Patricia Abbott (pattinase): The Names Of Villains

Monday, November 30, 2015

The Names Of Villains

Is it the villain the makes the name great or the name that makes the villain memorable: Hannibal Lector, Norman Bates, Nurse Ratched, Maleficent, Lex Luthor, Ebenezer Scrooge?

What are some of best names for villains?

23 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...: Dick Cheney; 9:01 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Nobody will beat that one.; 9:03 AM
George said...: I always liked the evil name Sauron (who resided in Mordor) from THE LORD OF THE RINGS.; 10:04 AM
Jerry House said...: I have to agree with Jeff.

Second place, though, should go to Snidely Whiplash.; 10:14 AM
Jeff Meyerson said...: Yes, Snidely Whiplash is great. And Sauron.

How about Severus Snape?; 10:16 AM
Mathew Paust said...: Karl Rove. And before him that raging a**hat, creator of the Southern Strategy, Lee Atwater. And then there was Harry Anslinger, who invented the War on Drugs. But wait, we're talking about the movies, aren't we...umm, okay, Harry again: Mighty Mouse's maleficent nemesis OILCAN HARRY!! And, of course, Maleficent herself, a-and The Joker. Wait...there are more...okay, I desist.; 10:30 AM
Deb said...: Dickens was great at that sort of thing: Mr. Murdstone, Uriah Heep, Madame LaFarge, etc.; 10:44 AM
Al Tucher said...: Dickens is great for villains. It's hard to beat Uriah Heep.; 10:47 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Voldemort from Harry Potter, Mrs. Danvers, Rebecca, The Grinch, Captain Hook; 11:12 AM
Jerry House said...: Count Fosco (Wilkie Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE) just oozes nastiness.; 11:35 AM
Jeff Meyerson said...: Uriah Heep, yes.; 11:49 AM
Chad Eagleton said...: One of my favorite names for a villain is Alexis Machine from Dead City by Shane Stevens. Stephen King liked the name so much that he borrowed for The Dark Half.; 11:55 AM
Deb said...: Someone mentioned Snape, but how about Draco Malfoy?; 12:52 PM
Deb said...: And, lest we forget, Greg Marmalade, Doug Neidermeyer, and Dean Vernon Wormer.; 12:55 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Wormer. Great one!; 1:35 PM
Jeff Meyerson said...: Absolutely, Deb. My all-time favorite.; 1:43 PM
Jeff Meyerson said...: Absolutely, Deb. My all-time favorite.; 1:43 PM
Yvette said...: Dracula.
Count Fosco.
Professor Moriarity.
Sebastian Moran.
Arnold Zeck.; 1:59 PM
Mathew Paust said...: Wormer, Heap and Moriarty--lordy what a great trio for a pastiche with Allan Grant versus all three, all played by Walter "Jack" Palance (as per the credit in his debut film role, as "Blackie" in Panic in the Streets).; 3:48 PM
Rick Robinson said...: It's the author putting the name on the bad guy, not the name, other 'way 'round. Gentle Goodfellow could be the vile criminal, depending on what he did and to whom (cuts up kittens...). Still, authors do a pretty good job of finding names that seem to communicate that character is a villain. Many of those already named sound like bad guys because we already know they are.

Another that comes to mind: Darth Vader.; 4:20 PM
Cap'n Bob said...: Hitlery Clinton.; 6:25 PM
Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) said...: I love 'Kasper Gutman' from THE MALTESE FALCON though he's got nothing on Nurse Ratched from ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST!; 3:40 AM
Charles Gramlich said...: The Abominable Dr. PHibes; 10:25 AM