Toeing the Edge of Hilarity and Sadism

After about two weeks of dead space I'm back!!! I'm currently out working at a summer camp in Waterford, Maine so my internet access is rather limited. Right now however, I'm in Portland, the state's capital, in a Starbucks and ready to get back on my blogging grind. My internet access is limited so my blog posts will go from everyday to every 1-2 weeks until I return home. Also, I can't guarantee that any of these posts will be as long or as thorough as my other ones.

Now with that out of the way...

Not having any internet has given me a lot of time to think about topics for blog posts. Yeah the Bruins are up 2-1 in the Stanley Cup finals and the NBA Finals just had an EPIC Game 6 last night but as usual, I just love talking about tv shows, movies and what not. I've gotten to thinking the past few days about what makes a good villain. I'll share a few of my favorite villains with you...WARNING HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD

Quick little list of what makes a good villain
1.) Chemistry with the protagonist
2.) Unpredictability
3.) An uncanny ability to plan ahead
4.) Manipulation
5.) Quotability

Jim Moriarty, Sherlock

To be honest, I started watching Sherlock because I heard about how great Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of the legendary detective was. I finished the show more impressed with Andrew Scott's performance as the the detective's arch-nemesis. In every scene Moriarty toes the line between hilarity and pure sadism. One moment he'll be chatting affably with Sherlock and the next he'll explode into a sadistic rage just to remind you that he's the bad guy. He's Sherlock's equal in every way, he just decides to use his talents to cause chaos, treating each scenario as a game. (Sure people may die but like Moriarty says "That's what people do") Affable villains are probably my favorite because their brand of evil just feels so much more twisted and sadistic. (You can't beat a villain whose rington is Stayin Alive). Moriarty is one of those villains whose dark brand of comedy makes him lovable and yet all to evil all at the same time. It's that veil of creepiness that makes him probably my favorite villain.

Shinobu Sensui, Yu Yu Hakusho

Cold, manipulative, powerful, and fallen angel, Shinobu Sensui is the the best of what is an excellent crop of villains in Yu Yu Hakusho. A former agent of good (was Spirit Detective before Yusuke, the protagonist was) Sensui takes it upon himself to "judge" humanity for it's crimes against demons. He possessed a black and white morality when he was Spirit Detective, which was later smashed when he saw the evils that humans were capable of. Not to mention the fact that he split himself into 7 different personalities in order to keep his original one innocent. Like Moriarty, Sensui is able to toe the line between affable and absolutely psychotic in every scene. Like Moriarty, he provides a foil towards the main character. Sensui's head games all during the arc were brilliant, forcing the protagonists to make many morally ambiguous decisions and even cause them to doubt their motivations at some points. A master of manipulation and strategy he organizes an increible gambit and actually does manage to defeat the main character (one could even argue that he won the entire arc) Any villain that is able to accomplish his goals and plan as far ahead as Sensui did should be on this list.

The Joker, The Dark Knight

The Joker's inclusion on this list is almost a mere formality at this point. He really needs no introduction. Like the two preceding this, the Joker treats his evil plans like a game (sensing a trend here?). He's capable of taunting and conversing with the protagonist in a joking manner and then threaten to blow up a hospital. Just like Moriarty, every scene he's in just toes the line between creepy and comedy swooping through both sides without a care in the world. Just like the first two villains, he's a complete foil of his protagonist, a man unrestrained by Batman's noble rules, precisely what makes him so dangerous. Despite saying he has no plan, the Joker is actually quite intricate in his plans and always unpredictable (corrupting Harvey Dent was brilliant). His goal isn't to beat Batman, it's simply to burn Gotham to it's most choatic state, beat the system. It's such a larger goal than simply beating the protagonist.

So basically the trend here is simple, affable villains are the best kind of villains. Villains that have that creepy, unpredictable vibe around them. You never know what they're going to next, how far ahead they've planned, or how much they've manipulated the world around them. These are only three of my favorite villains, theres definitely more that I can include but based on my limited time these are the best three. I'd love to hear about your favorite villains or what you think of these three!!

Until next time...