An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis (sometimes spelled arch-enemy, arch-foe, arch-villain or arch-nemesis) is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy (compare nemesis). The reason why the particular villain stands out more than the rest of the protagonist's rogues gallery varies; they may be the hero's strongest enemy (Doctor Doom/Mister Fantastic), have strong connections with the hero's past (the Master/the Doctor), caused the hero a great deal of personal pain (the Joker/Batman), suffering or anguish (Green Goblin/Spider-Man), has the most personal grudge against the hero (Lex Luthor/Superman), or may be the most recurring enemy (Bowser/Mario). In certain cases, it is possible for a hero to possess more than one archenemy, as in the case of Spider-Man with the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom where all three villains have established themselves as the most recurring and the most iconic of Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery.

Etymology

Examples

Comic book archenemies

• Abomination and the Leader - archenemies of the Hulk.
• Captain Cold - archenemy of the Flash.
• Cheetah - archenemy of Wonder Woman
• Deacon Frost, archenemy of Blade.
• Deathstroke the Terminator (also known as Slade), archenemy of the Teen Titans,
• Doctor Doom, archenemy of Mister Fantastic.
• Doctor Sivana, archenemy of DC Comics's Captain Marvel.
• Cobra Commander, and by extension the Cobra Organization, is the archenemy of G.I. Joe.
• Green Goblin ,archenemy of Spider-Man.
• Scream (comics), archenemy of Venom.
• The Joker, archenemy of Batman.
• Catwoman is the archenemy of Batgirl
• and Tony Zucco is the archnenemy of Robin / Dick Grayson
• Judge Death, archenemy of Judge Dredd.
• Kingpin, archenemy of Daredevil.
• Lex Luthor, archenemy of Superman.
• The Mandarin is the archenemy of Iron Man.
• Magneto, archenemy of Professor X.
• Sabretooth, archenemy of the X-Men's Wolverine.
• Ming the Merciless, archenemy of Flash Gordon.
• Red Skull, archenemy of Captain America.
• Sinestro, archnemesis of Green Lantern Hal Jordan and the whole Green Lantern Corps .
• The Shredder, archenemy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Literary archenemies

• The Auditors of Reality are the archenemy of Death and Susan in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
• Carl Peterson is the archenemy of Bulldog Drummond.
• Captain Hook is the arch-nemesis of Peter Pan.
• Count Olaf is the archenemy of the orphans in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• The Crimson King (and his various incarnations) is the archenemy of Stephen King's multiverse (see The Dark Tower).
• Derek Leech is the archenemy of Sally Rhodes (and to an extent Richard Jeperson) in Kim Newman's works.
• Lord Foul, is the immediate archenemy of Thomas Covenant and the longterm archenemy of his brother, The Creator, in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
• Fu Manchu is the archenemy of Commission Denys Nayland Smith.
• Greb Strakhov, is the archenemy of Mack Bolan, hero of the Executioner novels.
• Jack is the archenemy of Ralph in Lord of the Flies.
• Jadis the White Witch is the archenemy of Aslan the Lion in The Chronicles of Narnia book series.
• Inspector Javert is the archenemy of Jean Valjean in the classic French novel, Les Misérables.
• Professor James Moriarty is the archenemy of Detective Sherlock Holmes.
• Saruman is the archenemy of Gandalf. Although Sauron is the main villain, Saruman takes a more direct approach, becoming an arch-enemy as opposed to a Big Bad. In the Simarillion, the text which explains most of the mythology behind The Lord of the Rings, the archenemy is Morgoth, who is supposedly even more powerful and evil than Sauron.
• Lord Voldemort and Draco Malfoy are the archenemies of Harry Potter.

Film archenemies

• Dr. Evil - the archenemy of Austin Powers

Godzilla

• King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla - the archenemies of Godzilla

Heathers

• Heather Chandler - the snobbish rival of Veronica Sawyer

James Bond film series

• Ernst Stavro Blofeld - the arch-enemy of James Bond

The Matrix film series

• Agent Smith - the archenemy of Neo

Indiana Jones

• Rene Belloq - the archenemy of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
• They are archenemies even in the prequel materials from the franchise.

Star Wars film series

• Darth Vader - the archenemy of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Boba Fett - the archenemy of Han Solo

Television archenemies

• The Master and Davros are the archenemies of the Doctor, in the Doctor Who television series.
• And Davros's "children", the Daleks, serve as the Doctor's most recurring enemy.
• Newman is the archenemy of Jerry Seinfeld in the TV show Seinfeld.
• Paul Millander, a serial killer with an expert knowledge of forensic pathology, is the archenemy of forensic investigator Gil Grissom, in the television series CSI.
• Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck is the arch-nemesis of Adrian Monk in the TV series Monk.
• The Janitor is the archenemy of J.D. in the TV series Scrubs.
• Over the course of the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, the SG-1 team as a whole develop several archenemies in the form of recurring or seasonal villains. However these villains are usually also a personal archenemy of one particular member of the team. Examples include Apophis, the archenemy of Teal'c; Ba'al, the archenemy of General Jack O'Neill; Anubis, the archenemy of Daniel Jackson; the Replicator clone of Samantha Carter, the archenemy of the real Lt. Colonel Sam Carter; and Adria the Orici, the archenemy and daughter of Vala Mal Doran.
• Sylar is the archenemy and half-brother of Peter Petrelli in the television series Heroes.
• Adam Monroe is the archenemy of Hiro Nakamura in the television series Heroes.
• Maury Parkman is the Archenemy of Matt Parkman on Heroes.
• Daniel Linderman is the Archenemy of Niki and D.L. Sanders on Heroes.
• Ben Linus, John Locke, and Jack Shephard are each each others archnemesis' in Lost, since they have each tried to kill each other to achieve their goals.
• The omnipotent Q, from Star Trek: The Next Generation, is considered the archenemy of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
• Also, Lore from Star Trek: The Next Generation is the evil twin and archenemy of his brother, Data.
• Callisto (Xena) is the archenemy of Xena on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess.
• Stone Cold Steve Austin is the rival of WWE owner Vince McMahon and The Rock.

Cartoon archenemies

• Ron the Rent-a-cop - the archenemy of Caitlin Cooke, Jen Masterson, Nikki Wong, Jonesy Garcia, Wyatt Williams, and Jude Lizowski
• Tricia - the snobbish rival of Caitlin Cooke
• Darth and Wayne - the rivals of Jonesy Garcia
• Mike Dent - the rival of Jude Lizowski

American Dragon: Jake Long

• The Dark Dragon and the Huntsclan - the archenemies of Jake Long

Atomic Betty

• Maximus I.Q. - the archenemy of Atomic Betty
• Pontifidora the Conquistadora - the archenemy and ex-girlfriend of Admiral DeGill
• Penelope Lang - the snobbish rival of Betty, Noah Parker, Paloma, Reegina Peterson, and Charles "Chaz" Lang
• Koreena - the snobbish martial arts school rival of Betty

Avatar series

• Azula & Fire Lord Ozai - the archenemies of Aang and Prince Zuko

Beast Wars

• Megatron - archenemy of Optimus Primal
• Rampage - archenemy of Depth Charge

Ben 10 and Ben 10: Alien Force

• Vilgax, Dr. Animo and Zs'Skayr/Ghostfreak - the archenemies of Ben Tennyson
• Charmcaster - the archenemy of Gwen Tennyson
• DNAliens - the archenemies of Ben, Gwen and Kevin
• JT and Cash - the school rivals of Ben Tennyson

Chop Socky Chooks

• Dr. Wasabi - the archenemy of Chuckie Chan, KO Joe, and Chickadee Pao/Chick P

Chowder

• Gorgonzola - the archenemy of Chowder
• Edive - the archenemy of Mung Daal

Codename: Kids Next Door

• Father (Kids Next Door) - the archenemy of Nigel Uno/Numbuh One
• Grandfather (Kids Next Door) - the archenemy of Monty Uno/Numbuh Zero

Count Duckula

• Doctor Von Goosewing - the archenemy of Count Duckula

Courage The Cowardly Dog

• Katz - the archenemy of Courage

Danny Phantom

• Vlad Plasmius, Freakshow and Skulker - archenemies of Danny Phantom

Dexter's Laboratory

• Mandark - the archenemy of Dexter

Dragonball Z

• No. 17 and No. 18 - the archenemies of Future Trunks
• Cell - the archenemy of Son Gohan
• Vegeta- the archenemy of Son Goku.

El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera

• Sartana of the Dead, El Oso, Black Cuervo, Dr. Chipoltle Jr and Senior Sinestro - the archenemies of El Tigre/Manny Rivera

The Fairly OddParents

• Mr. Crocker and Vicky - the archenemies of Timmy Turner
• Bronze Kneecap and the Nega Chin - the archenemies of Crimson Chin

Futurama

• Dr. Ogden Wernstrom - the archenemy of Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth
• Mom (Futurama) - the archenemy of Fry and Bender

InuYasha

• Naraku is the archenemy of InuYasha

Invader Zim

• Invader Zim - the Irken archenemy of the Human Dib

The Life and Times of Juniper Lee

• Melissa O'Malley - the snobbish rival of Juniper Lee

Looney Tunes

• Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam and the Tasmanian Devil - the archenemies of Bugs Bunny
• Sylvester the Cat - the archenemy of Tweety Bird and Speedy Gonzales
• Wile E. Coyote - the archenemy of Road Runner

Masters of the Universe

• Skeletor - the archenemy of He-Man

Mobile Suit Gundam

• Char Aznable - the archenemy of Amuro Ray

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

• Kira Yamato - the archenemy of Shinn Asuka

My Gym Partner's a Monkey

• Virgil Bull Sharkowski - the archenemy of Adam Lyon

Naruto

• Itachi Uchiha - the archenemy of Sasuke Uchiha
• Orochimaru - the archenemy of Naruto

Phineas and Ferb

• Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz - the archenemy of Perry the Platypus

Pound Puppies

• Katrina Stoneheart, Brattina and Catgut - the archenemies of Cooler, Whooper, Nose Marie, Bright Eyes, Howler and Holly

Red vs. Blue

• & - the archenemies of Freelancer Tex & Private Church
• - the archenemy of

Samurai Jack

• Aku - the archenemy of Samurai Jack

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

• Sosai X and his subordinates (most notably Berge Katse of Galactor) - the archenemies of the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

The Simpsons

• Sideshow Bob is the archenemy of Bart Simpson

South Park

• Shelly Marsh - the archenemy and sister of Stan Marsh
• Eric Cartman - the archenemy of Kyle Broflovski

SpongeBob SquarePants

• Plankton - the archenemy of Spongebob and Mr. Krabs

Squirrel Boy

• Kyle and Salty Mike - the archenemies of Rodney J. Squirrel

Thundercats

• Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living - the archenemy of The Thundercats

Time Squad

• Sister Thornley - the archenemy of Otto Osworth

Tom and Jerry

• Tom - the archenemy of Jerry

Total Drama Island

• Heather - the snobbish rival of Gwen and Leshawna
• Duncan - the rival of Harold
• Noah - the rival of Cody

Totally Spies!

• Terence Lewis - the archenemy of Sam, Clover, and Alex
• In season 4, Terence leads a villainous team called LAMOS (League Aiming to Menace and Overthrow the Spies).
• Mandy Luxe - the snobbish rival of Sam, Clover, and Alex

Transformers Universe

• Megatron - the archenemy of Optimus Prime

Urban Vermin

• Ken, No-Neck and Zitzy - the archenemies of Abe, Madman, Nigel and Coco

Venture Bros.

• The Monarch - the archenemy of Dr. Venture
• Incidentally, this cartoon contains the first popular use of the term arching for the act of being an archenemy.

Woody Woodpecker

• Buzz Buzzard, Ms. Meany and Wally Walrus - the archenemies of Woody Woodpecker.

Xiaolin Showdown

• Jack Spicer, Wuya, Chase Young, and Hannibal Roy Bean - the archenemies of Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Clay

Yin-Yang-Yo!

• The Night Master and Carl the Evil Cockroach Wizard - the archenemies of Yin, Yang and Master Yo

Video game archenemies

• Gruntilda Winkybunion - the archenemy of Banjo and Kazooie

Castlevania series

• Count Dracula - the archnemesis of The Belmont clan

Command & Conquer series

• The Brotherhood of Nod and their leader Kane - the archenemies of the Global Defense Initiative

Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

• Sephiroth - the archenemy of Cloud Strife

Crash Bandicoot series

• Doctor Neo Cortex - the archenemy of Crash Bandicoot

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

• The Black Knight - the archenemy of Ike

Half-Life Series

• Nihilanth and Wallace Breen are the Archenemies of Gordon Freeman.
• The G-Man is the Archenemy of the Vortigaunts.

Halo series

• The Covenant - the archenemies of the Master Chief

Kirby series

• Meta Knight and King Dedede - the archenemies of Kirby

The Legend of Zelda series

• Ganondorf - the archenemy of Link

Mario series

• Bowser - the archenemy of Mario and all of his friends

Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid series

• Big Boss and Liquid Snake - archenemies of Solid Snake

Metroid series

• Ridley - the archenemy of Samus Aran

Sly Cooper series

• Clockwerk - the archenemy of Sly Cooper in Sly Cooper series

Sonic the Hedgehog series

• Doctor Eggman (a.k.a. Doctor Robotnik) - the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog and all of his friends
• Black Doom and Mephiles the Dark - the archenemies of Shadow the Hedgehog

Street Fighter series

• Akuma - an arch-nemesis of Ryu

See also

• Supervillain
• Rogues gallery

Notes