“The female of the species is more deadly than the male” So true, Rudyard Kipling. The most memorable female villains are those who play parts that are both iconic and wicked. We can both love and despise them.
This list of the top 25 female villains features characters with mental instability who are loyal to evil lords as well as cunning, morally corrupt villains who frame innocent people; these characters did a great job of making the audience hate them; sometimes even more than the main antagonist.
Even if we find ourselves rooting for the hero, these villains too stole the show (and sometimes, our hearts). So who are some of the greatest female villains ever?
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25. Victoria From Twilight
She is a vicious female vampire whose aim is to create an army of newborns to kill Bella Swan. She appears as the lead antagonist in New Moon and Eclipse. Victoria is sadistic and wants to kill Bella as revenge for Edward killing her partner- James.
24. Miranda Priestly From Devil Wears Prada
Miranda Priestly is the antagonist in Devil Wears Prada. She made it to the top of the fashion industry by striving for perfection, working diligently, and taking on every obstacle head-on.
She is driven, commanding, and precise. Her excessive demands, directness, and ruthlessness are what make her the ‘Devil’.
23. Young Sook From The Call
In The Call, Young Sook is a woman that Seo Yeon- the protagonist ends up making a call to and realizes Young Sook is actually from the past, living in the same house she lived in, only two decades earlier.
Young Sook ends up becoming a psychopath serial killer, killing her mother, Seo Yeon’s parents, and in the ending, as it shows, captivating Seo Yeon in her house for the rest of her life.
22. Scarlet Overkill From Minions
Scarlet is the lead antagonist in the first movie of the Minions franchise. She employs the minions to steal the crown of England.
Because of Scarlet’s wit, humor, and dominant nature, many people have been inspired to become villains by her story. Her villainous plans are backed up by her husband who makes gadgets.
21. The White Witch From The Chronicles Of Narnia
The White Witch is portrayed as a wicked, diabolical temptress. She is vicious and harsh. Half-giant, half-genie, the White Witch has usurped control over the land of Narnia.
She uses her sorcery to make Narnia’s winter never-ending while also preventing Christmas from happening.
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20. Azula From Avatar
In the Avatar series, Azula is one of the main villains. She is the dangerously unbalanced princess of the Fire Nation, the younger sister of Zuko, the Fire Lord Ozai’s and Queen Ursa’s child, and the archrival of Team Avatar. She shows neither sympathy nor compassion to individuals she labeled as traitorous.
19. Jennifer Check From Jennifer’s Body
High school student Jennifer Check was sacrificed against her will and turned into a Succubus. She was taken over by a succubus, giving her demonic abilities.
She enticed boys on the school grounds in order to feed on their flesh and blood in order to sustain her life and replenish her strength.
18. Amy Dunne From Gone Girl
In the thriller, Gone Girl, Amy Dunne is the antagonist. She is a clever, manipulative psychopath who creates a cunning conspiracy to fake her own death and accuses her husband Nick of killing her as revenge for Nick’s affair.
17. Lady Tremaine From Cinderella
Lady Tremaine sometimes referred to as the “Evil Stepmother,” is the main villain in Disney’s Cinderella. She does not physically hurt her stepdaughter, instead, driven by her anger that Cinderella is much more good-looking than her own clumsy daughters. she tries to humiliate and mistreat her psychologically.
She’s an aristocrat who is determined to marry one of her daughters off to Prince Charming or a nobleman in order to elevate her social standing.
16. The Evil Queen From Snow White And The Seven Dwarves
The Evil Queen, the first Disney villain in the chronology of Disney animated films, is the antagonist of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White is the only person whose beauty surpasses her own, and the Queen, determined to maintain her position as the fairest of all, becomes wildly envious of her.
In a desperate effort to get rid of Snow White, she eventually takes the identity of an elderly woman to seduce Snow White into eating a poisoned apple.
15. Cersei Lannister From Game Of Thrones
Queen Cersei Lannister is one of the key antagonists in Game of Thrones.
She is the main nemesis of House Stark, particularly Arya Stark, Ned Stark, and Sansa Stark.
The primary traits that define Cersei as a person are her lust for power, cunning, rebellious outlook, and her love for and desire to protect her children. She is regarded as one of the show’s most complicated characters.
14. Wicked Witch Of The West From The Wizard Of Oz
The Wicked Witch of the West is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’s villain. Despite having tremendous magical abilities, the Wicked Witch frequently uses manipulation rather than magic to achieve her goals.
To keep her position of power, she resorts to violent threats and scare tactics. Many Ozians are terrified by her spine-tingling cackle.
13. Ursula From Little Mermaid
Ursula, also referred to as the Sea Witch is the villain of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She is a wicked Cecaelia (half-woman, half-octopus). Ursula is revealed to be a witch with a tendency to excuse her own actions and is power-hungry, ambitious, and manipulative. She desires to dominate the oceans.
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12. Catwoman From DC
Catwoman is one of the antagonists in the DC universe. Pride and temptation are two qualities that characterize Catwoman. She is an accomplished spy and a high-profile burglar so she can conceal her identity.
She isn’t seen as a psychopath or criminally insane, in contrast to the majority of the antagonists from the Arkham series.
11. Poison Ivy From DC Universe
Poison Ivy is another antagonist in the DC Universe. She is portrayed as a seductive temptress who is fully aware of her attractiveness and will use it to obtain what she wants, helped by the pheromones her particular biology generates for her.
In addition to her skills, Ivy is a skilled scientist who considers herself to be better than everyone else.
10. Harley Quinn From Suicide Squad
Another villain in the DC Universe is Harley Quinn. Harley has the ability to suddenly go from being humbled to enraged. Although she appears naive, exuberant, and girlish initially, that is only one aspect of her character.
She is also angry, vengeful, and a deadly fighter. Harley’s moods are unpredictable which makes it hard to reason with her.
9. Dark Phoenix From Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix is the titular antagonist from Marvel’s Dark Phoenix. The Hellfire Club’s corruption of Jean Grey resulted in her transformation into a terrifying supervillain that wreaked havoc throughout the world until she was defeated in a fight that purportedly claimed her life.
8. Regina George From Mean Girls
Regina George is the antagonist in Mean Girls. She is shrewd, cunning, and capable of using any means necessary to achieve her goals. She is known as the Queen Bee and is not just another bully from high school.
Her very lenient parents may have contributed to the development of her sense of control, manipulation, and superiority.
7. Hela From Marvel
The goddess of death and former Asgardian Executioner, Hela Odinsdottir was the antagonist in Thor: Ragnarok. Hela was locked up in Hel for centuries by her father Odin.
She was only let free after his passing. Hela is incredibly ambitious, furious, impatient, and temperamental, which makes her prone to killing or injuring anyone who gets in her way.
6. Dolores Umbridge From Harry Potter
Dolores Umbridge is a secondary antagonist in the Harry Potter books and films. The character is recognized around the world for her vileness. Umbridge is a vengeful, spiteful, petty, vicious lady who hides her wickedness beneath a mask of feminine elegance,
5. Maleficent From Maleficent
Maleficent is the antagonist of Maleficent. She is an embodiment of pure wickedness and a wicked fairy. As the protector of the Moors, she had undertaken this responsibility.
Her human love Stefan horribly betrayed her, turning her from the kind and nature-loving person she once was, and she now despises him and people in general. As an act of revenge, she curses his daughter Aurora.
4. Cruella De Vile From Cruella
In Cruella, Cruella De Vil is the owner of the luxurious fur-focused clothing brand House of DeVil. She is fur-obsessed both personally and professionally. She is egotistical and materialistic, and she would kill helpless puppies for a stylish coat without even blinking.
3. Mother Gothel From Rapunzel
Mother Gothel is the villain in Disney’s Rapunzel. She keeps Rapunzel trapped in a tower to use her magical hair. She’s greedy, cunning, and vain. Mother Gothel does have some maternal and nurturing traits, but they are usually only a front for her to keep Rapunzel under her thumb.
In order to maintain her position of authority, she deceives Rapunzel about the dangers in the outer world, plays the victim to win sympathy, and undermines Rapunzel’s self-esteem.
2. Bellatrix Lestrange From Harry Potter
Bellatrix Lestrange is one of the secondary antagonists in Harry Potter. She’s a well-known Death Eater. She is incredibly ruthless, completely loyal to Voldemort, and willing to kill anyone.
Bellatrix resembles a psychopath in some ways. She will stop at nothing to please Voldemort, to whom she has an obsessive attachment.
1. Esther Coleman In Orphan
A proportional dwarf, Esther Coleman who is actually a grown woman poses as a child to get adopted into families and later seduces the grown males in the family. She fits the description of a violent, delusional psychopath.
She lacks regret and is incredibly brilliant, cunning, and seemingly pleasant when necessary. When it serves her goals, she can readily arouse fear, empathy, and even admiration.
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