32 Most Ruthless Villains In TV Historical past

Everybody loves a ruthless TV villain. From Cersei Lannister to J.R. Ewing to Mr. Burns, nice villains are available in every kind of how on our tv schedule. They might be chilly and calculating, or they could be impulsive and loopy, however an awesome villain all the time makes for a significantly better present. It is a listing of just some of my favourite and most ruthless villains in TV historical past. Take pleasure in! If you happen to do not, they could come for you.

J.R. Ewing (Dallas)

J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) was a villain who was so crafty and so ruthless that when he was shot on the Season 3 finale of Dallas, actually all of America waited months to search out out who shot him. It wasn’t simply the most effective cliffhangers ever; it was a cultural second that I do not suppose will ever be matched.

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

If you’re a mob boss and your worst enemy is your mom, you recognize you are in a nasty spot. Livia Soprano, Tony’s domineering and, frankly, nasty, mom, performed by the late Nancy Marchand, was an excellent antagonist for the highly effective boss of the household. She was so underhanded and so unhinged at occasions, you by no means knew simply what she was able to or if there was any good in her in any respect. It might have been wonderful to see the place her character went, had we not tragically misplaced Marchand throughout the present’s run.

Kilgrave (Jessica Jones)

Kilgrave, performed by David Tennant in Jessica Jones, simply is likely to be my favourite comedian e-book villain within the fashionable period. The truth that his capability to alter the truth you perceive in your personal head is diabolical and terrifying. Tennant’s efficiency is flat-out wonderful.

Gus Fring (Breaking Dangerous)

Giancarlo Esposito’s efficiency as Gus Fring, the mortal enemy of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Dangerous, is solely terrifying. He is calm and chilly whereas exacting horrible violence. He is ruthless in his pursuit to regulate the sport, and he is utterly with out regret. It is the right mixture to make an incredible villain.

Nina Myers (24)

There may be nothing extra ruthless than turning in your co-worker and nation, like Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) did in Season 1 of 24. It was a second that utterly blew viewers’ minds, who by no means might have predicted that Jack Bauer’s right-hand girl would find yourself the villain.

Negan (The Strolling Useless)

I am going to make a confession right here: Negan (Jefferey Dean Morgan) was an excessive amount of for me. I began to tune out of The Strolling Useless proper concerning the time he entered. He was simply too violent and too imply for me to maintain going. The Strolling Useless had plenty of nice villains, however for me, he is the king of the worst.

The Trinity Killer (Dexter)

The one individual to truly match wits with Dexter on the present of the identical identify was, in fact, Arthur Mitchell, aka The Trinity Killer, performed by the good John Lithgow. He was an unbelievable foe for everybody’s favourite anti-hero/serial killer and a giant purpose the present was as profitable because it was over time.

Aunt Lydia (The Handmaid’s Story)

The Handmaid’s Story is without doubt one of the hardest reveals to look at, ever. There may be simply a lot evil all through nearly each second of the present. That evil is personified by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), the “aunt” who’s “caring” for June Osborne/Offred and her fellow handmaids. It is not possible to sum up simply how evil she is.

Moriarty (Sherlock)

One of many biggest villains in Western literature is Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books. On the present Sherlock, Moriarty is portrayed completely in a modernized manner by Andrew Scott. He’s a grasp prison, positive, however actually, he simply desires to torment our hero, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)

Any villain who as soon as tried to dam out the solar to drive up earnings for his firm belongs on this listing. Mr. Burns’ try and shroud Springfield in darkness on The Simpsons led to dozens of suspects after he was shot. In fact, it was truly CM Burms’ try and steal sweet from a child that truly received him shot. It is a toss-up as to which is worse.

Homelander (The Boys)

One of the vital disturbing villains you possibly can watch with a Prime subscription needs to be Homelander from The Boys. He lastly solutions the query: “What if Superman have been evil?” Fortunately, he is as humorous as he’s scary, which makes him as watchable as some other baddie on this listing.

Cersei Lannister (Recreation Of Thrones)

One present that gave us all a number of villains that could possibly be on that is Recreation of Thrones. Maybe essentially the most coniving, most ruthless, and most annoying of all of them was Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She made it (virtually) to the bitter finish of the present after setting herself up because the villain very early on. She wasn’t alone, however she was essentially the most harmful within the sport.

Vern Schillinger (Oz)

Vern Schillinger (J.Okay. Simmons) is the personification of evil on Oz. The racist prisoner was ruthless, however he was additionally weak in lots of methods, making him much more harmful.

Al Swearengen (Deadwood)

There aren’t any villains on this listing with the verbal panache of Al Swearengen on Deadwood. Ian McShane’s efficiency, delivering these wonderful traces like solely he might, made Swearengen a fan favourite, regardless of simply how terrible he could possibly be. Simply hope he does not flip that silver tongue on you, otherwise you would possibly get fed to the pigs subsequent.

Ben Linus (Misplaced)

This primary season on Misplaced noticed the castaways largely combating amongst themselves. There was no actual “villain” till the 14th episode of the present’s second season. That’s when Henry Gale is captured by Rousseau. Quickly, we might all be taught his actual identify, Ben Linus, and his actual motive, and so they weren’t benevolent. Actor Michael Emerson performed the function completely.

Wilson Fisk (Daredevil)

Matching his brains with large brawn, Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) has the whole lot he must be some of the highly effective baddies on this listing. In each the unique Daredevil, which streamed on Netflix earlier than transferring to Disney+, and Daredevil: Reborn, Kingpin is as formidable as any villain ever. It does not damage to have the gifted D’Onofrio taking part in the supervillain, considered one of Marvel’s greatest.

Alexis Carrington (Dynasty)

What J.R. Ewing did for Dallas, Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins) did for Dynasty. The present was a direct response to Dallas, and it had the identical vibe, and Alexis was simply as conniving and ruthless as J.R.

Skeletor (He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe)

This one is private. After I was a child, I used to be truly a bit of petrified of Skeletor within the authentic He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe cartoon. He is been the central villain all through the entire varied variations of the franchise. He was thwarted more often than not, however he by no means stopped coming at He-Man and his cohorts.

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal)

One of the vital ruthless and terrifying villains on TV and on the silver display screen needs to be Hannibal Lecter. The cannibal psychiatrist was performed by Mads Mikkelsen on the present Hannibal, after Sir Anthony Hopkins received an Oscar taking part in the function in The Silence Of The Lambs. Whomever performs him, he is pure evil.

Marlo Stanfield (The Wire)

One of many issues that makes The Wire such an incredible present, the most effective reveals ever within the peak period of tv, was that there have been only a few pure villains. Each character, cop or prison, was introduced in shades of grey. Some good, some unhealthy. One character that was just about all unhealthy, nonetheless, was Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector). His takeover of the drug commerce in Baltimore was as ruthless a takeover as you may think about. He was chilly and calculating, however he wasn’t afraid to be as violent as he might.

Sue Sylvester (Glee)

Sue Sylvester may not be essentially the most violent or essentially the most prison villain on this listing, however that does not imply that she is any much less ruthless within the pursuit of her objectives than anybody else on this listing. The good Jane Lynch was born to play the function, too. She was not solely ruthless, she was hilarious. The proper instance of a personality all of us like to hate, and that is an entire praise to the nice Ms. Lynch.

Damon Pope (Sons Of Anarchy)

It wasn’t typically that SAMCRO ran up in opposition to a foe that they could not take out fairly simply in Sons of Anarchy. Damon Pope, performed by Harold Perrineau, was one exception to that rule. Pope was the primary antagonist in Season 5 of the present, and he was liable for some of the brutal deaths in SOA historical past when he organized Opie’s demise in entrance of his brothers. I nonetheless get sick to my abdomen simply excited about it.

Joffery Baratheon (Recreation Of Thrones)

In a present filled with villains, Joffrey Baratheon was essentially the most unpredictable and essentially the most ruthlessly violent. He was a horrible sadist, as proven time and again, and he had completely no morals. He’s among the many most hated TV villains of all time.

Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey)

Downton Abbey is not a present that jumps out as having any ruthless villains, however Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) undoubtedly suits the invoice right here. He is conniving, sniveling, and terrible. Typically his motives do not even appear affordable, however that does not cease him from making an attempt to undermine his perceived enemies.

Ralph Cifaretto (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos by no means actually discovered a villain fairly as evil as Livia Soprano, however when Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) returns from Miami in Season 3, we did get a formidable foe to Tony. He was rash and violent, however he additionally all the time discovered a solution to justify his questionable choices, even once they went in opposition to Tony’s orders.

Amanda Woodward (Melrose Place)

As a by-product of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place was decidedly extra “grownup,” not simply within the age of the characters, however in the best way these characters acted and have been handled. 90210 did not actually have villains, however Melrose had Amanda Woodward, performed by the fantastic Heather Locklear. Whereas she did garner some sympathy because the seasons rolled on, to start with, she was 100% villain.

Newman (Seinfeld)

There aren’t a complete lot of villains in sitcoms, no less than, not any as devious as Jerry’s neighbor Newman (Wayne Knight). He was buddies with Kramer, however a sworn enemy of Jerry’s, and it made each single interplay between the 2 characters hilarious. The disdain they’d for one another was palpable each time they met. Newman and Jerry received alongside.

Sideshow Bob (The Simpsons)

Whereas Mr. Burns is a villain to everybody in Springfield (even Smithers more often than not), Sideshow Bob (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) is a villain to only one poor child on the town, Bart Simpson. Through the years, the Bond Villain-like Bob has give you every kind of schemes to take out who he thinks is his nemesis, however he’s thwarted every time. It is made for a few of the greatest episodes of The Simpsons.

Sylar (Heroes)

Sylar (Zachary Quinto) was not solely ruthless on Heroes, however he was insanely highly effective, and that made him one of many scariest villains on this complete listing. Zachary Quinto performed the function masterfully,

The Governor (The Strolling Useless)

Of all of the villains in The Strolling Useless, The Governor, performed by David Morrissey in Seasons 3 and 4, is without doubt one of the most menacing. Possibly it is the attention patch, however there was all the time one thing very unsettling about him, even when he wasn’t being completely terrible (which was uncommon). The villains received extra violent because the present went on, however they did not get any scarier than The Governor.

Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Villanelle’s cat-and-mouse sport with Eve (Sandra Oh) is what makes the present so nice. Jodie Comer, who performs Villanelle, and Sandra Oh have nice on-screen chemistry, which is commonly underrated with regards to nice villains on TV. Typically, the back-and-forth is what makes the adversaries nice.

Rowan Pope (Scandal)