“Mirror, mirror on the wall...Who’s the baddest of them all?
Hey Bibliophiles!
So with this thought (and after succumbing to my strange and sadistic fascination with villains), I decided to compile a list of some of some of the most wicked villains I have come across YA...till now.
So here goes:
President Snow in Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- OK, admit it, you could literally smell his blood lust through the pages. For the first time, I was awe-struck at the sheer potential of a villain. Just the way it was written exuded so much power and cold ruthlessness. There is no redemption for him, no second chance after the unspeakable horrors he committed (Primrose Everdeen, May She Rest in Peace)
Astrid and Athos Dane in the Shades of Magic trilogy by Victoria Schwab- This pair of twins sent shudders down my spine every scene they were in, and even when they were not, you could see how deeply they had broken Holland. Again, no redemption and no past, just pure sadistic and heartless. That scene where they ask Holland to cut himself and then drink his bliss from a goblet as if they’re drinking good ol’ champagne? *shudders* an actual blood-sucking scene with a vampire would have been less creepier.
Queen Levana in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- Let’s face it, a mind-controllin, manipulative Queen with a desire to take over the Moon and the world sounds pretty badass, even if she had to kill her family to do it. The perfect modernisation of the fairy tale Evil Queen, she’s a brilliantly dark conception.
4. The Commandant in An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- Also known as Keris Veturia (mother of the swoon- worthy hero, Elias Veturius) she is hands down one of the the most heartless villains ever. She’s like Dolores Umbridge meets Queen Levana, which in itself is a terrifying combination. She is a woman hell-bent in taking the throne, ruthless, and the solution to her every problem is either some kind of torture or mass murder. She isn’t the savage killer, she’s the silent schemer and master of lies. You do NOT want to get on her bad side.
5. Victor and Eli in the Vicious series by Victoria Schwab- Do you ever get tired if the classic good vs evil trope? Maybe not, but it doesn't hurt to change things up a bit from time to time. How about an epic chase between villain vs villain!? This story isn’t about a hero and the odds they overcome, its about two evil geniuses with no morals, and a confusing loop of who you should root for. Former friends and roommates, ten years later out for each others blood...you can't resist knowing who would win.
6. Valentine Morgenstern in the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare- Oh come on! As if I could ever exclude him! Valentine was the face of all evil in the whole series. He hid all that manipulative and power- hungry personality under the born-revolutionary facade, and had no qualms about going to the darkest limits to get what he wants. Killing an angel, making a deal with the devil, leading a band of gullible teenagers on a mass hate-massacre...and the list goes on. Note: Read the Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare to know more about Valentine’s younger days as the leader of the Circle.
7. Marisa Coulter in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman-
Honestly, this woman can put Lady Macbeth to shame. She isn't afraid to get down and dirty and outright heinous when it comes to things hat stand in her way. She's high up on the Ladder of the Wicked with The Commandant. She's cold, heartless and kidnaps little kids so she can do creepy experiments with them. No one, not even her own daughter (and equally psychotic husband) can stop her.
8. Kaz Brekker in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo- Now this one really depends on what your definition of a villain is- Is it someone who does wrong things or is simply anyone who comes in the way of the protagonist. Because here Kaz Brekker is our protagonist who does very questionable things *ripping a guy's eyes out*, which needn't have gone as far as they did but are somehow essential to his character.
Although I'm sure he makes up for that for many of us with his relationship with Inej
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9. The Darkling in the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo- One of the main reason I wanted to do this post, the Darkling is one of the most intriguing characters I've ever come across. His powerful and mysterious aura with an amazing backstory had half of the fandom rooting for him and Alina instead of her and Mal. He hides a unique wickedness behind his charismatic facade. The thing that hooked most of the readers to his character (including me) were his raw emotions and and vulnerability, which very interestingly made him a villain with a heart.
10. Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling- Yup guys, the one and only, the classic, the iconic Tom Marvolo Riddle!! 'cause we all know that every book list is incomplete without a Harry Potter reference, and rightly so, because Lord Voldemort was the first villain I was introduced to with a real story behind their bitterness. An unfair childhood, and too much power cooped up with too much ambition, a character whose layers were peeled away book by book, and who we came to know as deeply as our main protagonists, he is the most well-known villains of the world.
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Yes, so that’s it for my Top 10 favourite villains inYA. Don’t forget to tell me your thoughts in the comments down below and leave a little heart if you enjoyed this post! Who’s your beloved villain? Anyone whom you like better than the hero? Any other devil I missed?
Until next time,
Bye!! 💕
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