// Female villains

Female villains

The best female villains in fiction analysed with real criminology: 111 case files applying genuine criminological theories to the characters you already know.

111 case files56 theories

Feminist criminology 9

Poster of Cersei Lannister, villain from Game of ThronesFeminist criminologyCersei LannisterGame of Thrones · SeriesCersei Lannister and feminist criminology: the same bloody game Tywin, Robert or Littlefinger all play — yet we judge her as something worse, something…Read the case file →Poster of Annie Wilkes, villain from MiseryFeminist criminologyAnnie WilkesMisery · FilmMisery and feminist criminology: most women who kill do so in the very spaces they were confined to—the home, caregiving, affection—and their violence is read…Read the case file →Poster of Enfermera Ratched, villain from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestFeminist criminologyNurse RatchedOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · FilmOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and feminist criminology: Nurse Ratched is at once a real tyrant — the institutional power that crushes with a white glove —…Read the case file →Poster of Kathryn Merteuil, villain from Cruel IntentionsFeminist criminologyKathryn MerteuilCruel Intentions · FilmCruel Intentions and feminist criminology: Kathryn Merteuil manipulates, seduces and destroys from the shadows — because it is the only power a world built for…Read the case file →Poster of Alex Forrest, villain from Fatal AttractionFeminist criminologyAlex ForrestFatal Attraction · FilmFatal Attraction and feminist criminology: Alex Forrest does terrible things, yes — but look at how the film constructs her. The single, independent, desiring…Read the case file →Poster of Acrobatic Silky, villain from DandadanFeminist criminologyAcrobatic SilkyDandadan · AnimeAcrobatic Silky and feminist criminology: three jobs, a debt, an abducted child and a jump from a rooftop. The monster comes afterwards; what happened before…Read the case file →Poster of Judy Moncada, villain from NarcosFeminist criminologyJudy MoncadaNarcos · SeriesJudy Moncada and feminist criminology: the woman who, in the series Narcos, finances the offensive against Escobar and whom the story sets aside. The file on a…Read the case file →Poster of Lizzie Borden, villain from Monster (Netflix)Feminist criminologyLizzie BordenMonster (Netflix) · SeriesLizzie Borden and feminist criminology: acquitted in ninety minutes in 1893, and the case is still open in popular culture. The file on the chivalry hypothesis…Read the case file →Poster of Héloïse de Villefort, villain from The Count of Monte CristoFeminist criminologyHéloïse de VillefortThe Count of Monte Cristo · LiteratureHéloïse de Villefort and feminist criminology: in The Count of Monte Cristo, the crown prosecutor’s second wife kills three people with poison and tries to…Read the case file →

Attachment 5

Poster of Estella, villain from Great ExpectationsAttachmentEstellaGreat Expectations · LiteratureGreat Expectations and attachment theory: Estella is cold and incapable of loving because she was raised that way on purpose — a bitter woman brought her up to…Read the case file →Poster of Mother Gothel, villain from TangledAttachmentMother GothelTangled · AnimationMother Gothel, from Tangled, and attachment theory: how a counterfeit maternal bond becomes the perfect leash. The kidnapping that needs no walls because it…Read the case file →Poster of Himiko Toga, villain from My Hero AcademiaAttachmentHimiko TogaMy Hero Academia · AnimeHimiko Toga and attachment theory: when the first bond punishes who you are, intimacy is learned crooked. How a repressed girl ends up believing that to love…Read the case file →Poster of M3GAN, villain from M3GANAttachmentM3GANM3GAN · FilmM3GAN and attachment theory: an AI doll bonds with the girl she is meant to care for and, to protect her, starts eliminating any threat. The perfect attachment…Read the case file →Poster of La otra madre, villain from Other MommyAttachmentOther MommyOther Mommy · FilmRob Savage’s Other Mommy and attachment theory: an entity wearing the mother’s face wins over a girl in a house in crisis. It does not force the door; it waits…Read the case file →

Social learning 5

Poster of Talia al Ghul, villain from BatmanSocial learningTalia al GhulBatman · ComicsTalia al Ghul and social learning theory: how an assassin is manufactured from childhood. No one is born wielding the League's blade; Talia was raised to it,…Read the case file →Poster of Sarah Kerrigan, villain from StarCraftSocial learningSarah KerriganStarCraft · Video gamesSarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades from StarCraft, and social learning theory: how violence is shaped in a new environment that rewards and teaches it. A…Read the case file →Poster of Harley Quinn, villain from DC ComicsSocial learningHarley QuinnDC Comics · ComicsHarley Quinn and social learning (Bandura; Akers): how a brilliant psychiatrist learns crime from the Joker through imitation and reinforcement, inside an…Read the case file →Poster of Reze, villain from Chainsaw ManSocial learningRezeChainsaw Man · AnimeReze and social learning theory (Akers): how a criminal institution manufactures a weapon out of a child—teaching violence, deception and seduction until they…Read the case file →Poster of Mathilda, villain from Léon: The ProfessionalSocial learningMathildaLéon: The Professional · FilmMathilda and social learning theory: the child who does not fall into crime but applies for it. The file on the four things an apprentice needs — which…Read the case file →

Psychopathy 5

Poster of Amy Dunne, villain from Gone GirlPsychopathyAmy DunneGone Girl · FilmGone Girl and psychopathy behind the most disarming mask of all: the perfect wife. A profile science was slow to recognize because it didn't fit the stereotype.Read the case file →Poster of Villanelle, villain from Killing EvePsychopathyVillanelleKilling Eve · SeriesKilling Eve and psychopathy: Villanelle embodies a profile science was slow to recognize—that of the female psychopath—and, along the way, dismantles the…Read the case file →Poster of Aunt Gladys, villain from WeaponsPsychopathyAunt GladysWeapons · FilmAunt Gladys of Weapons and psychopathy: the manipulative predator who turns kinship and tenderness into camouflage. How the mask of the frail old woman is, in…Read the case file →Poster of Cassandra Nova, villain from X-MenPsychopathyCassandra NovaDeadpool & Wolverine · FilmCassandra Nova, the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), read through Robert Hare's psychopathy checklist (PCL-R): superficial charm, grandiosity,…Read the case file →Poster of Jadis, villain from The Chronicles of NarniaPsychopathyJadisThe Chronicles of Narnia · LiteratureJadis, the White Witch, and psychopathy: in The Chronicles of Narnia, the last queen of Charn speaks the Deplorable Word and extinguishes all life in her world…Read the case file →

Queer criminology 4

Poster of Ursula, villain from The Little MermaidQueer criminologyUrsulaThe Little Mermaid · FilmUrsula and queer coding: the sea witch openly modeled on the drag queen Divine. Gender performance turned villain—and, unwittingly, turned icon too.Read the case file →Poster of Maléfica, villain from Sleeping BeautyQueer criminologyMaleficentSleeping Beauty · FilmMaleficent and queer coding: the androgynous, celibate, sovereign figure whose untamed power—outside the mold of wife and mother—is written as evil.Read the case file →Poster of El Hada Madrina, villain from ShrekQueer criminologyThe Fairy GodmotherShrek · AnimationThe Fairy Godmother and queer criminology: the businesswoman who manufactures conformity in bottles. The file on the tradition that studies how “normal” is…Read the case file →Poster of Grell Sutcliff, villain from Black ButlerQueer criminologyGrell SutcliffBlack Butler · AnimeGrelle Sutcliff and queer criminology: in Black Butler, the second hand of Jack the Ripper is a Grim Reaper who identifies as a woman, loves red and kills with…Read the case file →

Psychoanalytic criminology 4

Poster of Livia Soprano, villain from The SopranosPsychoanalytic criminologyLivia SopranoThe Sopranos · SeriesLivia Soprano and psychoanalytic criminology: the most discredited lens in the discipline, applied to the show that put it on prime time. A woman who never…Read the case file →Poster of Madre Miranda, villain from Resident EvilPsychoanalytic criminologyMother MirandaResident Evil · Video gamesMother Miranda and psychoanalytic criminology: Freud separated mourning from melancholia, and the difference is that in melancholia the dead do not leave, they…Read the case file →Poster of Vera Claythorne, villain from And Then There Were NonePsychoanalytic criminologyVera ClaythorneAnd Then There Were None · LiteratureVera Claythorne and psychoanalytic criminology: in And Then There Were None, the young woman who let a child drown so that her lover would inherit outlives…Read the case file →Poster of Margaret White, villain from CarriePsychoanalytic criminologyMargaret WhiteCarrie · LiteratureMargaret White, Carrie’s mother, and criminological psychoanalysis: she sees sin in her daughter’s body, punishes her for it and ends up holding a knife. Freud…Read the case file →

General strain 4

Poster of Carrie White, villain from CarrieGeneral strainCarrie WhiteCarrie · LiteratureCarrie and general strain: Carrie White endures years of school bullying and abuse from a fanatical mother, until one final public humiliation makes everything…Read the case file →Poster of Madam Red, villain from Black ButlerGeneral strainMadam RedBlack Butler · AnimeMadam Red and general strain theory: in Black Butler, Ciel's aunt is one of the two hands of Jack the Ripper. Before that she lost the man she loved, her…Read the case file →Poster of La Gobernadora Viuda, villain from WildwoodGeneral strainThe Dowager GovernessWildwood · AnimationAlexandra, the Dowager Governess of Wildwood, lost her son, brought him back with black magic and lost him again. Exiled, she plans to sacrifice a baby to the…Read the case file →Poster of Mrs. Loomis, villain from ScreamGeneral strainMrs. LoomisScream · FilmMrs. Loomis, Billy’s mother, is the Ghostface of Scream 2, disguised as the reporter Debbie Salt. Agnew’s general strain theory explains how a loss blamed on…Read the case file →

Moral development 3

Poster of Gabi Braun, villain from Attack on TitanMoral developmentGabi BraunAttack on Titan · AnimeGabi Braun and Kohlberg's moral development: a twelve-year-old who kills convinced she is saving the world. She does not lack a conscience; she lacks the stair…Read the case file →Poster of Abby Anderson, villain from The Last of UsMoral developmentAbby AndersonThe Last of Us · SeriesAbby Anderson and Kohlberg's moral development: the woman who starts reasoning by reciprocity and ends up defying her own faction for two strangers. The file…Read the case file →Poster of Emily Brent, villain from And Then There Were NoneMoral developmentEmily BrentAnd Then There Were None · LiteratureEmily Brent and moral development: in And Then There Were None, a devout spinster dismisses her maid on learning that she is pregnant, and the girl drowns…Read the case file →

Primary and secondary deviance 3

Poster of Mystique, villain from X-MenPrimary and secondary devianceMystiqueX-Men · FilmMystique and secondary deviance: the stigmatized identity embraced with militant pride. Rejected for what she is, she ends up making the stigma her cause.Read the case file →Poster of Elphaba, villain from WickedPrimary and secondary devianceElphabaWicked · TheatreElphaba and secondary deviance: the story before the story. An idealistic young woman whom rejection and the regime's propaganda turn, step by step, into "the…Read the case file →Poster of Sofía Falcone, villain from BatmanPrimary and secondary devianceSofia FalconeThe Penguin · SeriesSofía Falcone and Lemert's primary and secondary deviance: how labeling—the nickname, the scapegoat, the asylum—reorganizes an identity until the person takes…Read the case file →

Labeling 3

Poster of Dawn Bellwether, villain from ZootopiaLabelingDawn BellwetherZootopia · AnimationDawn Bellwether and labeling theory: how a moral panic is manufactured. The belittled assistant mayor who turned prejudice into a machine for power, labeling…Read the case file →Poster of Madame Morrible, villain from WickedLabelingMadame MorribleWicked · FilmMadame Morrible and labeling theory (Becker): how a spin-doctor turns an innocent into a public enemy. The Wicked Witch of the West was not born wicked—she was…Read the case file →Poster of Turbo Granny, villain from DandadanLabelingTurbo GrannyDandadan · AnimeTurbo Granny and labeling theory: an urban legend decides that a monster running at sixty miles an hour lives in that tunnel, and the monster duly appears.…Read the case file →

Neutralization 3

Poster of Helen Pierce, villain from OzarkNeutralizationHelen PierceOzark · SeriesHelen Pierce and the techniques of neutralization: the cartel lawyer who describes herself as counsel. The file on the five sentences that let a professional…Read the case file →Poster of Chris Hargensen, villain from CarrieNeutralizationChris HargensenCarrie · LiteratureChris Hargensen, of Carrie, and neutralization: she leads the bullying in the showers, refuses her punishment and sets up the bucket of pig’s blood. Sykes and…Read the case file →Poster of Songbird, villain from Cyberpunk 2077NeutralizationSongbirdCyberpunk 2077 · Video gamesSongbird, of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and neutralization theory: the FIA netrunner hands President Myers over and tricks V with a cure that only works…Read the case file →

Containment 3

Poster of Daenerys Targaryen, villain from Game of ThronesContainmentDaenerys TargaryenGame of Thrones · SeriesDaenerys Targaryen and containment theory: when the outer wall—the advisers who rein you in—falls, and the inner one—a messianic self-concept—turns pain into…Read the case file →Poster of Nina Sayers, villain from Black SwanContainmentNina SayersBlack Swan · FilmNina Sayers and containment theory: the pure collapse of the inner dam. No tolerance for frustration, no substitute satisfactions, and a self-concept so…Read the case file →Poster of Azula, villain from Avatar: The Last AirbenderContainmentAzulaAvatar: The Last Airbender · AnimationAzula and containment theory: behavior is held in place by external brakes (bonds, power, structure) and internal ones (self-concept, tolerance for…Read the case file →

Culture conflict 3

Poster of O-Ren Ishii, villain from Kill BillCulture conflictO-Ren IshiiKill Bill · FilmO-Ren Ishii and Sellin's theory: culture conflict lived in one's own blood. Of mixed race and despised by every group, she rises to the top of a world with its…Read the case file →Poster of Yuriko Oyama, villain from Marvel's WolverineCulture conflictYuriko OyamaMarvel's Wolverine · ComicsLady Deathstrike and Sellin's culture conflict theory: Yuriko Oyama does not feel like a criminal because she obeys her father's code while violating the…Read the case file →Poster of Alpha, villain from The Walking DeadCulture conflictAlphaThe Walking Dead · SeriesAlpha and Sellin's culture conflict theory: the Whisperers are not outlaws, they are another culture with its own conduct norms. The file on what happens when…Read the case file →

Anomie / Strain 2

Poster of Yzma, villain from The Emperor's New GrooveAnomie / StrainYzmaThe Emperor's New Groove · AnimationYzma and Merton's anomie theory: when the goal (power) stays intact but the legitimate means are suddenly shut off, some people don't give up the objective……Read the case file →Poster of Hermana Krone, villain from The Promised NeverlandAnomie / StrainSister KroneThe Promised Neverland · AnimeSister Krone and Merton's strain theory: in The Promised Neverland Isabella's assistant does not want to save the children or escape the farm. She wants to be…Read the case file →

Low self-control 2

Poster of Veruca Salt, villain from Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryLow self-controlVeruca SaltCharlie and the Chocolate Factory · LiteratureCharlie and the Chocolate Factory and low self-control: Veruca Salt does not wait, does not share and does not take no for an answer — because nobody ever…Read the case file →Poster of Big Mom, villain from One PieceLow self-controlBig MomOne Piece · AnimeBig Mom and the low self-control theory: how a craving can level an island. Impulsivity as the sole cause of crime, forged in childhood and armed with…Read the case file →

Social contagion and geography of fear 2

Poster of Samara Morgan, villain from The RingSocial contagion and geography of fearSamara MorganThe Ring · FilmSamara Morgan and the contagion of fear: a curse that is transmitted literally from person to person through a tape. "You die in seven days"—fear as an…Read the case file →Poster of Sirius Romanée-Conti, villain from Re:ZeroSocial contagion and geography of fearSirius Romanée-ContiRe:Zero · AnimeSirius Romanée-Conti and the contagion of fear: Re:Zero's Archbishop of Wrath does not need to touch anyone. Her power makes a crowd feel the same thing,…Read the case file →

Critical criminology 2

Poster of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, villain from NarutoCritical criminologyKaguya ŌtsutsukiNaruto · AnimeKaguya Ōtsutsuki and critical criminology: how absolute power rewrites what counts as crime, disguises tyranny as peace, and settles where no law can reach it.…Read the case file →Poster of Irina Spalko, villain from Indiana JonesCritical criminologyIrina SpalkoIndiana Jones · FilmIrina Spalko and critical criminology: in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a scientist serving the USSR raids a military base, kidnaps,…Read the case file →

Cultural criminology 2

Poster of Mallory Knox, villain from Natural Born KillersCultural criminologyMallory KnoxNatural Born Killers · FilmMallory Knox and cultural criminology: the half of the couple the spectacle turned into an image. The file on how a woman who offends is constructed by media —…Read the case file →Poster of Daki, villain from Demon SlayerCultural criminologyDakiDemon Slayer · AnimeDaki, the Upper Rank Six of Demon Slayer, and cultural criminology: how the Yoshiwara pleasure district—where beauty was power, status and survival—makes sense…Read the case file →

Green criminology 2

Poster of Cruella de Vil, villain from 101 DalmatiansGreen criminologyCruella de Vil101 Dalmatians · Film101 Dalmatians and green criminology: Cruella de Vil wants to skin puppies to make herself a coat, and the law barely touches her. Her cruelty puts the most…Read the case file →Poster of General Ardmore, villain from AvatarGreen criminologyGeneral ArdmoreAvatar · FilmGeneral Ardmore, of Avatar, and green criminology: the RDA commander wants to make Pandora the new home of a dying Earth and pays for it with the amrita of the…Read the case file →

Moral disengagement 2

Poster of Delia Surridge, villain from V for VendettaMoral disengagementDelia SurridgeV for Vendetta · FilmDr Delia Surridge and moral disengagement: the Larkhill physician who wrote “the subject” for months and ended up writing names. The file on Bandura's eight…Read the case file →Poster of Santa Claus, villain from Chainsaw ManMoral disengagementSanta ClausChainsaw Man · AnimeSanta Claus, of Chainsaw Man, and moral disengagement: the Doll Devil’s contractor teaches her apprentice to kill with a fox and then turns him into a doll.…Read the case file →

Behavioral genetics 2

Poster of Rhoda Penmark, villain from The Bad SeedBehavioral geneticsRhoda PenmarkThe Bad Seed · FilmThe Bad Seed and behavioral genetics: Rhoda is the myth of inherited evil in its purest form—an angelic child with a murderer in the family tree. Real science…Read the case file →Poster of Esther, villain from OrphanBehavioral geneticsEstherOrphan · FilmOrphan and behavioral genetics: Esther's twist dismantles the myth of the "child born evil" from the inside—what looks like innate wickedness turns out to be…Read the case file →

Relative deprivation 2

Poster of Elle Driver, villain from Kill BillRelative deprivationElle DriverKill Bill · FilmElle Driver and relative deprivation in its purest form: she lacks nothing, and spends her life comparing herself to the one woman who held the position she…Read the case file →Poster of Jill Roberts, villain from ScreamRelative deprivationJill RobertsScream · FilmJill Roberts, Sidney’s cousin and the Ghostface of Scream 4, and relative deprivation: she lacks nothing except what her cousin has, a fame born of surviving.…Read the case file →

Developmental dual taxonomy 2

Poster of Kim Wexler, villain from Better Call SaulDevelopmental dual taxonomyKim WexlerBetter Call Saul · SeriesKim Wexler and Moffitt's dual taxonomy: the theory that splits offenders into two groups, and the case that fits neither. A lawyer with no record who begins…Read the case file →Poster of Wendy Byrde, villain from OzarkDevelopmental dual taxonomyWendy ByrdeOzark · SeriesWendy Byrde and Moffitt's dual taxonomy: the adult-onset offender, which is precisely the category the theory did not predict. The file on the type…Read the case file →

Criminal heredity 2

Poster of Bellatrix Lestrange, villain from Harry PotterCriminal heredityBellatrix LestrangeHarry Potter · FilmBellatrix Lestrange and criminal heredity: the ideology of blood taken to its homicidal extreme. When believing that lineage determines a person's worth…Read the case file →Poster of Hela, villain from MarvelCriminal heredityHelaThor: Ragnarok · FilmHela and criminal heredity: the firstborn whose violence Asgard concealed, revealing that the "civilized" realm was founded on the very brutal blood she…Read the case file →

Differential reinforcement 2

Poster of Regina George, villain from Mean GirlsDifferential reinforcementRegina GeorgeMean Girls · FilmRegina George and differential reinforcement: when the whole school rewards harm. Her cruelty doesn't isolate her, it crowns her—and that's why she never stops.Read the case file →Poster of La señora Lovett, villain from Sweeney ToddDifferential reinforcementMrs LovettSweeney Todd · FilmMrs Lovett and differential reinforcement: the shopkeeper whose crime starts paying immediately and in public. The file on what keeps a behavior going once it…Read the case file →

Patriarchy and crime 2

Poster of Ginger McKenna, villain from CasinoPatriarchy and crimeGinger McKennaCasino · FilmGinger McKenna and the criminology of patriarchy: a woman whose offending, whose money and whose escape are all structured by dependence on men. The file on…Read the case file →Poster of La Dama de la Saya Verde, villain from The Chronicles of NarniaPatriarchy and crimeThe Lady of the Green KirtleThe Chronicles of Narnia · LiteratureThe Lady of the Green Kirtle and coercive control: in The Silver Chair, the queen of Underland kills Prince Rilian’s mother, enchants him, ties him to a chair…Read the case file →

Utilitarianism 2

Poster of Makima, villain from Chainsaw ManUtilitarianismMakimaChainsaw Man · AnimeMakima and utilitarianism with no brakes: a world without fear or death, bought at the price of treating every person as a means. The calculus of happiness…Read the case file →Poster of Marlene, villain from The Last of UsUtilitarianismMarleneThe Last of Us · SeriesMarlene and utilitarianism: the leader who weighs one death against a cure and says so out loud. The file on the calculation that founded modern criminal law,…Read the case file →

Routine activities 1

Poster of Nakime, villain from Demon SlayerRoutine activitiesNakimeDemon Slayer · AnimeNakime, the biwa demon, and routine activity theory: how crime needs not a monster but a place and a moment. She does not kill; she builds the stage where…Read the case file →

Anomie (Durkheim) 1

Poster of Diana Christensen, villain from NetworkAnomie (Durkheim)Diana ChristensenNetwork · FilmDiana Christensen and Durkheim's anomie: the executive whose ambition has become deregulated in an industry drunk on prosperity, until every boundary between…Read the case file →

Institutional anomie 1

Poster of Judi Stonehearst, villain from WednesdayInstitutional anomieJudi StonehearstWednesday · SeriesJudi Stonehearst and institutional anomie theory (Messner & Rosenfeld): how the worship of a goal hollows out the very institutions meant to protect, until a…Read the case file →

Differential association 1

Poster of Esdeath, villain from Akame ga KillDifferential associationEsdeathAkame ga Kill · AnimeEsdeath, from Akame ga Kill, and Sutherland’s differential association: her social Darwinism —“the weak die, the strong live”— is not innate. Her father and a…Read the case file →

Class conflict 1

Poster of Legravalima, villain from The Promised NeverlandClass conflictLegravalimaThe Promised Neverland · AnimeLegravalima and class conflict: the demon queen of The Promised Neverland, in the manga, hoards the best human meat while the lower classes starve and…Read the case file →

Moral cost-benefit 1

Poster of Margo Banks, villain from The Hunting WivesMoral cost-benefitMargo BanksThe Hunting Wives · SeriesMargo Banks, of The Hunting Wives, and moral cost-benefit: the queen of Maple Brook’s rich wives keeps a secret her world would never forgive. When a teenage…Read the case file →

Convict criminology 1

Poster of Piper Chapman, villain from Orange Is the New BlackConvict criminologyPiper ChapmanOrange Is the New Black · SeriesPiper Chapman and convict criminology: the privileged gaze that, once behind bars, discovers the humanity that statistics erase. The angle of the one who…Read the case file →

Radical criminology / New criminology 1

Poster of Eto Yoshimura, villain from Tokyo GhoulRadical criminology / New criminologyEto YoshimuraTokyo Ghoul · AnimeEto Yoshimura and radical criminology: the novelist who argues that the order is the crime. The file on the tradition that stopped asking why people break the…Read the case file →

Peacemaking criminology 1

Poster of Kathleen, villain from The Last of UsPeacemaking criminologyKathleenThe Last of Us · SeriesKathleen and peacemaking criminology: the leader of a revolution that reproduces exactly the apparatus it destroyed. The file on the tradition that argues…Read the case file →

Life course 1

Poster of Isabella, villain from The Promised NeverlandLife courseIsabellaThe Promised Neverland · AnimeIsabella and life-course criminology: the Mama of The Promised Neverland lovingly raises the children she will deliver to the demons. She was one of those…Read the case file →

Code of the street 1

Poster of Darlene Snell, villain from OzarkCode of the streetDarlene SnellOzark · SeriesDarlene Snell and the code of the street: the rural version of the adaptation Elijah Anderson documented in Philadelphia. The file on what happens to honor…Read the case file →

Acquired brain injury 1

Poster of Baby Jane Hudson, villain from What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?Acquired brain injuryBaby Jane HudsonWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane? · FilmBaby Jane was a vain child star. Decades later she is an old woman who tortures her invalid sister, trapped in a past that no longer exists. Cruelty as the…Read the case file →

Delito de cuello blanco 1

Poster of Victoria Neuman, villain from The BoysDelito de cuello blancoVictoria NeumanThe Boys · SeriesVictoria Neuman, of The Boys, and white-collar crime: the politician leading the fight against Vought is a supe raised by its CEO. Sutherland saw it in 1939:…Read the case file →

Biochemical imbalances 1

Poster of Hiedra Venenosa, villain from BatmanBiochemical imbalancesHiedra VenenosaBatman · ComicsPamela Isley was poisoned with toxins in an experiment. The chemistry that altered her turned her into Poison Ivy—and into the weapon she wields: poisons that…Read the case file →

Self-regulation deficit 1

Poster of Angelica Pickles, villain from RugratsSelf-regulation deficitAngelica PicklesRugrats · AnimationAngelica Pickles and the self-regulation deficit: the absolute intolerance of waiting. She wants everything now, cannot stand the slightest frustration, and…Read the case file →

Crime as a trade 1

Poster of Bloody Mary, villain from The Wolf Among UsCrime as a tradeBloody MaryThe Wolf Among Us · Video gamesBloody Mary, of The Wolf Among Us, and crime as a trade: the Crooked Man’s enforcer collects debts, fires silver bullets and travels through mirrors. She has a…Read the case file →

Defensible space 1

Poster of Dollface, villain from The StrangersDefensible spaceDollfaceThe Strangers · FilmDollface and defensible space: the masked assailant who terrorizes in the isolated house in the middle of nowhere, where the safest refuge becomes indefensible…Read the case file →

Stigma 1

Poster of Milady de Winter, villain from The Three MusketeersStigmaMilady de WinterThe Three Musketeers · LiteratureMilady de Winter and stigma: in The Three Musketeers, Cardinal Richelieu’s agent bears on her shoulder the brand France burned into criminals, and every man…Read the case file →

Evolutionary criminology 1

Poster of Ella-Laraña, villain from The Lord of the RingsEvolutionary criminologyShelobThe Lord of the Rings · FilmShelob and criminological evolutionism: a creature that was in Mordor before Sauron and only devours. An instinctive appetite, with no ideology or moral evil.…Read the case file →

Frustration–aggression 1

Poster of Pamela Voorhees, villain from Friday the 13thFrustration–aggressionPamela VoorheesFriday the 13th · FilmFriday the 13th and the frustration-aggression hypothesis: Pamela Voorhees loses her son Jason, drowned while the counselors were distracted, and turns that…Read the case file →

Criminogenic facilities 1

Poster of Santánico Pandemónium, villain from From Dusk Till DawnCriminogenic facilitiesSantánico PandemóniumFrom Dusk Till Dawn · FilmSantánico Pandemónium and the Titty Twister: the queen of a dive whose real business is devouring whoever walks in. The party facade over the trap, the venue…Read the case file →

Modelo del Triple Riesgo Delictivo 1

Poster of Winifred Notty, villain from Victorian PsychoModelo del Triple Riesgo DelictivoWinifred NottyVictorian Psycho · FilmVirginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho and Santiago Redondo’s Triple Risk model: a governess without fear, a father who never acknowledged her and an isolated house…Read the case file →

Criminal personality 1

Poster of Aura la Guillotina, villain from FrierenCriminal personalityAura the GuillotineFrieren · AnimeAura the Guillotine and the theory of the criminal personality (Yochelson & Samenow): grandiosity, the hunger for control and “superoptimism” as a stable way…Read the case file →

Situational crime prevention 1

Poster of Selina Kyle, villain from BatmanSituational crime preventionSelina KyleBatman · ComicsBatman and the emotional limit of situational prevention: Catwoman doesn't go after the easy target, she goes after the impossible one. For the thief who…Read the case file →

Right realism 1

Poster of Dolores Umbridge, villain from Harry PotterRight realismDolores UmbridgeHarry Potter · FilmDolores Umbridge and right realism: how zeal for order, rules and authority turns criminogenic. The harm does not arrive from chaos, but from an excess of…Read the case file →

Deterrence 1

Poster of Carmen Sandiego, villain from Carmen SandiegoDeterrenceCarmen SandiegoCarmen Sandiego · Video gamesCarmen Sandiego and deterrence: the international thief who dilutes the certainty of capture across geography. If no jurisdiction can reach you, no punishment…Read the case file →

Cognitive scripts 1

Poster of Verity Crawford, villain from VerityCognitive scriptsVerity CrawfordVerity · FilmVerity Crawford, of Verity, and cognitive scripts: a manuscript confesses she drowned her daughter; a letter calls it a writing exercise. Huesmann explains…Read the case file →

Operant conditioning 1

Poster of Elsa Granhiert, villain from Re:ZeroOperant conditioningElsa GranhiertRe:Zero · AnimeElsa Granhiert and operant conditioning: Re:Zero's Bowel Hunter was not born with her fetish. She learned it in a single blizzard night, when a desperate act…Read the case file →

Hypoarousal 1

Poster of Vanica Zogratis, villain from Black CloverHypoarousalVanica ZogratisBlack Clover · AnimeVanica Zogratis, of Black Clover, and hypoarousal theory: Megicula’s host attacks civilians so a princess will fight in earnest. The science of the dulled body…Read the case file →

Frequently asked questions

How many female villains in fiction are analysed on KRIMINIS?

111 case files of female villains in fiction, each tied to the criminological theory that best explains their behaviour.

Which criminological theories show up in the female villains in fiction?

Among others: Feminist criminology, Attachment, Social learning, Psychopathy, Queer criminology, Psychoanalytic criminology and more. Each case file links to the full theory.

Which female villains in fiction are in the archive?

Amy Dunne, Villanelle, Cersei Lannister, Annie Wilkes, Nurse Ratched, Kathryn Merteuil, Alex Forrest, Cruella de Vil, Mallory Knox, Veruca Salt, Carrie White, Estella, Selina Kyle, Rhoda Penmark, Esther, Daenerys Targaryen, Nina Sayers, O-Ren Ishii, Regina George, Piper Chapman, Mystique, Elphaba, Bellatrix Lestrange, Hela, Carmen Sandiego, Dollface, Samara Morgan, Ursula, Maleficent, Hiedra Venenosa and 81 more.

// Explore by medium
Animation villains →Anime villains →Film villains →Comics villains →Literary villains →Music villains →TV series villains →Theatre villains →Video game villains →Classic villains, before 1960 →1960s villains →1970s villains →1980s villains →1990s villains →2000s villains →2010s villains →2020s villains →From Dusk Till Dawn villains →One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest villains →Alien villains →Arsène Lupin villains →Natural Born Killers villains →Attack on Titan villains →Avatar villains →Avatar: The Last Airbender villains →Batman villains →Better Call Saul villains →BioShock villains →Black Butler villains →Black Clover villains →Blade Runner villains →Bleach villains →Boardwalk Empire villains →Breaking Bad villains →The Shawshank Redemption villains →Carrie villains →Casino villains →Chainsaw Man villains →Cobra Kai villains →Code Geass villains →Cowboy Bebop villains →Crime and Punishment villains →Cyberpunk 2077 villains →Dandadan villains →DC Comics villains →Death Note villains →Demon Slayer villains →Dexter villains →Django Unchained villains →Dragon Ball villains →Dune villains →The Count of Monte Cristo villains →The Handmaid's Tale villains →The Irishman villains →Squid Game villains →The Name of the Rose villains →The Godfather villains →The Shining villains →The Lord of the Rings villains →Far Cry villains →Fargo villains →Fast & Furious villains →Final Fantasy VII villains →Frieren villains →Fullmetal Alchemist villains →Gladiator villains →Gomorrah villains →Grand Theft Auto villains →Hannibal Lecter villains →Harry Potter villains →Heat villains →House of Cards villains →Hunter × Hunter villains →Indiana Jones villains →James Bond villains →John Wick villains →JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure villains →Game of Thrones villains →Jujutsu Kaisen villains →Die Hard villains →Jurassic Park villains →Kill Bill villains →Beauty and the Beast villains →The Black Ball villains →Money Heist villains →Cool Hand Luke villains →The Crucible villains →The Chronicles of Narnia villains →Léon: The Professional villains →Looney Tunes villains →The Hunger Games villains →Les Misérables villains →The Simpsons villains →The Sopranos villains →The Three Musketeers villains →Mad Max villains →Marvel villains →Marvel's Wolverine villains →The Matrix villains →Metal Gear Solid villains →Mindhunter villains →Mission: Impossible villains →Monster villains →Monster (Netflix) villains →Mortal Kombat villains →Mr. Robot villains →Murder ballad villains →My Hero Academia villains →Narcos villains →Naruto villains →Network villains →No Country for Old Men villains →Oldboy villains →Oliver Twist villains →One Piece villains →One Punch Man villains →Opera villains →Ozark villains →Parasite villains →Peaky Blinders villains →Persona 5 villains →Pirates of the Caribbean villains →Prison Break villains →Re:Zero villains →Red Dead Redemption 2 villains →Resident Evil villains →Robin Hood villains →Rocky villains →Saw villains →Scream villains →Shakespeare villains →Sherlock Holmes villains →Shrek villains →Spanish Golden Age villains →Snowpiercer villains →Spider-Man villains →Star Wars villains →Stranger Things villains →Street Fighter villains →Superman villains →Sweeney Todd villains →Sword Art Online villains →Terminator villains →The Boys villains →The Last of Us villains →The Promised Neverland villains →The Walking Dead villains →The Wire villains →The Wolf Among Us villains →Tokyo Ghoul villains →Tokyo Revengers villains →Toy Story villains →Greek tragedy villains →A Bronx Tale villains →Goodfellas villains →V for Vendetta villains →Friday the 13th villains →Watchmen villains →Wednesday villains →Wicked villains →X-Men villains →And Then There Were None villains →Yakuza villains →Zootopia villains →