Giving characters their moments in manga can be difficult, especially as casts grow, but Yen Press’ The Villainess Stans the Heroes is fantastic at making sure everyone gets their moment. This is thanks to the fact that it’s an isekai with the heroine being sent into the world of what was essentially a gacha type of game with tons of characters and special events for each one, so there can be chapters and storylines dedicated to each one.
The Villainess Stans the Heroes stars a rich young villainess named Eldea Euclair. However, her secret is that she isn’t really evil or the villain. She lived in the real world, but then found herself spirited away (as in any isekai) to the world of a game she loved. She has knowledge of its events and characters, and decides to use her opportunity to work in the shadows to support the actual heroes and her favorite characters, even if that means playing the villain or engaging in dubious practices. She’s joined by the vampire assassin Albert, who was her all-time favorite when she played the game and she encountered early on, who aids her in her endeavors.
The encounter with Chikusa is a perfect example of exactly how dedicated a manga like The Villainess Stans the Heroes can be to its characters. In the second volume, we see the start of a plotline that involves Ellua meeting one of the first characters she pulled in the game, Chikusa. She’s a rabbit beastfolk person who is something of a samurai. However, things in this world aren’t proceeding as they did in the game, so Ellua and Albert meet her after she’s been forced to fight in a casino’s arena and separated from her sword. As a result, we get to see Chikusa become the focus, as well as eventually Cort once Ellua figures out which “event” this experience is based upon and how she can use it to help the heroes she loves. So both Chikusa and Cort, two supporting cast members, both get their moments.
We’re getting tons of exposition for Albert throughout as well. This is only natural, as he’s Ellua’s overall “fave” and the first one she “found” once she ended up in the game world. In fact, volume 2 of the The Villainess Stans the Heroes manga ends with an omake chapter showing the two characters meeting. So in addition to us seeing the relationship between Ellua and Albert constantly growing and him getting substantial development throughout the first three chapters, there are also moments like this where we’ll see a flashback or his character episode.
Of course, Ellua herself becomes a standout herself among all the other The Villainess Stans the Heroes manga characters. Part of this is that even though she has the typical isekai protagonist motivation to do good and save the day, it is because she loves these people from when she played the game. It’s also because she can be smart and calculating, but there’s this whimiscal, over-the-top side of her. Sure, she’s being cool and working out plans to deal with corrupt casino owners or to save her “faves.” However, if someone she really likes does something cool, especially to or for her, she just devolves into this fawning fangirl. It’s quite fun to watch.
As a result, it really feels like we get to connect with the characters in each entry of The Villainess Stans the Heroes manga. There’s an opportunity to really get to know all of the supporting cast, as well as Ellua and Albert themselves. In turn, it makes it easier to see why Ellua might be so devoted to these people and make her purpose in this other world making them happy, because as we get to know them we want all of them to be happy and succeed as well.
The Villainess Stans the Heroes manga volumes 1 through 3 are available now. There’s no word yet on when volume 4 will appear.
