Top Ten Tuesday: Villains

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s topic: Villains!

Ooo villains! We all love to hate them. Or love to love them. It all depends on the villain, right? This is my list of villains I both love and hate.

Dead Witch Walking || Small Spaces || Harry Potter

The first villain to pop into my head was Algaliarept, from The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. I have met this author many times at book signings, as her hometown is near my own, and I once told her how much that I loved Al. He is just a loveable bad guy, and I always picture him like Gary Oldman in Dracula, this version of course.

Next was the Smiling Man from the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. This is a more recent villain in my reading which is one reason I thought of him so quickly. He is also super creepy and if I were a kid I would be pretty terrified. He scared me enough as an adult!

And of course Professor Umbridge. What a jerk! She was just awful. I guess I could have said Voldemort but, naw, I am going with Umbridge.

Now let’s talk Stephen King. Because he is the master.

Misery || It || Apt Pupil

Annie Wilkes is crazy pants. Like literally. She has hidden depths of scary!

This list wouldn’t be complete without Pennywise, one of the worst villains ever, in my opinion. He absolutely freaked me out when I was a kid, when I first read it.

Apt Pupil is one of those stories that have stuck with me. Todd Bowden and Dussander are the most bone chilling duo. I still think about this story, and it still scares me, just the evilness of these characters.

Sharp Objects || The Hundred and One Dalmations || We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Sharp Objects had a few villains that were frightening. And if you haven’t read this one, and don’t want a spoiler, then stop reading here. Lol. But both Adora and Amma are just the stuff of nightmares.

One of the earliest villains in my memory is Cruella De Ville! I read this book as a child, I distinctly remember my copy was yellow, and I was horrified that this woman wanted to make a coat out of puppies!

So. Let’s talk We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I would like to nominate the town as the villain, and I think Shirley Jackson would agree.

And finally, General Woundwort from Watership Down. I love a rabbit, I love hares, but not General Woundwort. He has no redeeming qualities and is terrifying.

And that is my ten! I am looking forward to reading everyone else’s list!

39 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Villains”

  4. Good bad guys. I need to reread Watership Down … I first read it in the summer of 1977 … and was quite transported by it but now my memory is foggy. I think the Wicked Witch of the West scared me and Hannibal Lecter. lol.

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  6. I never was part of the HP fandom as a kid (and as an adult I guess I never really was drawn to them) but from all I know of the stories, Harry’s world does seem to have lots of villains! Guess this helps make the good guys triumph so much cooler. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my list this week.

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  17. This was a good mix of different villains on different levels. I liked that. I chose Voldemort but gosh Umbridge was horrible on a different level. That smile while she destroys someone’s life. I had to be stereotypical here but she reminded me so much of my mother-in-law I had the hardest time watching her in the movies!

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  18. marsha57's avatar marsha57

    I have to agree with you on Umbridge. Voldemort was evil, but Umbridge was a villain. I had such a hard time watching the last season of The Crown when Imelda Staunton played Elizabeth II! I just kept seeing Umbridge in one of her persnickety suits! I haven’t read near as many Stephen King books (no way I could read It), but I just couldn’t believe Misery. In fact, I couldn’t even watch the movie! This was a fun prompt.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  21. Girlllllll you killed it this week! There are so many books on this list that I completely agree with you on, like Annie Wilkes 😬 although I’m way too scared to check out It and some of his other books. Anything by Gillian Flynn is a sure bet for a standout villain.

    I didn’t realize that Apt Pupil was a book – the movie was horrifying enough that I don’t think I could read the book and actually get inside their heads. And while I’m not a big reader of horror, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one that’s been on my TBR for an embarrassingly long time.

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    1. I love Gillian Flynn and Stephen King! I am a horror story girlie at heart I guess. Lol. I don’t read as much of it now though honestly; after I had Wyatt it was like too real, if that makes sense, things that didn’t scare me began to.

      Ugh it was a novella? Short story? I think some of his novellas and short stories are even scarier than his full length novels!

      And We Have Always Lived in the Castle is so good. It took me a while to get to it too!

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      1. I can handle Gillian Flynn – love her works, and I wish she would come out with more soon! Have you seen the adaptation of Sharp Objects? I thought they did a great job, but then again I love Amy Adams.

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