The Eight Classic Archetypes of Villainess Female Villains The Eight Classic Archetypes of Villainess
The Bitch Abusive autocrat Lies, cheats, and steals her way to the top Doesn’t care about the peons around her – only the achievement of her dreams matter One Tree Hill Class President Erica Marsh
The Black Widow A beguiling siren who lures victims into her web Does her best to make her victim want to be deceived An expert in seduction Don’t be fooled by her claims of love – it’s all a lie Calypso from The Odyssey
The Backstabber Two-faced friend Delights in duping the unsuspecting Her sympathetic smiles enable her to learn her victims’ secrets Put no faith in her – she’ll betray you every time The whole concept of the Mean Girls movies centers around back-stabbing. Shout out to the LaRocca twins, who provided this example!
The Lunatic Unbalanced madwoman Draws others into her crazy environment The villainous character from Sherlock Holmes
The Parasite The poisonous vine, she collaborates for her own comfort She goes along with any atrocity, so long as her own security is assured She sees herself as a victim who had no choice, and blames others for her crimes Expect no mercy from her – she won’t lift a finger to help anyone but herself Mystique from X-Men and Poison Ivy from Batman
The Schemer The lethal plotter Devises the ruin of others Elaborate plans, intricate schemes – nothing pleases her more than to trap the unwary
The Fanatic The uncompromising extremist Does wrong in the name of good She justifies her action by her intent Catwoman
The Matriarch The motherly oppressor, she smothers her loved ones She knows what’s best and will do all in her power to control the lives of those who surround her Any female villains from Disney
Tonight’s Homework Select three of these archetypes Write a brief paragraph about each one, explaining a particular example from movies, TV, or literature