Kill the Villainess
Life before becoming a villainess of a romance novel wasnโt great, but life as Eris Miserian is even worse. Eris just wants to return to the real world, and death is the only way out of this fictional one. Unfortunately, the story wonโt let her die until she fulfills her role within it. Unwilling to adhere to the original narrative, Eris allies with a witch and a knight to escape her fate as a lovesick murderer. Will Eris be able to defy destiny and return to reality? Or is she damned to follow the storyline to its bitter end?
Overview
Kill the Villainess (์ ๋ ๋ฅผ ์ฃฝ์ฌ ์ค) is a Korean fantasy webtoon based on a web novel by Your April, illustrated by Haegi. A young woman from our world wakes up in the body of Eris Miserian, the villainess of a story she once read. Her old life wasnโt perfect, but this one is a cage.
The cruel twist is the Principle of Causality: when fate is disrupted, the world rewrites outcomes to force the story back on track. Eris canโt die โnormally.โ Her attempts fail because the narrative wonโt allow her to leave early. The only way her death can โcountโ is to follow the plot to its intended endโฆ even while her new personality drags the heroine and love interests off-course.
With the help of the witch Medea and her loyal knight Anakhin, Eris pushes forward anyway โ determined to die and go home, no matter the cost.
Publication
- Format: Webtoon (Manhwa) + original web novel
- Writer: Your April
- Artist: Haegi
- Run: 96 episodes (Apr 2, 2021 โ Oct 16, 2023) + 6 spinoff/epilogue (102 total)
- English: Complete translation available
Why it stands out: so many OI treat โgetting isekaiโdโ like a shiny reset. This one doesnโt. The storyโs core is missing home. Eris doesnโt magically adjust โ she stays locked on escape.
My Review
My Personal Journey With This One
This was on my radar because historical villainess stories are basically my weakness. Iโll be real: I used to hate OI as a concept without even trying it. My friends kept pestering me, so I finally startedโฆ and I ended up absolutely loving it. The art is breathtaking and the storyline is so addicting and thrilling itโs actually unfair.
What the Story Does Differently
While the โtransported into a romance novel as a villainessโ concept has been done a million times, this one commits to the part most stories dodge: the realistic reaction. Eris misses home. She wants out. She doesnโt treat the plot like a fun sandbox โ she treats it like a rigged system that keeps rewriting reality to force her into the role.
The world-building also feels purposely simple so the focus stays on character psychology. POV shifts and backstories show up exactly when needed, so even side characters donโt feel flat โ everyoneโs carrying something sharp under the surface.
Eris Is Why This Works
Erisโs desire to go back is so strong that no matter what temptation shows up, she rejects it and keeps moving toward her plan. Especially after meeting Medea โ that moment gives her confidence because someone finally validates what Eris has been screaming internally: sheโs a stranger in a world built to punish her.
Okayโฆ the Male Leads (My Honest Take)
But damn did I hate the MLs.
- Alecto felt like a borderline egoist who couldnโt handle Eris not loving him anymore. If he really โlost something extremely lovely,โ he shouldโve cherished her when he had her. He could acknowledge her love but couldnโt love her back. Then the moment she stops loving him, suddenly he wants her again. Thatโs not romance โ thatโs an ego wound.
- Jason Kazaarโฆ like wtf. He felt like he was trying to redeem his past self through Eris. He couldnโt stand that he couldnโt โfixโ things, so he kept pushing and harassing her. I canโt stand that obsession. It reads pervy and selfish.
- Hubris was borderline creepy. Sheโs in your sisterโs body. Even if the soul isnโt the original Eris, itโs still her body โ and youโre a priest. Disgusting.
- And the wild part? All of them loved Helenaโฆ but couldnโt let go of Eris.
What I Loved Most
- The witches. I freaking loved the witches.
- This story is basically a smart deconstruction of OI tropes โ itโs the genre looking in a mirror.
- The characters are twisted and complicated in a way that feels intentional and human.
- Consequences are real. Nobody gets romanticized just because theyโre โhotโ or โtragic.โ
My Only Regret
I wish there was stronger on-page chemistry between Eris and Anakhin. I agree their bond goes deeper than โprincess and knight,โ and the small details matter: he goes from having no name, no purpose, no identity to someone defined by protecting her. And Eris, who wants one thing (to go home), finally has someone who supports her without trying to possess her. Stillโฆ I want more. I hope the side stories donโt disappoint because I need more of their love.
Why the โshitty MLsโ are the point: Alecto is a deconstruction of the โsheโs different nowโ prince trope. Kazaar is a deconstruction of the dark-past ML who โredeemsโ himself through the MC. Hubris is a deconstruction of โIโll love you in every lifetime.โ All three together? A deconstruction of OI harems and love triangles โ especially villainess stories where everyone suddenly chases the FMC.
Extra Layer I Loved: Names
The naming is chefโs kiss. So many names pull from Greek myth and tragedy and actually match the character themes: Hubris as excessive pride, Melpomene as tragedy, Eris as chaos. Small detail, huge vibe โ it makes the whole world feel like a story built to corner people.
Character Cards
Images show directly. Links are buttons (no linked images).
- Trapped by the Principle of Causality: the world rewrites outcomes to force the plot.
- Single-minded goal: die โproperlyโ so she can return home.
- Breaks the chain of harm with Helena instead of repeating it.
- โExtraโ in the original story โ ordinary status, ordinary looks, real love.
- Chosen because he can be trusted with Erisโs secrets.
- Burns Erisโs body to prevent resurrection; later reunites with her after death.
- Immediately recognizes Eris as a stranger from another world.
- Above Good & Evil energy: charming, helpfulโฆ and absolutely not to be threatened.
- Deals revolve around revenge; later seeks a god candidate to prevent the world collapsing after the story ends.
- Kind heroine, but the story shows the brutal power imbalance behind โPrince x commoner.โ
- Canโt safely reject Alecto; later drops the โAlecโ nickname when she gains power.
- Wakes after being โonly mostly dead,โ becomes a capable ruler, and draws a hard line with Alecto.
- Loathes Eris for her fatherโs crimes; treats her cruelly while idealizing Helena.
- Attempted assault is undone by time magic, but Eris remembers the trauma.
- Becomes Emperor, gets rejected by Helena, and lives with the loss of the โterribly lovelyโ thing he destroyed.
- โRescue Romanceโ energy: tries to save women who donโt want saving.
- After killing a dragon, gets cursed to live a dragonโs lifespan in a human body.
- Immortality becomes punishment: he will outlive legend, love, and meaning.
- Knows Eris is a stranger, still pursues her anyway.
- Projects his motherโs trauma onto Eris; โprotectingโ her is about healing himself.
- Loses divine power and rapidly ages; stuck living his full lifespan in an old body, haunted by delusions.
- Framed Crown Prince Laetatio; caused deaths including Helenaโs family.
- Used Eris as a tool for ambition instead of loving her as a daughter.
- Eventually defeated by Eris and executed.
- Truly loved Eris since infancy.
- Makes a revenge deal with Medea; pays by becoming Medeaโs familiar (a brown cat).
- One of the storyโs quiet emotional anchors.
- Most noble woman in the empire, trapped in an unhappy life through Kratosโs obsession.
- Hates Eris as her enemyโs daughter, but aligns with her for revenge.
- Ends in a poisoned-tea murder-suicide; curses Kratos and rejects any โnext lifeโ together.
More key figures (tap to open)
- Emperor Kratos: obsessed love turned ruin; framed and executed his eldest son (Laetatio) and destroyed his marriage.
- Kintia: Anakhinโs adopted little sister; sought out as a potential โgod candidateโ to prevent the world collapsing after the story ends.
- Quies Miserian: Erisโs mother; tragic โLove Cannot Overcomeโ thread; mystery around her inner life and final wishes.
- Knieval Axel: (Carnivalโs name before marriage) bound to Miserian line through marriage; love turned bitter and destructive.
Full Trope & Theme List (Complete)
Everything preserved, just tucked into a dropdown so it doesnโt nuke your layout.
Open the complete list
- Abhorrent Admirer
- Above Good and Evil
- Affectionate Nickname
- The Ageless
- Attempted Rape
- Awful Wedded Life
- Balancing Death’s Books (Principle of Causality)
- Be Careful What You Wish For
- Bittersweet Ending
- Bodyguard Crush
- Cessation of Existence
- The Chain of Harm
- Comfort the Dying (inverted)
- Deal with the Devil
- Deconstruction
- Determinator
- Dresses the Same
- Dying to Wake Up
- Enemy Mine
- Entitled to Have You
- Fate Worse than Death
- Formula with a Twist
- Happily Adopted (played with)
- Heroic Sacrifice
- Incest-ant Admirer
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness (zigzagged)
- It’s All About Me
- Jealous Parent
- Lady and Knight
- Lady Looks Like a Dude
- Laser-Guided Karma
- Love Cannot Overcome
- Love Transcends Spacetime
- Loving a Shadow
- Meaningful Name
- Medium Awareness
- Misplaced Retribution
- Murder-Suicide
- Never Given a Name
- No Ontological Inertia
- Not Afraid of You Anymore
- Only Mostly Dead
- Our Witches Are Different
- Prematurely Grey-Haired
- Prince Charmless
- Rags to Royalty (deconstructed)
- Rapid Aging
- “Reborn as Villainess” Story
- Reincarnation Romance (deconstructed)
- Reincarnation Romance (decon)
- Riddle for the Ages
- Stepford Smiler
- Sympathy for the Devil
- Taking a Level in Badass
- Taking the Bullet
- There’s No Place Like Home
- Unwanted Harem
- Unwanted Rescue
- Yandere
- You Can’t Fight Fate
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๐ฒ What is Roulette Review?
Reading three volumes of manga, manhwa, and manhua all at once ๐๐จ
Watching a J-drama or K-drama at 2x speed because I have to know if they kiss ๐ญ
Switching between my Switch, phone, and Steam library because I canโt pick one game ๐ฎ
Balancing a controller, my phone, a matcha latte, and five tabs of otome game guidesโฆ all while pretending I have it together โจ
Roulette Reviews are chaotic, emotional, and always from the heart โค๏ธ
Stay tuned for more roulette reviewsโanything can pop up next!
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