Villain (nonfiction)
A villain (also known as the "antagonist," "baddie", "bad guy", "heavy" or "black hat") is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction.
The villain usually is the antagonist (though can be the protagonist), the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters.
A female villain is occasionally called a villainess (often to differentiate her from a male villain).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines villain as:
A cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot".
In the News
Doctor Syntax and Highwaymen, 1813 - Engraving by Thomas Rowlandson. "Doctor Syntax" – a popular literary character of the early nineteenth century – on horseback, stopped by three robbers armed with pistols.
Fiction cross-reference
Nonfiction cross-reference
External links: