Talk:Villain

"Tragic Villain" (sympathetic villain) archetype
I know there is a section for "Sympathetic Villain", but maybe (perhaps as a subheading under the latter) there could be a mention about the "Tragic Villain" archetype?

The "Tragic villain" archetype is a character who is (or becomes) evil due to circumstance, rather than choice. Tragic villains often have tragic backstories, may or may not have evil motives or personalities, and are typically viewed as victims of circumstance, rather than 'purely' evil. TVs are usually seen as "deconstructions" of the villain archetype; sometimes also known as "anti-villains", in contrast to the one-dimensional villain.

Here are some references from the internet that mention what I'm talking about; this does appear to be a recognised modern concept:

https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Tragic_Villain https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Tragic https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/tragic-villain.1180923/

I guess this falls under the "sympathetic villain" archetype, but I still think it's worth mentioning this, even if it's within than section.

I would add it in myself, except it may be deleted or not approved, so just thought I'd comment this here. Also, I don't yet know how to edit in references. This is purely a suggestion, but I thought it was worth adding.

If this isn't worth mentioning, then just ignore this comment, I guess. I just thought I'd add this, as the concept of a "tragic villain" or "anti-villain" does appear to be something recognised in modern times. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.211.2.99 (talk) 20:37, 30 August 2019 (UTC)

Snidely Whiplash
The image labeled as being Snidely Whiplash is not actually Snidely... at least not as he appears in the original Dudley Do-Right shorts. It's more a caricature of a cartoon and, as such, looks as much like Professor Fate from The Great Race as Snidely. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.67.130.115 (talk) 14:01, 7 October 2020 (UTC)
 * You're correct. The description for the image mentions that it isn't meant to be a depiction of him (or a derivative) so I'll change the caption. DesertPipeline (talk) 04:58, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

Antisemitism in motivation and characterisation of villains
The motivation and characterisation of villains is often antisemitic e.g. the charcacter has a hooked nose and is greedy combines into an antisemitic stereotype. This should be part of the article but is currently missing.

When I opened this article today, the first image was of the antisemitic cartoon villain Snidley Whiplash, portrayed as a 'happy merchant', an antisemitic meme. That was also the image featured in the wikipedia blurb when google searching for 'villain'. The caption identified him as classic cartoon villain.

I have removed the image, but i think this instance shows how tightly the concepts 'villain' and 'jew' are wrongfully interwoven in works of both popular culture (e.g. the kids cartoon) and non-fiction (e.g. previously this very wikipedia article). — Preceding unsigned comment added by NotGirlfriendButLover (talk • contribs) 20:54, 13 January 2021 (UTC)


 * I agree, the image currently used looks like a Jewish carricature but nothing seems to be mentioned about it. I think this is an important topic to be addressed. Martsya (talk) 14:49, 14 April 2023 (UTC)

We added a section about stereotypes in animated media, there could be a subheading about anti-semitism added to that. Further expand on this idea: Mother Gothel is also representative of anti-semitic stereotypes. She is portrayed with dark curly hair and a hooked nose, two things that have historically been used in anti-semitic caricatures of Jewish women.EllieB15 (talk) 14:35, 10 October 2023 (UTC)

Using Snidey Whiplash as the face of villany is antisemitic
Snidey Whiplash is an antisemitic character on their own, furthermore the image File:Villainc.svg is an antisemitic edit of that character referencing the antisemitic 'happy merchant' meme. This image in particular is often used to identify oneself as someone who beliefs in a jewish global conspiracy or wishes for the end of jewish life on a global scale, examples of these banners can be found on the arabic wikipedia.

So this is not a classical picture of a cartoon villain, but a classic depiction of 'the jew' as the ultimate villain.

Using that picture in particular or any other of the character is an act of antisemitism and factually wrong, because jews are no villains. NotGirlfriendButLover (talk) 17:15, 14 January 2021 (UTC)

"Heavies" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Heavies and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 July 8 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. TraderCharlotte (talk) 03:32, 8 July 2022 (UTC)

What is another word for Villain ?
Is there any word that means the same thing as villain ? 2.29.250.239 (talk) 17:00, 6 November 2022 (UTC)


 * Try reading the article or look it up in a dictionary or thesaurus.—Anita5192 (talk) 17:29, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

Are most 21st-century DreamWorks villains inspired by Disney Renaissance villains
Are most modern-day DreamWorks villains inspired by Disney Renaissance villains? because there are many similarities between them. 95.147.145.243 (talk) 15:14, 12 March 2023 (UTC)


 * This is a page about improving the associated article. For an answer to the question, you might try Reference desk/Entertainment. Good luck, SchreiberBike &#124; ⌨ 23:41, 12 March 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: University Writing 1020 Communicating Feminism TR 10 am
— Assignment last updated by Cjsmith7 (talk) 16:04, 26 September 2023 (UTC)

Main image
So, the main image on the page is currently a generic stock cartoon villain. And while it's cute, I'm not sure that it really properly illustrates the concept of villainy in media because it's just a generic illustration. There are various classic or public domain villains that could be used to illustrate the concept while connecting it to their actual role in the narrative. Here are some examples of villains that could be used for the main image instead of the generic cartoon: What do you all think? Should the generic cartoon be replaced? If so, with whom? Di (they-them) (talk) 21:47, 13 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Big Bad Wolf (a classic and recognizable fairy tale villain that has come to represent the generic archetype of a villain)
 * Captain Hook (another classic villain)
 * Count Dracula (arguably the most famous and iconic literary villain)
 * How about an image of Iago, as a classic theatrical villain? Dimadick (talk) 19:57, 14 June 2024 (UTC)