Killing Eve's Villanelle is a sociopath, not a psychopath, here is why

BBC America's Killing Eve has given the world one of the most compelling villains of all time in Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer). The psychopathic and skilled assassin has been the center of the show for all four seasons. However, there can be a debate about whether Villanelle was a psychopath at all, at least in the series.

The character has also been continuously linked with the show's British Intelligence Officer Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), with the duo's complex dynamic forming the base of the story. Despite its conclusion with the fourth season, there are plenty of questions that remain about the characters, especially because they are literary characters from Luke Jennings' novels.

BBC's Killing Eve added more elements to the character of Villanelle, especially in the latter seasons, which makes one contemplate whether she was a psychopath at all in the series.

In layman's terms, the traits that she possesses can be called psychopathic, but it is also worth noting that the character does not display a complete lack of empathy, feelings, or emotional impulse, all of which point to the fact that she is more of a sociopath than a psychopath.

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Killing Eve: Villanelle's emotional response and triggers may be hinting at more sociopathic tendencies than psychopathic

While the terms psychopathic and sociopathic have been used interchangeably through media and pop culture, medically they have a clearer definition.

Medically, a psychopath is someone with nearly no regard for the other's feelings, an inability to form any kind of emotional connection, and no conscience whatsoever. As for sociopaths, they have a limited ability to feel things, often feeling them in altered ways. They are also more prone to behaving in impulsive ways.

The second one describes Villanelle better. In fact, some of the psychopathic traits that she initially had in the first season were also slowly removed in the latter part of the series.

For instance, one of the bigger reasons Villanelle can be called a sociopath is due to her rapid and impulsive decisions, something that does not align with psychopaths. Throughout the show, especially Killing Eve seasons 3 and 4, Villanelle is seen making decisions only based on her emotional drive.

There are also other instances that point to her sociopathic nature. She is seen acting for her little brother and getting hurt by her mother's actions, which again are traits that psychopaths do not possess.

Of course, none of her behaviors are normal. She has a unique way of processing almost everything and clearly depicts traits of antisocial personality disorder (APD).

Many also believe that her change of nature after the second season altered her character a lot. However, it still stands that by the end of the series, Villanelle was more of a sociopath than a psychopath.

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Killing Eve originally premiered on April 8, 2018, and ran for four seasons before concluding on April 17, 2022. The series received great critical acclaim when it premiered, with special praise showered upon Villanelle's character and portrayal.

Sandra Oh was also praised for her role and also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. But the next two seasons did not hold up to the standard and were received with mixed acclaim.

Interestingly the spy thriller adaptation was led by four different female head writers in four seasons, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge beginning in the first season. She was followed by Emerald Fennell, Suzanne Heathcote, and Laura Neal.

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Killing Eve is currently available to watch on Netflix. Stay tuned for more updates.