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 the right voice for it. Like, I fell a bit in love with Amora in EMH, and the American Zoicite is probably still one of my favorite things. I still remember her voice when she says "Such a pity," a she flicks her hair. I was more disappointed to find out she was male in the original Japanese version because she made such an awesome villianess than because they were switching genders when they shouldn't have been. Kind of makes me sad, because the reasoning for switching Zoi's gender was terrible and homophobic, but she was one of my favorite villains because she was female.
Cheesy Bond villains are also fun, both male and female. Redeemable villains are also fun, I think in part because there's always that thrill with the bad boy/girl. They're sexy, and we all want to be the one to make them good. On a less shallow note, there's also something appealing about the redemption aspect. Because if they can be redeemed, than surely the rest of us who aren't as bad can be as well. There's a mystic, almost holy aspect to redemption that can be beautiful when well done. Like Axel in Kingdom Hearts II. He was only ever a villain because of his friend, and eventually he recognizes that saving Sora is the way to save his friend as well, even if it's not the person he's looking for.
Speaking of Disney, they also had a lot of good, female villains. And when all else fails, there's still Harley Quinn. You always feel a bit bad for her, because she's really in an abusive relationship, but she made for such a great villain. The White Witch in the BBC The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was also an awesome villain, come to think of it. She was waaaaaaaaay over the top, but I adored her.
I apparently have lots to say on villains. They are fun to talk about.
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.
Amora never really gets any depth in the comics or cartoons, but lady!Loki was in many ways a similar character and showed that it could be great. (I'd put lady!Loki on the list because she is the only really villainous version of Loki that I love - she is the campest - but I don't think stealing a woman's body fully counts as being female even when you're Loki.)
There's also Azula and her henchladies in Avatar: The Last Airbender. I could have loved Azula if the show hadn't finished before her story was ever brought to a satisfying end (she goes mad, that's it... that's way too depressing.)
Then there's Kai Winn on DS9. She's not lovable, but she IS fun to watch.
Unfortunately I'm not a Disney movie afficionado, so I can't think of any really great female villains there, but Harley (and Ivy!) is cool - the world needs more female tricksters!
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.
Well, I never liked her for the depth. Amora just had an amazing villain voice. XD I'm a sucker for proper villain voices.
Disney had some amazing female villains, especially if you go back to some of the older ones. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is probably one of my favorite villains of all time, and she's still scary. The Queen in Snow White was also quite good. Ursula from the Little Mermaid is very camp and awesome. I guess it comes from having so many princess movies, it's easier to have a female villain. You also got a pretty wide variety of evil, from Cruela deVille in 101 Dalmatians who really just wanted a fur coat, to the evil chick in Rescuers who was adopted Penny just to have her crawl down small spaces to find jewels. Neither of them were the sort of 'sexy villainess who seduces everyone to get her way' either. Disney villains in general were very good. I like quite a few of them.
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 the right voice for it. Like, I fell a bit in love with Amora in EMH, and the American Zoicite is probably still one of my favorite things. I still remember her voice when she says "Such a pity," a she flicks her hair. I was more disappointed to find out she was male in the original Japanese version because she made such an awesome villianess than because they were switching genders when they shouldn't have been. Kind of makes me sad, because the reasoning for switching Zoi's gender was terrible and homophobic, but she was one of my favorite villains because she was female.
Cheesy Bond villains are also fun, both male and female. Redeemable villains are also fun, I think in part because there's always that thrill with the bad boy/girl. They're sexy, and we all want to be the one to make them good. On a less shallow note, there's also something appealing about the redemption aspect. Because if they can be redeemed, than surely the rest of us who aren't as bad can be as well. There's a mystic, almost holy aspect to redemption that can be beautiful when well done. Like Axel in Kingdom Hearts II. He was only ever a villain because of his friend, and eventually he recognizes that saving Sora is the way to save his friend as well, even if it's not the person he's looking for.
Speaking of Disney, they also had a lot of good, female villains. And when all else fails, there's still Harley Quinn. You always feel a bit bad for her, because she's really in an abusive relationship, but she made for such a great villain. The White Witch in the BBC The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was also an awesome villain, come to think of it. She was waaaaaaaaay over the top, but I adored her.
I apparently have lots to say on villains. They are fun to talk about.
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Amora never really gets any depth in the comics or cartoons, but lady!Loki was in many ways a similar character and showed that it could be great. (I'd put lady!Loki on the list because she is the only really villainous version of Loki that I love - she is the campest - but I don't think stealing a woman's body fully counts as being female even when you're Loki.)
There's also Azula and her henchladies in Avatar: The Last Airbender. I could have loved Azula if the show hadn't finished before her story was ever brought to a satisfying end (she goes mad, that's it... that's way too depressing.)
Then there's Kai Winn on DS9. She's not lovable, but she IS fun to watch.
Unfortunately I'm not a Disney movie afficionado, so I can't think of any really great female villains there, but Harley (and Ivy!) is cool - the world needs more female tricksters!
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Well, I never liked her for the depth. Amora just had an amazing villain voice. XD I'm a sucker for proper villain voices.
Disney had some amazing female villains, especially if you go back to some of the older ones. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is probably one of my favorite villains of all time, and she's still scary. The Queen in Snow White was also quite good. Ursula from the Little Mermaid is very camp and awesome. I guess it comes from having so many princess movies, it's easier to have a female villain. You also got a pretty wide variety of evil, from Cruela deVille in 101 Dalmatians who really just wanted a fur coat, to the evil chick in Rescuers who was adopted Penny just to have her crawl down small spaces to find jewels. Neither of them were the sort of 'sexy villainess who seduces everyone to get her way' either. Disney villains in general were very good. I like quite a few of them.
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