Villains tend to be more compelling than heroes, and so it shouldn’t be a surprise that playing them is something that actors tend to gravitate towards. Although this has been true since the beginning of time, it has become even more of a factor in recent years, when shows with prestige aspirations tend to get the most traction at awards ceremonies based on their depiction of their villains.
It is often the case that people hear the word “villain” and think about a more classical version of a “bad guy” that would appear in a comic book adaptation or a science fiction/fantasy world, but they are just as important in the world of crime television. The villains in crime shows tend to be interesting because there is less that separates them from the heroes, blurring the line between good and evil. The greatest thriller villains linger because the actors behind them make their presence feel genuinely dangerous, with the very best making their respective series unforgettable.
10
‘The Night Manager’ (2016–Present)
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Image via Prime Video</figure>
The Night Manager is one of the best ever adaptations of a John le Carré novel, as it combines modern political intrigue with a slick action premise that is reminiscent of the James Bond films. While Tom Hiddleston delivers the greatest performance of his career as the undercover spy Jonathan Pine, all the best scenes in the show belong to Hugh Laurie, whose character, Richard Roper, is a ruthless arms dealer who will trample anyone to seize power.
Roper is an amazing villain because he is realistic, as it is highly believable that a powerful arms dealer with connections to various international espionage agencies and criminal organizations would be able to elude justice and operate his own militia band. Laurie won a Primetime Emmy Award for his amazing performance, and it is exciting to see what he will do with the show in the future.
9
‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
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Image via Netflix</figure>
Mindhunter is the perfect show for a rogues’ gallery because it is based on the real investigations by the FBI into some of the most notorious and powerful criminals in the history of the United States. It was FBI Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), who was inspired by the real investigator John Douglas, who first coined the term “serial killer” to describe men like Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), who murdered several women, including his own mother.
Mindhunter pulls off one of the greatest depictions of Charles Manson, played by Damon Herriman, who was, ironically enough, also cast to play the same role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for Quentin Tarantino. The series also gets to the bottom of slightly less well-known serial killers like the Texan sociopath Elmer Wayne Henley, who is portrayed brilliantly by Robert Aramayo, playing against type.
8
‘Mr. Robot’ (2015–2017)
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USA Network</figure>
Mr. Robot is a fascinating thriller that goes deep into the mind of its protagonist, Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), who is nonetheless forced to deal with some very real villains. Although Elliot eventually learns that the enigmatic hacker known as “Mr. Robot” (Christian Slater) is actually his ally, they have to work together to take down the all-powerful Whiterose (B.D. Wong), a member of the Chinese government who also handles the dangerous hacker group known as “Dark Army.”
Mr. Robot fills out its ranks of villains with a number of interesting side characters like Fernando Vera (Elliot Villar), a crass drug dealer who blackmails Elliot and forces him to perform a heist. The show also does a good job of exploring characters who could be considered to be both heroes and villains, depending on the moment, such as Martin Wallstrom‘s unforgettable turn as Tyrell Wellick.
7
‘Hannibal’ (2013–2015)
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Image via NBC</figure>
Hannibal had massive expectations in front of it because it was based on the novels of Thomas Harris, which also inspired several film adaptations, including the Best Picture-winning horror classic The Silence of the Lambs. However, Hannibal was able to develop a unique version of the iconic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter because it takes place at a time when he has not yet been discovered and still works with the cops; unlike Anthony Hopkins, Mads Mikkelsen plays a version of the character who is actually charismatic and able to hide his psychopathic tendencies.
Hannibal feels like an exciting new take on the serial killer genre because it sees Lecter himself having to face off with other psychopaths who compete with him, with Richard Armitage in particular giving an amazing performance as the sadistic killer known as “the Tooth Fairy.”
6
‘Boardwalk Empire’ (2010–2014)
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Boardwalk Empire is one of the signature crime shows of the 21st century because it was inspired by history to tell the story of the corrupt Atlantic City treasure Nucky Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi in the best performance of his career. Although Nucky is more of an anti-hero than he is an outright villain, Boardwalk Empire fans are able to distinguish each season of the show based on which new antagonist is introduced.
Bobby Cannavale won a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Italian gangster Gyp Rosetti, who is so unenamored with the high-society world that Nucky is ensnared within it that he tears down protocol with ruthless violence. He’s not the only terrifying character, as Jeffrey Wright is equally memorable in Season 4 as Dr. Valentin Narcisse, a Black nationalist extremist who controls his own nightclub and uses his intelligence to outsmart the other gangsters.
Four criminal masterminds. One of them was always going to be yours.
Here is who comes for you, why they picked you out of everyone available, and what they want from
the encounter.
Your nemesis does not want to beat you. He wants to know you
completely, and he is patient enough to wait for it. The frightening part is how good the
conversation is.
- Lecter is the most dangerous kind of opponent: the one who finds you interesting. He
never raises his voice, because he has never needed to. - You keep a great deal to yourself and you are careful about what you show. That reserve
is exactly the door he would knock on. - The films understood something other thrillers missed. The horror is not the violence.
It is being perfectly understood by the wrong person. - He would be unfailingly polite about all of it. That is the worst part.
Your nemesis is not after money, territory or revenge. He is
after a demonstration, and you are the person he has chosen to prove his point on.
- The Joker only picks opponents who believe in something. Your decency is not a defence
against him. It is the entire reason he showed up. - He has no plan you can predict and nothing you can take away, which removes every tool
you would normally reach for. - His whole argument is that you are one bad day away from being him, and you would spend
the rest of your life proving him wrong. - He would call it a magic trick. You would call it the worst night of your life.
Your nemesis respects you, which sounds flattering until you work
out what it means. He chose you because nobody else was worth his time.
- Moriarty is the original criminal mastermind, the template every later one borrows from:
a mind the equal of the hero’s, pointed the wrong way. - You enjoy being the cleverest person in the room. He is counting on exactly that, and he
has already built the room. - This is the rare nemesis who would be genuinely disappointed if you lost badly. He needs
the game to be worth playing. - It ends the way these things always end. Two people, one problem, and only one way down.
Your nemesis has no personal interest in you whatsoever, and that
is precisely what makes him unsurvivable. You are not a rival. You are a stop on the way.
- Chigurh does not negotiate, gloat or explain. He arrives, he asks one question, and the
answer was decided long before you opened your mouth. - You trust yourself to handle things. He is the one problem in the world that has no
interest in how capable you are. - No Country for Old Men rewrote the screen villain by removing the thing audiences
quietly rely on: the sense that talking might work. - Call it. He will wait.
5
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
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Image via Marvel Studios</figure>
Daredevil had a lot of work to do because the reputation of the character’s rogues’ gallery had been severely diminished by the 2003 film starring Ben Affleck, which most Marvel fans would agree did not do a service to the comics. Daredevil was released on Netflix and allowed to be far more violent than any other Marvel show, and it created one of the greatest villains in contemporary television with Vincent D’Onofrio‘s portrayal of Wilson Fisk, the criminal mastermind known as “Kingpin.”
D’Onofrio’s performance as Fisk is so good that it transcends being in a “comic book adaptation,” similar to what Heath Ledger did on the big screen with his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Although there have been other interpretations of Kingpin, D’Onofrio set the standard for just how unrelenting and cruel the character can be.
4
‘The Boys’ (2019–2026)
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The Boys is far more than just another superhero show because it was based on the very dark, cynical worldview of Garth Ennis, who compared the role of costumed crusaders to that of both celebrities and law enforcement officials. The Boys looked at the abuses that famous people could get away with in the wake of the #MeToo era, but it also looked at how violence by law enforcement was tolerated in an era where America was wrestling with its history of police brutality.
There aren’t many characters in the history of television who are as utterly detestable as Homelander, as Antony Starr was consistently overlooked by the Emmys for his portrayal of an all-American psychopath who believes that he was given divine purpose to commit genocide. He’s not the only great villain in The Boys, as Aya Cash is equally reprehensible as the Nazi known as “Stormfront.”
3
‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)
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Image via HBO</figure>
The Sopranos obviously gets the most amount of praise for the performance by James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, but the series is packed with great actors, including many who stepped in to play different villains. There haven’t been many characters in the history of HBO who have been more controversial than Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), who commits an act of violence so shocking in the Season 3 episode “University” that it received more complaints than the network had ever received before.
Each season of The Sopranos has a unique set of villains, with Frank Vincent‘s Phil Leotardo being one of the most memorable because in the final season he becomes the one gangster who delivers serious blows to the Sopranos family when the crime war is initiated. There’s also a very different type of villain in Nancy Marchand‘s Livia Soprano, who manipulates her son.
2
‘Twin Peaks’ (1991–2017)
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Twin Peaks created the ultimate guessing game that initiated the “watercooler effect” for television through the creation of a compelling mystery revolving around the death of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Although the murder is linked to a supernatural entity known only as “BOB” (Frank Silva), his malevolent presence is so powerful that it can inhabit other characters, including Laura’s father, Leland (Ray Wise).
Twin Peaks was able to keep the audience on their toes because of its unexpected villains, and the third season in particular pulled off a disturbing twist when Kyle MacLachlan‘s lovable protagonist, FBI Agent Dale Cooper, is inhabited by evil and turned into a sadistic version of himself known as “Dark Coop.” He also fathers Richard Horne (Eamon Farren), a straight-up psychopath who subjects his entire family to suffering after he goes on the run for the murder of a child.
1
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)
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Breaking Bad is an interesting series to consider in terms of villains because the premise of the show is getting to see the empathetic, mild-mannered protagonist Walter White (Bryan Cranston) transform into the terrifying criminal mastermind “Heisenberg.” Yet, Walter is never quite as intimidating as Gus Fring, the brilliant cartel kingpin played by Giancarlo Esposito, who may be the single greatest villain in the history of television.
Gus is terrifying because he is cold, detached, and unemotional, as he performs his tasks with such deliberate effectiveness that he seems impenetrable. That Gus is an active member of the community because of his ownership of the fast food chain Los Pollos Hermanos makes him even more dangerous, and Esposito was able to bring even more depth to the character when he reprised his role in the prequel series Better Call Saul.
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