Beyond good and evil

Dive into the complex narratives of iconic villains who transcended traditional roles, blurring the lines between heroism and villainy. Discover how these characters captivated audiences, earning their place as protagonists in their own right.

“There are two sides to every coin.” This familiar saying reminds us that there are always multiple perspectives to consider and different ways to approach a situation. For every positive, there is a negative; for every hero, there is a villain; for every mountain, there is a valley. But can anyone truly be purely good or evil? The concept of anti-heroes challenges this notion, suggesting that the lines between heroism and villainy are often blurred. This raises the question, ‘Is it really that easy to take sides or align oneself with the hero’s ideology over the villain’s without knowing the latter’s side of the story?’ In fact, some villains have become so iconic that they have earned their own movies or TV series. Here’s a look at a few such villains who have captivated audiences to the point of becoming the stars of their own stories.

The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most iconic villains in literary history, first featured in L. Frank Baum’s classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the book, she is depicted as a powerful and menacing advisory to Dorothy, but her character is more fleshed out and complex in comparison to her portrayal in the 1939 film adaptation, where she is made to be more overtly evil and antagonist.

Her iconic look includes a long, black hat, a long, black dress, green skin, and a menacing cackle. This image has become synonymous with the character and has been ingrained in popular culture for generations.

Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, treated readers to a reimagining of the character’s backstory, which includes her unlikely friendship with Glinda the Good Witch. This dynamic friendship, fraught with jealousy, rivalry, and misunderstandings, adds layers of complexity to both characters, humanising the Wicked Witch in ways we hadn’t seen before.

This reimagining of the Wicked Witch’s story was later brought to the stage in the Tony Award-winning musical “Wicked.” The musical delves even deeper into the complex relationship between the two witches, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and the nature of good and evil.

And now, fans of the Wicked Witch and her story have something new to look forward to as the first part of the big screen adaptation of “Wicked” is set to hit theatres in 2024.

Cruella de Vil burst onto the scene as one of literature’s most infamous villains in Dodie Smith’s children’s novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Her wickedness was later immortalised in the classic animated film “101 Dalmatians,” where she’s depicted as a fashionable yet diabolical villain with her signature black and white hair and a coat made of Dalmatian fur.