Top 5 Most Vile Villains in Fairy Tales

The basic structure of any fairy tale consists of the hero, the baddie, the supporting characters, an obstacle to overcome, magic, and a resolution. A good story will have a protagonist that is worth rooting for and an antagonist that you'll love to hate. Sometimes the antagonists are the more interesting characters and the force that drives a story along. Usually a backstory is given to these characters to better understand their motives for being so wicked. There are countless evil-doers in classic fairy tales but these are our picks for the most vile.

5. The Fox and the Cat in Pinocchio

A pair of swindlers with fake disabilities. These two convinced Pinocchio to ditch school and come to the Land of Fools and Field of Miracles. Knowing that the puppet has got gold coins in his pocket, they scheme to steal them. They invite Pinocchio to an inn whereby they eat a large meal and further elaborating on their stories to elude payment. After their dine and dash, they disguise themselves and attempt to kill Pinocchio and steal the rest of his money. They catch him and hang him from a tree. Pinocchio encounters them four times during his adventures and through their lies, Pinocchio is lead towards the wrong paths each time. For a life filled with crime, karma does catch up with these tricksters and they do eventually become disabled for real. The cat becomes blind and the fox had to sell his tail for food. In the end having learned his life lessons, Pinocchio finally sees them for who they truly are: a pair of con artists with no remorse.

4. The Stepmother in Cinderella

A haughty woman and her two daughters torment Cinderella in her own home. The motives for this character's wickedness is envy. The stepmother reduces Cinderella to less than a maid and makes her life a living hell. In Charles Perrault's and Grimms' version of this story, Cinderella's father doesn't die but dead or alive, it made no difference; he was more of an accessory to the abuse. Poor Cinderella had to rely on her godmother or the spirit of her dead mother for help. The stepmother does everything she can to keep Cinderella from going to the royal festival and meeting the prince but her plans were always thwarted. For her hatred and cruelty towards her stepdaughter, she can wallow in knowing that Cinderella has become a princess; a future that she wanted for her own daughters. In this kinder version by Perrault, Cinderella forgives her stepfamily and all live happily afterwards. In Grimm's version though, the two stepsisters get punished by having their eyes pecked out by pigeons!

3. The Witch in Hansel and Gretel

What can be more terrifying than being a captive of a cannibalistic witch who is only delaying your demise because she wants to plump you up. This witch lures her victims to her by way of a candy house. She has the means to buy food but prefers human meat, or human veal called children. She's evil and looks the part; ugly on the outside and inside. Often in disguise as a helpless old lady just living alone in the forest, inside a delicious house. Out of starvation, Hansel and Gretel do get tricked and trapped in her lair but clever Gretel outwits her and pushes her into the flaming oven whereupon she is burned alive. It's only fitting that she receive the same fate as her many victims. The brother and sister escape and make off with the riches they find in her home. This witch is similar to Baba Yaga from Russian fairy tales however, the latter is more powerful and can be good.

2. Bluebeard

Within the walls of a beautiful mansion, there lies a secret chamber. A chamber filled with the dead bodies of Bluebeard's previous seven wives. All the bodies were hung up by the hair with throats slashed. This tale could very well be a haunted house story. Even with Bluebeard's frightening appearance and knowledge of his previous wives mysterious disappearances, it still wasn't enough to dissuade Fatima from marrying him. Bluebeard is a serial killer that enjoys toying with his victims before he slaughters them. Knowing all too well that his new wife, Fatima's curiosity will get the best of her, he forbids her to open the mysterious chamber all the while giving her the keys for it. He sets her up to disobey him so he'll have reason to kill her. Luckily for Fatima, her brothers save her in time. Bluebeard's wives were killed because of their disobedience and only psychopaths will agree that that was just cause for their deaths.

1. Shahryār in One Thousand and One Nights

This powerful ruler of Persia once had an unfaithful wife and after discovering her infidelity, he has her killed. In his rage, he decides that all women are unfaithful and marries a new virgin each day only to execute them the following morning before they would have a chance to betray him. After years of killing these innocent women, there were no virgins left and Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter offers herself as his next bride in hopes that she can stop the senseless slaughter. After one thousand and one nights, Shahryār falls in love with Scheherazade and spares her life. Shahryār is a changed man in the end but is not held accountable for the mass murder and instead is rewarded by having such a clever and brave wife. Scheherazade also bore him three sons. Shahryār was a fearful dictator so it might have taken a supernatural force like a jinni to defeat him but unfortunately, those characters were reserved for the stories within.