Amarantha, A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J.Maas

Whilst arguably not receiving as much page time devoted to her character and her dialogue, Amarantha has a profound legacy manifest in each chapter. A former commander fresh from the manipulative loss of her sister, this fierce warrior forges allegiances with the most powerful lords of her target and enchants them for decades. Gruesomely wearing the remains of her mortal enemy as a ring around her finger, this faerie haunts her enemies eternally. Much about her physical description is unremarkable, flawless as befits a fantasy monarch, but it is her cunning and her threats that make her a far more compelling villain for the story. 

Malcolm Fade, The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

Committing atrocities in the name of love is not excusable, and the 200 years-old warlock Malcolm Fade is not exception. Though treated abominably by a callous class system, the cult of murderers he harvests for years is a relentlessly manipulative revenge. The sorcerer abuses his status to feign sympathy for a young family who trust him implicitly, ultimately exploiting them to achieve his goal. It can be argued whether the actual attempt to bring back a loved one from the dead is actually evil; however, the lengths Fade goes to bring back his Annabel Lee in a tomb by the sounding sea is cruelly tragic. 

The FAYZ, Gone Series by Michael Grant

When first reading these novels several years ago, I was not convinced that Michael Grant’s ensemble cast of desperate teenagers contained a standout villain. There are certainly memorable antiheroes, psychopaths, and evil characters, but out of the entire cohort, I would argue that it is the dystopian-style climate that the town is plunged into that is the true antagonist. Forcing adolescents into a lockdown controlled by painful consequences and complicated by everything from starvation and plague to unexplainable powers and an incompatible government, The Fallout Alley Youth Zone claims more minds and lives than any external threat. The almost sentient environment is as toxic as its resident nuclear power plant, and forces every player in its game to confront their every nightmare, which often has fatal consequences. 

The Hierarchy of Panem, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Coriolanus Snow is assuredly the primary evil in the nation of Panem. He diligently orders twenty three children a year to their televised deaths, and a twenty fourth victor to a lifetime of censored servitude. Though the figurehead and principal mastermind of this decades-long slaughter and thus in no way excusable, the villainy extends to most of Snow’s familiars. Corrupted citizens buy into the frivolity of the annual Hunger Games, and bet on its victims without compassion or understanding. Even rebel Alma Coin is corrupted by the lure of Panem’s inherent villainy. She highlights that even the opposition is prey to the allure of this tyrannical regime. 

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