How to Say "bad guy" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “bad guy” is “villano” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA2
nounA2
informal description of a character

Examples
El villano de la película tiene un plan secreto.
The villain of the movie has a secret plan.
A veces los villanos son más interesantes que los héroes.
Sometimes villains are more interesting than heroes.
Gender of the word
This word is a noun (a naming word). When referring to a male or using it generally, use 'el villano.' For a female character, change it to 'la villana.'
Villano vs. Malo
Mistake: “Using 'villano' for someone who is just being annoying.”
Correction: Use 'malo' for general bad behavior. 'Villano' is usually reserved for dramatic, evil characters in fiction.
Related Translations
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