villain of the piece, the

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

But George Bailey’s heroism stemmed from his resistance to the real villain of the piece—the money-grubbing Mr Potter.

From Economist

Indeed, the hashtag #goleiraeualinda, or "beautiful American goalie" was the No1 topic on Twitter in Brazil at the time and, although Journo did note that Daiane Menezes Rodrigues, who scored an own goal and missed a penalty, may be the villain of the piece, the fans had already adopted a new hero.

From The Guardian

Even the villain of the piece, the would-be blackmailer Krogstad, acquires nuance in Mark Nelson’s layered portrayal.

From New York Times

In the centre of the manège stands the villain of the piece, the Riding-Master.

From Project Gutenberg

With the exception of Sempronius, the villain of the piece, the lovers are one and all somewhat silly.

From Project Gutenberg