An example of a very effective villain is Count Olaf from the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events. This series follows the life of the Baudelaire orphans. After both their parents die in a fire, they are sent to their new guardian, a man named Count Olaf.
The reason why Count Olaf is a good villain is because he contrasts the heroes in several ways. For example, while the heroes care about their family and friends deeply, Count Olaf is selfish and only cares about himself. Another reason is the fact that Count Olaf cares a lot about money, while this makes no difference to the orphan children. Finally, Count Olaf is willing to commit terrible crimes in order to achieve what he wants, while the children are moral and responsible.
In conclusion, Count Olaf is a remarkable villain because he contrasts with the heroes, who are the Baudelaire orphans. Some of the ways in which he does so is by caring about himself and money more than he cares about anything else, as well as having very loose morals.
