Top 10 Rom-Com Villains That We Still Kinda Love

Audiences may have wanted to literally bend and snap Warner Huntington III in half for breaking poor Elle Woods' heart, but there is actually a lot we have to thank him for. Think about it: If he had never ended things with Elle, then she never would have made it her goal to get into Harvard. Now, we don’t want to give him full credit for indirectly pushing her towards her full potential because Miss Woods did that on her own. However, we will throw him a little appreciation for being the catalyst.

We wouldn’t want to go to high school with her, but we definitely love Marianne Bryant! She is in the business of “saving” others through faith and has some ultra conservative views but she’s comedy gold. When it comes to classmate, Olive Penderghast, she’ll stop at nothing to take her down after attempting to recruit her to join her youth group. She uses lies and gossip to fuel the fire, which is obviously terrible. But when it comes to being a villain, she is a fun watch and a testament to Amanda Bynes’ comedic talents. Plus, imagine watching a boring antagonist? No thank you!

Genevieve Mitchell might seem like a stereotypical mean girl on the outside, but deep down there’s more to her. Rewind back to the 7th grade when her best friend, Lara Jean Covey broke her trust by kissing her crush, Peter Kavinsky during a game of spin-the-bottle. Scorned and hurt by the betrayal, Gen becomes a not-so-nice-person, making Lara Jean’s life way more challenging. Now there’s no defending her actions, but at least we can see where her anger is coming from. In the end, the two are able to start repairing their broken friendship, which proves that Gen is maturing. Who doesn’t love some character development?!

Sure, Helen Harris is a little annoying and very pretentious, but hear us out! She really is trying to be a good friend and bridesmaid to Lillian the only way she knows how. She goes above and beyond, much to the irritation of fellow bridesmaid, Annie Walker, but she is compensating for the fact that she doesn’t have many friends. Plus, in the end, she shows genuine concern for Lillian when she goes MIA. Maybe she needs to tone things down a notch, but at the end of the day, she is a true friend.

Yes, Joey Donner serves up major ick. He’s a player, a bully and arrogant beyond belief. But is he the true villain in this story? Cameron James and Michael Eckman are just as complicit when it comes to manipulating sisters Bianca and Kat Stratford. In fact, they are the ones who concoct the plan to get Patrick Verona to woo Kat. Joey was really just the ATM. He is by no means a good guy but what he really is is a well constructed antagonist that is interesting to watch and analyze.

Labeled as a golddigger, Meredith Blake is the most misunderstood character in “The Parent Trap.” First of all, she has a successful career in public relations and doesn’t need her fiance Nick Parker’s money. Second, he lied to her about the fact that he had another daughter, which is messed up. Sure, she speaks with a sharp tongue and threatens to send twins, Annie and Hallie off to boarding school, but they also torment her. On the surface, she might fit the evil stepmother mold, but Miss Blake is a style icon who goes after what she wants - and who can fault her for that?

For years, rom-com aficionados have argued over whether or not Summer Finn deserves her so-called “villain” title. Unhappy in her relationship with Tom Hansen, she breaks things off with him and he spirals down a path of sadness. But really, what was Summer supposed to do? Stay with him just to make him happy? She is simply a woman who knows what she wants and, more importantly, doesn’t want out of life. And Tom, to be honest, is a lot to handle. Sure, heartbreak sucks, but she’s far from being a villian. Consider this our official announcement of the Justice for Summer Finn campaign!

Darcy, Darcy, Darcy. We’re not saying we could be friends with her in real life but we need to give her some credit. Aside from her pushy nature and the fact that she’s full of herself, Darcy is still being betrayed by her BFF, Rachel, who is having an affair with her fiance, Dex. But Darcy isn’t so innocent either. When it’s revealed that she’s also been sneaking around and expecting a child with Dex’s pal, Marcus, it’s a total shock. In the end, both secrets neutralize and cancel each other out. Darcy is no better than Rachel and vice versa, so can we really call her a villain?

Mark has been dragged through the mud for his grand and arguably romantic gesture that, quite frankly, is swoon worthy. Cold towards his friend’s new wife, Juliet, it’s revealed that it’s all an act because he’s actually in love with her. On a cold winter night, he arrives at her doorstep with poster boards expressing his true feelings. It’s a bold move, but it’s clear that Mark is not trying to break them up, he just wants to be honest. It’s closure for him, and afterwards, it’s apparent that he’s ready to move on. We gotta hand it to him for being so brave and also giving us an iconic cinematic moment!

Is Viola Fields the worst mother-in-law ever or a woman who is just fearful of change? When we first meet her, she’s lost her career and now, her beloved son, Kevin is engaged to a woman named Charlie. These two big shifts in her life are enough to push her over the edge. The truth is, she doesn’t hate Charlie as a person, she hates what she represents which is change. However, she takes it way too far when she tries to serve her future daughter in law nuts which she’s allergic to. In the end, Viola is able to conquer her fears, allowing her son to live happily ever after, and embrace change and we love her for that.

Which one of the rom-com villains do you love the most? Make sure to share in the comments!