# Great female villains **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455 "2012-01-14T00:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/1 "2012-01-14T00:12:15Z")
I nominate Agent June Stahl from **Sons Of Anarchy**. I just rewatched SOA Season 2 (I’ve seen Season 3, but not 4) and I was again impressed with Ally Walker’s work as Agent Stahl. It’s the weird head bobbing, like a Praying Mantis sizing up a cricket before she seizes it and bites it’s head off. Tough, smart, amoral. Loved/hated her. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/2 "2012-01-14T00:20:12Z")
The Queen from _Aliens_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/3 "2012-01-14T00:42:47Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I nominate Agent June Stahl from **Sons Of Anarchy**. I just rewatched SOA Season 2 (I’ve seen Season 3, but not 4) and I was again impressed with Ally Walker’s work as Agent Stahl. It’s the weird head bobbing, like a Praying Mantis sizing up a cricket before she seizes it and bites it’s head off. Tough, smart, amoral. Loved/hated her. That was same damn good acting. I nominate Kate from East of Eden. Cruella Deville of 101 Dalmations. And Georgette from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/4 "2012-01-14T00:54:51Z")
The \*Wicked Witch of the East \*was pretty bad-assed. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/5 "2012-01-14T01:02:27Z")
What did Sherlock Holmes call her, “The Woman”, “The Other Woman?” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/6 "2012-01-14T01:06:29Z")
Elanore Iselin from _The Manchurian Candidate_ ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/7 "2012-01-14T01:07:24Z")
The mother of the main characters in Heroes. Ruthless, complex, and well-acted. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What did Sherlock Holmes call her, “The Woman”, “The Other Woman?” The Woman. Not sure she really counts as a villain, though. Villain to me is more evil than she was. But she was a good character, hence her being elevated in status in a lot of adaptations. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/8 "2012-01-14T01:18:29Z")
Isabelle de Merteuil from _Dangerous Liasions_. Cruel and malicious. Glenn Close played her to perfection. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/9 "2012-01-14T01:19:22Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > And Georgette from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Georgette (Ted’s wife) or Sue Ann Nivens, the Happy Homemaker (Betty White)? I’m not sure I can see Georgette as a villain. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/10 "2012-01-14T01:23:13Z")
How about Lucretia from Spartacus? Played by the lovely Lucy Lawless. Maybe not quite as villainous as some, but definitely sexy. And, after all, I want my female villains to be sexy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/11 "2012-01-14T01:25:22Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Georgette (Ted’s wife) or Sue Ann Nivens, the Happy Homemaker (Betty White)? I’m not sure I can see Georgette as a villain. That’s just what she _wants_ you to think! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/12 "2012-01-14T01:30:14Z")
Livia Soprano. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/13 "2012-01-14T01:31:26Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > How about Lucretia from Spartacus? > Played by the lovely Lucy Lawless. > > Maybe not quite as villainous as some, but definitely sexy. > And, after all, I want my female villains to be sexy. A lot of villains of any gender are sexy, partly because they’re often intelligent and witty, and partly because they’re not shackled by goodness as many good guys are - they have a lot of leeway to do interesting things. Being Lucy Lawless does help, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/14 "2012-01-14T01:31:52Z")
I nominate Mags Bennett from season 2 of Justified. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/15 "2012-01-14T01:39:54Z")
Barbara Stanwyck in _Double Indemnity_. Theda Bara in _A Fool There Was_. Kathleen Turner in _Body Heat_. Margaret Hamilton in _The Wizard of Oz_. Bette Davis in _The Little Foxes_. Gene Tierney in _Leave Her to Heaven_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/16 "2012-01-14T01:40:02Z")
Milady de Winter (in the original book). ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/17 "2012-01-14T01:58:05Z")
The Baroness, though she’s arguably a sidekick Poison Ivy Catwoman Cruella de Vil Nurse Ratched ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/18 "2012-01-14T02:03:09Z")
Umm, you may get a few votes for Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) in Misery. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/19 "2012-01-14T02:07:55Z")
Tilda Swinton as the White Witch of Narnia. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455/20 "2012-01-14T02:12:57Z")
Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction. Evil! Pure, sexy evil. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-female-villains/609455.md?page=2)