2019 Silmaril Award Nominations: Most Nefarious Villain

Silmaril-Awards

NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS FIRST ROUND! VOTING STARTS MONDAY (9/9).

The day has dawned. The time is here.

The 2019 Silmaril Awards are upon us!

But the day is dark in this corner of the land. Overcast with shadow and ripe with portents of ruin.

For here we undertake a grim task—nominating the worst villains known to fantasy. And here one of their devious number shall be named the Most Nefarious Villain. Not an admirable title, to be sure, but one which the enemies of good crave above all else.

Standards for the Most Nefarious Villain

Before a villain is chosen, you must understand. They do not take lightly to any mere character being hailed as the most nefarious of all. Their despicable leader Saruman has sent a missive to explain.

via GIPHY

To the Scum it May Concern,

The title Most Nefarious Villain is at once a precious and honorable thing. To that end, read herein the requirements we demand for any man, woman, beast, wizard, or foul creature put forth as worthy of consideration.

This villain must be loathsome, despised by all but their fawning minions. And of those, it is best that they have many. Warriors, henchmen to do their bidding, dark creatures. Without these, what master of villainy are they?

This villain must hate, must seek to oppose good at every turn. They must seek destruction. They may, in their way, show compassion and love, but it must be misguided and for their own gain. A dark soul—that is what we seek. Even if, as some have accused me, a dark soul cloacked in light.

This villain must be powerful. One to make nations tremble and mothers to cover their children’s ears when their name is whispered in fear. They must have a commanding air that speaks of leadership and authority.

These are our demands. However, we are not utterly bereft of reason. Mayhap you wish to nominate a villain who acts alone—as the mighty dragon Smaug did. Or if you may find it prudent to nominate someone who meets but a portion of our demands. We will not deny these choices so long as they are truly ill-famed.

Your Wicked Servant (and also Award Presenter),

Saruman

So yeah. There you go. Ground rules for nominating characters, from one of the top baddies himself.

Nomination Rules

Villains aren’t known for their obedience to rules. But fortunately they aren’t in charge of this part.

1. No Tolkien characters. Middle-earth is amazing. To such an extent that any characters who dwell there (currently or previously or in-betweenly) aren’t eligible to be nominated or to win awards. Call it giving everyone else a chance. Instead, they’ll serve as the Award Presenters.

2. No repeat winners. The Silmaril Awards are lifetime awards. Meaning a character can’t win them more than once for the same category. As such, the following nefarious villains have already claimed their title and aren’t allowed back to cause any more chaos: Queen Levana, Shift, and the White Witch.

via GIPHY

3. The awards are a FANTASY-ONLY invitation. Sorry Thanos, no admittance, not even on party business. Characters from any other genre, however much despised, don’t qualify.

There’s been confusion in the past on what counts as fantasy. The lines blur, so feel free to ask if you’re not sure or explain why you think a character counts. And before you ask, yes, The Lunar Chronicles count as fantasy (fantastical elements, fairytale retelling, etc.).

4. Don’t forget to mention THE BOOK a character’s from when you nominate him/her/it. We hosts loves bookses, but we haven’t lived for hundreds of years like Smeagol. Aka we haven’t read #AllTheBooks and might not recognize some characters.

5. Speaking of which, the Silmaril Awards are for books. Prolly cause we the hosts are secretly bookwyrms. Anyhow, characters from movies, video games, and so on don’t count—unless the book came first.

6. If you’re an author, we’d love to have you participate. The only thing we ask is that you refrain from nominating your characters. But spread the love and tell all your wonderful readers to flood us with their nominations and seconds.

How It Works

If you’ve participated in the Silmaril Awards before, you know the drill. If not, Bilbo has a few housekeeping items:

  1. Comment on this post to nominate a character for the Most Nefarious Villain
  2. Nominate as many villainous rogues as you want
  3. “Second” characters anyone else nominates

Whichever 5 characters receive the most seconds will advance to the voting round next week.

Voting ends THIS FRIDAY EVENING. You have five days. Go crazy. 😉

P. S. This year there’s also a nifty Facebook group for keeping up with the awards, talking sass about the villains (shhh, don’t tell them I said that), connecting with other fantasy readers, etc. If that’s your thing, you can join using the big fancy link below.

BIG FANCY LINK

P. P. S. If you want to share on social media, the official hashtag is #SilmAwards2019.

P. P. P. S. We also has cool website: SilmarilAwards.com.

Nominate Characters for ALL THE AWARDS

Though the villains think everything revolves around them (there’s even a rumor they don’t believe any other awards exist), they’re wrong.

There are 10 awards total. (9 to represent the fellowship of the Ring and 1 for Peter Jackson. Heh…juuust kidding.)

Anyway, be sure to visit them all. Here’s a handy list for your internet trekking:

Most Epic Hero – DJ Edwardson

Most Faithful Friend – E.E. Rawls

Most Mischievous Imp – Madeline J. Rose

Most Silver Tongue – Deborah O’Carroll

Least Competent Henchman – Christine Smith

Wisest Counselor – Jenelle Schmidt

Strangest Character – Tracey Dyck

Most Magnificent Dragon – Kyle Robert Shultz

Most Epic Heroine – J.L. Mbewe

There you have it. The 2019 Silmaril Awards have officially begun.

Let the nominations commence!

173 thoughts on “2019 Silmaril Award Nominations: Most Nefarious Villain

  1. I have 3 nominees:

    1. Nurse Golightly from Kyle Robert Shultz’s The Last Days of Lady Cordelia.
    2. Jackson Beaumont (Lord Whitlock) from Kyle Robert Shultz’s Beaumont and Beasley and Crockett and Crane Series.
    3. Brother (Pinocchio) from Kyle Robert Shultz’s Deadwood.

    1. I second Death-in-Life (The Dragon). You know, I also second Life-in-Death (The Lady.)
      Both pretty scary.

  2. Excellent and chilling letter from Saruman!

    I nominate…

    -Minya from Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (a truly twisted child)
    -The Grand Artifex from the Great Library series by Rachel Caine (one of those lurking-in-the-background and pulling-all-the-strings types)
    -Morlan from the Myridian Constellation series by Wayne Thomas Batson (he’s chillingly patient in pursuing his goals)
    -Arramos from Oracles of Fire by Bryan Davis (this dragon is… literally Satan)

    1. I come here to nominate Morlan, so…
      Seconding Morlan.
      I don’t even feel like seconding anyone else. They all pale in comparison. Scariest. Evah. *hides*

  3. I nominate Bonifer Squoon, of the Wingfeather Saga.
    Also, the Duke of the Thirteen Clocks and Nimaine of the 100 Cupboards.

    1. The White King, from the Beaumont and Beasley series, by Kyle Robert Schultz.
      Yurgen, from The Wingfeather Saga, by Andrew Peterson.
      Steelheart from… Steelheart. 😂 By Brandon Sanderson.
      Maxi from The Dragon’s Tooth, by N. D. Wilson.

      1. Steelheart is a pretty great villain (irony?) but unfortunately those books fall on the sci-fi side of the fence. So he doesn’t count, sadly.

  4. Okay… Saruman’s explanatory missive was EPIC! hahaha!

    I second:
    Death-in-life (aka The Dragon) – Tales of Goldstone Wood

    I nominate:
    Madame Cavendish from Aeronaut’s Windlass
    Gnag the Nameless from the Wingfeather Saga
    Warlord Seigan from So Sang the Dawn by AnnMarie Pavese
    Desmond from The Hidden Dagger Trilogy by JL Mbewe

  5. I first-second The Dragon from Tales of Goldstone Wood. Can I double-second him? Whatever.

    I also second Bonifer Squoon and the Duke of The Thirteen Clocks.

    I nominate Keeper from Entwined and Alberich from the Invisible Library.

  6. I have so many…XD

    I nominate:
    Holland from A Darker Shade of Magic
    Capricorn from Inkheart
    The Keeper from Entwined
    Queen Irina from The Shadow Queen
    Teague from The Wish Granter

    All so despicably evil…*shivers*

  7. I second the Horned King.
    I nominate the Evil Stepmother from Ella Enchanted, The Worm/Witch from The Silver Chair, The Brain (was that its name?) from A Wrinkle in Time, and Jack Daw from The Seelie Wars.

    1. Ooo definitely seconding the Lady of the Green Kirtle from the Silver Chair (or the worm/witch as has been referred to here).

    2. ANNOUNCEMENT: After much debate and perplexity, the hosts have decided that a Wrinkle in Time falls more into the sci-fi category. So IT, though truly villainous, doesn’t qualify. 🙁

  8. Arawn from The Chronicles of Prydain
    Galbatorix from The Inheritance Cycle
    Havantly from The Adventures of Ordinary Sam

  9. I second the Horned King and Morlan and nominate Daican and Davira from the Ilyon Chronicles, Morgarath from Ranger’s Apprentice, Esek Nathak, Macoun Hadar, and Lord Nathak from the Blood of Kings, and King Respen from the Blades of Acktar.

  10. I nominate Nahuseresh from the Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. (Whom I hate more than any character besides Tolkien’s villains. Grrrr.)

  11. I nominate Lord Nathak and Macoun Hadar from the Blood of Kings trilogy by Jill Williamson, and also Voldemort from Harry Potter!

  12. I second the Horned King, Gnag the Nameless, Daican, and Davira.

    I nominate:
    — Pretender from The DragonKeeper Chronicles (Donita K. Paul)
    — The Dark One/Lord of the Dark from The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan)
    — Captain Hook from Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie)
    — The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
    — Luke from Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan)

  13. I nominate Brandon Sanderson’s… Ruin from his Mistborn books, Sadeas from Oathbringer, and Odium from Oathbringer

  14. I nominate:
    -Hawthorne from E.B. Dawson’s “Lost Empire” trilogy
    -Eglon from Hannah Heath’s “Terebinth Tree Chronicles”
    -Grand Lady Ragna from Morgan Busse’s “The Ravenwood Saga”

  15. I second: The Horned King, the Lady of the Green Kirtle, IT, Arawn, Daican, Davira, Morgarath, Esek Nathak, Macoun Hadar, Lord Nathak, King Respen and Pretender.

    I nominate Deparnieux from Ranger’s Apprentice, Achren from The Chronicles of Prydain and Selia from The Books of Bayern.

  16. I nominate:

    -Lady Dragon, aka Amber, from Kendra Ardnek’s Rizkaland (“Lady Dragon, Tela Du” was the book where she was at her most villainous, I believe.)
    -The Red Bull from “The Last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle
    -King Haggard (the Red Bull’s master) from the same book
    -Cluny the Scourge from “Redwall” by Brian Jacques (this series counts as fantasy, yes? Legends, visions, talking animals, etc.)
    -Captain Vanderdecken of the Flying Dutchman, from the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series by Brian Jacques
    -Cameron from the Sword of Lyric series by Sharon Hinck
    -Fuath from “Fairest Son” by Hannah Williams
    -The Dark from the Shiloh Series by Helena Sorensen (for reference: they are corrupted Immortals who contrived the Shadow, and basically…well, I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the series, but I would be willing to pit their powers against Sauron, Saruman, and their assorted minions any day—and bet for them)

    1. Oh wow, it’s been forever since I read The Last Unicorn. I don’t even remember the Red Bull and King Haggard. 🤔

  17. I second Lord Whitlock and Brother(Deadwood).

    I nominate Davira from the Ilyom Chronicles. I also nominate the Master from The Story Raider. Evil hiding in darkness, doing we know not what, but being pretty successful at terrible things.

  18. I nominate:
    Lord Rundark and Deeb Rauber from the League of Princes series by Christopher Healy
    Morbin Blackhawk from the Green Ember series
    Jaegar from Egnitheos

  19. I’m leaving way too many comments here…. I’ll combine all my nominations/seconds next time.

    I second Hook (Peter Pan), The Dark One (Wheel of Time) (come on, Rand, he really is the villain! and a terrible one too!), and Umbridge (HP).

    I nominate Slarb from the Wingfeather Saga, and violently un-second Gnag (because no, despite popular opinion, he is NOT DESPICABLE).

  20. I second Morgarath, Galbatorix, Voldemort.
    And I nominate Maugries from the Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. He’s definitely a nefarious villain.

  21. I have another nomination:

    -Cedric from “Winter Cursed” by Nicki Chapelway
    -Ismena from the same book (though her vileness is better showcased in her backstory, “A Winter Grim and Lonely”)

  22. I second:
    the Horned King
    Nurse Golightly
    Jackson Beaumont/Lord Whitlock
    Brother
    Alisher!!! Oh my word. I hate that guy so much. XD
    The White King
    The Keeper
    Queen Irina
    Voldemort, Umbridge, and Malfoy (wait, is that Draco or Lucius? Because both. XD)
    Captain Hook
    Arawn
    Esek Nathak
    Lord Nathak

  23. It appears that something went wrong with my first comment, should I be concerned?

    I wil resubmit and hope for the best, I was really looking forward to this vote

    Seconds:
    Cluny the Scourge from red wall
    Voldemort and the malfoys, from Harry Potter
    Lord Whitlock from beast of talesend
    The lady of the green kirtle/the worm
    Amber, from lady dragon, tela du by Kendra ardnek
    Captain Hook
    The queen of hearts from Alice in wonderland

    I nominate:
    Mother, from branch of silver, branch of gold, by Anne Elisabeth stengl
    Morgana/morgaine from morte d’arthur by Thomas Mallory (?) (there are retellings that I enjoyed more but it’s been so long since I’ve read them, over ten years, that I don’t really remember the titles and authors)
    I will likely be back several times to nominate and second more but these are the ones that I can think of now

    1. Could have been that the first comment just hadn’t been approved yet, Katie. Thanks for voting, and yes, definitely come back for more! 😀

  24. ANNOUNCEMENT: I posted this above, but it’s easy to get lost in the comments, so dropping it down here as well.

    We (the hosts) have decided after much debate that A Wrinkle in Time (and following books) falls more under sci-fi. So IT, though truly villainous, doesn’t qualify.

  25. I nominate Seigan from So Sang the Dawn. Nastiest of the Most Nefarious Villains!
    I also nominate Haeronymous from Minstrel’s Call.

  26. Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!

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