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They say its good to be bad but which TV villains arethe very bestat being bad?

Below, TVLine has compiled an updated list of small-screen foes who made an indelible impression with their evil plots and wicked ways. These memorable enemies, from shows such asBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Arrow, Once Upon a TimeandSupernatural, range from crafty opponents to downright despicable human beings. And lest you think only genre shows breed troublemakers, weve also included some classic villainesses fromDynasty, Falcon CrestandMelrose Place.

Plus, weve selected a handful of characters who arecurrentlydelivering dastardly performances onThe Boys, Evil and The Walking Dead universe. Our refreshed rankings also feature baddies from Doctor Who, Succession, Smallville, Sons of Anarchy and more shows!

Note:We limited our picks to just one villain per series/franchise, which certainly wasnt an easy task when it came to the plentiful options in the Vampire Diaries and Arrow universes or onGame of Thrones. That said, one actor issogood at being bad that he appears on our ranking twice, for two very different roles!

So whos the best of the worst? Review our list, then hit the comments with any evildoers who missed the cut!

Theresplenty of sexual deviance onBig Mouth, and luckily for Nick and Andrew, the Shame Wizard was around to keep them in line! (Were kidding.) But we did getmanylaughs from watchinghimspreadembarrassment andcausemanic spiralsthroughout.Whenever we sawthe kids squirming, wewerealwaystickled bytheWizards ghoulishhavoc-wreaking.This is oneevildoerwe can get behind.

Former drug peddler Blaine DeBeers is best known as the guy who turned heroine Liv into a zombie. He ran an underground and very illegal brain delivery service, which sourced its inventory by killing street kids, fueling the fear between zombies and the general public. His love for money was only topped by his love for creating chaos. After being cured, he faked amnesia to stay close to Peyton, proving one doesnt have to be a zombie to be a slimeball!

Regina may have been the queen of mean, but the Dark One was a sinister, slithery piece of work. Plus, where Regina was for so long laser-focused on making Savior Emmas life hell, Rumple had his scaly green fingers in multiple pies, battling Miss Swan as well as Hook, Peter Pan, Zelena, Mother Goethel and others.

If something smelled rotten in the Aloha State, chances are that Wo Fat was involved. Off and on during the CBS reboots first four-and-a-half seasons, the criminal mastermind (played by Mark Dacascos) would dog top cop Steve McGarrett, going from framing him for the assassination of the Hawaii governor to, with his dying breath, revealing that Steves mother Doris veritably adopted him as a youth. Oh, brother!

Sure, hes a lifelong criminal with some problematic views and a nasty violent streak. But Boyd Crowder was a charmer as well, thanks to Walton Goggins charismatic performance, and he proved to be a very worthy adversary (friend-versary, even?) to Timothy Olphants deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. Boyd may have been a thief and a liar, but just like Raylan, we cant quite bring ourselves to hate him.

Evil, glamorous and campy as hell, Sabrina Spellmans nemesis-turned-mentor is among the Netflix series most spellbinding personalities, whether shes taking the form of mousy teacher Ms. Wardwell or wicked seductress Madam Satan. As for her being two-faced, we think this photo speaks for itself.

Join us, wont you, in raising a glass of sour grapes to Jane Wymans queen of mean, whose age and Little Orphan Annie hairdo gave the entirely false first impression that she was a sweet old lady. So frosty was the First Lady of Tuscany Valley, she could kill a nemesis crop just by fixing it with her withering gaze.

TheDallasspinoffs answer to J.R. Ewing had hair as big as her ambitions, dramatic bedroom eyes and absolutely no sts to give. Time and time again, Donna Mills sardonic supervixen proved that she thought of other women as mere hot plates: something to keep their husbands warm until she had a craving for one of em.

When it comes to Jessica Langes femmes fatales on the FX anthology series, the wicked witch that she played in Season 3 reigns Supreme. The lethal beauty was living proof that vanity kills. Yet, despite her misdeeds, she stood on the right side of history, tasking former slave owner Delphine with serving a Black enchantress as she remarked, Theres nothing I hate more than a racist. You go, bad girl!

When a character snaps an innocent infants neck as if it were a dandelion stem, you know that character is someone to fear. But Tricia Helfers character at the start of the sci-fi reboot was more than that: infinitely interesting, slinkily intimidating and coldly capable of taking out an entire civilization without mussing a hair on her Cylon head.

In a lesser actors hands,Dexters most famous serial killer couldve come across as a silly cartoon. But John Lithgows ability to infuse Arthur with flashes of humanity made the character all the more terrifying. And for a man in his 60s, Arthur possessed the kind of super-human strength that could make anyones hair stand on end.

Had Siobhan Finnerans miserable maid merely been a mean-spirited gossip, we couldve written it off as a side effect of her station in life. But Thomas fearsome frenemy was anythingbutall talk: She not only tried to get dear Carson arrested, she tried to do the same to Thomas! And dont even get us started on the soap incident that caused Cora to miscarry.

A white supremacist,rapistandpedophile? T-Bagwas so vile hemade our skin crawl.Buthe was fascinating,too,as he usedhiscunningto blackmail Michael andshoehornhimself intotheir big break.Wevegot to hand it to actor Robert Knepper, whose certain je nesaisquoi kept us glued to our screens as wewatchedthissickeningmadmansreign of terrorunfold.

Was it any wonder that Joe had no problem rallying minions to his serial-killing cause? The Edgar Allan Poe-obsessed literature professor was so damn charming that his followers voluntarily gouged out their own eyeballs and did far worse to others at his say-so. And the mind games he played with FBI agent Ryan Hardy for years? Just bloody icing on the icky cake.

Heres the thing, we dont totally disagree with The Carvers mantra beauty is kind of a curse on the world! but we also dont approve of how the serial stabber went about teaching that lesson to their victims. Say it with us: We. Do. Not. Cut. Up. Peoples. Faces.

The computer hacker/serial killer tormented Brennan, Booth & Co. for seasons with his almost omniscient-like technological skills, draining Hodgins bank account and leaving behind haunting clues for Bones. Somehow, Pelant always seemed to be one step ahead of the Jeffersonian team, making him a worthy foe for the intellectual squints.

London detective John Luther more than met his match in this evil genius, played by an icy Ruth Wilson. Alice was a coldblooded killer, and a good one, using her considerable smarts and ruthless cunning to avoid getting caught. She and Luther engaged in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse that stretched over several seasons as Alice worked her way into Luthers psyche, Hannibal Lecter-style. Luther took on other cases, but none were as bloody thrilling as Alice Morgan.

Calculating, manipulative, and oh-so cold-hearted, Rachel was raised to be a cutthroat clone who made savage decisions that benefitted an evil corporations agenda rather than her ownsestras. She only feigned empathy when it seemed to benefit her, making her motives and allegiances permanently gray areas. The power-hungry clone even kidnapped sweet little Kira! Though she eventually turned around to help Sarah and the others, we never, ever fully trusted her.

Zachary Quintos Big Bad wasnt just a soulless serial killer. He was a soulless serial killer who could manifest anyones super powers and use them for evil. Scary combination!

With all due respect to the Master/Missy, these are theWhodevils thatreallymake our skin crawl. The quantum-locked Angels are creepy but impassive stone statueswhen youre looking. When youre not, they attack with terrifying speed, flinging victims back in time, where they essentially live to death. Give these lonely assassins fifty points for originality and Gothic horror vibes, plus a million for nightmare fuel. Dont. Blink.

On one hand, hes an esteemed psychiatrist with a refined palate, interesting fashion sense and a seductive manner of speaking. On the other hand, he kills people and eats them. So while we certainly have a healthy fear of Hannibals dark side, we do admit we developed a taste for him over three seasons. (From a safe distance, of course.)

Honestly,anymember of the HBO dramas chain-smoking Guilty Remnant couldve earned a spot on this list, so appallingly indifferent was the cult to humanity. But Ann Dowds unfeeling leader of Mapletons chapter was particularly vile and terrifying, what with a commitment that ran so deep, she slit her own throat just to ensure that tormented Kevin couldnt get in the last word.

Who among us didnt cheer when Miss Rosa purposely struck and killed Vee with the prison van? (Always so rude, that one!) Lorraine Toussaints sociopathic alter ego wasnt necessarily the most vicious villain inOITNBs storied run, but she was easily the most ruthless (and most frightening) antagonist due to her uncanny ability to manipulate and deceive those she took under her wing, including Suzanne, Poussey and Taystee.

Like a cat toying with a mouse before going for the kill, Helen McCrorys seductive rhymes-with-bitch delighted in messing with our protagonists literally, in the case of besotted patsy Sir Malcolm. (Ahem.) But, despite her considerable powers and warped creativity, the leader of the Nightcomers never could quite get under her thumb daughter Hecate, who set up Mommie Dearest to be werewolf Ethans scratching post.

Before revealing herself to be a total softie in the musical comedys final season, Sue was a living nightmare for the students at McKinley High, stopping at nothing to destroy the lives of anyone associated with its precious glee club. Should we really be surprised that she eventually became a conservative news correspondent before getting elected Vice President of the United States?

When Lucy Lawless Roman spitfire wasnt acting as an accessory to her wretched husband Batiatus many war crimes, she was perpetrating diabolical acts of evil herself. In fact, she has more murderous notches on her belt than any other female character in the series.

Rosewoods textual terrorist was so frightening, it took but a single letter to send a chill down the spine of any liar, pretty or otherwise. And while a number of beautiful sociopaths assumed the dreaded moniker over the course of the shows seven-season run, A was very much an entity unto itself and it was a bitch.

The billionaire corporate titan played by Brian Cox loomed over every frame of HBOs Emmy-winning drama, ruling his sprawling media empire with an iron fist. He belittled his children, scoffed at anygenuinedisplay of human emotion and dismissed all those who challenged him with a gruff Fk off. He was so formidable, we didnt even believe it at first when he suddenly passed away midway through the final season. If anyone could cheat death, its Logan Roy.

Avuncular on the outside and a Rambaldi zealot on the inside, Sydneys SD-6 boss spent half his time trying to kill her (and a not-inconsiderable amount of time gunning for people she loved R.I.P, Danny). His fervor for chasing down Rambaldis secret to immortality made him merciless, but karma got him in the end: After achieving eternal life, he was trapped in a cavern, doomed to spend the rest of time alone and underground.

A master of seduction, infidelity, kidnapping and, of course, returning from the dead, this killer queen wouldnt just blow up your life, shed blow up your entire apartment complex and shed do it with a smile on her face.

When first introduced, the fallen archangel was far from what the Winchesters and viewers were expecting. The baddie was almost soft-spoken and contemplative but that didnt mean that he didnt have an agenda that he wouldnt stop at anything to achieve. And even after Sam sacrificed himself to trap Lucifer, Lucy still found his way back to Earth, eventually even spawning a Nephilim son (who, thankfully,turned out to not be like his bio dad).

Of all the characters you didnt want to cross on FXs biker drama, you really didnt want to cross Clay. Ron Perlman brought an unnerving intensity to SAMCROs onetime president, who shifted the energy of a room just by walking into it. During Sons of Anarchys early seasons, Clay had a formidable amount of influence over the club and its allies but what made him truly terrifying was his casual penchant for violence, from which no one was safe until Clays demise in Season 6.

The Saviors former leader may have been rebranded as a lovable antihero before being spun off ontoDead City, but were as likely to forget his past villainy as his wives. How could we when we still have nightmares about the time Jeffrey Dean Morgans Chatty Cathy forced Carl to sing? (Shudder.) What? Did you think we were gonna say the time he struck out Abraham and Glenn? Did youhearCarl sing?

Whereas the super-A.I. known as The Machine was out to do good (by dispensing Social Security numbers that could help stop forecast crime), its evil twin, Samaritan, was out for Greer and the other Decima goons while going to any lengths necessary in the name of self-preservation. Samaritan saw everything and knew everything, making for a nearly inescapable adversary.

Easily the most hated man in Springfield, this crusty, coldblooded billionaire takes great pleasure in making others miserable, whether hes squeezing every last penny out of the less fortunate or releasing his hounds to maul any trespassers. He even tried to blot out the sun at one point! Its no wonder that, when he was shot back in Season 6, nearly everyone in town was a suspect.

We decided early on that Leland was a wicked, manipulative and dangerous psychological mastermind and that wasbeforehe maneuvered himself into the role of father to Kristins lost embryo, now gestating in his oblivious pawn. Though he provides plenty of comic relief, dont be deceived: Leland is a monster, and were absolutely terrified to find out whatelsehes capable of.

Well be the first to admit that Cigarette Smoking Man, aka Cancer Man, aka C.G.B. Spender, lost a little of his creepiness as the seasons went on. (A jacked-up, retconned backstory will do that to a bad guy.) But think back to when he was the silent, shadowy figure lighting up in the corner of Blevins office in the pilot, and we defy you not to shiver.

The deeply flawed husband and father seemed to have no limit when it came to despicable behavior: He physically and psychologically abused his sons, tormented his ex-wife Deb so much that she turned to booze and pills, and, worst of all, killedhis own brother.So when a dog ate his donor heart, it felt like karmic payback.

How can you possibly defeat someone who has the power to control others minds? In the first season of Netflixs comic book drama, even Jessica Jones who doesnt fear much of anything was tormented by the very thought of Kilgrave, who once kept Jessica under his thumb for months and convinced her to do awful things. Kilgraves ability to turn even innocuous actions into torturous punishments, like ordering a man to turn and face a fence forever, made him an especially chilling baddie, and David Tennants deliciously twisted take on the role kept us fixated on our screens no persuasion needed.

The super-slithery serial rapist/sometime killer, played so well (meaning detestably) by Billy Burke, taunted not only The Closers Brenda Leigh, but also her teenage would-be ward Rusty, in the procedurals Major Crimes offshoot. Any time Stroh showed up, you got a chill sensing that something was about to go very, very wrong.

Take Slade Wilson a badass with a legitimate beef and jack him up on Mirakuru, and you get the most formidable, and personal, of foes for Oliver Queen. The way that one-eyed Slade slid back into Olivers life still gives us chills, while his brutal kills (not Moira!) made us double over, as Oliver did, in anguish.

As if it werent bad enough that Fred Waterford participated in state-sanctioned, ritual rape every month and it was so,sobad Gileads merry misogynist had the audacity to play humiliating mind games with his handmaidandchop off his own wifes finger when she dared step out of line.At least he eventually got what was coming to him, courtesy of his victim, June, and a bloodthirsty band of former handmaids whod had enough.

Nina Myers was24smost twisted badguy.Originally second in command at CTU: L.A.,shehad everyone fooledwith her deep cover and liesus included!The molesold classified government information right under everyones noses, and attempted to buyand sella deadlyvirus afteralreadyreceiving a presidential pardon.Plus,she killed Teri Bauer! JackBauerfoughtheaps of terroristsover the course of his career, but this one was painstakingly personal.

The bestStar Trekbaddies since the original Klingons, this collective of alien cyborgs were a terrifying vision of A.I. run amok, with a relentless drive to assimilate any and all beings they encountered. Their hyper intelligence and lack of human emotion made them formidable enemies, and if you dared to stand in their way? Even Jean-Luc Picard learned that resistance is futile.

Few villains in TV history were as flat-out fun to watch as the stylish assassin played to perfection by Jodie Comer. We shouldnt have liked Villanelle: She was a bloodthirsty psychopath who delighted in making people suffer. And yet we did, because she turned killing into an art form, bringing a playful flair to her grim calling. She was always the bad guy but she was just so damn good at it.

Theres been many portrayals of Lex Luthor over the decades, but watching his Smallville journey from Clark Kents friend to Supermans nemesis, with all its complicated relationships and shady moves, made for an especially gripping villain story. And because he started out as Clarks pal, that made all the terrible things that Lex would go on to do all the more awful and painful.

Joan Collins scheming, acid-tongued antagonist was as groundbreaking as she was popular; the characters dramatic arrival in the Season 2 premiere gave the initially ratings-challenged ABC soap a much-needed shot in the arm, propelling it to the top of the Nielsens and paving the way for generations of primetime female evildoers to come.

Picking just one villain from HBOs fantasy drama was a daunting task on its own. But for us, Ramsay tops em all even the snot-nosed Joffrey and menacing Night King because he reached levels of diabolical we didnt even know existed. Even worse? He absolutely relished each one. To be clear, we dont approve of the way Ramsay endlessly tortured Theon, or his utterly despicable treatment of Sansa. But ofThrones many adversaries, Ramsay will forever stick out as the most sadistic and dread-inducing; not even a literal army of the undead could scare us as much.

The first of his kind, this vampire-werewolf hybrids unspeakable reputation preceded him, making Klaus an imposing presence long before finally appearing at the end of the shows sophomore season. And even though he received a thorough redemption arc along with a five-season spinoff to further explore his demons hell always be remembered as one of the most fearsome beasts to walk the streets of New Orleans. (Wed be remiss if we didnt also mention Kai Parker we immediately loved to hate Chris Woods snarky psychopath be were keeping this list to one baddie per show/franchise.)

The Sevens twisted leader fights super villains, and yet, hes as far from the definition of hero as you can get. Devoid of empathy and capable of squishing a skull in seconds, Homelander is an unpredictable, narcissistic sociopath with serious mommy issues, making him one of the most dangerous (and complex) supes on the series.

Sure, the Smoke Monster had moves (and made that discomfiting rattling-chain noise), but Ben as a mortal among humans was a more tangible threat to Jack, Kate et al. First introduced as meek Henry Gale, Ben was soon revealed to be the leader of the Others, setting in motion a domino chain of dastardly reveals. In the end, he was good, but when he was bad, he was awful.

As diabolical as she was gorgeous, the most vicious of Earths Visitors would stop at nothing to hasten her rise to power. (And it showed she eventually became Supreme Commander.) But the scene that will always stay with us and no, therapy hasnt helped is the one in which we caught our first glimpse of the secret lizard lady unhinging her jaw and swallowing a guinea pig whole.

If Davids psychotic ex-wife ever challenged you to call her a simple bitch, you obviously didnt do it. Not because Angela Robinsons character was really all that complicated, but because youre still breathing to read this. Veronica was as crazy as they come: a homophobic thirst trap who shot first, asked questions never, and once drove her long-suffering gay son to stab her in the breast implant. In. The. Breast. Implant.

Sure, the likes of Mr. Freeze, Ma Parker and Egghead had their campy, Caped Crusader-vexing charms, but the recurring threats posed by Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Riddler (Frank Gorshin is our pick), Joker (Cesar Romero with that painted stache) and Catwoman (lets go with Eartha Kitt) is what kept us tuned into that same Bat Channel every Bat Time.

Long before he romanced Phoebe Waller-Bridge asFleabags Hot Priest, Andrew Scott terrorized Benedict Cumberbatch as the Big Bad Moriarty. The legendary villain was a psychopath, yes, but he was a brilliant, clever, eccentric, unpredictable lunatic. And there was nothing he wouldnt do to destroy his longtime nemesis, including shooting himself in the head in order to compel Holmes to take his own life.

The demonic possessing spirit spent most of his time inhabiting other bodies, but it was in his true form that of a long-haired vagrant played to creepy perfection by the late Frank Silva that he was the most terrifying. He was a literal nightmare come to life.

Walter White may have been the one to break bad but no one was badder than Gus Fring. Played with chilling precision by Giancarlo Esposito, Gus was an unassuming drug lord, so mild-mannered that he could double as the manager of a fast food chicken joint and no one would look at him twice. But underneath that calm demeanor was a stone-cold killer who used his keen intellect to rule the local meth trade and crush his enemies with ruthless efficiency. Were gladBetter Call Saulbrought him back: Even though we already knew his fate, we still wanted more Gus.

The fact that the late, great Larry Hagman appeared to take such delight in playingDallas iconic scoundrel put J.R. in a class by himself, making the character alternately charming and despicable. Hagman also never let the audience lose sight of the fact that J.R.s treachery was driven by his love of family, however misguided that love often was.

The Redcoat captain may have looked exactly like Claires gentle husband, but thats where the similarities ended. The 18th-century sadist received way too much pleasure from endangering the lives of Jamie Fraser and his British bride and thats way before the abominable assault that happened at Wentworth Prison near the end of Season 1.

When Buffys boyfriend experienced a moment of true happiness and lost his soul, he wenttrulyevil, snarking about his and Buffys night of passion and, worse yet, tormenting her loved ones with almost sadistic zeal. After Angelus eagerly snapped Jenny Calendars neck in a tragic twist were still not over, it became abundantly clear the show had done the unthinkable: turned its romantic lead into its most formidable enemy.

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Best TV Villains, Ranked: 60 Baddies From Vampire Diaries, Game ... - TVLine