Content Warning: This article contains discussions of slavery, murder, and death.
Although it has nearly been 10 years since Penny Dreadful premiered, the series is still very much loved by all. Whether it was because of the fictional monsters, the mysterious and compelling narratives, or the tragic scenes, fans couldn't wait but tune in every week to see what 'evil' Vanessa Ives and co. would face.
Unlike any other show, the concept of good and evil wasn't as straightforward in Penny Dreadful as the writers were shown to challenge societal and heroic stereotypes. While the writers did include likes of The Wolf-Man and The Creature from Frankenstein (who were classed as villains in their horror stories), these characters often displayed more love and compassion than some of the most humane people, proving not all monsters are evil. However, this wasn't the case for all as a few did prove they were beyond redemption and not worth saving at all.
Ferdinand Lyle: Would Hurt A Fly, But Not Much Else
Lyle is the kind older professor who is easy to laugh with and is sweetly delighted by Ethan’s gentle flirting. He always warns Malcolm and Vanessa of coming danger and has proven himself to be one of the most compassionate characters too, bringing fresh milk and bread regularly to Vanessa when she shuts herself away.
Anything shady about his character comes from guilt by association because he definitely wouldn’t be dealing with vampires or demons if he hadn’t made friends with Sir Malcolm.
Angelique: Too Kind And Pure Hearted
Although she wasn't in the show for a long, many fans will agree that Angelique is one of the nicest characters in Penny Dreadful and wouldn't hurt anyone (at least, not on purpose).
While the dangers of transphobia in Victorian London may have hardened her, Angelique has refused to allow these bigots to take away her capacity for joy and empathy. Most importantly, Angelique shows an enormous capacity for love and acceptance, willingly opening her arms to Dorian, even after she has seen the horrors of his portrait.
John Clare/The Creature: Can Be Kind, But It's Overshadowed By His Violent Actions
While The Creature doesn't really interact with the other main characters in the show (other than Victor and Vanessa), his arc proves to be quite an interesting one. Throughout the three scenes, the viewers are able to see him reconnect with his more humane side as he looks after the sick and takes care of others who desperately need it.
However, many fans will agree that his inner goodness is often overlooked because he had committed quite a few horrific deeds too. His slaughter of the child-like Proteus is simply cruel. He also displays no concern with women's feelings as he did previously with Vanessa. As the Creature, he obsesses over finding a woman to love him, demanding Victor create him a bride with no thought for the woman who will be murdered, proving that sweet John Clare is gone.
Brona Croft/Lily: Although Initially Sympathetic, Her Transformation Sees Her Become A Worrying Villain
Even dying, Brona still laughs loudly and makes friends. A lifetime of being impoverished and abused has formed a core of rebellious anger inside her, but she doesn’t let it out. Once she is transformed to Lily with the strength to fight back, that core becomes a hot rage.
Lily’s sole desire is to save women who are abused and punish men. Although a tale of revenge can be satisfying for some people, she isn’t willing to distinguish between regular men and abusers, and she means to recruit an army of women to help her to maim and kill as many as she can. It's certainly a storyline that became a lot darker and more worrying as it went on.
Vanessa Ives: Fighting Her Fate With All Her Might, 80% Of The Time
Vanessa is the hero of Penny Dreadful, but she is not a typical protagonist. She is complicated - a psychic, a witch, and possibly the reincarnation of the Mother of Evil. Despite her best efforts at hiding and praying, evil always finds her, though most of the harm she causes can be traced back to possession. She is horrified by her betrayal of Mina and tries to make amends.
In fact, she works her whole life to repent for the harm she caused, joining with Sir Malcolm to find and save Mina, then shutting herself away to avoid causing harm. She denies herself love and affection, afraid to activate her ‘evil.’ Her sense of duty to the world results in an act of literal self-sacrifice, one show where the evil witch saves the whole world.
Sembene: Attoning For Past Evil Deeds
Sembene’s past is mostly obscured. However, he does admit that he was an enslaver, trading humans for money, knowing full well what would happen to them. He clearly stepped back from this, but the fact that he had the capacity to sell people and enslave them at all is a bad sign.
He is loyal to Sir Malcolm for reasons not fully explained, but is willing to risk his life to protect the people in the group, especially Vanessa. He seems to want to repent for past behavior, but it is unclear if he is motivated by a desire for goodness or fear of supernatural punishment.
Ethan Chandler: A Committed Sinner Trying To Be A Saint
Despite his charming accent and wide smile, Ethan has committed terrible crimes, willingly participating in the brutal slaughter of innocent people. Haunted by his behavior, he joined the people he had hurt, going to war on their behalf and slaughtering the other side.
By the time he realized this was evil, too, he’d already become a werewolf, cursed to hurt innocent people unawares every month. Sadly, the viewers don't see much of his struggle with transformation as a werewolf. Although Ethan keeps trying to offer penance, he also keeps hurting others, unable to gain much moral ground despite his good intentions.
Victor Frankenstein: A Genuis With The Emotional Maturity Of A Spoiled Five-Year-Old
Although Victor is not one of the supernatural characters, he is seen to be far more inhumane than some of the other "so-called" monsters. He commits quite a few crimes himself by playing God and won’t accept the consequences.
He callously abandons the Creature, assuming no responsibility for his behavior. Instead of learning from his mistake, tries to create another creature. Once he makes a woman, his behavior is even worse, mistreating Lily by parading her around like an object. When she displays a mind of her own and rejects him, he goes deeper into his obsession, willing to take away her free will to make her love him. He changes his mind, but this is not redemption, and his overall lack of concern for others remains unchanged.
Sir Malcolm Murray: Manifest Destiny, Personified
Sir Malcolm is modeled on the myth of the heroic Great White Hunter, but the show reveals just how harmful that myth is. Timothy Dalton also portrayed James Bond, but Sir Malcolm is definitely more toxic than early Bond. He has killed innocent people and wildlife across the world to demonstrate his glory, abandoning his own sick son to scale a mountain.
Although he claims to care about the innocent, he only fights against Dracula to avenge Mina. He will protect the small group of people he considers worth saving, but monster hunting is just the next level in his desire to prove himself superior to everyone.
Dorian Gray: Pure Evil, But Can't Be Bothered To Take Over The World
Dorian is almost infinitely beautiful, but he might actually be infinitely evil. He has no hesitation in exploring every whim, from helping Lily hunt down bad men to photographing himself having sex with Brona.
However, any good that he does is incidental. He has no desire for good, only for amusing himself, and when someone gets too close to the truth of him, like Angelique, or simply annoys him, like Justine, he kills them without a second thought. Dorian seeks his own pleasure, nothing else.