Male Villain Names
Choose a name that expresses your male villain’s malice. When naming your villain, you’ll want to choose a name that shows readers how scary they are. It doesn’t have to be super over the top, either. It can be a word from another language that subtly informs readers that they have bad intentions. Consider options like: Amon (Legend of Korra fans, we see you!) Akuji Akuma Anwir Apollo Ares Azrael Balor Beelzebub Belial Cain Casimir Cerebus Dagon Daray Darth (this one’s from a galaxy far, far away ????) Diablo Draco Gorgon Hades Hannibal Hadeon Ivan Icarus Jolon Krampus Kieran Lucifer Malice Moros
Female Villain Names
Choose a fearful name for your female villain. Depending on how villainous your female villain is, you may want to choose a name that denotes fear, terror, or simply gives readers the heebie jeebies. The best part is that there are plenty of names that do just that, including: Amaya Abyss Bragwen Bellatrix (Harry Potter fans, you may recognize this one) Carey Ciarda Cruella Delaney Donnelly Darcy Erembour Jemisha Kakarauri Kali Kauti Lila Layla Lilith Lorelai Maura Maurelle Merle Midnight Nera Nyx Raven Sayah Vix Sierra Zella
Super Villain Names
Choose a name that shows how strong your super-powered villain is. When you’re writing a super villain, you want a strong, evil name that shows readers that they’re nothing to play with. Think of classic icons like Victor Von Doom from Fantastic Four, or new terrifiers, like Conquest from Invincible. It’s okay to go a little over the top when you’re naming your super villain, especially when you have options like: Anthrax Annihilator Banshee Brick Layer Black Reign Caust The Cobra Killer Chaotia Doctor of the Dead Dark Blade Doom Lord Demon of the Night Demon Lord Equinox The Equalizer Equix Fearmonger The Inflictor Infernous Kilmonger Killer King The King of Evil The King of Death Mister Sinister (X-Men fans, recognize this one?) Mister Mystery Mister Midnight The Man of the Night Necromancer Lady Death The Woman of the Wilting World EXPERT TIP Grant Faulkner, MA Grant Faulkner, MA Professional Writer Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Grant Faulkner, MA Grant Faulkner, MA Professional Writer The most important thing about a character is for the author to know what is driving that character. Know what motivates the character, what the character desires, and what is standing between the character and achieving that desire.
Famous Villain Names
There are plenty of iconic villain names, like Voldemort and Darth Vader. Pop culture villains often transcend the media and become cultural icons. Think of classics like Green Goblin, Darth Vader, and He who shall not be named (even though we named him in the caption). Even if you haven’t seen their source material, you’ve likely heard of them. This also rings true for: The Joker Venom Bane Thanos Galactus Green Goblin Walter White Hannibal Lecter Agent Smith The Wicked Witch of the West Lex Luthor The Mandarin Jason Vorhees Freddy Krueger Michael Myers Terminator (T-1000) Emperor Palpatine Jabba the Hutt Wilson Fisk Ghostface Tony Montana Jigsaw Magneto Two-Face Catwoman Michael Corleone Loki Gollum Biff Tannen Kylo Ren
How to Create a Villain Name
Consider their motivations, draw inspiration from other writers, and get creative. When naming a villain, consider what their motivations are and use them to come up with a name. Draw inspiration from mythology, folklore, religion, and fictional stories if you’re getting stuck. Or, check out names, words, and phrases in other languages for inspiration. Mix and match your favorite names and phrases until you come up with something unique and original. For example, if your villain is driven by revenge, draw inspiration from characters like Punisher. If you’re stuck, take a word or phrase and switch it up multiple times until you come up with something you love. Pick a name that suits your story, too. While space-oriented names are fun, they won’t necessarily fit if your story is a western drama.
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