Top 10 Villains In Animated TV Shows

These villains may be evil, but we still think they are cool.

The Top Ten

Bill Cipher - Gravity Falls

Bill Cipher is a triangular dream demon featured in the animated television series Gravity Falls. Originally confined to the mindscape, he was brought into the real world after being summoned by Stanford Pines over thirty years ago.... read more

I have loved Disney villains since my first-ever Disney movie, but I've always known that their TV baddies were a bit lackluster. Then Gravity Falls aired, and we were introduced to this geometric nightmare. I have never, at any point in my life, wanted to see a Disney villain die more than Bill Cipher.
He's like the Kilgrave of Disney villains - every time he's on screen, you want to rip his eye out of its socket, but at the same time, you don't want him to leave because he's just so much fun to watch. His design is simple but iconic, and his voice is spot on, which makes it even easier to hate him when he's destroying the world without seeming to care all that much. When he finally did die, I have never felt more joy and satisfaction in my entire life.
Watching this yellow floating triangle disintegrate after being punched in the eye by an old man in his boxers is an image I will never stop loving. Bottom line: he deserves to be up there with the best of the people we love to hate.
The Joker - Batman: The Animated Series

The Joker is a fictional supervillain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, who first appeared in Batman #1, released on April 25, 1940, by DC Comics. Credit for the Joker's creation remains disputed. Both Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for his visual design, while Finger is... read more

You can't expect me to make a list of the best villains and not include The Joker. He is The Joker! One of the most memorable comic book villains of all time! Joker is very awesome and, in my opinion, the best thing to ever come from the Batman comics.

The Joker is the best villain here.
Slade - Teen Titans

Slade is a fictional version of the character Deathstroke in the American animated series Teen Titans. He is the main antagonist of Seasons 1 and 2 and is the archenemy of the Teen Titans, particularly targeting them for reasons initially unknown. He appears as a vision in Season 3 and returns in Season... read more

When there's trouble, you know who to call: Teen Titans! I liked this show a lot, and it had some very cool villains. But the best of all of them is Slade (voiced by Ron Perlman). He tries his hardest to destroy the Teen Titans and take over the world. His reasons were never explained, but he is very menacing and a definite threat. He never appeared in Teen Titans Go, however. Teen Titans Go sucks!
The Shredder - The TMNT Franchise

Oroku Saki, also known as "The Shredder," is a fictional villain in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. He is the leader of the Foot Clan and serves as the main antagonist to the Turtles and their master, Splinter. Shredder appears in comic books, animated series, films, and video games throughout... read more
The Grand Inquisitor - Star Wars Rebels

I don't know if I like Rebels better than The Clone Wars. Doesn't matter. Let's talk about The Inquisitor! He was intent on destroying the Rebel crew aboard their starship, known as the Ghost. He had battles with Ezra and Kanan on several occasions. He worked with Darth Vader and followed his orders.
However, knowing that Vader would give The Inquisitor a punishment worse than death if he kept failing, he chose to fall to his death. Very wise.
Ozai - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Fire Lord Ozai is the main antagonist of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired from 2005 to 2008. He is the ruthless ruler of the Fire Nation and the father of Prince Zuko and Princess Azula. Ozai's ambitions for world domination are central to the series' plot and culminate in... read more

Avatar: The Last Airbender was definitely the best show Nickelodeon ever had. As for the movie - oh wait, never mind. There wasn't a Last Airbender movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Silly me
Anyway, Fire Lord Ozai is the ruler of the Fire Nation. He's also the father of Prince Zuko and Princess Azula. Ozai wanted to take control of the world, and in order to do that, he needed to destroy the Avatar. He eventually gets defeated when Aang enters the Avatar State. Ozai was definitely the best villain in the show.

I don't get why everyone likes him. He's a one-dimensional villain who doesn't go through any development whatsoever. Azula was much better, and Korra's villains like Amon, Zaheer, and Kuvira were much better.
Aku - Samurai Jack

Aku is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Samurai Jack, an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. He is a shape-shifting demon who sends Jack into the distant future to prevent him from defeating him in the past. Aku was originally voiced... read more

The shape-shifting master of darkness himself is not only the living embodiment of evil. He's also the living embodiment of everything you need to make a great animated villain. Sinister while simultaneously having a dark sense of humor, Aku delivers memorable lines like his ever-famous "Extra thick!" phrase, which has recently spawned a popular internet meme.
From his humor to his fights with Jack, Aku is, without a doubt, a memorable and enjoyable antagonist, being one of the best ones in all of animation.

I've only seen a few episodes of Samurai Jack. It was an okay show, but the absolute best character in the show was Aku! Fun fact: "Aku" means "evil" in Japanese, so it's very fitting for his personality.
He has the ability to shape-shift, so he can transform into whatever he wants. His other abilities include time travel, teleportation, telekinesis, laser eye beams, and more. He is a very cool and very powerful villain.
Darth Vader - Star Wars Rebels

Darth Vader is a Star Wars character who serves as the main antagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy and as the central figure in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, where he is known by his original name, Anakin Skywalker. Initially trained as a Jedi Knight, Anakin defects to the Sith under the influence... read more
Mr. Burns - The Simpsons

Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, more commonly known as Charles Montgomery Burns or simply Mr. Burns, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is the wealthy and power-hungry owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The character was... read more
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz - Phineas and Ferb

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the animated television show Phineas and Ferb. He was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and is voiced by Povenmire. Doofenshmirtz is the eccentric and often inept leader of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated.

Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated is run by the evil "genius" Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. His goal in life is to take over the Tri-State Area, and to do that, he builds a bunch of machines that he calls "inators." Some of these inators are brilliant, and some of them are stupid. He also has a habit of installing self-destruct buttons, which is insanely hilarious.
His plans tend to fail because he is always stopped by his enemy, Perry the Platypus. Personally, I find Doofenshmirtz to be one of the funniest villains ever. His evil plans can be so bad and fail in so many ways that I can't help but laugh.

Woah woah woah... ONLY #9?! No, he's not only the most hilarious cartoon character ever, he also has a tragic backstory that makes him better. Plus, he's an evil genius who can never get anything done, and he's only #9. Yeah, sure.

The Newcomers

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Silco - Arcane
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Seth - Dinosaur King

The Contenders

Frieza - Dragon Ball Z

Frieza is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama. He is the main antagonist of the Frieza Saga and is known as a tyrannical ruler of the Frieza Force.
Feared across the universe for his power and cruelty, Frieza plays a major role in the series' events. He is... read more
Azula - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Princess Azula is a fictional character and antagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is voiced by Grey DeLisle Griffin. Azula is a firebending prodigy and the younger sister of Prince Zuko, known for her cunning and ruthless personality.... read more

Azula is, by far, one of the best villains I have seen. You can sense that she has a complex backstory, and the writers show glimpses of her being vulnerable without taking away her characteristic of being pure evil.
She's also cunning and super badass. Let's just say that Avatar got 10 times better when she showed up.
Vilgax - Ben 10

Vilgax is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in the American animated TV series and media franchise Ben 10. The franchise was created by Man of Action Studios and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Vilgax is a powerful alien warlord who repeatedly attempts to steal the Omnitrix and... read more

Vilgax is truly the best villain in Ben 10. He is also the best in every other Ben 10 series, including Ben 10: Alien Force. In one episode, he comes extremely close to destroying Ben (and the world). In that same episode, he easily defeats Grandpa Max, Gwen, Kevin, XLR8, Heatblast, and Four Arms.
Vilgax was also one of the main villains in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien. I hope he is in the new Ben 10 series that comes out in 2017.
Megatron - The Transformers

Megatron is a character from the Transformers franchise, created by Hasbro in 1984 and based on a toy design by Takara. He is typically portrayed as the leader of the Decepticons and the archenemy of Optimus Prime. Megatron has appeared in various media, including animated series, comics, and live-action... read more

A true classic. Maybe not well-written. Maybe he almost never gets what he wants. But an iconic villain, and sure as hell can be terrifying. When he is well-written and gets what he wants, it leads to interesting results. I love Megatron.
HIM - The Powerpuff Girls
Dio Brando - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Dio Brando is a fictional character from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series created by Hirohiko Araki. His name was inspired by musician Ronnie James Dio and actor Marlon Brando. Dio is a prominent antagonist in the series, known for his vampiric powers and central role in several major story... read more
Cobra Commander - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy line, comic books, and animated series. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra. As the main antagonist, he serves as the archenemy of the G.I. Joe team and frequently leads Cobra in attempts to... read more
The Lich - Adventure Time

The Lich, originally named the Lich King in early concepts and the episode "His Hero," is a powerful undead entity and a major antagonist in the American animated television series Adventure Time. In his infant form, he is referred to as Sweet Pig Trunks or Sweet P. The character represents pure evil... read more

Adventure Time has had some great villains, but the one that I think is the best is The Lich (voiced by Ron Perlman). The Lich's main goal is to destroy all life. His overall appearance is very frightening and definitely makes him seem like a threat. Later on in the series, he gets a new personality and becomes an infant by the name of Sweet P.
Arlong - One Piece

Saw-Tooth Arlong is a sawshark fishman. He was the pirate captain of the all-fishman crew, the Arlong Pirates, and formerly a member of the Sun Pirates. He is best known as the main villain in the Arlong Arc of One Piece and held the highest bounty in the East Blue before being defeated by Monkey D... read more
Skeletor - He-man

Skeletor is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Masters of the Universe franchise created by Mattel. He is the archenemy of He-Man and is known for his distinctive skull-like face and dark magical powers. Skeletor has appeared in various animated series, comics, and toy lines since his... read more
Sheldon J. Plankton - SpongeBob SquarePants

Sheldon James Plankton, commonly called Plankton, is a character in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is the owner of the Chum Bucket and the main antagonist of Mr. Krabs. Plankton is known for his schemes to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula.

I really like SpongeBob, or at least I did until season 5 started. One of the things that made SpongeBob so great was Plankton. I find this villain to be very hilarious at times. He tries his hardest to steal the Krabby Patty formula from the Krusty Krab, using complicated methods to try to get it.
These plans often fail, either because of poor planning or because Mr. Krabs is always there to stop him. He's such a little guy but still an evil genius. And of course, he can't do it without the help of his computer wife, Karen.

In modern SpongeBob, he is by far the best character. I've always wanted to see him be successful in his business without getting crushed by Mr. Krabs after.
Julie Hinikawa - Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
Dr. Drakken - Kim Possible

Mission: Kim Possible! I really liked this show. It was awesome. I also really like the villain, Dr. Drakken. Drakken is a blue-skinned evil scientist who strives for world domination. He is very intelligent and always comes up with inventions to take over the world.
He even has a very hot assistant: Shego!
Mojo Jojo - Powerpuff Girls

Mojo Jojo is a fictional character from the American animated television series The Powerpuff Girls, created by animator Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. He is a highly intelligent chimpanzee and one of the Powerpuff Girls' main enemies. Roger L. Jackson voices the character in the original series... read more

I, Mojo Jojo, will do my best to make my way into the top 5 in order to be known as one of the greatest animated villains of all time! If Mojo Jojo cannot be in the top 5 or at least remain in the top 10, I will just go back to my evil lair and read the newspaper!
Darksied - Teen Titans Go