Nominations for Best Literary Villain

[B.Hayes]

I'd say say the Shoggoth, pretty much no way to escape those things.

[Luchia]

I am a big Victor Hugo fan, so I have to say; Archdeacon Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Javert from Les Miserables ! (=

[Notebookface]

Fourthing Professor Moriarty, but also throwing Dolores Umbridge, Kazuo Kiriyama (Battle Royale), Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, and Sergeant James Doakes out there.

[VoiceVSP]

Aaron the Moor from Titus Andronicus.
And don't just shrug him off because you haven't heard of him. Read the play. You'll see.
Well actually, he's not the coolest... Probably just the most evil.

[paraparamore23]

Shylock the Jew of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice -- not for his failed villanous actions, but the fact that Shakespeare was willing enough to make the main antagonist a "victim" of society.

Archdeacon Claude Frollo -- Holy man driven mad by obsession. Self-righteous in every way.

Though Huxley did an excellent job of making society an amazing antagonist to John in Brave New World. It was different, and greatly appreciated, but Ellison did it better in Invisible Man

Jadis, the White Witch of Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe -- Though it's a children's book, Lewis spared no time in establishing who the bad guy was.

Bob Ewell (Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird) -- his motives were vague, but Lee did a good job at illustrating Southern life in the Great Depression.

And above all, the higher-ups of fast food franchises of Schlosser's Fast Food Nation

[SaigoSentinel]

I want to put in "Roger Chillingworth" from The Scarlet Letter. He's the kind of villain that destroys himself in order to achieve his revenge.

[Matt Cruea]

Moriarty appeared in only one Holmes story and he died in it. Moriarty sucks.

I would say O'Brien from 1984, Lady Macbeth, Count Dracula, or, probably the ultimate winner, Satan from Paradise Lost.

[merodii]

O'Brien from 1984. Hands down.
In most books I read, either society, humanity, or government are the evil ones. They do a pretty good job of it too.

[hippie_vampire]

As far as modern day books go I'd say Neferet from the House of Night books by P.C. and Kirsten Cast.
I mean, she's so pure evil that even the other villains look at her and go "I wouldn't even go that far." And not to mention the fact that she's fallen so far and has so much of the power of darkness on her side she's actually turning herself immortal!
Or of course Voldamort. (<<did I spell that right?) I honestly don't know why he's not on here already!

And with classics I have to go with ether Dracula or Moriarty.

[hippie_vampire]

And of course if comic books count, The Joker beats all!