# Favorite fictional villainesses **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076 "2002-04-28T07:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/1 "2002-04-28T07:37:16Z")
Just what the title suggests – who are your favorite fictional villainesses? The list changes from day to day, but Milady de Winter from Alexandre Dumas’ “Three musketeers” is always in the top ten. Cold as ice to the very end – brrr! Most film versions of “Three musketeers” either redeem her (Disney’s horrible version) or cut her out completely (the even more horrible “Musketeer”). What gives? Is she just too threatening? So who’s your favorite bad girl? .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/2 "2002-04-28T08:05:27Z")
Cruella De Vil from _101 Dalmations_ Michelle Phfieffer’s Catwoman. Rrraow! ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/3 "2002-04-28T08:07:50Z")
Or even, Michelle _Pfeiffer_. Damn crazy-minded typing fingers. ---
**Author:** ![G.Nome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@G.Nome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Nome)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/4 "2002-04-28T12:42:35Z")
**Beatrice Lacey** in Philipa Gregory’s book **Wideacre** is almost unsurpassably bad. She murders her father, commits incest with her brother and has his children, leaves her lover to die in an animal trap and ensures tenants on her family’s estate die of starvation. And it’s all done in the name of feminism!! In England in the 18th Century women apparently couldn’t inherit land and Beatrice Lacey really likes land. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/5 "2002-04-28T18:16:09Z")
Mrs. Danvers. Lady Macbeth. Jadis, Empress of Charn (not the SDMB poster, of course, a dem fine woman) Morgan LaFey (sorry, Marion Zimmer Bradley-types) ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/6 "2002-04-28T18:21:35Z")
And a fairly obscure one: Jenny Hager Poster Evered, the title character of Ben Ames Williams’ _The Strange Woman_. Major points to anyone who knows this book. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Maximino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mighty\_Maximino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Maximino)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/7 "2002-04-28T18:48:21Z")
Sarah Kerrigan from **Starcraft** is pretty bad. OK, it wasn’t really her fault that she got turned to evil in the first place, but she lets her desire for vengeance overwhelm her morality even when she can think for herself again. She repeatedly betrays most of the galaxy (double- and triple- crossing just about everyone). Plus she gets most of the good lines. She’s one of my favorite villainesses, but there were hints that she’s getting in a little over her head toward the end. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/8 "2002-04-28T19:14:10Z")
Femme Fatale- from that Powerpuff Girls episode. I just found her so utterly hilarous, in her plea for feminine solidarity. I’ll second Cruela deVil, 'cause anyone who wants to kill cute innocent puppies can’t be good, and also Mrs. Danvers. Rachel from the novel “My Cousin Rachel”- arguably not even a villainess, but you never know, right? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/9 "2002-04-28T19:46:34Z")
Well, the number one would be that Fla. Secty of State who helped Bush steal the election … scum of the Earth, and SO unrepentant! Then, Linda Fiotentino in “The Last Seduction” Then, Kathleen Turner in “Body Heat.” Finally, Phyllis Schafly, because all she’s about is hate. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/10 "2002-04-28T20:13:10Z")
Natasha, from Rocky & Bullwinkle. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/11 "2002-04-28T20:54:13Z")
**Livia Soprano** from _The Sopranos_, she is far and away, the most evil character in the series. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/12 "2002-04-28T22:53:06Z")
The Baroness from _G.I. Joe_, 'natch. Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/13 "2002-04-28T23:05:52Z")
I’ll second Sarah Kerrigan… she was once the most likeable of Good Guys, and suddenly is revealed as the most heinous of Bad Guys. Such a wonderful dichotomy. Of course, as cool and evil as Kerrigan is, she’s no match for the villainy of Princess Sara from the [8-Bit Theatre](http://www.nuklearpower.com/comic/) comic. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/14 "2002-04-29T01:07:05Z")
A baroness has been mentioned, so another one: The Baroness Von Schraeder! She wanted to pack the Von Trapp kids off to boarding school! She messed with Maria’s mind! Boo to her! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/15 "2002-04-29T01:09:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*Well, the number one would be that Fla. Secty of State who helped Bush steal the election … scum of the Earth, and SO unrepentant! > > Then, Linda Fiotentino in “The Last Seduction” > > Then, Kathleen Turner in “Body Heat.”…\*\* I’m with you on these two. How bout Sharon Stone as that female serial killer in, what is it, where she’s neglected to wear her panties? ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/16 "2002-04-29T01:16:02Z")
Greatest villain is definitely Joseph Heric, from _The Practice_. The way he manipulated the law to get away with three murders is nothing short of masterful. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/17 "2002-04-29T02:28:11Z")
Livia, wife of Augustus Caesar, mother of Tiberius, as seen in the Robert Graves books and Masterpiece Theater mini-series “I, Claudius.” ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/18 "2002-04-29T05:55:27Z")
The evil lady from “Titus Andronicus”. (What’s the name? Tamara?) Mostly for this line: “I’ll find a day to massacre them all!” [sub]Or something like that. I’m tired.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/19 "2002-04-29T06:15:41Z")
Best **Villainesses** , will have to be Catwoman–she was so bad that Batman had no choice but to marry her–and The Wicked Witch of the West. Snow White’s stepmother would also be up there too. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076/20 "2002-04-29T13:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*The Baroness from _G.I. Joe_, 'natch. > \*\* I’ll second that. I’ve always wondered why there is no online “cartoon shrine” about this character. Anybody got an obscure URL? The Baroness–a villianess that introduced a generation of junior high schoolers in the 80’s to the possibilities of black leather. :o 😉😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-fictional-villainesses/106076.md?page=2)