"Best" evil characters you've read...

[Carolyn]

I just finished "East of Eden" and absolutely loved it, for many reasons. One of the aspects of this book that really struck me was Steinbeck's character development. Cathy/Kate was, in my opinion, one of the best embodiments of evil I have ever read. Even the scenes with her as a child made my skin crawl. It made me wonder how others reacted to her. What did you think of Cathy/Kate? What other literary characters have you read who you would consider on the same plane?

[Pandora]

In my first reading of East of Eden I was a little put off by Cathy/Kate especially since was the lead woman. In later readings I could appreciate how well she was done especially since her character was off set by Mrs. Hamlinton and Mrs. Steinbeck.

I thought Des Tiny from the Cirque Du Freak was one of best Devils I had ever read. Des Tiny even goes beyond Cathy. I also thought Danglers from the Count of Monte Cristo was well done. It was intresting in that he was a chess master like the Count. Both could set up elborate plots.

[Chuck]

No body writes"evil" better than Stephen King. He has given us evil in many of his better works but none surpasses Randall Flagg. All the other characters in The Stand, both good and bad, pale in comparison. He makes evil seem very real.

[Walter]

Cathy Ames is by far the most evil character I've encountered in literature thus far. Not because she's unbelievably messed up,but because she Steinbeck made her so real.

[Carolyn]

Chuck, it's so interesting that you bring up Stephen King... I actually mentioned in my review that after reading Steinbeck, I wondered if some of my favorite great "character authors" (Stephen King, Donald Ray Pollock) had been influenced by Steinbeck! King certainly can create a bone chilling but incredibly believable character. Leland Gaunt from Needful Things and Percy from The Green Mile both come to mind...

[Keegan]

Most evil character... what about William Hamleigh from The Pillars of the Earth ? He was pretty evil. In one scene he rode into a village with a few men, outnumbered, he decided to strike fear by grabbing a baby from a woman and tossing him up in the air.... that's pretty evil.

[Amy]

Keegan wrote: "Most evil character... what about William Hamleigh from The Pillars of the Earth ? He was pretty evil. In one scene he rode into a village with a few men, outnumbered, he decided to strike fear by ..."

I agree! Very sadistic rapist as well.

[Rodney]

The Judge from Blood Meridian always come to mind first for me when thinking about this.

Another is the narrator of Zombie by Joyce Carol Oats. Creepiest first person POV I've ever read.

[Joanne]

Bill Sikes was an evil fellow.

[Carolyn]

Good point Joanne! Dickens certainly had his finger on the pulse of all things corrupt and unsavory, as much as he could also bring out the best in his characters.
I haven't read Blood Meridian but it's on my list of books to read.

[Zora]

I don't like most purely evil characters that much--I'd rather have complex people populating the novels I read. Hannibal Lecter, maybe? He was smart, too, and rather funny, so while he was clearly evil, I found things to like in him.

[Charles]

Rodney wrote: "The Judge from Blood Meridian always come to mind first for me when thinking about this.

Yes, The Judge. He was the first to come into my mind for evil...even though he was quite a complex character.

[Ana]

I have never wanted to go into a book and slap a character as much as I did when reading about Undine Spragg in Wharton's Custom of the Country.

[Aaditya]

Mrs Danvers in Rebecca is very evil. What's more? She believes that Mrs de Winter (the protagonist's name is not mentioned) is evil. I found Mrs Van Hopper very bad, and Mrs Danvers topped her. I really don't like it when two people are companions and when one person gets almost haunted and the other is totally blind to it. Of course Mr. de Winter has his own problems, but he's too engrossed in his own problems. Mrs. de Winter overcame her mighty problems with that evil witch Mrs Danvers, and also did her best to help her husband come out of his problems. She's the real hero in that Novel. And Mrs. Danvers is the ultimate villain. She didn't give up. She never gave up. At last, she burnt the big house which she believes to be the home for and only for her worshipped Rebecca. She killed herself. She was non-negotiable.

I also find Percy (in the Green Mile), William Hamleigh and Amon Goeth very evil but they were at least somewhat negotiable. And you know who else is as non-negotiable as Mrs Danvers? The Shark in the Jaws.

[Zora]

Hmm, yes, non-negotiable, but the shark can't be evil, for you have to be able to have a certainly level of species intelligence to really be "evil." The shark was just doing what sharks do. He was hungry. All those legs. yum. Nor can hurricanes and volcanoes be "angry" as the TV news would have them. All that's amoral, rather than immoral.

Of course that lead to the question, if one must be able to formulate a moral code and then break it to be evil, are sociopaths really evil, or are they just missing some bit of brain that does this for most of us, and therefore no more evil than a shark?

[Aaditya]

Zora wrote: "Hmm, yes, non-negotiable, but the shark can't be evil, for you have to be able to have a certainly level of species intelligence to really be "evil." The shark was just doing what sharks do. He w..."

Zora, Zora, Zora. When I compared Mrs Danvers with the Shark, to say actually how negotiable she is, I was exaggerating for fun and effect. I should've added a smiley at the end of that comment, but I feared the smiley might totally dilute the hatred I want to convey about Mrs Danvers kind of people. I didn't really want to say that the Shark is evil. The shark is only as evil as my neighbor's always angry dog. Well, just confirming again, I don't mean both of them are evil. They are just innocent beasts with strong sharp teeth and a huge appetite for the panic stricken expression on my face. No offence meant to the Shark really. ;)

[Zora]

gotcha! Since I'm not a shark, not even in some vague metaphorical sense, I took no offense. just musing about philosophical matters as I sometimes do.

[Pandora]

Actualy the point Zora brings up is quite a good one. Does one have to a conscience to be truly evil? That was a big point in the novel. Steinbeck had gone out of his way to explain that Cathy was born a monster. That she had no conscience and believed that the whole world was as evil as she was. That was how Adam finally beat her in the end. He forgive Cathy which the one things she couldn't tolernate. To be proven wrong - that the world was indeed good.

It was the chief worry of Cal that he had inherited his Mother evil. When Lee discovered that about Cal it was the one time he lost his cool and told Cal he wasn't allowed to think that.

It was also what made the end so important. By Adam saying Tismel to Cal - Adam free Cal from evil and Cal would be able to be a man.

[Vonaire]

Keegan wrote: "Most evil character... what about William Hamleigh from The Pillars of the Earth ? He was pretty evil. In one scene he rode into a village with a few men, outnumbered, he decided to strike fear by ..."

Keegan wrote: "Most evil character... what about William Hamleigh from The Pillars of the Earth ? He was pretty evil. In one scene he rode into a village with a few men, outnumbered, he decided to strike fear by ..."

That is the first person that came to my mind when I thought of pure Evil....although, good call on Stephen King's Randall Flagg.

[Genevieve]

Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn.


I just finished reading Gone Girl, an awesome book on so many levels, but the character Amy was pure evil. So evil because a character like Amy could be someone we are married to, or are a sibling of, my point is these people exist as sociopaths in our society and hide it well, until they let loose their darkest imaginings. Truly frightening to be threatened by someone you love and trust. That is evil.

[Richard]

i don't know if you'd strictly call her EVIL as such but Briony from Atonement (Ian McEwan) is brilliantly created. I can't say much about her actions if you haven't read the book but the more you think about who she is and what she does the richer she seems to become. worth a look