Tybalt is Juliet's cousin, an outspoken and often hot-headed Capulet who is proud of his family name. With regard to his being a "villain," dictionary.com defines a villain as, "a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot" (see website below). Thus, a villain is not just someone who is evil, but, rather, someone whose evilness contributes significantly to the plot of the story in question.
Tybalt fits the description of a villain. Not only does he pick a fight with the Montagues in Act 1, Scene 1 and vow revenge later in the play after Romeo has attended the Capulet party, but his "evilness" causes him to sword fight with Mercutio in a way that ultimately leads to Mercutio's death. This is a pivotal scene within the play, as it leads to the downfall of Romeo and Juliet's marriage and, eventually, to their double suicides. While Tybalt did not intend to kill Mercutio, the fact that he does, and that his intent in that scene was not good to begin with, makes him fulfill the definition of a villain.
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