What is the name of the villain in Oliver Twist who murders Nancy?

The story behind the answer

Bill Sikes is the villain in Oliver Twist who murders Nancy.

Sikes is a brutal professional criminal and one of Fagin’s associates. He is also Nancy’s violent partner, creating a relationship marked by fear, coercion, and abuse. Although Nancy participates in the criminal underworld, she develops compassion for Oliver and tries to protect him from Fagin’s plans.

Nancy secretly meets Rose Maylie and Mr. Brownlow to reveal what she knows about Monks, Oliver’s half-brother, and the plot against Oliver. Fagin learns that Nancy has betrayed the gang and manipulates Sikes into believing that she has informed against him. In a fit of rage, Sikes kills Nancy in one of the novel’s most shocking scenes.

Fagin is the gang’s scheming leader, but he does not physically murder Nancy. Monks is involved in the conspiracy surrounding Oliver’s identity, while Noah Claypole is another criminal associate. After Nancy’s murder, Sikes becomes haunted by what he has done and dies while attempting to escape an angry mob. His downfall helps bring the criminal network to justice.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: