Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss: The Purpose of Women in Villainy

We may not be able to #girlboss our way out of this one.

    From Maleficent and Snow White’s Evil Queen to Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, the history of women in villainous roles is a long and fascinating one. Unlike their male counterparts, female villains tended to lean towards serving some sort of example. They usually play the role of What Not to Be and the reasons for their villainy is usually meant as an example of the horrors of choosing to ignore societal gender roles. But as the role of “villain” changes and female protagonists in fiction gain some much-needed strength and screen time, we’re left asking: Should we still hold up the Evil Woman as the pinnacle of feminism? Or do they need an upgrade?

    As mentioned above, the original point of female villains was to show an unhappy and, often improper, woman in comparison to the quiet, demure protagonist. She was meant to be a powerful, independent woman because those were what women and girls were supposed to aspire not to be. Characters such as Poison Ivy and Maleficent were bad because they used power or sexuality to meet their ends. ````````````````````````````````````````````As the years went by, women began to crave strong women in their media. We were sick and tired of being relegated to the Wife at Home or the Damsel in Distress. But with a lack of female protagonists who fulfilled the roles of “strong and capable person,” we were left with no choice but to admire the villainesses. 

    Eventually, that empty space was filled, kinda. First, the introduction of the Strong Female Character allowed women to be the heroes of their own stories. Even better, in an ironic twist of fate, the villainesses that were so admired were granted the status of Antihero. This not only granted them the ability to be viewed in a more positive light, but also allowed them to have a sense of agency and complexity not often granted to female characters. For example, Maleficent allowed us to see the horned fairy in a new light. No longer was she the evil woman who so callously cursed an infant. Now she was a woman who was betrayed and assaulted by the man (and king) she loved. Her actions, while still not great, are now out of sorrow and heartbroken rage. Her reasons are ones we identify with and healing through the maternal feelings toward Aurora, she finds redemption and healing.

    But now the purpose for villains has changed: We want our villains to be complex, to have backstories to explain their villainy. Why did they decide to do such horrific things? How close are we to being just like them? Sadly, when a female villain is used, their reasoning stays the same as it was decades ago: girl-hate or the affection of a man. While men’s corruption arc tends to be difficult and long, full of pain and betrayal, whereas women will do anything as long as a man tell them too because they are, in fact, extensions of petty jealousy and desperation of male attention. 

For example, there’s the Darkling from Shadow and Bone, and Sankta Elizaveta from King of Scars, both by Leigh Bardugo. The Darkling, while a homicidal goth masquerading as general of the Second Army, does have an interesting backstory and an original purpose the reader can resonate with. He started out as a lonely boy that was always moving from one place to another because he’s Grisha. Thanks to that, he wanted to do everything he could to ensure the Grisha were respected. Except his rise to power and giant savior complex corrupts him and causes him to become a dictator bent on killing anyway in the way of his goals: being king of Ravka. That’s interesting! He’s not good by any stretch of the imagination, but his early motivations are ones we understand. Loneliness and unresolved trauma can lead to someone not being fit for power, especially a fast rise to power! He’s a foil to the main character Alina! What great writing, Leigh!

Elizaveta, on the other hand, is a throwaway character who’s about as complicated as a six-piece jigsaw puzzle. Her existence is barely fleshed out beyond “in love with The Darkling and pissed that teenage whore Alina stole him from me.” Her reasoning for bringing him back isn’t for power or much of anything. We’re not sure what it is, so one can only assume it’s because she hopes bringing him back will cause him to love her again. And while usually this would be sad, it ends up being annoying as nobody analyzes it and Elizaveta is still making enemies of teenagers and twenty-somethings who didn’t even know she was real.

So, should we hold up the Evil Woman as the pinnacle of feminism? Not as she stands now. Because at this stage of the game, we don’t need her. But that doesn’t mean the character should be abandoned entirely. As with the Strong Female Character and the Love Interest, she needs to be upgraded and treated as if she has any humanity within her. Remember, most women won’t become evil just because a boy doesn’t like them.