malvados

Malvados is the plural form of the Spanish adjective malvado, meaning evil, wicked, or morally wrong. In general use, malvados refers to people or beings who act with malice or who are judged to have a seriously immoral character. The term carries a moral evaluation and is frequently used in fiction, journalism, and everyday speech to distinguish villains from the virtuous.

In fiction, los malvados are the antagonists who oppose the protagonists and drive the conflict. They can appear as individual characters or as a group characterized by cruelty, deceit, or ambition. The label is common in genres such as adventure, crime, fantasy, and suspense, where it helps signal clear moral alignment to audiences. The word can also be used in a more ironic or exaggerated way, especially in humor or satire, to mock overbearing or hypocritical figures.

Outside fiction, malvados is used metaphorically to describe individuals or groups perceived as harmful or dangerous, including in political or social discourse. The term is distinctly pejorative and reflects a value judgment rather than a neutral description.

Related terms include malvado (singular, masculine), malvada (feminine), maldad (evil), and antagonista (antagonist). In translation, it corresponds to English evil, wicked, or villain, depending on context.