Villains are fun. It really is the best when they enjoy what they do. Though I also like villains who are, in their own way, their own version of 'right'. Either they're saving the world their own way, or have an agenda that is simply different than most of humanity, it's nice to see them think they're doing the right thing. Humanized villains are fun too. Like Bester in my icon, he was doing right for the Telepaths. He didn't care much for humanity, but to the telepaths he was a real hero. He also had a lover he'd do anything to protect, even kill his own people for the greater good. I think Magneto sometimes falls into this category too, but I'm not as familiar with him.
Camp villains are great too though. I mean, the Master. <3 Some of the best Sailor Moon villains were the campy-est, and I'll admit my first OTP was between Sailor Venus and Kunzite, a first season villain. That was my first real foray into fandom and writing fic too. I think female villains are under-rated awesome at times, especially when they have just
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Speaking of Anime/Manga, Angel Sanctuary had some cool female villains (Kurai, Arachne and Belial - though all three of them are really anti-heroes... and Arachne and Belial are trans, I think?). I especially liked Belial
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Anime seems to have a much better ratio of female characters in general, but I'm putting that down to the popularity of magical girl anime. And a lot of the fighting anime is just as bad as American things, so. *shrugs* Sometimes I am glad I grew up on it though, if just because it gave me a whole slew of female characters for potential role models that most other women my age didn't have
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Also, on the subject of Mr. Freeze, he is an extremely tragic figure, Arnold aside. Him and Two-Face. The animated versions of them just make you want to cry.
*spams your inbox because I've apparently had another thought* Also, the Rani. The Rani was an awesome villain. It's a pity they've never used her more. And while GLaDOS is technically AI, she's also a great villain.
Hmmm... if the Rani had been as much of a recurring character as the Master and had gotten some depth, I would maybe have liked her more. As it stands, she's cool, but I don't really love her the way I love the villains on this list.
Ahahah I loved your summary of DCAU!Lex's journey - it's so succinct! And I've never read the Starman comics but everything I've heard about the Shade makes me want to...
Good point about female bad guys not bringing that camp devotion to wickedness that makes some villains so much fun. Most of the female villains I really like are more on the anti-hero/redemption track, as you say. Maybe Lara Raith from the Dresden Files (not really camp but sort of in the charming sometimes-ally-of-the-hero type?)
I like both a bad guy who embarks on guilt-ridden atonement and a bad guy who changes sides out of pragmatic reasons or because they just happen to like the good guys more. Yesssss - all of this! I love villains who switch sides for any of these reasons. Sometimes my favorites are the ones who do it because they just personally like the heroes better - if they're still selfish as anything, but become good guys because they're selfish for the right people! (Gargoyles's Xanatos is in this mold, pretty much; he doesn't so much reform as
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Ahaha, DBZ. I did like Vegeta, but my favourite villain redemption story there was Piccolo - mainly because of the bit where he trained Son Gohan.
The Starman comics are very good - they work very well as a finished, stylish stand-alone series, but they're also GREAT at DCU continuity. A bit like the DCU portions of Sandman, perhaps? If you're interested, I still have cbr files.
Maybe the problem I have with female villains is that they're either allowed to be real people, and then they are tragic or redeemable, or they're vilified and one-dimensional. But when they're camp - neither too vile nor too tragic - then they're usually there for the sex appeal in a rather off-putting way.
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Camp villains are great too though. I mean, the Master. <3 Some of the best Sailor Moon villains were the campy-est, and I'll admit my first OTP was between Sailor Venus and Kunzite, a first season villain. That was my first real foray into fandom and writing fic too. I think female villains are under-rated awesome at times, especially when they have just ( ... )
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Good point about female bad guys not bringing that camp devotion to wickedness that makes some villains so much fun. Most of the female villains I really like are more on the anti-hero/redemption track, as you say. Maybe Lara Raith from the Dresden Files (not really camp but sort of in the charming sometimes-ally-of-the-hero type?)
I like both a bad guy who embarks on guilt-ridden atonement and a bad guy who changes sides out of pragmatic reasons or because they just happen to like the good guys more. Yesssss - all of this! I love villains who switch sides for any of these reasons. Sometimes my favorites are the ones who do it because they just personally like the heroes better - if they're still selfish as anything, but become good guys because they're selfish for the right people! (Gargoyles's Xanatos is in this mold, pretty much; he doesn't so much reform as ( ... )
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The Starman comics are very good - they work very well as a finished, stylish stand-alone series, but they're also GREAT at DCU continuity. A bit like the DCU portions of Sandman, perhaps? If you're interested, I still have cbr files.
Maybe the problem I have with female villains is that they're either allowed to be real people, and then they are tragic or redeemable, or they're vilified and one-dimensional. But when they're camp - neither too vile nor too tragic - then they're usually there for the sex appeal in a rather off-putting way.
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