A villain's name should make the audience uneasy before the villain does anything. Some use a grand title (Doctor Doom, Baron Zemo, Lord Voldemort), some an ordinary word made sinister (The Joker, The Riddler), and some a name with an epithet. This villain name generator makes all three, for stories, games, comics and campaigns.
What makes a villain name work
- A title claims power. Doctor, Baron, Lord, Countess: the villain thinks they deserve respect, and wants you to know it.
- An ordinary job made sinister is unsettling: The Gardener, The Clockmaker, The Collector. The audience wonders what exactly they collect.
- Hard sounds help: k, x, v and z appear in a lot of villain names for a reason.
- An epithet tells the legend: the Undying, the Usurper. Good for fantasy villains with a history.
Naming the villain for your story
- Who gave them the name? A name the villain chose (Lord Voldemort, an anagram of Tom Marvolo Riddle's name) tells you about their ego; a name the newspapers gave them tells you about their crimes.
- Match the hero. A villain's name often mirrors the hero's: light and shadow, order and chaos.
- Save the real name for the reveal. The name everyone knows can hide a more ordinary person underneath.
For the heroes, try the Superhero Name Generator; for a demonic villain, the Demon Name Generator.