noun
A strong, somewhat literary term for a treacherous or wicked person, often implying betrayal or scheming. Not an everyday casual word.
彼は国を売った奸賊として歴史に名を残した。
He went down in history as a traitor who sold out his country.
その奸賊は巧みな嘘で人々を欺いた。
The villain deceived people with clever lies.
悪党 is a more common, general term for 'villain, rogue', while 奸賊 carries a stronger nuance of cunning and treachery, often in a political or historical context.
裏切り者 is the everyday word for 'traitor' or 'betrayer'. 奸賊 is more literary and implies a scheming, wicked nature beyond simple betrayal.
Compound of 奸 (wicked, cunning) and 賊 (bandit, rebel). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a treacherous villain.