Sure, The Bachelor is all about finding true love for the right reasons, but when so many suitors vie for the favor of one heart, there's bound to be some competition. More so than with the frontrunners, I think it's equally entertaining to be on the lookout for who will be a season's so-called "villain." Some of the best Bachelor villains have made the quest for love extremely entertaining, even if it wasn't always on purpose.
Ben Higgins' current season, for instance, has had two awesome ladies who've been branded as the ones to watch out for, Lace and Olivia. Whether it's their doing or the work of the show's producers — anyone who's seen UnReal knows what can happen behind-the-scenes on a show like this — both women have displayed some seriously villainous vibes so far this season. Of course, I don't think either women, or the ones listed below, are actually evil, but they've been made to seem that way in the narrative of The Bachelor universe, and I can't help but admit it's fascinating to watch. After all, every great story needs an antagonist. Here are 11 folks who have stood out as awesome villains on The Bachelor so far.
11. Lace Morris
She only made it to Episode 3 this season, but Lace left quite an impression on both the audience and Ben Higgins. Her wine-fueled stalking, demands for eye contact, and insistence that she wasn't crazy made me sad that she left the show so soon. But Chris Harrison invited her to Bachelor in Paradise Season 3 and I can't wait to see if she and the Confessional Raccoon drink some wine together.
10. Olivia Caridi
First, there was the mouth thing, which became a meme across the internet (the video above is a compilation by ABC, so even the network knows the mouth's notoriety). But when Olivia was using that infamous mouth to talk about Ben, she sounded a lot like your junior high diary, grasping onto every thigh graze and glance from him as a sign they were meant to be. She also did the infamous cake dance, called Amanda a "teen mom," and got dumped by Ben on a pig island date. Ouch.
9. Rozlyn Papa
She wasn't all that interested in winning the heart of Jake Pavelka in Season 14, because it was later said that she was reportedly having an affair with a show producer.
8. Michelle Money
The single mom's scheming and aggressiveness reached a fever pitch at a beach photo shoot with Brad Womack, when she said she hoped a romantic rival "would get attacked by monkeys. Or apes." But Brad didn't eliminate her because of her "light-hearted craziness," he wrote on People's blog. "It was simply a matter of not having feelings that warranted trying to begin a future with her," he said. "Michelle will be sorely missed."
7. Trish Schneider
Season 7's schemer was trying to win Jesse Palmer's heart from the very beginning with a shirt that read, "Gold Digger – Like a hooker, just smarter." Not kidding. Even after her elimination, Trish returned to invite Jesse to her hotel room. Damn, girl.
6. Samantha Steffen & Joe Bailey
These two were conspiring in Bachelor in Paradise last year and were caught — but Juelia Kinney was caught in the middle. To refresh your memory, Joe used Juelia in order to stay in Paradise so he could meet up with Samantha, whom he had been texting with before the show. Sneaky, sneaky.
5. Tierra LiCausi
She sought attention any way she could, even showing up at the finale to announce her own engagement. Tierra and AshLee Fraizer had a memorable fight which included the classic Tierra declarations: "Don't let them take your sparkle away," and "I can't control my eyebrow. I can't control what's on my face 24/7."
4. Vienna Girardi
She won Jake Pvelka's heart, but not without making a whole lot of enemies in the process. Vienna and Jake even had an on-screen argument (above).
3. Kelsey Poe
Some contestants come onto the show with memorable back stories, but Kelsey seemed to really dig her own. "Isn't my story amazing?" she said on the show, after explaining her husbands death (!). "It's tragic, but amazing. I love my story," Then she faked a panic attack to get out of being eliminated. Oof.
2. Courtney Robertson
She didn't go on The Bachelor to make friends — which fans know because it's the title of her tell-all book, I Didn't Come Here To Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain . And when she said she was winning in the clip above, she actually was. Robertson did the most villain-y thing of all at the end of the season: she got a proposal.
1. Juan Pablo Galavis
It takes quite a Bachelor to become the villain of his own season, but the former soccer player did it. I had such high hopes for Juan Pablo in Season 18, but I was totally with Andi when she told him off (above). He seemed to be the worst, on screen and off.
Reality TV is just way more fun when there are contestants who love stirring up drama.
Image: Eniac Martinez/ABC
