So many readers love a good villain — they’re despicable, constantly upping the stakes for our beloved protagonists. While we root for their downfall, we can’t help but be intrigued by their presence. They add depth and drama to our favorite stories and sometimes even become cultural icons.
One such villain is Dolores Umbridge, introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Condescending, cruel, and power hungry, Umbridge makes Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts a nightmare. Her abusive treatment of students and signature pink aesthetic make her a standout SFF villain.
In honor of her birthday on August 26th, let’s take a look at some other SFF villains that engage and enrage us as much as Umbridge.
Content Warning: Potential spoilers for the books discussed ahead. Proceed with caution.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
This book follows the titular Addie LaRue, a young woman longing to escape her forced marriage in 1714. Her desperation leads her to making a deal with a devil known as Luc, but it comes with a cost. While Addie is given immortality and the freedom to live her own life, as long as she wishes to keep living, everyone she meets is destined to forget her.
Devils are never good news, and Luc is no exception. His deal takes advantage of her difficult situation, making it impossible for her to have a normal life. His manipulative ways and regular presence in Addie’s life leads to them having a pseudo-relationship, but all he really wants is for her to give her soul over to him fully. Ultimately, Luc gets what he wants when Addie sacrifices herself for the man she loves.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The Poppy War, the first novel in this intense trilogy, is set in twentieth century China. The book combines the militaristic violence of the time period with fantastical powers. The protagonist, an orphan named Rin, is gifted shamanic abilities by a god known as The Phoenix. Because of this, she may be the key to putting an end to the oncoming Poppy War.
Empress Su Daji is a ruthless beauty who, like Rin, was granted shamanic powers. Much like Umbridge, she is determined to remain in power for as long as possible and at whatever cost. Su Daji is also known as The Vipress after she is granted her powers and because of her propensity to use poison to kill her enemies.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Light from Uncommon Stars uniquely combines sci-fi and fantasy in the San Gabriel Valley of California through AI, aliens, and soul-binding curses. The novel has three main protagonists: Shizuka Satomi, a renowned violin teacher who’s made a pact with a devil named Tremon Phillipe, Katrina Nguyen, a transgender teen, runaway, and violin prodigy, and Lan Tran, a mother, business owner, and alien refugee. The three connect and eventually work together to free Shizuka from her pact and help protect the Earth from the plague that Lan and her family escaped from.
Like Luc, Tremon Phillipe is cunning and desperate to claim Shizuka Satomi’s soul for himself. But first, he uses her to collect the souls of young violin prodigies. Until she delivers the six souls they agreed upon, she is allowed to keep living. Tremon doesn’t just torment Shizuka, though. He appears to other characters as well, and in doing so, he exerts his influence on them for his benefit and spreads his cursed gifts throughout the world to gain even more souls.
These SFF villains may not have the icon status that Dolores Umbridge has earned, but they are sure to make your blood boil just as much. Umbridge herself would be impressed with these scheming antagonists; maybe they’d even discuss their dishonorable deeds over a cup of tea. I recommend grabbing your own serving to soothe your nerves as you dive into these novels.
Want to step into the shoes of other iconic villains? Find out how here!
Check out even more recommendations at Bookstr Team Recs on Bookshop.org!
