Archenemy

For other uses, see Archenemy (disambiguation).

Sherlock Holmes wrestling against archenemy Professor Moriarty.

In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy.

Etymology

The word archenemy sometimes spelled as arch-enemy originated around the mid-16th century, from the words arch- (from Greek ἄρχω archo meaning 'to lead') and enemy.

An archenemy may also be referred to as an archrival, archfoe, archvillain, or archnemesis. However, an archenemy may also be distinguished from a nemesis, with the latter being an enemy whom the hero cannot defeat (or who defeats the hero), even while not being a longstanding or consistent enemy to the hero.

Examples

Notable examples of archenemies in fiction include the Joker (archenemy of Batman), Lex Luthor (archenemy of Superman), the Red Skull (archenemy of Captain America), the Cheetah (archenemy of Wonder Woman), Sinestro (archenemy of the Green Lantern), Doctor Doom (archenemy of the Fantastic Four), and Professor Moriarty (archenemy of Sherlock Holmes). Some heroes have more than one archenemy: Spider-Man's biggest rivals include the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom; while the Flash has recurring enemies in the Reverse-Flash (or Professor Zoom) and the Rogues (a group of supervillains consisting of Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, the Trickster, and others).

See also

• Antagonist
• Supervillain
• Villain