The evil stepmother is a classic stock character, especially in fairy tales. Controlling and rigid, this wicked woman is often the antagonist in a story with a struggling young girl protagonist, such as the queen/witch in “Snow White” and the stepmother in “Cinderella.” However, as in “Hansel and Gretel,” the evil stepmother is not always restricted to a female protagonist.
This crazy-haired super-genius may be a full-fledged villain, like nearly half of the comic book antagonists, or simply a powerful scientist with questionable ethics and practices (such as reanimating the dead). Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein is possibly the most immortalized and parodied mad scientist stock character. Other examples of mad scientist stock characters include Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Fritz Lang’s Rotwang and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. The “evil genius” stock character is closely related and sometimes one with “the mad scientist.”
With a warty nose, flying broomstick and caldron, the wicked witch is a well-known stereotype among both fiction readers and trick-or-treaters. In some modern and historical cultures, the witch itself is/was considered wicked, needing no classification as wicked. Some examples of famous wicked witch stock characters include the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”, the three witches in “Macbeth,” the cannibalistic witch in “Hansel and Gretel” and the evil fairy/witch in “Sleeping Beauty.”
The big boss is the leader of a gang, mafia or simply a group of criminals. Numerous stock characters/archetypes are included within this category. In comics, action movies, fairy tales and fantasies, the big boss is usually the strongest and most powerful of the bad guys--the final obstacle. However, the big boss is also sometimes a smaller man with a persuasive cunning and Napoleonic complex.
This evil seductress poses a deadly threat to the enchanted hero and has been a villainous stock character since ancient times. The Sirens, Clytemnestra and Aphrodite are all examples of femme fatales in Greek mythology; and the Judeo-Christian Eve is often considered a femme fatale. Some other famous examples include Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend, Catwoman of the “Batman” comics and Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone’s character in “Basic Instinct”).
The bully is an easily recognized character among schoolyard, workplace and hometown settings. He is bigger and more ignorant than most and covers up his secret insecurities by lashing out at those smaller or weaker than himself. Some famous bullies include Nelson Muntz from “The Simpsons,” Scut Farkus from “A Christmas Story” and Biff Tannen from “Back to the Future.” Police chiefs, newspaper editors and office supervisors are commonly characterized as workplace bullies.