Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer) is one of the main characters in Killing Eve, the BBC America spy comedy-thriller series. You can find an entry about this show in our Bi Media section.
She is a brilliant, ruthless, and darkly humorous assassin whose lethal charm and theatrical flair make her both fascinating and terrifying. Throughout the series, she weaponizes her charisma, linguistic prowess, and her innate talent for the theatrical to ensnare her victims in elaborate, stylish schemes, executing her kills with precision before vanishing without a trace.
Her bisexuality is made clear from the very beginning, most notably when she is in a fleeting threesome scene with a man and a woman. But she is repeatedly shown having and enjoying sex with people of multiple genders. However, her primary obsession throughout the series is Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), an MI5 analyst turned rogue agent. Their twisted dynamic centers on their complex cat-and-mouse game, blurring the lines between hunter and prey, attraction and peril.
While Villanelle displays several of the most negative stereotypes about bisexuality (using her sexuality as a weapon, being untrustworthy, and leaning into the “mentally unstable bi villain” trope), her character is far more than a simple caricature. As the seasons advance, we learn that she is undeniably charming, emotionally complex, and her relationship with Eve is also surprisingly layered.
Besides, she lives in a universe full of well-rounded queer characters, many of whom are not villains (including Eve’s former boss) and who would not be considered examples of these stereotypes themselves, allowing us to enjoy a broader — albeit imperfect — representation of LGBT perspectives in the show.