A Culture Cave List: The Greatest TV Villains of All Time

This a tough list to settle on. We decided to exclude any villains that would also be considered protagonists of their respective shows. For example, Walter White is most certainly a villain, but he is also the main character of Breaking Bad so that disqualifies him for our list.

Beware, there be SPOILERS ahead.

Jay's Picks:

Arthur Mitchell, a.k.a. The Trinity Killer
Dexter - Showtime
Portrayed by John Lithgow

The 4th season of Showtime's cult favorite serial killer show was, by far its best. It was also the last good story arc the show would present as it devolved slowly over the next few years until it gave us one of the worst series finales ever (A lumberjack?? Really???). John Lithgow's performance as Arthur Mitchell was the primary reason season 4 was so damn good. He won an Emmy for it. In an inspired choice by the writers they present Dexter with a adversary who is truly a warped reflection of himself. At first Mitchell gives Dexter hope that he might be able to live the life of a family man, husband and new father while continuing to keep his murderous tendencies separate from them. But once he begins to spend more time with Arthur and his family he begins to see the seriously disturbed psychopath underneath and how he has tormented his wife and two children for years. Dexter's inherent moral code puts him in direct conflict with this man who really is a notorious mass murderer called Trinity and isn't long before they must confront each other. The end result is disastrous and tragic for Dexter and will drastically alter the course of the show.

Leland Palmer/Killer BOB

Twin Peaks - ABC
Portrayed by Ray Wise and Frank Silva

The question of who killed Laura Palmer was finally revealed, most say too early, in the middle of the show's second season. Leland (Ray Wise) Palmer was revealed to be more than he seemed and responsible for the rape and murder of his own teenage daughter. But, it wouldn't be like David Lynch to let us off that easy. Leland was actually possessed by an invading spirit known simply as "BOB". BOB (Frank Silva) had been living inside Leland since the small town lawyer was a little boy. The demonic apparition was apparently a neighbor of his grandfather. Throughout Leland's life BOB will take possession of him and force the unwitting man to perform horrific acts like murder and molestation. BOB comes from the Black Lodge, an alternate plane of existence filled with evil, pain and suffering. He forces Leland to kill Laura in order to feed off the gruesomeness of the act and the grief of of his host. By the time the series was done Leland would be dead and BOB would trap the show's hero, FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in the Black Lodge and take over his body in the real world. Two great performances by two actors. Wise is over-the-top and Silva is terrifying and disturbing.

The Governor
The Walking Dead - AMC
Portrayed by David Morissey

There is a sadness at the heart of Phillip Blake. But all of that is soon forgotten when it becomes clear that in his grief over the loss of his wife and the zombification of his daughter he has totally lost his mind and is capable of any kind of heinous act. Calling himself "The Governor" and helping to create an idyllic community called Woodbury, Phillip cares little for human life if it means the survival of the people who have looked to him for salvation. In Season 3 he comes into direct conflict with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors who have made a prison their refuge. He was able to dupe and ultimately woo Andrea (Laurie Holden) into his bed, only to bolt her to a chair in a room with a man slowly turning into a zombie. She died for apparently being way to gullible. In Season 4, after barely escaping with his life he would attempt an almost half-hearted attempt at redemption only to lead a new group to Rick & Co.'s prison where he would forever earn the hatred of fans for be-heading the show's resident grandfather, Herschel (Scott Wilson). Even though he justifiably meets his end on the wrong (or is it right?) end of Michonne's (Danai Gurira) katana, the damage he has wrought to several of the show's most beloved characters makes his death almost anti-climactic.

Mayor Richard Wilkins III
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The WB
Portrayed by Harry Groener

One of the things that made Buffy so great was its rogues gallery of "Big Bads". Each season saw the Slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) facing a seemingly unbeatable villain that she would have to defeat by the finale. There are several great ones to choose from, but none of them were as inventive, entertaining and down right maniacal as Sunnydale's Mayor Wilkins. Show creator, Joss Whedon has said that he and the writers of a Buffy wanted to explore the abuse of power thematically in Season 3 and created The Mayor as a distorted reflection of the typical American politician. Calm, charming and entirely likable, Wilkins is secretly a sorcerer who has lived for over a hundred years. He has managed to get himself elected perennially into office for nearly that entire span of time, lending a kind of satirical commentary on what some men will do to stay in power. His immortality also protects him from any kind of physical harm, making him a tough adversary for Buffy and her friends to bring down. Groener lends a quaint, comical touch to the character's personality and his fatherly relationship with the Slayer-gone-bad, Faith (Eliza Dushku) makes him a unique villain. One that very rarely goes to the dark side of his nature. When he does, though, it makes it even more effective as the darkness and madness behind the grin can't be hidden for long. It is only when the entire senior class of Sunnydale High School unite behind Buffy and her friends to stop the Mayor's "ascension" (transforming into a giant snake demon) that he is finally destroyed.

Gustavo "Gus" Fring
Breaking Bad - AMC
Portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito

Many of the greatest bad guys aren't born that way - they are made. Traumatic events in their pasts create shifts in their behaviors and cause them to make choices that are morally and ethically compromised. Gus Fring's story and how he came to run one the country's largest and most successful meth operations is a sad tale. Betrayed by the Juàrez Cartel, who brutally kills his best friend and business partner, Max, Gus emigrates to New Mexico and opens up a popular chain of fast food restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos. When we first meet Fring in the show, Walter's lawyer, Saul (Bob Odenkirk), puts Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jessie (Aaron Paul) in touch with Gus in order to sell their remaining meth before getting out of the business for good. But the highly intelligent drug lord sees an opportunity to capitalize on Walter's greed by offering the former chemistry teacher $3,000,000 to cook for 3 months in his super advanced lab underneath an industrial laundry facility. It isn't long though before Walt deduces that Gus intends to hand him over to the cartel who want revenge for the death of Tuco Salmanca (Raymond Cruz). Soon Mr. White and Mr. Fring are at odds and a complex series of power play moves happen between them until ultimately Walter is able to exploit Gus's desire for revenge and lay a trap for him that provides one of Breaking Bad's most memorable scenes. Esposito's performance is nuanced and calculated, giving us a villain that is quietly evil. His demise pushes Walt over the edge as he fully embraces his role as a drug kingpin and abandons most of the goodness in him we once saw.


Matt's Picks:

President Charles Logan

24 - FOX

Portrayed by Gregory Itzin

OK, so it’s not that difficult to find the most evil villains on television when you go through Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) rogues gallery. In fact, it’s hard to narrow it down to one (especially when it comes to Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke)) – they’re all so slimy and bad that you want Jack to deliver some violent justice. But if I had to pick, it’d be this guy. The President of the United States … in the 24 universe! And he wasn’t even elected into office – he was appointed via the Constitution’s 25^th Amendment (LBJ doesn’t look so bad now, does he?)! He’s a sleazy, lying, conniving, murderous politician who also happens to be the most powerful man in the country. Well, almost. Cue Jack Bauer! 

George Foyet, a.k.a. The Reaper

Criminal Minds - CBS

Portrayed by C. Thomas Howell

If there is one of the many, MANY sick minds that is the most memorable from CBS's Criminal Minds, it would have to be this unassuming man whose deadly alter ego was inspired by the non-fictional Zodiac Killer. As main character SSA Aaron Hotchner's (Thomas Gibson) arch-nemesis, the sociopathic Foyet not only dupes all of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in his first appearance, but he escapes from jail, goes on many killing sprees and is found out to have killed his first victims -- his biological parents -- and gotten away with it ... when he was only 9-years-old. One of the smartest and most lethal killers I've seen on TV -- and on primetime, no less! NO ONE is safe when this guy is on the loose!

Angelus

Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel - The WB & UPN

Portrayed by David Boreanaz

Just when you thought Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer was going to be some Twilight-type, cutesy, playing-to-the-teeny-boppers fluff, enter Buffy’s love interest Angel’s true soulless vampiric alter ego, Angelus! For those who don’t know the backstory, in the Whedonverse (as his characters’ world is called), a vampire has no soul. All but one, that is. Liam was a drunkard, lazy, spoiled rake (not the yard tool) who became a vampire, killed his entire family, was given the name Angelus and went about his immortal life killing for the fun of it. All until a gypsy curse gave him back his soul and all of the pain of torturing and killing overwhelmed him and made him into somewhat of a brooding-yet-sensitive loner who renamed himself Angel. However, there is one caveat. When Angel experiences one moment of true happiness, his soul leaves and he’s the evil badass Angelus once more. Angelus is a great villain in that he uses the truth to eat away at and manipulate his opponents, and he has so much fun at being so bad. Well, bringing Angelus into the second season of Buffy was one of the smartest moves the writers ever did! And for those who think Spike (James Marsters) was the more evil one, think again. Watch their backstories and who they were before they became vampires (Liam/Angel a womanizing, selfish brute and Spike a bookwormish, bad-poetry-writing, wussy man who still lived with his mother and had a bit of an Oedipal complex). Angelus? Winning!

Prince Joffrey Baratheon

Game of Thrones - HBO

Portrayed by Jack Gleeson

There’s never been a more evil kid than Damien (The Omen)! Except, whereas that kid was the antichrist, Prince Joffrey is just a mortal product of incest who thinks his shit don’t stink. His biggest evil move comes when he is bought unto the throne -- becoming king -- and ignores his advisers only to kill off one of the series’ most beloved, popular characters. I’ve never wanted to see a teenager on television killed so badly as I do with Joffrey. He’s a spoiled brat who’s a coward and a good-for-nothing – basically, as author George R.R. Martin said, he’s “people that I went to school with ... a classic bully.” But, props to actor Jack Gleeson for portraying him so well and bringing this little asshole to life! Just watch HBO’s newest hit and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Jim Moriarty

Sherlock - BBC

Portrayed by Andrew Scott

This is the top! THE VILLAIN! I've saved the best for last. I don’t think I’ve seen a more perfect villain than Andrew Scott’s Moriarty on the BBC’s Sherlock. He plays Sherlock Holmes’ (Benedict Cumberbatch) ultimate arch nemesis with all of the equal-parts joviality, menace and evil that Heath Ledger masterfully honed in The Dark Knight’s Joker. For all of those who enjoy the duality of Batman and the Joker, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Doctor Who and The Master, and Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation is where the classic rivalry all began! Scott (along with writers Steven Moffat, Steve Thompson and Mark Gatiss) takes Moriarty to all new levels that I didn’t think possible on television. He’s an evil whose presence is felt with every minute he’s on screen. When he angrily rumbles that he will "burn the heart" out of Sherlock (a great line, by the way!), you believe him! To Moriarty, everyone is merely a pawn – their lives insignificant and expendable. He is a “consulting criminal” whose intellect matches Sherlock’s, and whose cunning and ruthlessness places him above no other.