![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianAm a little behind on the squee challenge because I've been, sadly, rather busy. But that said...
Prompt for today: Top 5 Favorites: Best Baddies, with images, gifs, or video evidence.
I love villains so much that I really can't choose, but I'll do my best anyway.
5. Saruman:
Ah, Saruman. You never fail to scare me. Seriously, Christopher Lee did an amazing job as Saruman, and still is doing an amazing job.
4. Davros:
I've been fascinated with him ever since I first saw Nash's review of "Revelation of the Daleks", and seeing "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End" made me love him all the more. (Also, the Big Finish audio, "Davros". Seriously, him and Six working together = perfection). Julian Bleach is just fantastic. I think what really gets me is his speech about the Reality Bomb, as well as the stuff that didn't make it in in regards to how he got the way he was. (God, if I had enough time, I would write something about Davros' backstory. I swear I would) And him Hannibal Lecturing the Doctor. *Shivers* Most gut-wrenching Hannibal Lecture ever. (Plus, honestly, how many times does that happen in fiction?) And he was just generally really fun to watch (his "...and oh, the end of the universe has come" line, for example). And though iTunes sadly has not released "Genesis of the Daleks" in serial format, listening to the audiobook of "Genesis of the Daleks" was just awesome. I know that it definitely helped me sleep while I was away at camp last year. (Even if the ending is still fucking terrifying. 0.0)
Plus? (Sort of) Well-Intentioned Extremists are always ones to win me over. Davros genuinely has justifications for what he's doing, twisted as they are (and he seems to have some affection for his Daleks -- or "his children" -- in a weird way. From what I saw, at least), which really makes him all the scarier.
3. The Sith Triumvirate in KOTOR II:
I'm including them as a collective because yeah, it's cheating, but they're all pretty amazing villains. Nihilus is wonderfully menacing (even if he may suffer from a case of Anticlimax Boss), Sion is also really menacing, and yet he's not entirely one-dimensional -- he has his softer moments, such as his affection for the female Exile, twisted as it may be, and his similar sort of affection for Kreia/Darth Traya twisted as it also may be. He even has some good intentions on the side, in a way; for example, him decrying Revan for seemingly abandoning the galaxy, and believing that Malak could be strong enough to put the galaxy back together. Plus, the final battle with him, no matter which Exile you may play, is probably one of the most effective, even emotional lightsaber duels in Star Wars history. (Seriously, I don't think Talking the Monster to Death has ever been used with more pathos than here) I think Scorchy's LP of the game said it best (BTW, I recommend you go and check it out because it's freaking awesome):
Much like Vader's and even Malak's death, it's a neat trick to go from hating the bastard villain to feeling sorry for him. With Sion, there's a consistent arc of pathos to his character throughout the game, and the emotional payoff for it comes at the end here.
(Original source here)
So yeah, Sion? You are awesome, man. I salute you.
And then there's Kreia herself. Honestly, I just love her. I mean, she's snarky, she's layered, she's complex, and it's really interesting to see the mentor as sort of the hidden villain orchestrating things. Made even more powerful considering that...well, she's not doing all of this for the sake of it. She actually has very believable motivations (the matter of hating how the Force manipulates others, not to mention becoming jaded with both the Jedi and the Sith). In addition, she has a lot of really wonderful lines (then again, KOTOR II in general has wonderful dialogue. I almost regret the times when I kept pressing the ENTER key to get to my dialogue options, if only because it distracted me from some...well, really lovely bits of dialogue. But Kreia gets the best lines. :) and even, in the end, has her softer moments. For example, admitting that she genuinely loved the Exile. I dunno; it just really gets to me. Sort of admitting, in a way, that the Exile really was the best of her life -- the best she had ever done. She was one of the first villains who really left an imprint on me.
So yeah, the Sith Triumvirate? Fucking awesome. (And goddamn, I need to really go and replay that game. :( )
2. The Master:
Honestly, I didn't expect to love the Master as much as I do now, but then again, I think it applies to a lot of Doctor Who in general. I think what really works for me is how...well, layered he is. He's sadistic, but he also has his softer moments. He's funny, but at the same time he's also quite sad. He's the guy who can scream "Here come the drums!" He can scream louder without going above a whisper. I think it helps with John Simm's acting, but I also love Derek Jacobi's acting in regards to Professor Yana, the Master's human incarnation (before he had to regenerate). RTD said in the Confidential for "Utopia" that he hoped that Yana would be lovable, and I think for the most part, it really works. He's kind, he's compassionate, he's funny, he's optimistic...and it really makes things all the sadder when he turns out to be the Master. (And kills Chantho. :( )
I think it also provides a very nifty parallel to the Doctor's story in "Human Nature/Family of Blood" -- just the fact that, in a way, the both of them can't escape their destinies. They can never really be normal -- the Doctor being the Doctor, and the Master being Rassilon's pawn. It's a very complex, layered story, the Master's -- one moment he's frightening/angering the audience, the next he's making them laugh, the next he's pitiful. Plus, his bond with the Doctor is probably one of the most fascinating I've ever seen in fiction.
1. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader:
Also known as one of the first villains who ever made an impact on me. I wouldn't have really gotten into STAR WARS really if it wasn't for him. I think what's really interesting about him is how he starts off as a hero, before becoming a villain, and all because of a misguided desire to save the people he loves. I think it's something that I can relate to, in a way -- that and feelings of restlessness and being confined. A lot of who Anakin is is very human, which really makes his fall all the more powerful. That and there's something sad about seeing someone who...well, honestly, really deserves everything and ends up with nothing in the end. Well, except until Luke comes along. I also liked (and still like) how Luke redeems Vader -- it's not the matter of him being a saint but just the matter of him being an honestly sheltered young man with a ton of empathy. And I think the fact that Vader was braver than any Jedi in the end -- sacrificing himself to save Luke -- is definitely one of the most powerful elements of Return of the Jedi. I think it sends a good message, really, the fact that there's good in just about everyone, and that anyone can be redeemed. Not sure if it can always work, but...y'know. He's also made a huge impact on me and my writing, which, more than anything else, qualifies him for the number one spot.
So yeah, those are my top five favorite villains. Hope you guys enjoyed. :)
Prompt for today: Top 5 Favorites: Best Baddies, with images, gifs, or video evidence.
I love villains so much that I really can't choose, but I'll do my best anyway.
5. Saruman:
Ah, Saruman. You never fail to scare me. Seriously, Christopher Lee did an amazing job as Saruman, and still is doing an amazing job.
4. Davros:
I've been fascinated with him ever since I first saw Nash's review of "Revelation of the Daleks", and seeing "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End" made me love him all the more. (Also, the Big Finish audio, "Davros". Seriously, him and Six working together = perfection). Julian Bleach is just fantastic. I think what really gets me is his speech about the Reality Bomb, as well as the stuff that didn't make it in in regards to how he got the way he was. (God, if I had enough time, I would write something about Davros' backstory. I swear I would) And him Hannibal Lecturing the Doctor. *Shivers* Most gut-wrenching Hannibal Lecture ever. (Plus, honestly, how many times does that happen in fiction?) And he was just generally really fun to watch (his "...and oh, the end of the universe has come" line, for example). And though iTunes sadly has not released "Genesis of the Daleks" in serial format, listening to the audiobook of "Genesis of the Daleks" was just awesome. I know that it definitely helped me sleep while I was away at camp last year. (Even if the ending is still fucking terrifying. 0.0)
Plus? (Sort of) Well-Intentioned Extremists are always ones to win me over. Davros genuinely has justifications for what he's doing, twisted as they are (and he seems to have some affection for his Daleks -- or "his children" -- in a weird way. From what I saw, at least), which really makes him all the scarier.
3. The Sith Triumvirate in KOTOR II:
I'm including them as a collective because yeah, it's cheating, but they're all pretty amazing villains. Nihilus is wonderfully menacing (even if he may suffer from a case of Anticlimax Boss), Sion is also really menacing, and yet he's not entirely one-dimensional -- he has his softer moments, such as his affection for the female Exile, twisted as it may be, and his similar sort of affection for Kreia/Darth Traya twisted as it also may be. He even has some good intentions on the side, in a way; for example, him decrying Revan for seemingly abandoning the galaxy, and believing that Malak could be strong enough to put the galaxy back together. Plus, the final battle with him, no matter which Exile you may play, is probably one of the most effective, even emotional lightsaber duels in Star Wars history. (Seriously, I don't think Talking the Monster to Death has ever been used with more pathos than here) I think Scorchy's LP of the game said it best (BTW, I recommend you go and check it out because it's freaking awesome):
Much like Vader's and even Malak's death, it's a neat trick to go from hating the bastard villain to feeling sorry for him. With Sion, there's a consistent arc of pathos to his character throughout the game, and the emotional payoff for it comes at the end here.
(Original source here)
So yeah, Sion? You are awesome, man. I salute you.
And then there's Kreia herself. Honestly, I just love her. I mean, she's snarky, she's layered, she's complex, and it's really interesting to see the mentor as sort of the hidden villain orchestrating things. Made even more powerful considering that...well, she's not doing all of this for the sake of it. She actually has very believable motivations (the matter of hating how the Force manipulates others, not to mention becoming jaded with both the Jedi and the Sith). In addition, she has a lot of really wonderful lines (then again, KOTOR II in general has wonderful dialogue. I almost regret the times when I kept pressing the ENTER key to get to my dialogue options, if only because it distracted me from some...well, really lovely bits of dialogue. But Kreia gets the best lines. :) and even, in the end, has her softer moments. For example, admitting that she genuinely loved the Exile. I dunno; it just really gets to me. Sort of admitting, in a way, that the Exile really was the best of her life -- the best she had ever done. She was one of the first villains who really left an imprint on me.
So yeah, the Sith Triumvirate? Fucking awesome. (And goddamn, I need to really go and replay that game. :( )
2. The Master:
Honestly, I didn't expect to love the Master as much as I do now, but then again, I think it applies to a lot of Doctor Who in general. I think what really works for me is how...well, layered he is. He's sadistic, but he also has his softer moments. He's funny, but at the same time he's also quite sad. He's the guy who can scream "Here come the drums!" He can scream louder without going above a whisper. I think it helps with John Simm's acting, but I also love Derek Jacobi's acting in regards to Professor Yana, the Master's human incarnation (before he had to regenerate). RTD said in the Confidential for "Utopia" that he hoped that Yana would be lovable, and I think for the most part, it really works. He's kind, he's compassionate, he's funny, he's optimistic...and it really makes things all the sadder when he turns out to be the Master. (And kills Chantho. :( )
I think it also provides a very nifty parallel to the Doctor's story in "Human Nature/Family of Blood" -- just the fact that, in a way, the both of them can't escape their destinies. They can never really be normal -- the Doctor being the Doctor, and the Master being Rassilon's pawn. It's a very complex, layered story, the Master's -- one moment he's frightening/angering the audience, the next he's making them laugh, the next he's pitiful. Plus, his bond with the Doctor is probably one of the most fascinating I've ever seen in fiction.
1. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader:
Also known as one of the first villains who ever made an impact on me. I wouldn't have really gotten into STAR WARS really if it wasn't for him. I think what's really interesting about him is how he starts off as a hero, before becoming a villain, and all because of a misguided desire to save the people he loves. I think it's something that I can relate to, in a way -- that and feelings of restlessness and being confined. A lot of who Anakin is is very human, which really makes his fall all the more powerful. That and there's something sad about seeing someone who...well, honestly, really deserves everything and ends up with nothing in the end. Well, except until Luke comes along. I also liked (and still like) how Luke redeems Vader -- it's not the matter of him being a saint but just the matter of him being an honestly sheltered young man with a ton of empathy. And I think the fact that Vader was braver than any Jedi in the end -- sacrificing himself to save Luke -- is definitely one of the most powerful elements of Return of the Jedi. I think it sends a good message, really, the fact that there's good in just about everyone, and that anyone can be redeemed. Not sure if it can always work, but...y'know. He's also made a huge impact on me and my writing, which, more than anything else, qualifies him for the number one spot.
So yeah, those are my top five favorite villains. Hope you guys enjoyed. :)
