The famous adage has it that there's a thin line between love and hate - and there are a handful of characters across pop culture who are testament to this.
From a selection of iconic Disney villains to regal queen bees, sometimes the characters who are all wrong feel all right - and we find ourselves secretly rooting for them.
These are our favourite fictional 'bad eggs' who are very good at being very bad.
32 fictional bad eggs we love to hate
Miranda Priestly
First introduced in the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger, Miranda Priestly is the ice-cold, demanding empress of fashion who oversees the fictional Runway magazine.
She puts the plucky Andy through hell, and most people would agree she’d be the worst boss, but her acerbic comments and death stare make for an iconic character.
Fictional… but thought to be creatively inspired by Weisberger’s history as Anna Wintour’s assistant, Miranda became one of cinema’s ultimate villains-we-love-to-hate after Meryl Streep perfectly embodied the role in the hit 2006 movie.
Cruella De Vil
"I’m miserable, darling, as usual. Perfectly wretched." Nothing captures the camp, acidity of 101 Dalmatians’ fur-obsessed, vengeful antagonist than her grand entrance line.
Cruella – who literally has ‘devil’ in her name - is over-the-top, glamorous and deranged – but it’s almost hard not to enjoy her antics.
Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone helped humanise the villainess with an origin story with a live-action prequel in 2021.
Chuck and Blair (Gossip Girl)
Romeo and Juliet. Tristan and Isolde. Carrie and Big. Some couples simply belong together – and Gossip Girl’s Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf rank among them, for many reasons. And they aren’t all good.
Sure, they had a fiery romance that kept viewers hooked, but the pair were also evenly matched with their villainous ways. Between them, in the show’s six seasons, they pulled off about 600 immoral, implausible and, frankly, sometimes illegal schemes.
The Wicked Witch of the West
"I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!” You know someone’s wicked to the core when even the pooches aren’t safe.
Ghastly, ghoulish and, er, green, the Wicked Witch torments the Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy and her band of loveable misfits. With an army of flying monkeys, a terrifying cackle and a mission to get her hands on some ruby slippers, she’s bad – very bad – but she makes it look oh-so-good.
There’s a reason this villain has captured hearts and minds for generations, starting with Frank Baum’s original novels, to the 1939 classic film adaptation, and the long-running Broadway musical prequel.
Lestat
Lestat de Lioncourt is the unconventional antihero from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, which includes the classic Interview with the Vampire. He’s arrogant. He’s rebellious. He’s a literal vampire. But he’s also charming, he’s a handsome bad boy and his charisma leaps off the page (and the screen, when played by Tom Cruise in the 1994 film adaptation).
Hades (Disney's Hercules)
He’s the literal lord of Hell and his sidekicks are named Pain and Panic. On paper, there should be nothing redeeming about Hades from the 1997 Disney classic, but the character goes beyond this one movie.
Hades is one of the core gods of Greek mythology, a brother to Zeus, the king of the Underworld and the overseer of the dead.
But he’s rarely been played with such loveable sass before and it’s thanks to James Woods’ portrayal that Hades has become one of the most popular Disney villains of all time.
Alexis Carrington Colby
When it comes to Joan Collins’ supreme soap villain, being bad has never looked better. The acting legend played the ruthless, resilient Alexis in the 1980s soap, Dynasty, and she solidified herself as one of the most vicious, but vivacious, villains of all time.
Always kitted out in 80s glamour, Alexis schemed her way to the top and found herself scuffling with rival Krystal repeatedly.
Harley Quinn
The popularity of a character can sometimes be measured best by how ubiquitous they are on Halloween – and Harley Quinn has become something of a go-to.
She’s the love interest of the evil Joker, and she matches his psychopathic ways, villainous deed for villainous deed. Still, despite her dastardly ways, Harley has become beloved for her well-rounded, three-dimensional personality, including struggles with mental health and toxic relationships.
Catwoman
Sometimes a straight-up villain, sometimes more an anti-hero, Catwoman is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time.
Besting the boys, like Batman, she is a purrfect embodiment of girl power… and we can overlook her penchant for burglary (who can resist jewellery, after all?). Also known as Selina Kyle, Catwoman has been played by acting icons including Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry and Eartha Kitt.
The Grinch
"But I think that the most likely reason of all, May have been that his heart was two sizes too small."
Dr Seuss shared his Christmas-hating villain with the world through his 1957 book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and he went on to steal the hearts of readers around the world.
He’s become so popular that his name entered the vocabulary as shorthand for miserable.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
A magical sea witch with a penchant for stealing the voices of little mermaids, Ursula is a Disney villain who has become almost as popular as the heroine.
Fun fact: Ursula’s camp aesthetic was reportedly based on the drag queen, Divine.
Emily Gilmore
The matriarch of the Gilmore Girls, Emily Gilmore (played by Kelly Bishop) might not be a villain in the truest sense, but she was capable of doing some pretty callous things. From trying to break up Lorelei and Luke – the show’s beloved central couple – to overseeing the world around her with an iron fist, she was a formidable figure.
But many fans of the show consider her a highlight of the series, beloved for throwing out a hilarious, withering putdown and often using her steeliness for the greater good of those she loves.
Regina George (Mean Girls)
"Evil takes a human form in Regina George.” Talk about making a memorable entrance in 2004's Mean Girls.
Regina George (Rachel McAdams) is the queen bee of North Shore High School – and she rules the school unchallenged until Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) joins. Whether it was scolding her best friends – really, Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen – to introducing the world to the concept of a Burn Book, Regina might have been a Mean Girl, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of the most beloved villains.
Mrs Danvers (Rebecca)
One of the most revered books of all time, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, is a gothic masterpiece which introduced us to the subtly chilling Mrs Danvers.
A housekeeper so devoted to her dead ex-mistress that she haunts Manderley – the home where the nameless protagonist lives with her wealthy husband Maxim de Winter, and tries to keep her memory alive. But she goes to a chilling extent, even goading the protagonist to jump out of the window to her death. Proof that villains can come in all forms.
The Joker
One of the most iconic, terrifying but enduringly popular characters in comic book history, the Joker has grown from Gotham’s local delinquent to one of the all-time popular villains. A constant antagonist to Batman, the Joker – with his trademark clown makeup and technicolour outfits – is known for his sadistic plots, dark humour and love of chaos.
Brenda Walsh
Beverly Hills 90210’s Brenda Walsh (played by the late Shannen Doherty) was equally loved and loathed – a bad girl who could give her friends hell but also have their back. Sometimes mean, sometimes justifiably (the Brenda-Kelly-Dylan love triangle was one of the defining dramas of the 90s), Brenda was one of the archetypes of the teen drama villain/antihero.
Maleficent
For the magical villain from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, first impressions didn’t go in her favour. Maleficent did, after all, curse Princess Aurora to her deep slumber. However, when Angelina Jolie took on the role in two live-action movies, there was a new light shed on the villainous queen, who was given something of a tragic backstory and a redemptive arc. Still, even when she was bad, fans secretly loved the drama of the wicked queen.
Jafar and Iago
A dynamic duo, Jafar and Iago were like the Ant and Dec of Disney’s Aladdin… only, you know, evil. Jafar is the evil sorcerer who seeks to become the ruler of Agrabah, while Iago is his pet parrot known for wisecracks.
Despite being the baddies, they proved popular – with Jafar getting a direct-to-video sequel in 1994. What makes Jafar so fun to watch is that he simply relishes in being evil – it’s almost pantomime.
Annie Wilkes (Misery)
You feel sorry for sweet, sympathetic Annie Wilkes from Stephen King’s Misery to begin with… and then, you don’t. This former nurse proves she needs to seriously work on her bedside manner as her attempts to help her favourite author recover from a car accident turn gruesome.
Despite being a sadistic sociopath, Annie Wilkes has become an unlikely popular villain – the quintessential depiction of someone who takes being a fan too far.
The Grand Witch
Roald Dahl’s sinister creation is truly evil – indeed, she’s described as “the most evil woman in creation.” Sure, she tried to turn children into rodents and pests so their parents would pay an exterminator to get rid of them (inspired, to be honest), and sure, she looks like a haggard, gnarled crone underneath the surface, but who didn’t love Anjelica Huston’s dramatic portrayal of the villain?
Gordon Gekko (Wall Street)
"Greed is good."
Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas) was a villain of a different kind when he first appeared in the 1987 movie. Motivated purely by money, no amount of zeroes in his bank balance was going to be enough, leading to a series of immoral and illegal moves. Pulled off with aplomb, Gekko was the sexy, seedy figurehead of 80s excess.
Edie Britt
The residents of Wisteria Lane dealt with their fair share of drama and scandal – and it was Desperate Housewives villain Edie who was responsible for a lot of it.
An unapologetic maneater who didn’t value the sanctity of a wedding ring - or worry about what anyone thought of her - Edie (played by Nicolette Sheridan) made being the neighbourhood bad girl look effortlessly cool.
Debbie Jelinsky (Addams Family Values)
Joan Cusack’s turn as the blonde, bold black widow in the 1993 sequel to the original live-action Addams Family movie became an instant icon. She was lying her way into the Addams Family to try and get her hands on a small fortune.
As 90s nostalgia reigns supreme across social media, there are new generations of fans discovering how iconic Debbie was through hilarious TikTok compilations and Instagram posts praising her wit and her wardrobe.
Pretty much everyone in Succession
HBO’s Succession is one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of all time and one of the biggest hits in recent years.
Focusing on the fictional Roy family, championed by billionaire tycoon Logan Roy, every single character who has even a few minutes of screen time proves themselves to be duplicitous, flawed and layered. Yet, you can't help but root for them and hedge your bets on your favourite scheming sibling or sidekick.
Tony Soprano
As the head of the fictional DiMeo crime family, New Jersey’s Tony Soprano is a villain viewers of the HBO hit, The Sopranos, couldn’t help but root for. Simultaneously a violent sociopath and a complex man who dealt with panic attacks and introspective thoughts, Tony (played by the late James Gandolfini) presented a new image of a mafia man.
Lady Macbeth
One of William Shakespeare’s most memorable villains, let’s be honest, Lady Macbeth is far more interesting than Macbeth. Being the brains and motivation behind the entire plot, it’s Lady Macbeth who manipulates her husband to commit a string of murders to secure the Scottish crown.
An early symbol of ambition and ruthlessness, Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness is epic and continues to captivate new generations.
Tom Ripley
Created by Patricia Highsmith, Tom Ripley first appears in the novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Charming, charismatic and chillingly manipulative, he lies and deceives his way through high society… committing a few murders along the way.
So, okay, not exactly someone you’d want to be friends with, but his unstoppable ambition and desperate pursuit to better himself reveals him to be both sociopath and a complex victim of the American Dream.
Carrie Bradshaw
Perhaps a controversial addition to the list, Carrie Bradshaw isn’t quite a villain in the traditional sense - she doesn’t plot to destroy a city or has a taste for murder or witchcraft.
However, new and repeat viewers of Sex and the City have started to highlight some of Carrie’s most disagreeable actions. Whether it’s the endless obsession with Big, despite a sea of red flags, or the episode where she expects her friend, Charlotte, to help her pay for the deposit on her flat, Carrie can enrage viewers worse than the most pantomime baddie.
Wilhelmina Slater (Ugly Betty)
In one episode of Ugly Betty, kind-hearted protagonist Betty Suarez shares a tip for correctly pronouncing Wilhelmina’s name – she reminds someone that it has ‘hell’ in it. And that sums up the icy queen of Mode Magazine.
Played to perfection by Vanessa Williams, Wilhelmina plots and schemes her way through the show, with some of her villainous deeds including marrying a man to take over a company, stealing her dead fiancée’s sperm to guarantee a slice of the inheritance and trying to pass off someone else’s baby as her own.
Yet despite all of this – or, let’s be honest, because of all of this – Wilhelmina was one of the most popular characters on the show, a deliciously camp queen of mean.
Daniel Cleaver
A womaniser. A liar. A serial cheat. Technically, we should all hate Daniel Cleaver, one of the contenders for Bridget Jones’ heart in the Bridget Jones’s Diary books and films, but while audiences didn’t quite love the foppish bad boy, they definitely didn’t hate him.
Frustratingly charming (especially when played by Hugh Grant in the films), he woos Bridget and cheats on her. He lies about sleeping with the girlfriend of his former friend, Mark Darcy. But he’s still someone we want to see more of.
Severus Snape
If ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ was a person, it would be Severus Snape from the Harry Potter franchise. Cruel, cold and charm-free, we spend most of the books and films thinking Snape is a true villain.
If he isn’t full-blown evil, he’s at least unkind and unwelcoming to Harry and co. As the stories progress, we realise the monotone, miser is actually one of the franchise’s biggest heroes – who had one of the purest hearts.
Cersei Lannister
"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die.” Cersei Lannister uttered these words that helped launch one of the biggest franchises of all time, Game of Thrones.
A regal queen, Cersei proved that she wasn’t too royal to get down and dirty with the best of them throughout the show. She lied. She cheated. She killed (a lot). She is one of the all-time, quintessential ‘love to hate’ figures.
