big bads
Stories' main enemies
Big bads are the primary villains in serialized fiction—the ultimate antagonists toward whom a story arc builds.
The term comes from television criticism, where a season's big bad is the enemy confronted in the finale: Buffy spent all of season two dealing with Angelus as the big bad.
The phrase has spread to describe any central villain in games, comics, or ongoing narratives.
- archenemyPrincipal antagonist
- arch nemesisPrincipal long-term antagonist
- nemesisPersistent source of ruin
- adversaryEnemy in conflict
- villainWicked story antagonist
foe · wolf · Lex Luthor · tyrant · antagonist · monster · rival · mastermind · mad scientist · master plan · warlord · evil empire · enemies · Darth Vader · beasts · Thanos · final boss · evil-doer
narrative role
big badsheroes
Admired courageous figures
protagonists · saviors · champions · good guys · chosen ones