So I was trying to find examples of good female villains and psychopaths but I couldn't think of that many off the top of my head does anyone have any suggestions? It can be from video-games to anime to movies to fiction.
Where can I find a good female villian?
- Thread starter springheeljack
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Only fiction? Dammit, guess I can't nominate Margaret Thatcher then.
So how about Gozer from Ghostbusters?
Or Momma from Throw Momma From the Train. Unconventional, maybe, but it works.
So how about Gozer from Ghostbusters?
Or Momma from Throw Momma From the Train. Unconventional, maybe, but it works.
Video games:
Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines Ming Xiao. Well, close enough to a villain, I suppose. There was also the female hunter Chastity, but I'm not entirely sure she counts (a rather minor role - pretty much limited to having a name).
Path of Exile Queen Atziri is an endgame boss fight. She's...erm, short description would be a psycho Aztec. Kindasorta. She's obsessed with eternal youth, to preserve her beautiful forever. So-o-o, she caused a huge catastrophe that wiped her entire civilisation. There is another one - Piety, she's involved in the main quest. She's a ***** that confronts and antagonises you several times throughout the game but is not the main villain. Still prominent, though.
Murdered Soul Suspect - the final...erm, antagonist, I'm not really going to call her a boss. I can't actually remember her name. She was a pretty dumb villain, though.
Anime:
Future Diary Gasai Yuno - pretty much a psychopath. Maybesorta villain. The anime couldn't quite make its mind about her but whatever.
Full Metal Alchemist the lady from the group of deadly sins. If I remember correctly, she was a different one in the first and Brotherhood - Lust in one and...Wrath in the other? At any rate - a villain.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica The cast is pretty much entirely composed of girls (and...an alien thing). So the villains are also female. Also, really bizarre.
Comic books:
Batman - Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy
Just off the top of my head.
Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines Ming Xiao. Well, close enough to a villain, I suppose. There was also the female hunter Chastity, but I'm not entirely sure she counts (a rather minor role - pretty much limited to having a name).
Path of Exile Queen Atziri is an endgame boss fight. She's...erm, short description would be a psycho Aztec. Kindasorta. She's obsessed with eternal youth, to preserve her beautiful forever. So-o-o, she caused a huge catastrophe that wiped her entire civilisation. There is another one - Piety, she's involved in the main quest. She's a ***** that confronts and antagonises you several times throughout the game but is not the main villain. Still prominent, though.
Murdered Soul Suspect - the final...erm, antagonist, I'm not really going to call her a boss. I can't actually remember her name. She was a pretty dumb villain, though.
Anime:
Future Diary Gasai Yuno - pretty much a psychopath. Maybesorta villain. The anime couldn't quite make its mind about her but whatever.
Full Metal Alchemist the lady from the group of deadly sins. If I remember correctly, she was a different one in the first and Brotherhood - Lust in one and...Wrath in the other? At any rate - a villain.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica The cast is pretty much entirely composed of girls (and...an alien thing). So the villains are also female. Also, really bizarre.
Comic books:
Batman - Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy
Just off the top of my head.
Easy enough. To name two of the classics: Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Annie Wilkes from Misery. Two classic movies with iconic female antagonists.
If you want one from a video-game I'll go by my old favourite SHODAN from System Shock 2, who still stands as my favourite villain in a game to date regardless of gender, genre, or age.
If you want one from a video-game I'll go by my old favourite SHODAN from System Shock 2, who still stands as my favourite villain in a game to date regardless of gender, genre, or age.
Well if you want psychopaths, there's always Black Lagoon. Off the top of my head, Kerrigan was a pretty major villain in StarCraft: Brood War, there's the Mother from Dragon Age: Awakening, Knight Commander Meredith in Dragon Age 2, Zorin Blitz of Hellsing: Ultimate fame, Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter (granted, both she and Zorin are a bit lower on the totem poll than the other choices), there are two that feature prominently in Knights of the Old Republic 2 (for spoiler reasons I shan't mention them here), Azula in Avatar: the Last Airbender, Demona in Gargoyles, and Scarlett Briar in Season 1 of Guild War 2's living world.
Oh, and going classical...Medea. You know the old "death is too good for them" bit? Medea decided that about Jason. Mind you, Jason gave her ample reason to hate his rotten guts, but her idea of revenge is to kill his new wife, his new father in law, and her own children and leaving Jason alive to suffer the pain of losing them before absconding with their corpses to deny him the closure of burying them. I challenge anyone not to empathize with her anger, but so too do I challenge the idea that she isn't a villainous protagonist.
Oh, and going classical...Medea. You know the old "death is too good for them" bit? Medea decided that about Jason. Mind you, Jason gave her ample reason to hate his rotten guts, but her idea of revenge is to kill his new wife, his new father in law, and her own children and leaving Jason alive to suffer the pain of losing them before absconding with their corpses to deny him the closure of burying them. I challenge anyone not to empathize with her anger, but so too do I challenge the idea that she isn't a villainous protagonist.
So not one mention of Kreia from Star Wars KOTOR II?
The most complex female character ever written who people's opinions range from the most well written and brilliant character, to full of herself, pretentious **** and Chris Avellone's voice box.
The most complex female character ever written who people's opinions range from the most well written and brilliant character, to full of herself, pretentious **** and Chris Avellone's voice box.
Oh...what was that one recently, a film, Matt Parkinson did a review of it on the site. I haven't watched it but I seem to remember him saying the female "villain" was pretty good. Story involved [very vague spoilers I guess] some shit about her disappearing and getting her boyfriend framed for her murder...had some actress in it...uh....look, I don't really do films, but I'm trying to help.
This instantly made me think of Livia Soprano from The Sopranos. She was a toxic cloud in the shape of an old lady.Ten Foot Bunny said:Or Momma from Throw Momma From the Train. Unconventional, maybe, but it works.
I also quite liked Mother Gothel from Tangled. No magic power, or power of any kind except for guilt tripping.
I don't know if Yubaba from Spirited Away technically counts as a villian, as she does show moments of courtesy and aid toward the heroine, and she is a woman of her word. She's more like an extremely ruthless business lady.
I'm surprised the mention of Shodan didn't also bring about Glados, as well. Granted, she's all about science more than evil, but it's science at the expense of morality and decency. Just listen to this song...
The original non-movie Baroness from GI JOE was always a worthy villainess. She's a super spy and mercenary for Cobra, for Christ's sake.
How about Viola from Zone of the Enders, and Nephtis (Viola's AI) in The Second Runner?
Annie Leonhart, Attack on Titan. Doing what she does, she clearly not good.
Kiryu Moeka from Stein's Gate - while sympathetic - is definitely a headcase and WILL kill.
I'll think of more later.
The original non-movie Baroness from GI JOE was always a worthy villainess. She's a super spy and mercenary for Cobra, for Christ's sake.
How about Viola from Zone of the Enders, and Nephtis (Viola's AI) in The Second Runner?
Annie Leonhart, Attack on Titan. Doing what she does, she clearly not good.
Kiryu Moeka from Stein's Gate - while sympathetic - is definitely a headcase and WILL kill.
I'll think of more later.
Yeah I have to go with SHODAN. She's the malevolent AI, she doesn't do what she does simply because she has no ethical standards or value for human life, she literally considers herself a deity. Her voice is intimidating, her presence is intimidating, the way she talks to the player is intimidating. She's an absolutely amazing villain.
There is a conspicuous absence of female villains in fiction, perhaps this stems from a reticence to portray women as evil.
I only watched season one of Game of Thrones, but Cersei Lannister was pretty nasty.
In greek mythology, Hera was also quite nasty and vindictive.
From Shakespeare,
Lady Macbeth from Macbeth.
Goneril and Regan from King Lear.
Games
Bodhi from Baldur's Gate (although she's mostly background)
Yxunomei in Icewind Dale (mostly appears as a creepy little girl)
Captcha - tastes good
I only watched season one of Game of Thrones, but Cersei Lannister was pretty nasty.
In greek mythology, Hera was also quite nasty and vindictive.
From Shakespeare,
Lady Macbeth from Macbeth.
Goneril and Regan from King Lear.
Games
Bodhi from Baldur's Gate (although she's mostly background)
Yxunomei in Icewind Dale (mostly appears as a creepy little girl)
Captcha - tastes good
Since you've tossed out Anne Ramsey, I'd like to also nominate her role as Mama Fratelli from Goonies. Wonderful actress, may she rest in piece.Ten Foot Bunny said:Or Momma from Throw Momma From the Train. Unconventional, maybe, but it works.
Was Kreia a villain though? Antagonist probably, but villain? I don't think so.Samtemdo8 said:
In any case, I'm firmly in the best written video game character ever camp.
marlene - The last of us
Proffessor umbridge harry potter
Esther from orphan movie
are my picks for some good ones
Proffessor umbridge harry potter
Esther from orphan movie
are my picks for some good ones