The literary world is home to some of the greatest villains
of all time. Aside from the fact that it is the oldest media, dating back since
our origins in caves, the fact that books are not constrained by time limits
allows a more in-depth look at everything that’s going on. This is especially
true for villains, as the increased space allows for even more room with which
to develop their character, backstory, and reason for becoming evil, which
enhances their villain-ness exponentially. By getting to know the character,
it’s possible to either love them or hate them depending on their reasons for
doing evil things, again allowed by the fact that you have more time to get to
know them. Sometimes you might even find “villains” in the role of protagonist,
and one of my favorite books that demonstrates this duality is the villain
Artemis Fowl II, from Artemis Fowl.
