seriously 😂

[@edorasmarauder5761]

@@YEY0806 I feel like that describes a majority of creepypasta characters.

[@YEY0806]

@@edorasmarauder5761 I don't know creepy pasta's villains that much, can you give examples?

[@edorasmarauder5761]

@@YEY0806 Jeff the Killer is the only one I can think of. So, dude was bullied and decided to kill his whole family.

[@sanaoswal8790]

I also love characters who are technically nemeses but also have like a chill best friend/ah my old friend vibe like perry the platypus and dr. doofenshmirtz or jake peralta and doug judy or professor x and magneto. (p.s. loved the video!!! also i continue to be in love with your earring collection! obsessed with the howl earrings)

[@TheBookLeo]

yesss i agree!

[@awpageofabook]

jake peralta and doug judy are a pretty iconic duo to be honest

[@Firemast]

This is actually a trope called Enemy Mine.

[@faeryeclair]

perry and dr doofenshmirtz relationship was always so great, it's 🔛🔝

[@LucyHabecker-kn2fm]

Yes idk if anybody has ever read the book series lupin but that totally has that vibe

[@Arawn505]

I like the magical stone in Leonie's fireplace, shining bright with the trapped souls of her subscribers. Such cozy vibes 🥰

[@Arawn505]

People couldn't see her bottles and flames at the same time, so she started bottling up our souls

[@nataliapanchyshyn385]

Im guessing it's a salt lamp

[@pomaranczowaszarlotka]

@@nataliapanchyshyn385 I was about to write the same. A lot of my older relatives have them.

[@Arawn505]

Salt from the tears of the Book Leo's enemies

[@Arawn505]

@@nataliapanchyshyn385 It's such a cool lamp! I love it 🙂 This mysterious, glowing light. A wondrous stone with this magical inner space, and you can't tell how deep it goes

[@indigo92099]

The trope of the villain being the only one who is willing to assist the main character in reaching their full potential is reminding me a lot of Hannibal and Will, or of Erik of Phantom of the Opera. Love the trope, too!

[@user_2793]

Hannibal was interesting in the show, I hope it gets a proper conclusion.

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Villain characters have far more interesting dynamics. We appreciate your analysis. Keep up the good work.

[@bug688]

SOPHIA WHAT ARE U DOING IN EVERY COMMENT SECTION I SEE

[@yetanotherniallgirl4289]

An amazing "antagonist" is Jinx in the Arcane series !!!! The dynamics between her and her sister are just perfect and you understand both of their points of view I would even say you can't really root for either of them since it's just too sad to see how their relationship collapsed

[@lifeisgood9889]

I agree. And there's not really one person you can point at and say "it's your fault." Almost everyone were just victims of really horrible circumstances.

[@Klaital1]

My favourite villain trope which isn't done nearly enough is where at the end the hero realizes that the villain was right all along, and/or even if he they are defeated in the traditional sense, the villain ends up winning in the end. Ozymandias from Watchmen is perfect example of this.

[@Cephalgia-uk7iw]

Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men is a great villain who is "evil for no reason". We don't know his backstory and his motivations aren't clear, but this is a big part of why he's so scary - it's the fear of the unknown because we just can't fathom why he does what he does, and makes him inhuman to the point where you almost feel like he's not even a human but some kind of a personification of evil

[@jamesduggan7200]

Yes, Chigurh stole the show in that movie. A more typical Russian 'evil for no reason' is in the Jack Reacher movie, the first one, starring Tom Cruise. They provide a backstory that helps bing some sympathy for him but in the end he's just too unambiguously bad to give him the benefit of any doubts. Another one of that mold is in the Denzel Washington movie, The Equalizer. In the Keanu Reeves movies - the name escapes me - that type of villain is featured but without the same intensity.

[@Tajjwar]

Who says chigurh is even real? Keep in mind the story is told by the sheriff, and the sheriff never met chigurh.

[@a.t.6610]

Maybe not so much of a trope, but I love it when the villain thinks "they're the hero of their own story". It changes the perspective, I feel like.

[@kikihyde2299]

Magneto is one of my favorite villains because it's so hard to get a villain who actually has good points and proves how easy it would be for the main characters to have defected to a more "antagonistic" side. He challenges the status quo and pokes holes in the X-Men's reasons for fighting and is often able to persuade members to convert to the brotherhood. He has the right ideas but the wrong execution and you often end up rooting for him when the "good guys" methods just don't get things done.

[@kinrateia]

I hope gender gets discussed here. You very rarely see charismatic female villains/antagonists. Makima was such a breath of fresh air for me and first time I ever understood why people liked villains at all.

[@charu2774]

You are right! Not many names come to mind when thinking of cool female antagonists. Makima is probably the first female villain in mainstream anime that became extremely popular

[@kinrateia]

@@charu2774 I legitimately never understood a whole damn cultural plast of villain enjoyment simply because I don't enjoy male characters as much! I think it's really kind of unfair.

[@Jude266]

Levana from the Lunar Chronicles comes to mind. She’s literally the only villain that terrified me. Her back story made her more evil that she already was. She was just amazing!

[@ВоробьёваАлиса-я4э]

Scarlett O'Hara and Dolores Umbridge 🤔

[@ВоробьёваАлиса-я4э]

Cersei Lannister my love ❤️ especially in the books, her chapters are hilarious

[@lainainennui]

one of my favorite tropes is : "Villian x Hero used to be in a relationship -until x happened to ruin it for them- " and we all know they'd be an insane power couple if things worked out. Also the steamy spice scenes that come from this trope 🔥🔥 One funny example I can think of is Barnabas Collins and Angelique from Dark Shadows.

[@jamesduggan7200]

I used to watch that sometimes in the afternoons because it was popular in my household. I'm afraid I can't remember too much about it but your description sounds right.

[@shmidnightapple]

Grindeldore

[@juliii_g]

My favourite movie is "catch me if you can" and I'm not even sure how to describe the dynamic between Frank Abagnale Jr. and Carl Hanratty.. Frank is a criminal but you're kinda rooting for him anyway and Carl's just doing his job so you can't fault him for that 🤔 yet they both respect each other.. This movie just makes me feel so many things 😍

[@fruitpunchsamurai4837]

I haven't seen "catch me if you can" but that synopsis reminds me of the villain-hero dynamic of "knives out"

[@jamesduggan7200]

Yes, Hanks and Decaprio are two of America's best actors. I believe CMIYC is based on a true-life case but the fabulous chemistry between the FBI guy and the scammer is definitely a product of their good work together.

[@SpacemanTheo]

Lupin the III and Interpol agent Zenigata. What makes me love them so much is that when shit gets real, they're willing to put their beef to the side for the greater good. But second it's settled they're back to their cat mouse dance.

[@hitomiix]

that movie is so interesting and great, their dynamic is so interesting

[@priscillacosta1307]

I just rewatched an anime called Monster and it's a masterclass in storytelling and the whole dynamics between heroes and villains, highly recommend!

[@awpageofabook]

If you like David Tennant you'll probably like Good Omens (both a book and a TV show). It kind of fits the villain theme because he plays a literal demon who develops the most heart-warming friendship with an angel as they both try and avert the apocalypse.

[@vanrir6866]

Good Omens is such a cool show with so many interesting character dynamics, cool to see it mentioned here

[@Aigra]

I see Crowley as a failed villain. Humanity doesn't really need him to do bad things. Like when he gets some type of promotion from hell for an inquisition he didn't even know about ... and of course, being friends with an angel doesn't help either.

[@erikaconley1175]

I read Vicious and Vengeful literally right after I watched this video when it came out, due to my friend recommending it but not saying it was a FRIENDS TO ENEMIES??? HELLO?? So immediately i read the series and like. it was fantastic and I’m never going to get over it. I loved that both protagonists were so blatantly horrible people, and I just found myself loving Eli so much. Eli and Victor’s dynamic was also just. chefs kiss. Best thing ever.

[@kiram.3619]

Unpopular opinion? Harry Potter has a good and a bad example of the (sad) backstory villain trope. The good one is learning about Voldemorts backstory, because it's it's interesting and opens the possibility to draw parallels between his childhood an the protagonists, leading to the possibility of great internal conflict and worrying other characters. It also doesn't get used as an excuse for what he does. The bad one could have been very good and interesting, but was badly written as a cover all, total redemption: Severus Snape. He was bullied and his crush wasn't reciprocated. So he joins a murdering racist-analogy, gets the protagonists parents killed, bullies years and years of students, including but definitely not limited to the main character, uses his authority to demoralise, endanger and punish students, while encouraging and helping bullies if they are in his favourite group. Feeling bad that his old love died (and ONLY about her), he double crosses the guy who killed her. In the end the protagonist calls him a hero for that?! And names a child after this adult teacher who bullied him for as long as he could/lived. Like wth ...

[@OohAPrettyRock]

I was all good with Snape having an explanation for his beef with Harry but having him be a 'hero' in the end instead of just a complex character was kind of pushy imo

[@faeryeclair]

yeah, either he shouldve gotten a better redemption and explained better or shouldve stayed as a complex/morally grey character

[@wolfishpotato6978]

Strongly agree. I got the the part where we see Snape's backstory and went "Huh, ok that does explain a lot. Interesting." And then a few chapters later read "Albus Severus Potter, you were named for two or the greatest headmasters Hogwarts ever had." And I was like UMMMMMMMM _greatest?????_

[@spectator7290]

Strongly agree as well

[@nichoudha]

Voldemort was an awful villain backstory. Literally no reason for his villainy and nothing really explained as the reason in his backstory other than Dumbledore basically arguing he was born evil. lmao

[@dianamocanu4882]

I feel like in Vicious Eli is a villain who thinks they’re a hero and Victor is a villain who knows they’re a villain.

[@chantal2382]

I can really recommend "Moriarty the patriot" It's a retelling of the Holmes universe and has the arch-enemy, explanations, equality tropes and the psychology around the moriarty BROTHERS is just amazing.

[@seaweedbren]

I SWEAR ON MY LIFE I HAVE NEVER CLICKED A VIDEO THIS FAST

[@bookswithlau]

Same here ✨

[@jasminehearn2263]

my favourite scene involving villains is when the only person the protagonist can think to turn to during a crisis is the villain/rival, and, after seeing what the protagonist has been through, the villain goes "who did this to you" and goes absolutely feral. (it could be that the reason i like this so much is because it usually leads them becoming lovers, and the enemies to lovers trope is my favourite)

[@sophiep7184]

You can't just drop this comment with no recommendations attached!

[@kaylizzie7890]

⁠@@sophiep7184agreed! I need recommendations!

[@majdamrabet]

any recommndations?please?

[@Graceisanerd]

My favorite villain has to be Luke Castellan from PJO. He was bitter at the gods for being negligent towards their kids, and that anger led him to be manipulated by Kronos. God I love that man as a villain.

[@lifeisgood9889]

YESSSSSS and especially how we see all the times Percy COULD have become like Luke and chose not to

[@FrumiousMing8]

Yes! Luke is one of my favorite villains. He is very justified in his anger towards the gods but he's so lost in that anger that he doesn't realize he's being used until it's too late. He and Percy are reflections of each other. Percy being the hero that everyone expected Luke to be and Luke being what Percy could become. They ultimately have the same goal, to break cycles of generational trauma. Then there's the personal layer of him betraying Percy and the anger on behalf Annabeth. There's jealousy because of Annabeth's mixed feelings towards Luke. There are just so many interesting layers and dimensions to their rivalry. Not many villains come close to matching what Luke has.

[@loonatic7610]

ronan and kavinsky from the raven cycle are a perfect example of the “protagonist that could have so easily been the antagonist” and also “antagonist is the only one who can teach protagonist to fully use their powers” which i think is what makes their dynamic so interesting

[@lezeltunbridge7509]

If only I could show ALL your videos to my high school students and tell them "THIS is how you construct a decent essay with a proper intro, conclusion and examples of evidence!! Now do this on paper!!" What the heck... I might as well try. 😆

[@luiiiandmovieee]

Lost Boy by Christina Henry is super cool when it comes to main character - villain dynamics, because they used to be friends and still like each other in some way but also hate each other. Plus, the villain is very unaware of the cruel things he does to the main character because "he does it out of friendship". This whole close-ones-to-enemies-trope always hits me so much. Another great example is the movie The Prince Of Egypt

[@stardreamer.28]

Couldn’t agree more. I absolutely loved the dynamic in Lost Boy, one of my favorite tropes of all time.

[@luiiiandmovieee]

@@stardreamer.28 I read this book with a constant fear but I loved it

[@smaragdapapadopoulou7807]

We don't care if there's already a female-villain-vid from someone else, WE NEED IT FROM YOUUU 😭

[@awpageofabook]

I love a good corruption arc. I currently plan on writing one in a more real world setting where these two characters become more and more destructive over time, to the point where it completely threatens their friendship.

[@FrumiousMing8]

Yes a corruption/downfall arc is so peak. Paul Atriedes, Anakin Skywalker, and Coriolanus Snow are my favorites.

[@OneMoreBookMatt]

I really love villains that are villains just for the thrill of it. They are sassy, and seductive and super iconic always

[@Addieisaprincess]

Homelander in The Boys is THE best villain writing i’ve seen. You just love to hate him, and he’s so unpredictable and terrifying, but you can’t help but wonder “omg how is homelander going to react to this”. And the whole show really just turns the superhero trope on its head. Also anime wise, I will always recommend Fruits Basket because it makes you put yourself if the villain’s shoes. Plus, has my favorite love story of all time

[@booknerd369]

I feel like Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains of all time. He’s got backstory, is kind of an ass by himself (as Anakin), he’s got a specific goal that made him the way he is (saving Padmé), and he has a redemption arc. Absolutely perfect combination for me Edit: oh also he was totally being groomed for villainy by Palpatine his entire life so the cards are stacked against him

[@byzoemay]

Vader will always be the perfect image of the best kind of villain for me. Like you said, his backstory, motivation, fall, power, manipulation, redemption,... it all just comes together so well.

[@kaliangarbled2615]

I was so excited that someone is actually discussing Kilgrave and how good of a villain he is in a circle that I am in. There is something to be said about how terrifying a villain is when I have to stop watching the show and come back to it much later mentally prepared. Kilgrave terrified me to my core. (Coming from an avid reading of thrillers and horror)

[@Elle_Riley]

TV show rec, my fave of all time: *BLACK SAILS* (unless you've already seen it). every character has a little bit of villainy in them, but you enjoy watching all of them sooo much that it's devastating when any die bc god they were just so INTERESTING. best writing of any show i've ever seen, and the show runners decided to wrap it up after 4 seasons instead of dragging it along because they knew how they wanted to end it and it's done soooooo wellllll. omgggg. there are conversations where the tension is so palpable it's like a fridge laying on top of you and you can't move but you love every moment of it

[@cashamusho]

Came here looking for this comment. I'm currently rewatching Black Sails and oh my god, every character is fascinating. And I agree, it's one of the best written shows I've ever seen. Captain Flint has got to be one of my favorite characters of all times, and his relationship with Silver is just... *Chef's Kiss*

[@hognelarsenrhme1703]

One of my favourites too. Flint is so grey, but damn I love him

[@rivendells_shona]

I think Collins mastered the “explanation but not excuse” with Snow’s backstory in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She found that perfect mix of privilege/entitlement and genuine childhood trauma to plant the seed of his hatred; then added the influence of groomers to nurture his choices. He still had agency in his choices, but works as a fair warning. It also underscored how he and Katniss really were two sides of the same coin; and added to the “punch” of him contributing to her ultimate choice to reject the process. In no way does this redeem him, but together Snow and Katniss serve as a warning for all of us about how we allow ourselves to be influenced when we are vulnerable.

[@pomme00800]

21:50 You're literally talking about "Shatter me" series. Especially the 3rd book. Aaron the villain was pushing the protagonist to discover her true potential instead of being afraid of it.

[@kageyukiaru]

the villain from the anime Monster is claimed by many as one of the best villain characters of all time. i'm watching the show so i still can't tell if i agree but i know it's gonna be a wild ride and a masterpiece of a show.

[@adis08.30]

YESSS JOHAN LIEBERT!! i have a limited experience on watching animes & reading mangas actually, but i do believe he is one of the best villains in animanga.

[@sapphiree6872]

A build up of how the villain’s greed and desires, shape them to who they are is always compelling. President Snow is an example of this as he wasn’t this maniacal evil in the beginning but his professor brought out the worst in him.

[@lemon8283]

THE POPPY WAR- literally adore how they play with characters and their morals and such, especially as the series continues and character arcs continue to unfold. Awesome video!

[@Aurelian369_]

everything RF Kuang writes is straight fire

[@destroyerinazuma96]

An underrated trait for villains in my book is resilience. Not power, not some sort of fanaticism necessarily, but a strength of will that makes them come back every time they are dealt a strong blow, a sense of personal values due that drives them no matter what. Bonus points if they accidentally end up inspiring the good guys. A bit of a generic example could be when a third power imprisons the MC and their nemesis, and the villain tells the mentally beaten down MC to pick themselves up and form some temporary alliance to escape. This obviously implies a villain who would rather beat the hero when the hero is at their best.

[@happyjellycatsquid]

One of my favourite villains, although she is both a villain and a protagonist, is my queen Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. Amy’s backstory does somewhat establish her parents as nutcases and Nick as a prick, but never to an extent that would explain her psychotic behaviour. Amy is evil because she can, because she’s smart enough and remorseless enough to pull it off, and so she does. The story shows that despite external facteurs making her most likely a lot worse, she was still manipulative and cruel from the start and I honestly think it’s kinda brilliant. And I still root for her constantly, even if she should be easy to hate because she doesn’t really have that sad backstory. Also, villain recommendations ! Dracula : Das Musical is literally so iconic, it awakens the simp in me like nothing else AND made me cry BUCKETS at the end.

[@hajarfoundi]

OMG Someone had to talk about the GOOD VILAINS and THE BAD BAD ONES, I am happy u're makingg thissss vid

[@xandraster]

All the first 3 examples you gave for good villains (Alina-Darkling, Korra-Amon, Kell-Holland) had me screaming bc I love all of them so much, thank you for appreciating them!!!!!!

[@jajagaga4327]

When you mentioned the villain is the only one who is willing to teach the main character his true potential i thought of the Dream Thieves (second book in The Raven Cycle) it also works with the well we're not so different you and I!

[@nadineebada6557]

yesss i also thought of the dream thieves immediately

[@Lullingaround]

You have to watch Mr. Robot! You mentioned how there aren’t enough shows that focus on the protagonists that are pushing for radical change often and it often being only the villains but this show is all about that complexity and how far the protagonists are willing to go to meet their goals. It’s incredibly nuanced and complex. Heavy social commentary and incredible characters!

[@ravenduvel3471]

A female-specfic villain deep dive would be awesome! I find that female antagonists either act like they're a part of petty teenage crews or are an underling to a stronger male villain. It really annoys me! I want greater range!! Baba Yaga from Spirited Away was a good soft antagonist. She had power, motivation, maliciousness and was at times unpredicable and capable of self-restraint. But she does veer towards being the mother trope, like you mentioned. Makima from Chainsaw Man was effective. She was unnerving and the readers were never fully aware of her powers until the last act. But she used sexual manipulation to blindside Denji, though that is an explicit character flaw of his so the context changes it a little; she wasn't a sexy character by default but instead played into Denji's desires to control him. Still, femme-fatals are overused no matter what imo, or at least maybe only vampire stories can justifyably call upon their ladies to be sexy because their men are sexy too. Sexuality and sexual desires have been part of vampire branding since the first (Western) vampire stories were published haha

[@baldursxgate]

The TV show "Dark" is mind-blowing with it's villain tropes. Highly, highly recommend!

[@MozzieA]

Yesss oh my god. I was so nervous when the last season came out and I just had to binge-watch it because I couldn't sleep without knowing the end

[@baldursxgate]

@@MozzieA same! I watched it till deep into the night!

[@SOBEKCrocodileGod]

I need more videos about villain tropes. Hate it when I’m watching a really really good video and the creator says “but this video’s gone on for long enough” like noooooo keep going off homie this is too good! Some villain tropes that I dig: - the fallen hero/corruption arc - the villain who does chaotic things not because they necessarily want to, but they feel that they HAVE to be that sort of force (Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men for example) - having a badass fortress/lair/castle - villain who is awful to humans but has a pet that they care deeply for - “the dreaded” as it’s called on tvtropes. Basically when a villain is feared by everyone. Characters where just mentioning their name makes a room full of cold, hardened criminals even fall silent. I LIVE for scenes where characters tell stories of how horrifying a character is, with their voice trembling as ominous music plays.

[@PrincelyRabbit]

"No Mr. Bond I want you to Dine" immediately made me think of Hannibal having people for over for dinner and he serves them human

[@wunwong2864]

Your point about villains being the only ones being allowed to fight for change and MCs never doing so makes me think of Mo Dao Zu Shi by MXTX, where the MC is perceived as the villain by other characters in the story bc of their inducing change and persisting for that even at the cost of innocent lives! I think it interestingly flips the status quo vs. change plot line we see in a lot of mass media, and the villain in the story is amazing too!

[@johannastromberg1224]

I think Harry Potter and Tom Riddle are amazing examples of two people who have such similar upbringings, above average talent and yet they make completely different choices

[@sophspice32]

ouuuuuu that´s a good one

[@xTenshiAi]

"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to dine with me" is literally the villain in Addie Larue

[@faithi717]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@TinyGhosty]

OMG if you feel like doing a video on all the villains from Legend of Korra I would be eager to watch it! The villains are all so interesting in different ways. It would also be interesting to hear your thoughts on most of the characters from the show! Tenzin's family is probably my favorite and my absolute fave is Bolin💜

[@geeketteqc9898]

Recently, Silco from Arcane has become one of my favorite. Evil methods, evil morals yet for a cause that is very noble. Like you said in the video ''ends don't justify the means'' he is a peak example!!

[@MaddyKate_]

I love the switched by Amanda Hocking...tbh its my comfort book that help me get back into reading. It helps that I see myself as the main character, not in the ways she's described physically but at times emotionally.

[@anikellermann2338]

I'm obsessed with the new content, Leonie! I could listen to you talk for literal hours about ANYTHING, and even more so when it comes to your nuanced and interesting takes.

[@alyssavon5246]

Oh my goodness, Shades of Magic, The villains series, Babel, The hunger games? I live these books, and I love that you do to.

[@cblooms]

Catra has one of the best redemption arcs and it's extremely underrated, I would even dare to compare it to zuko's

[@Zivilin]

Still need to watch the She-Ra show. My example for a good redemption arc is Faith from Buffy/Angel.

[@iamrjdennis]

I love these deep dive videos! You rock! 😊

[@bookswithlau]

Your discussion videos are the best!! I think my favorite villain is Silco (arcane) because his arc was amazing. But Eli from Vicious and Ayt Mada from Green Bone Saga are really good too. Eli because he genuinely thinks he's the good one of the story and for everything you said about him having a common past with Victor and being both morally grey. Ayt Mada because the author (Fonda Lee) made her in a way that she could have been the heroine had the story been told from her perspective.

[@blanca2792l]

Klaus from the vampire diaries is one of my favorites. Before he’s on screen he’s described as the person you don’t want to upset, he has no remorse and doesn’t care he’s killed thousands and it makes it very frightening to think of him. We see him do some questionable things but love him all at once and he does bad things for no reason, however we later on learn more about him. He has done everything because he is scared of being alone, he loves is family but can’t show it. He also falls in love with one girl and would do anything for her. So he isn’t bad for no reason, he has a long past that got him to where he is.

[@pomaranczowaszarlotka]

And half of shonen adventure/hero animes

[@vanessav5041]

YES I LOVE KLAUS IN HIS SIMPING ERA

[@ccappa2001]

I love Zuko sm and seeing her talk abt him made me smile sm

[@ambys1709]

as a londoner, yes, i can agree. the underground is ridiculous. after living with it for such a long time, however, it eventually just gets subconsciously muffled into this dull background noise that one can easily ignore. this was extremely interesting and very, very useful. at the moment, i'm constructing a villainous character, with generally little to go off of on how to make them *likeable*(?) but also good in terms of malignity. thank you!

[@NineRegs]

I was waiting for you to talk about Eli and Victor coz that's not a villain video without them. 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏽‍♀️ and to think that they actually are villain against villain (and not a hero) make them SO MUCH BETTER AND INTERESTING

[@maanya__742]

I've never been this early, was waiting for this one eagerly. So excited to watch!

[@anionictrash4414]

Such a fun video! Enemy being the only one willing to teach MC immediately made me think of Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. Palpatine doesn't start off as a known villain and he perfectly manipulates Anakin, who feels frustration with the jedi council and their rigid ways, to come to the dark side by teaching him how to use the power within him that the jedi refuse to acknowledge.

[@emilysalazar5675]

One of my favorite villains ever is Strahd von Zarovich of dungeons and dragons fame. He can be portrayed in so many different ways but at his core he is just so brilliantly done. He truly and deeply believes that he is right and above everyone. He is the epitome of “for me it was just a Tuesday” and you can watch that resolve crack as the heroes get further into the campaign *chef’s kiss*

[@viivi2001]

amazing video!! I realised I also really like the "dine with me" scenes and didn't know it's a trope but now that you mentioned it I was like omg I love that. the tension while waiting for the villain to flip is sooooo good.

[@devanandasanspillai]

One of my favorite characters has one of the most beautiful redemption arc I've ever seen... It is definitely Loki💚. He starts as a villain and then becomes something like an anti-hero... Now he's like one of the most loved characters in the entire MCU..

[@mopete9830]

Favorite villain redemption arch is spike from Buffy. Omg that is how you write a beautiful man in a story. Sad backstory, evil run, note the evil was for fun and to rebel from the establishment, and then admires his target, the slayers, to the point he studies them and falls in love with Buffy. Then he moves on and tries to save the world on his own, without her, the whole reason he started to become good again. It's one of the main reasons I love the enemies to lovers tropes.

[@mintthemuffin]

Have you read/watched Moriarty the Patriot? It's a retelling of Sherlock Holmes focusing on Moriarty and IT'S SO GOOD I'M OBSESSED.

[@random23287]

I think the whole mirror person thing with the "I'm the only one that understands you" is also shown in the evil twin trope; literally someone you could've been. I also love the childhood friends who meet again later and turns out they're enemies now, that's also a bit of the "we're not so different" thing. I never thought about it like that but it makes perfect sense that mainstream villains are the only ones who challenge mainstream ideas, but one of my favorite tropes is when the main character's main antagonist is basically just everyone else who is outside of them or their (probably very small) group and those other people's ideas, and then by the end it's like they find a way to prove themselves. I also like the whole thing of "meeting your match" in a villain way; like you may both suck but at least you're meant for each other. The Shadows Between Us is a good example of this I think

[@elisabethp3699]

I really love your video essays! I like your style of telling, the editing, the topics, I also really like the lenghts of them (even though I think my attention span is getting worse from TikTok 😂)

[@NerdyCatCoffeeee]

Don't know if you've see in but Galavant is a show with awesome writing. The hero himself, Galavant, King Richard, and every one else is just awesome every single minute. And don't even get me started on the character development of them both. The pilot episode is a bit weird, but by the 3rd episode you'll be so deep in, you wouldn't want to stop watching the series. (talking from experience)

[@mondayswithfran]

This video is super exciting, and I used it also to inspire my writing now. I'm super in love with the villains and villains to lovers trope in City of Brass. It's just such a good one!

[@realnova7429]

I love when story builds up 2 separate villains but instead of teaming up they unpredictably clash and one eliminate the other, kind of like season 1 Korra. I also when the story stop treating a villain as a villain but without giving them a redemption, you simply get shown their point of view and then you arent so sure who is right and who is wrong, I liked that a lot in Attack on Titan.

[@Priya44888]

The villain teaching the mc to reach their full potential is fully the shatter me trope lol

[@henners02]

vicious is honestly an all time fav of mine cause i love the dynamic between vic and eli :3

[@ourfavoritecomment]

I like when villains have a backstory to explain their actions, not to forgive them. Especially if said villain is going to have a redemption arc. I especially love a villain that has a super sad backstory, like Catra and how she grew up as the scape-goat to Adora and lived her whole life being overshadowed by Adora. It just makes the villain more interesting. Another villain trope I love is irredeemable villains. Ones that do have a somewhat sad backstory, but you still absolutely hate them even after you learn their backstory. Like Belos from The Owl House. Oooo last one! I love "cartoonish" or "childish" type villains. Idk how to explain it well. But like Harley Quinn, or Spinel from Steven Universe, or The Collector from The Owl House. Ones that act kinda childish and at the same time like absolute lunatics. Something about that is so intriguing. Almost like an oxymoron.

[@EleiyaUmei]

You don't even have to hate the villain of the second trope you mentioned, just disagree with their morally bad actions.

[@Megumire]

Girl when you said you want rivals to enemies I knew that it’s my time to ✨shine✨ i am writing rivals to lovers, lovers to enemies right now!! I know why you are THAT EXCITED about that trope because I AM!!!

[@Catacombz1]

I don't know what one I really like is called, but I enjoy when the protagonist or "good guy" you were supposed to be rooting for all for the whole time turns out to be the bad guy. Like there is a plot twist at the end that completely throws off the good guy/bad guy dynamic. Maybe not the best example of it but it's the first one that springs to mind because I finished reading it like 2 days ago is in Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney.

[@SuvuIC]

Whenever someone talks about good villains, I just can't help but gush about Arcane and how they portrayed Jinx' villain origin story!! One of the best ones there is. The amazing soft world building and all in all great female characters makes it even greater.

[@amolove24]

The cartoon she ra and the princesses of power has a lot of tropes I like when it comes to villains. It has childhood friends to enemies to lovers and gives backstories to the villains and the hero goes through a lot of internal moral and identity conflicts as she learns more about her past and her powers. It’s up there with avatar the last air bender as one my favorite cartoon shows.

[@hildezwart620]

Love the analysis! Also on the subject of Legend of Korra, I believe Kuvira (villain in season 4) was actually designed to resemble Korra, both in looks and personality, so something to keep an eye out for in your LOK marathon😊

[@bilqeesmohammed3595]

I love it here. This entire video is why the relationship between Frank Castle and Billy Russo in the Punisher is so interesting!

[@rwbykiwi2593]

Ngl never ever seen any book review channels, stumbled across you and can say I wanna read more, it's so nice to be able to learn about tropes new genres and just wanna say thank you for being cool

[@arieldamian2248]

I am unapologetically in love with Hannibal Lecter 😂 also he has a lot of those tropes you mentioned at first going on with Will. Like, he wants to guide him and help him reach his true potential, of course that potential is being as savage and flamboyant a killer as himself 😂😂😂 but he is the only one that gets his dark side. He also has the “for me it was just tuesday” thing with everything he does to him to “help him along” in getting there

[@moonstone___]

spike from buffy the vampire slayer will forever be one of the best villains for me, and that’s absolutely the best enemies to lovers story. his backstory wasn’t originally planned because he wasn’t meant to stay around as long as he did, but even from his introduction he’s already a layered and interesting bad guy who really shifts your perspective of evil. the backstory they weave in layer makes perfect sense. he’s a foil to buffy but so much more too. he’s a mirror, as she is for him, and every moment of their dynamic is so crunchy and endlessly compelling.

[@SeashellMerchant]

One of the best villains I have seen recently is Black Jack from Outlander (the tv show). He is just despicable in every single way. Even in some scenes when you think there could be a drop of humanity in him, he defies your expectations and does something absolutely horrifying. The same actor who plays the villain Black Jack plays Frank, the protagonist’s kind and loving husband who just completely foils Black Jack. I won’t even talk about what he does to Jamie, he’s so freaking sick.

[@buddiesdog]

I think you would enjoy Doctor Horrible's sing along blog. The "villain" of the story is the protagonist which gives it a really interesting spin. It also has great songs.

[@danielamartinez9175]

17:41 for this I recommend the webtoon called 'Your Throne' it's soooo good and one of the 2 main characters is literally like that

[@weh_jee]

"no mr. bond, i expect you to dine" reminds me so much of Moriarty the Patriot anime/manga, and i think you'll like it!!

[@cmm5542]

I really liked what you said about the Darkling and Alina. I never read the books properly because I was pressed for time and I couldn't rush through them because I can't enjoy a book without understanding the culture it's set in and I needed more time to figure out what was going on in the background; but I liked the dynamic between the Darkling and Alina in the passages I read A LOT, and think your explanation of why it's so compelling and their balanced tension was on point. And of course I'm so glad you spent time on my beloved Folk of the Air! I didn't know it was called 'blue and orange morality'; but as a history buff I prefer when the antagonist is from a different CULTURAL view which causes the conflict rather than just 'who are the goodies and who are the baddies.' I'll be honest here: I really don't usually like books with villains. I like stories where the enemy is NATURE; people needing to survive horrible circumstances, internal or external or both. War stories come under that heading for me, as most wars are based on 'blue and orange' rather than 'black and white' morality conflicts with decent heroic people on both sides desperately fighting to survive something they didn't start and is really neither army's fault (it's usually the politicians who are the real villains, but they rarely figure in the main story). Being British, I am also a fan of the 'Robin Hood' style crook who isn't REALLY a villain but commits crimes for - well, for the heck of it really. To see if they're smart enough to pull it off, not because they're 'evil' so you root for them even though you know they shouldn't be doing this! My favourite movie, Gambit (the original 1966 version), follows this trope - like most movies Michael Caine played the lead in, like the more famous The Italian Job. My sister and I are so in love with him (😁), and I think he paved the way for my even more serious crush on Spike in Buffy! Who also had a redemption arc, which is honestly my favourite trope - but I rarely like the villain until he starts his redemption arc. I liked Spike and Cardan because I could see the early potential for a redemption arc while they were still the main antagonists (and I'd call them both anti-villains rather than proper villains from the start, anyway. Yes, Spike's a killer but that's because he's a vampire. It's HIS fight for survival. He tries to pull off damaging schemes to make himself look cool, rather than because he's a sadistic monster who enjoys the pain he causes - looking POINTEDLY at you, Angelus - and he is SUCH a softie at times though he'd kill you to prove he wasn't!) I don't like sympathetic villains with sad backstories to 'excuse' them, but I DO like villains who just want power. That's human and understandable but still contemptible and not an example to follow. I like Westerns a lot; and the villain in those is usually a power-hungry cattle baron or superoutlaw who commits crimes and hurts people just to feel they have the most power in the area and so are safe themselves. I get it, but you're wrong and I'm glad when the vigilante gunslinger takes you down! On that subject, I actually detest HEROES who are just as power-hungry as the villain but 'they use their power for good, so it's okay.' I'm too democratic to like ANYONE who thinks they have a right to wield absolute power over others and decide their fates for them, good or bad. So I enjoy a power-hungry villain because they are SUPPOSED to be bad, but not in a control-freak 'hero' who strips all the other characters of their agency under the guise of 'protecting' them. I would rather be killed by the villain than babied by a contemptuous 'hero' who thinks I shouldn't have the freedom to protect myself! (Damsel-in-distress tropes are my greatest pet peeve, regardless of whether or not the distressed are 'damsels.') I don't think it matters whether the villains are female or male; I think the same tropes should apply equally. Female villains deserve equal rights to be hated! 😆😆😆 Anyway, long-winded post to say, great vid! (Edited for spelling 🙂)

[@totticosta2977]

Tyrion from the book "a song of Ice and fire" is my favorite villain, smart, vengeful and created after years of abuse because of the way he looked.

[@imran8880]

I don't think he's a villain. He's just a calculating amibigious character that tries to serve his own role with multi-faceted factors. IN the end, you could argue he becomes a supporting main protaganistwhen he join Daenaerys. You could argue he does fit into machiavelli fashion and trope of character that focus mostly on cunning ethod, not especially intelligent(except for his skills in managing and governing due to him inheriting his father's genius) plotting, intrigue and meticulous planning to execute his goals.

[@totticosta2977]

@@imran8880 I meant Tyrion in the books, he manipulates , threatens and belittles everyone around him. But specially after the brutal murder of Shae, a girl that cries and is manipulated by Tywin and she really wasn't evil but was trying to survive. In a dance with dragons his villain character gets completed. He is a villain, G.R.R. Martin wrote him that way and the show butchered the shit out him.

[@imran8880]

@@totticosta2977 W-What show? Oh.. yeah... The books. From what I gather up to now he's not really a villain but more framed as one while in conflict of his own self and morals as he cause more dissonance among people. I'm not justifying his reasons for murdering Shae, but it was driven out of pure rage that his father is a massive hypocrite and the wounds of betrayal is still fresh. He doesn't feel like the quintessential villain to me because his motive hasn't been set in stone even after murdering Tywin and Shae.

[@totticosta2977]

@@imran8880 Agree to disagree.

[@NeonAGC]

I loved how you broke down all the villain tropes, as someone who's currently struggling with the dynamic between my mc and the antagonist. Originally, I made them to be mortal enemies-- he was her one true source of trauma and the one thing she feared down to her very soul, and she was just a little too uncertain to return it when she had the chance. Problem was that, plot twist, I fell in love with my own villain, spiraled into my own mental cave-in as a mere image of him tormented me in my mind, and I broke BOTH of them in the process. I'm still determined to revive my story, but I feel I need to change their dynamic a lot. I decided that instead of making him some sadistic maniac looking to torture someone who can take the hits for pleasure and fulfillment, he would be not quite an enemy, but a morally-gray people-watcher if you know what I mean. The stage where they're not quite friends, but not quite enemies, and he's pulling the strings behind the scenes to achieve what he ultimately desires in life, rather than directly opposing her to take what he wants on a whim. That way, the entire dynamic would change and the course of the story would flow in a more meaningful direction, giving him many more layers than he originally had. I went to write a sentence of his POV for his motivation and came up with this: “I dare to take tragedy into my palm, and release it before me until a single tear falls from my eye. My sister, my dear sister, she has the most plentiful heart. I’m left with only a vacancy where I can only hope it once was.” He wants to feel emotion, guilt, empathy, etc. like other people, and he's willing to do anything to achieve that-- even release a tragedy upon anyone and everyone until he somehow feels sorry for it. In my story, the true main conflict is something on a much bigger scale than any one person. The conflict is in a "dark root" that takes hold of human hearts and locks them up so that they can't feel like other people, and they can't discern between right and wrong. It empties them and leaves them longing for something that seems eternally missing, so they spiral into destructive behavior. The antagonist in question is particularly problematic in that he has two of these "dark roots", and so not only is he blocked from feeling empathy or really any emotion at all, but he's more inclined to be extremely unpredictable, because even while he consciously has heard of the rules he's meant to follow, he's inclined to do everything and experience all that he's been told not to do. And because of the second one, he is also constantly plagued with a throbbing, aching pain that doesn't go away unless he releases it upon another person. It doesn't make him blameless in the least, but it provides a good reasoning. Perhaps in the end I could give him a redemption arc, but that's only if the protag group found a way to remove the dark roots inside him, and on top of that he'd have to be willing to put his pride aside, beg for forgiveness, and try to fix what he broke over the years. Otherwise, there's no way anyone would forgive him. So I may not go that way, but it's a possibility with the way his mind works, though he's extremely selfish by nature.

[@afrasiddiqui03]

I cannot tell you how much I love this video. Honestly. Like my finals were ongoing when you asked about villains in that community post (I did answer and I had the best time reading others' answers) and I thought, are we getting a video?! But then I just kinda forgot because exam stress and whatnot. And then my semester break started a few days ago and I get the notification for this video and OMG. MADE MY DAY. 100% AGREED ON EVERYTHING YOU SAID. And if I'm being honest, sometimes it's kind of refreshing to have a villain who is just evil without any reason other than to achieve their own goals and I love rather than love to hate such villains :")

[@afrasiddiqui03]

@TheBookLeo. oh my God 😳❤

[@afrasiddiqui03]

@TheBookLeo. okay, i messaged!

[@little.prince]

My sweet spot for (sake of being evil) villains is how Lady Tremane was portrayed in Cinderella 2015. Evil asf, but with enough context to make her human without redeeming her whatsoever.