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justanotherdumpingground · 5 years

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Personal Opinions on Choices Villains

In this post, I'm covering the antagonists of the series, not subordinates (e.g. Cecile Contreras) and side villains no matter how loathsome they are (e.g. Priya Lacroix). However, I'm not including everyone, such as those who are too early or appear in multiple books in the same series as significant characters but are villains in one or two books (one of the villains I will mention is an exception).

Everett Rourke: I seriously despise Rourke, both as a character and as a villain. Saying that I hate him for his heinous actions isn't enough. While I acknowledge that he's a force to be reckoned with, most of what he says and does boils down to him being an egomaniac who wants to take over the world just to satisfy his ego. This kind of motive is really shallow and makes him a mere plot device. The only moments I admire about him being more than just a villain is his fondness for Olivia Montoya, such as the way he talked about her. But even then, he liked her just because she gave birth to a child he considered perfect in any way. In short, I find him a pathetic and short-sighted individual. Would be really fitting and satisfying if there's an option to flip him off. At least it was cathartic to see him go crazy in the Vaanu ending.

Azura: I feel like she's less like a character and more like a plot device, so there's little I could say about her other than her being a psychopath who wants to conquer places and prolong her own life by sucking other people's life force. Reminds me of Rourke in some ways.

Luther Nevrakis: He is, in my opinion, one of the best villains Choices has ever produced. Not only does he exercise his acumen well to the point of posing a challenge against Kenna, but he has understandable motives that still doesn't excuse his actions. I understood his frustration at the disunity of the Five Kingdoms against the Iron Empire, even as I despise the massacre he perpetrated at his fellow rulers at Stormholt. Compared to his son Marco and henchman Bartel Gremley, Luther maintains his composure and guile while brokering deals with his enemies and uses them for his own ends.

Rowan West: I'm glad he has motivations that don't necessarily boil down to solely god complex, making him a compelling villain in his own right. It started with his childhood experiences that lead to his talk of wanting to help humanity evolve. That, and coupled with his competence as a villain and persistence, makes him someone I can fear and respect at the same time.

Dorian Delacroix: I find him rather forgettable aside from his resemblance to Donald Trump. Not to mention his offer comes across as fake and paper-thin. He practically exists to give Sebastian some sort of challenge in him. I mean, I like Sebastian more since The Sophomore, Book 2, but it still doesn't erase his initially selfish behavior in The Freshman, up to and including committing a crime.

Nathan Sterling: Nathan is a bland and inept villain with shallow motives for being bad, really predictable when it comes to him being the culprit behind the car crash and the mastermind behind the pranks, and an utter failure at covering his tracks. To quote Kaitlyn if she records his monologue: Drop the evil mastermind monologue, you knock-off Draco Malfoy!

Anton Severus: Anton takes the bad stuff about Nathan Sterling (bland and inept) and applies it to a nation. Sending a bunch of assassins to target the bride (or brides), only for said assassins to end up defeated is an example of his failure as a villain. If you're plotting to overthrow a country's government, you better succeed in doing what you have to do, and Anton fails big-time. Even his motives for becoming king are weak aside from wanting to have all power for himself.

Jonathan Spencer: Another forgettable villain. I feel like he's there to give Matt a chance to stand up to him the moment he was exposed as the one who leaked the secrets.

Viktor Montmartre: Viktor is no doubt a poorly written villain who not only commits sexual assault towards actresses and ruins their lives if they don't comply, but also gets away with a mere slap in the wrist. I get that the story involving him is supposed to be based on the #MeToo movement, but it gets shoved aside in favor of building up Thomas Hunt as a forced love interest. It's distracting. Not to mention that he's pretty much a mere plot device with passing reminders of his importance to the story. Not saying that I should change him, because he's supposed to be a monster like Azura and Rourke.

Silas Prescott: I like that he really cared for his family and tried to bring his late wife back, though it certainly doesn't excuse his heinous actions. In terms of effectiveness, he pretty much succeeds in what he does, particularly having Hazel get info on the MC. Nevertheless, he's an acceptable challenge.

Trent A.K.A. ex-fiancé: What can I say about this guy? All he does is being an utter douche to his ex-fiancée, such as cheating on her, roughly grabbing her, and even conning her into signing a marriage certificate. Granted, the latter is partly the protagonist's fault for not consulting with others, but it still shows how much of a jerk he is. I have mixed feelings on his disappearance, however. I was relieved I didn't have to deal with him anymore, but also felt that having closure with him costing diamonds is a disservice to the plot, since it explores a character's motivations. Even with the closure, cheating on his fiancée was a stupid move in his part.

Aunt Mallory: Oh, boy. Where do I start? Her actions are consistently loathsome while her motives came too late. She even continued being horrible (giving real weapons to kids, casually suggesting that her daughter give her child up for adoption against her will, tampering with her niece's boat, etc.) even after she mentioned her history with her daughter, which shows that she made a choice and must face the consequences. Unfortunately, she gets away with nearly killing her own niece and future nephew-in-law, which makes it all the more infuriating.

Brian Crandall: Oh, Brian's definitely one character I really detest with a passion. On one hand, it's easy for me to dismiss him as some mere bully, but on the other hand, his actions and motivations are more than just being a bully. His lack of remorse without compelling concerns, selfish attitude and mindset, creepy gestures towards Myra, and refusal to see his own mistakes are the topreasons. I think PB did the right thing by characterizing him as unlikeable as possible, as it's their intention to do so. Even worse is that he comes off as persistent even in presence. It's like I can never escape from him.

Principal Amanda Isa A.K.A. Ashley Faris: Since her dictatorial rule in Berry High, I suspect two different things about her: either she was sincere in enforcing order and discipline by going too far because of her bad experience with chaos, or her policies were ultimately a facade to cover her criminal activities. I wasn't surprise that the latter was true because she picked Morgan, a notorious opportunist, as hall monitor. As for Isa herself, I really hate her for her actions and motivations. Sure she was indebted to a couple of criminals since she fell for a pyramid scheme that ruined the three of them, but that doesn't excuse what she did, especially since she probably should've turned Phantom and Blackbird in. Still doesn't make me hate her as much as I hate characters worse than her.

Max Warren and Kara Sinclair: I swear, these two are the kind of people I love to hate, but even then they pale because they don't do something genuinely threatening, like usurping the club leader positions from Julian and Mia, respectively. That would've made them threatening, I guess.

Danielle: Honestly, I find her rather pathetic and immature because of her obsession with Rory that reaches possessive levels. She knew what she did could've injured the Class Act protagonist, but she did it anyway. Even if she didn't know about the true purpose of the play was no excuse for her misdeeds, which screams Aunt Mallory to me. Moreover, what she said in the premium options didn't even explain the reason why she considered Rory her friend. I wish she develops differently, however. And what's with her motivations being paywalled?

Redfield A.K.A. Jane Marshall: Oh, this is an interesting one. I find Jane (and Redfield in general) a very interesting villain because she still maintains her childish personality even after becoming Redfield, which warps her way of helping her old friends. Even after her rejection and rampage, she still retains a childlike view of what's right and wrong. She's dangerous and tragic at the same time, and I like that.

Countess Henrietta: I swear, for someone meant to be a villain, Henrietta has the personality of a walking cliche. Sure she wants Edgewater and lives in an era where women had less rights compared to nowadays, but her behavior and characterization just boils down to unnecessarily abusive towards others, including her own husband and son. I feel like Duke Richards is more of a villain than she is, though that was because his establishment as one was gradual and just the beginning. I swear, I'm starting to find her slightly less unbearable, but if Pixelberry pulls a Mallory on her (have her do horrible deeds that threaten people's lives yet expect sympathy in the end), I'll be furious.

Duke Tristan Richards: I find it a bit funny that he quickly dwarfs Henrietta in terms of the threat he poses. That aside, he's utterly vile like Rourke and Montmartre and has shown no humanizing qualities thus far. All he does is act like he owns everything and that he's the only person that matters. Sick of his attitude.

Jeff Duffy: Like Luther Nevrakis, Jeff Duffy is a very well-written villain who not only succeeds in his goals, but also has a sympathetic motive that still doesn't excuse his actions. It helps that he has a really scary grin when his true colors are revealed. Sure I'm angry at him harming Kate, but I can also step into his shoes as he gets angry at the Sterlings for ruining his life. In the end, I chose to let him die in the Endurance while saving Pierce, who I think deserves to watch his family's legacy crumble.

John Tull and Hayley Rose: These two are interesting villains that surprise me in the end. While their actions are despicable, their motivations show them as still human. Tull going great lengths to protect her daughter, who was wronged by several men. That makes them interesting villains in their right.

Adam Vega: This one's tough. I find him an effective villain when it comes to gaining good publicity, framing Adrian, and gaining the upper hand in some situations. What bugs me is how and why did he start adopting Gaius Augustine's agenda. I mean, he was rather shocked about it when Gaius revealed his master plan about a century ago.

Gaius Augustine: He may not have a lot of free screentime, but he has proven to be an interesting villain who works behind the scenes for a long time, and effectively, no less. There's still not much I could see of him so far, but here's hoping Bloodbound, Book 2 treats him with justice by making him a three-dimensional character with believable motives that explain his reasons well while not whitewashing them.

Garret Redmond: Honestly, this guy comes across as forgettable. I know that he's a threat to the Oakleys and Mendozas (attempted to bribe them, then damaged the Oakley ranch by burning the barn and destroying the fence), but I see nothing much in him besides being a ruthless and corrupt business tycoon.

Martin and TJ: Honestly, these two piss me off because all they do is treat other people, including their co-workers, like dirt for no real reason. Even worse, TJ forcefully grabbed MC, which shows his willingness to cross the line. What I find outrageous is that we don't get to see their reactions to their defeat in the finale. The only assuring thing about them is that they're intended to behave that way.

Rose Waverley: Eh. I get that Rose is paranoid, pessimistic, and suffering from a mental illness, but whether being undead has warped her mind or her behavior was naturally that wasn't fully explained in detail. I think she could've been more interesting, if only THoBM isn't so short.

Ivy Fisher: OK, so I feel like I should hate her for taking advantage of the competition with Carson's help, but the truth is I don't. The reason is because I was reminded by Adam/Handsome Stranger to not take game moves personally, so I wonder why the love interests start taking offense at her targeting my protagonist? It's like they know the reason to participate in the competition is to have fun, yet they disregard it anyway.

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