ABSTRACT
Billy the Kid did not make a good villain because he was blonde, blue-eyed, well built, and rather handsome; women fell for him. He was brave and a square shooter. Such discrepancies in the character of a bad man made him resemble others who perhaps should have been villains but were not. A pure villain lacks redeeming traits that confuse him with a hero. Popular speech provides unambiguous images of hatefulness, also literature. A proper villain has the opposite traits of a hero and threatens the group the hero serves. Names like radical, revolutionary, red, bolshevik, subversive, usurper, mutineer, and anarchist carry such connotations. Several important kinds of villain grab more than their share, or use power improperly. Unlike outlaws and troublemakers, they may be firmly entrenched in positions of authority. Villainy drops underground with hidden traitors who sell out or bore from within while in a position of trust.
