悪役|あくやくakuyaku[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectivevillain; baddie; the villain's part

• Synonym悪玉あくだまNeutralNeutral. A bad person or the bad side, paired with 「善玉」 and carrying a clear good-vs-evil feel; 「悪役」 is about the role played.
• Synonym悪者わるものCasualColloquial. The most common everyday word for a bad person, focusing on the person's own badness; 「悪役」 is the villain role one plays or the part one bears.
• Synonym敵役かたきやくNeutralNeutral. The villain role in a story or play, opposing the protagonist; in its theatrical sense basically interchangeable with 「悪役」.
• Related悪形あくがたWrittenWritten/formal prose. Theater jargon for the villain's part; also an unfavorable position in shogi or othello. 「悪役」 is more common and covers resented roles in a group.
• Related悪徒あくとWrittenWritten/formal prose, and rare even there: an actual evildoer, not a part. 「悪役」 is a role in a play or in an organization.
• AntonymヒーローNeutralAntonym. A loanword for a hero or a work's male protagonist, the opposite of the villain 「悪役」.
• Antonym善役NeutralAntonym. The positive role in a play, playing a good character; opposite of 「悪役」, the villain's part.

For a villain in drama or film, or a resented role in an organization, use 「悪役」, as in 「悪役を演じる」; for a story's villain 「敵役」 also works; for a bad person in everyday speech use 「悪者」; the opposite is 「ヒーロー」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 芝居しばいなどで悪人あくにんの役柄やくがら。
2. 組織そしきや集団しゅうだんなどでの憎にくまれ役やく。