satisfiedIf you don’t want to bother with the entire meme but still want to play, it is highly encouraged to list some of your own favorites for today’s category in the comments.
You know, usually it kind of annoys me that everything is a wiki now instead of more varied fandom content, but this time it was really useful for gathering links. Let's just rush straight into this rogues gallery. I'll never be good, but that's not bad!
I didn't even remember his name before looking him up, but the introduction, development, and defeat of the Six-Fingered Man is one of the most satisfying arcs in cinema, and he has barely any screentime.
Couldn't get a specific link for this one, but I'm basing my adoration almost entirely of Sean Maher's performance in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, and particularly the moment when he crashes the wedding, wreaks hell on a few lives, and grabs a cupcake as he's leaving.
Pre-MCU comic book movies don't get much love anymore, but there were definitely things they did right, like this vision of a kooky mad scientist dancing around on robotic arms, perfectly cast and performed. Also, knowing when to lampshade -- "Guy named Otto Octavius winds up with eight limbs. Four mechanical arms welded right onto his body. What are the odds?"
I like him because he's not evil. He's the most Lawful Neutral that ever Lawful Neutralled, and the most dangerous man that Jean Valjean will ever meet. Also that voice (in the musical) and the conclusion of his life (in the book). Now that's a villain.
I'd like to say something about the realistic threat he posed, or his creepy relationship with Faith, but honestly? The juxtaposition of his friendly wholesome nature against his satanic goals just cracked me up every single time. It should have gotten old before the season was up, but it never did.
It's just obvious -- you can't make a "best villains" list without Vader -- so let's move on to the ones that are a little more unexpected.
Elevated somehow from a joke of typical Futurama fashion to the character that makes you go "YES!" when you turn on a new episode and find out he's in it, the Robot Devil was a glorious addition to the world, especially when he sang.
Children's movies have a reputation for getting suddenly deep or dark on you, but rarely has the primary antagonist been so utterly painful for an adult audience to encounter. Rapunzel doesn't understand how badly the constant discouragement and jokes at her expense are damaging her...but we do.
Pretty much everyone who watched Netflix's Daredevil has remarked on what an amazing character Fisk is, but even following that conversation as long as it's been around, I can't quite put my finger on what sets him apart. The backstory? The romance? Just the hypnotically scary way he talks?
Say you're watching some Fullmetal Alchemist, and one of the recurring baddies is a smug androgynous teenager with weird hair, okay, so you keep watching and OH GOD ITS TRUE FORM NO WHY NO I CAN'T LOOK AT IT BUT I CAN'T LOOK AWAY GOD WHY WHY WHY HELP MEEEEEE
In real life, people don't expect me to have strong opinions, and it surprises and potentially offends them when I start ranting about the school system. What I never expected was to feel validated by a Harry Potter subplot. Umbridge isn't just one bad teacher; she's institutionally supported, and the disaster speaks for itself.
He's infuriating enough on his own, but try playing the Adventure Time Munchkin card game sometime. Draw his card. WEEP. Never again be able to look at him or hear his voice without your blood boiling.
What's a Xanatos Gambit? What would you call the primary foil of a character named Goliath? What causes someone to obsessively pursue immortality? What if Tony Stark had a ponytail? Questions have been raised. Watching Disney cartoons can answer them.
When a character like Jessica Jones, even the first time we meet her, is so terrified by someone unseen that she instantly attempts to move across the world when she hears he's around, you sit up and take notice. Kilgrave actually delivered on that implicit promise, as one of the most evil, powerful, yet understandable (and, screw it, appealing) antagonists written for television.
I tried to avoid listing villains who had done a Heel-Face Turn, but even after he's redeemed, Discord's function in any given episode is usually to cause some kind of mischief -- nowadays he just learns a lesson from it along with the ponies. Anyway, I just love him so much, and I have ever since he busted out of his statue and started making chocolate rain.
The suit. The shades. The contempt for humanity. The kung fu. The voice, the voice, sweet lord, the voice. This is what a villain should be: polar opposite of the hero, emphasized by a few undeniable similarities. Smith is stylized and hyper-dramatic, seemingly invulnerable, and never comes anywhere close to redemption.
