[Top Ten Tuesday] The Most Notable Book Villains

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish but is currently being run by That Artsy Reader Girl. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. This week I am talking about some of the most notable villains. These are villains I loved, I hated, I sympathized with, etc. They're the ones that stood out among the rest.

So let's jump right into it!

Victor Vale 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab 

Victor Vale is a villain, as a reader, you can't help but be on his side. Both him and Eli are morally grey characters but Victor seemed the most reasonable. I hear in Vengeful you get more of Eli's backstory so we will see if I still agree with that when I read it! 

Keris "The Commandant" Veturia 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Commandant is absolutely terrifying as a villain. I was genuinely scared of her while reading Ember because she's so daunting. Her reputation precedes her and when the reader meets her, after all that build up, she's scary. I haven't continued the rest of the series, but I am really excited to. 

Tom "Voldemort" Riddle 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Voldemort is definitely a notable villain. I think something that is interesting about Voldemort is that although he's the villain and a terrible person, he has a really sad backstory. Being conceived as a result of a love potion so he isn't able to feel love or affection is super sad to me. He has been robbed of an essential part of being a human and that is one of the many reasons he's become this awful person. 

 The Other Mother

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I recently re-read this book after taking a year off (I typically read it once a year) and I loved it so much, like I expected to. The Other Mother is a pretty scary villain. I think it's a mix of her character, the eerie fairy tale writing, and the illustrations that come with the story. Seeing a creepy woman with a cracked face, spooky smile, and buttons for eyes doesn't exactly scream "Home Sweet Home" you know? It's such a dark story and I think the way The Other Mother is written it just sends chills down my spine.

Nimona

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is the villain of the story, but she's also kind of the hero. She's a bit of an anti-hero so she's definitely morally grey but you can't help but love her despite some of her not great decisions. She's impulsive, mysterious, and daring but also really sweet and loyal. I love Nimona so much and I'd love more stories about her. 

Loki

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Loki is a character, despite being a villain, you can't help but love. He's clever, annoying, and mischievous. I definitely think, at least for me, my version of Loki is a bit warped because of Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of him in the Marvel movies. But even that aside, the Loki we read about in Gaiman's Norse Mythology stories is still a really fun character. I think quick witted and mischievous characters are always fun to read about.

Thiago 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Ooooh Thiago can just go straight to hell. He's one of the worst villains I've ever read about. He's well written but I hated his character so much. I don't want to get too deep into it because of spoilers but I really hated him. Which is definitely what Laini Taylor is going for with his character. I think he deserves to be on this list because even years after finishing this trilogy, he easily popped up in my mind when I was thinking of notable villains. 

Queen Levana 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

It has been a little while since I've read this series (I am hoping to re-read it in 2019!) but I remember Queen Levana being AWFUL. Like all these villains, she's well written, but she's such a bad person. I am hoping to read her novella when I do my re-read because I hear it's a good way to get to know her backstory a bit more. 

Joe Goldberg

You by Caroline Kepnes

Joe is a terrifying villain, maybe the most terrifying of all the ones I talk about today because of how real he is. There are people just like Joe all over the place in reality and that's a terrifying thought. In the story, Joe the main character and he's stalking a woman. The methods in which he gets to know her and squeezes himself into her life is terrifying. I read this book I believe almost four years ago, before I was more of a critical thinker and I am honestly a little worried about how it could affect me. But I am interested in re-reading it and giving it a shot. 

Charlie Manx

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill 

I wanted to read NOS4A2 in October, and we still have like a week so it's possible, but if not I plan on reading it in November. Charlie Manx is a CREEPY character. He's gross and terrifying. I remember being fully creeped out by him when I read it the first time a handful of years ago. I am really excited to re-read it soon and see if I have the same reaction I had last time.

Thanks for reading!