villain

the villain of the piece

The person or thing most responsible or at fault for a bad situation or outcome. The company's safety supervisor cut corners on expensive safety equipment, but the real villains of the piece are the executives of the company who demanded that he keep costs down by any means necessary. Though they thought he'd left the gas oven on, it turns out that a faulty gas line was the villain of the piece.
See also: of, piece, villain
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

villain of the piece

Fig. someone or something that is responsible for something bad or wrong. (Fig. on the villainous role in a drama.) I wonder who told the newspapers about the local scandal. I discovered that Jane was the villain of the piece. We couldn't think who had stolen the meat. The dog next door turned out to be the villain of the piece.
See also: of, piece, villain
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

villain of the piece, the

The person to blame for what is bad or wrong, as in I'm afraid the caterer is the villain of the piece-the food wasn't ready for hours. The piece in this term alludes to a play in which the villain is the character whose evildoing is important to the plot. [Mid-1800s]
See also: of, villain
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

the villain of the piece

BRITISH
COMMON If you describe someone as the villain of the piece, you mean that they are responsible for all the trouble or all the problems in a situation. The real villains of the piece are the motor manufacturers. In a country where the top speed limit is 70mph, why do they make 140mph cars? If he is indeed the villain of the piece, as the police claim he is, he should have been more carefully watched. Note: In this expression, the `piece' is a play.
See also: of, piece, villain
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the villain of the piece

the main culprit.
1928 P. G. Wodehouse Money for Nothing I'm sure you're on the right track. This bird Twist is the villain of the piece.
See also: of, piece, villain
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the ˈvillain of the piece

(especially humorous) a person or thing that is responsible for a particular problem, difficulty, etc: Nicolette’s the villain of the piece, since she’s the person who started all this trouble.
The villain is the principal evil character in a book, a play, etc.
See also: of, piece, villain
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • the villain of the piece
  • villain of the piece
  • villain of the piece, the
  • There is safety in numbers
  • there's safety in numbers
  • check in on (someone or something)
  • slice through
  • slice through (something)
  • cover (one's) bases
  • (it) doesn't matter
References in periodicals archive
Rami's a good actor but there's something quite boyish about him when we need Bond villains to be dark and twisted.
THE BIG QUESTION; YOUR VOICE
While not an actual villain, the Phoenix Force brings with it some of the most powerful villains in Marvel Comics.
11 Villains For The Avengers After 'Endgame'
If Nick is the new Corrie villain, as fans have predicted, then he will gradually descend into evil after causing the factory roof to collapse on one unfortunate resident.
Coronation Street's super-villain 'revealed' - and first victims are his family; Corrie viewers are convinced they know which established character will 'corrupted' and transformed into a new villain
Branagh said Daniel Craig's Bond villains have been "Shakespearean".
Kenneth Branagh wants to be a Bond villain
'We're going to be the villains, for sure,' said the athletic swingman.
Bolts ready to embrace 'bad boy' role
If you find yourself pointing out somebody else's Hero, Victim, or Villain tendencies, chances are you need to claim your own.
Using a love triangle to ease tension: learn how to recognize your hero, victim, and villain
They believe Epic Hero and Villain Feat Cards goal is to improve the player and GM's control and enjoyment of the Tabletop RPG experience.
It's Just Soup Studies Wants to Kickstart your Tabletop RPG with Epic Hero and Villain Feat Cards
As of yet, no critical work has ever explored how Samuel Sandford's acting techniques--possibly the greatest villain performer on the Restoration stage--influenced villain tragedy.
Samuel Sandford and Colley Cibber: two players' acting techniques and the rise and fall of restoration villain tragedy on the London stage from the 1670s to the 1730s
The programme wouldn't be complete if it didn't feature sharptongued Mr Cruel himself, Simon Cowell, and former Coronation Street villain Brian Capron (aka Richard Hillman) is also among those offering their what keeps us rooting for the bad guys.
On the trail of some of telly's biggest baddies
Ek Villain sets out to convince you everyone has a dark side.
DECENT THRILLER
For a Halloween eye makeover, the Disney Villains collection offers a set of Ardell Lashes for $7.99 that includes three lash styles, lash adhesive and step-by-step tutorials on how to achieve the look of each villain featured.
Disney Villains beauty line debuts at Walgreens
From the 1950s to the 1980s, no successful film could be made in India, without him as a villain or a character artist.
Loss to film
He played a vast range of roles - a hero, villain and character actor - but was best known for his bad guys, earning the honorific "Villain of the Millennium."
India's legendary actor Pran dies at 93