Sherlock Week: On Moriarty, a guest post by Jayla

Yes, he needs a separate reason all to himself. Like any other fan of the TV series, I believe Moriarty to be one of the best villains in TV history.  But what makes him so great?

For starters, Sherlock and Moriarty are ALMOST the exact same person. They are both highly intelligent men and masters of manipulation. This is not something you see in many hero/villain relationships, but it makes for a delectable battle of wits.  I can only think of two major differences that make Moriarty completely different from Sherlock. The first is that Moriarty is a psychopath. Plain and simple. The second difference is that Moriarty only cares about Moriarty. One could argue that Sherlock doesn’t care about anyone, but there’s his relationship with Watson and his brother and even Irene Adler.

The second thing that makes Moriarty such a fabulous villain is his constant need to entertain himself. How often is it that a villain becomes a villain because he is bored? Usually villains become who they are to get some sort of retribution for something that was done to them. James Moriarty is evil because he wants to be. He is driven by his own need to conquer any and everything that stands in his way.

Source: Tumblr

Finally, he’s actually got a personality, albeit a screwy one. Let’s face it, we all love Jim Moriarty for the way he adds a little color to Sherlock’s life. With the likes of Irene Adler, Moriarty is the only adversary, so far, that’s given Sherlock as run for his money.

There are many more adversaries for Sherlock to overcome, but none can compare the insane, yet charming likes of Professor James Moriarty.

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