Moriarty
Moriarty is best known as the arch-nemesis of Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories—a criminal mastermind and "Napoleon of crime" who operates a vast network of villainy from the shadows.
The name has become shorthand for any brilliant, scheming antagonist who serves as a worthy intellectual match for a protagonist.
Every great detective needs a Moriarty.
Moriarty is also a surname of Irish origin and a small town in New Mexico.
Iconic Victorian-era investigator
- HolmesFictional London investigator
- nemesisPersistent source of ruin
- criminalPerson who breaks laws
- geniusPerson of rare brilliance
spider · web · arch-enemy · puppeteer · kingpin · overlord · syndicate · underworld
Profound moral wickedness
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- diabolicalExtremely wicked or cruel
- malevolentHarboring ill will
- nefariousExtremely evil or villainous
dark · shadow · menace · threat · ruthless · amoral · sociopath · cold-blooded
Person of rare brilliance
- mathematicianProfessional in abstract quantities
- professorSenior university teacher
- academicRelating to education or theory
- brilliantIntensely bright or gifted
analytical · cerebral · polymath · erudition · equal · mind games · intellectual · superior
Underhanded control of others
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
- plottingDevising a secret plan
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
subterfuge · intrigue · calculating · orchestration · puppetry · long game · contingency · misdirection
Sherlock
Iconic Victorian-era investigator
genius · spider · web · arch-enemy · puppeteer · kingpin · overlord · syndicate · underworld · organization
evil
Profound moral wickedness
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- diabolicalExtremely wicked or cruel
- malevolentHarboring ill will
nefarious · dark · shadow · menace · threat · ruthless · amoral · sociopath · cold-blooded · merciless
genius
Person of rare brilliance
- mathematicianProfessional in abstract quantities
- professorSenior university teacher
- academicRelating to education or theory
brilliant · analytical · cerebral · polymath · erudition · equal · mind games · intellectual · superior · detachment
manipulation
Underhanded control of others
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
- plottingDevising a secret plan
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
deception · subterfuge · intrigue · calculating · orchestration · puppetry · long game · contingency · misdirection · trap
- Holmes Villains
- Irish SurnamesO'Brien, Murphy, Kelly, O'Neill, O'Connor
- literary villainsIago, Lady Macbeth, Voldemort, Dracula, Sauron
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- Route 66Chicago, Santa Monica, Flagstaff, Amarillo, Gallup
- Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes, Watson, Baker Street, Mrs. Hudson, consulting detective