빌런

The neologism '빌런' (villain) appears to have first emerged in mid-2016 on the DC Inside Classic Game Gallery. Subsequently, from mid-2017, it began to be widely used across the internet to refer to people exhibiting certain behavioral patterns.

'Villain' originally refers to an antagonist or evil character in creative works. However, when used as an internet meme, its meaning expands to refer to people who are excessively competitive, overly obsessed with something, or who exhibit unusual behaviors outside the normal range. Initially, it was mainly used for people who caused some inconvenience, but gradually the connotation of 'evil' faded, and it came to be used for those who act absurdly or foolishly, or even simply for those who are different or stand out. It is primarily used to describe people whose actions are not legally problematic but are difficult to understand by social norms, and it can also be used as a nickname for someone who has a distinct personality and repeatedly performs a specific action.

It is widely used among internet users of all generations who are active in online communities and social media.

• "We have an 'overtime villain' on our team, so we always work late into the night."
• "The staff at the cafe are having a hard time because of a 'nuisance villain'."
• "There are many 'extreme spicy food villains' these days, so challenge videos are frequently uploaded."
• "The birth of a [group/site] villain: the [characteristic of action, object of obsession] 'big man'!"
• "It's hard to study in the reading room because of a 'sensitive villain'."

While the expression 'villain' is primarily used to humorously refer to someone's peculiar behavior, it can sometimes be perceived as criticism or mockery.

Pronounced similar to "Bill-un" or "Beel-lun."