Top 10 TV Villains Of The Past Decade: From Negan To Homelander

Recent years have given us some truly memorable television villains, from characters like Negan to Homelander. As the traditional ‘Golden Age of Television’ has transitioned into the age of streaming, we’ve still been treated to many outstanding shows.

Great TV villains come in all forms. Some, like Dedra Meero from Andor or Jamie Miller from Adolescence, feel relatable and human. Others, such as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, are simply malicious. And then there are those, like Martha Scott, the stalker in Baby Reindeer, who are terrifyingly evil but also elicit a strange sense of understanding.

Negan

The Walking Dead

Negan, a character from The Walking Dead, was such a compelling villain that some viewers stopped watching the show altogether – a testament to his effectiveness! While Rick and his group had faced other dangerous leaders before, Negan stood out with his large following and captivating personality.

Negan excels as a cult leader, attracting lost and directionless men and offering them a sense of purpose while dominating the post-apocalyptic world with force. However, learning about his past revealed a surprisingly complex character beneath the surface.

Kilgrave

Jessica Jones

When Netflix started making Marvel TV shows, it opened the door to exploring the more frightening aspects of the Marvel comic book world. A prime example is the villain Kilgrave, played by David Tennant in Jessica Jones, who represents the terrifying possibilities that come with a world of people with superpowers.

Kilgrave can control what people think and make them do anything he commands. While he often uses this power to harm his enemies, it raises difficult questions about consent, especially in intimate situations. The show Jessica Jones directly addressed these troubling implications.

Dedra Meero

Andor

Similar to the film The Zone of Interest, the series Andor offers a chilling portrayal of how ordinary life can exist alongside evil. It shows that those who support oppressive regimes are often just focused on their careers and personal advancement, a point perfectly illustrated by Dedra Meero, a determined and ambitious officer within the Empire’s security forces.

Dedra is primarily focused on her own career advancement within the Empire, but that changes when she sees the real consequences of her actions. While she’s responsible for the tragic Ghorman Massacre, it deeply affects her, revealing she isn’t simply malicious – she has a conscience.

Lalo Salamanca

Better Call Saul

Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould created the series Better Call Saul based on the lawyer Saul Goodman, who first appeared in Breaking Bad. They transformed what was initially a minor character into a compelling and memorable villain. In Breaking Bad, Saul mistakenly believes Walt and Jesse were sent by someone named Lalo after they kidnap him.

Better Call Saul reveals the reason Jimmy McGill fears Lalo so much: Lalo is a dangerous and influential cartel leader who always seems to survive. Tony Dalton is brilliantly cast in the role, perfectly portraying Lalo’s threatening nature while also making him surprisingly charming.

Wilson Fisk

Daredevil

After a disappointing movie version starring Ben Affleck over ten years ago, Daredevil finally received the adaptation fans had been hoping for with a dark and realistic Netflix series. The show treated the character with the seriousness he deserved, portraying a blind, vigilante hero operating in a believable New York City.

Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance as Kingpin, Daredevil’s main enemy, was key to making the character feel realistic. He played Wilson Fisk as someone genuinely frightening, but also with unexpected moments of weakness, and with the weight and authority you’d expect from the most powerful crime boss in New York.

Jamie Miller

Adolescence

Okay, so the movie Adolescence starts with a seriously shocking scene – the cops descend on this totally normal-looking house and arrest a thirteen-year-old kid, Jamie Miller, for murder. He’s immediately insisting he didn’t do it, but it quickly becomes clear – and it’s really unsettling – that he actually did kill one of his classmates. It’s a pretty intense opening, to say the least.

Throughout the show, we learn the reasons behind Jamie’s terrible actions and how a few months in juvenile detention impacts him. Owen Cooper is fantastic in the role, especially in an episode where his character is interrogated by a child psychologist – his performance is reminiscent of a young Al Pacino.

Logan Roy

Succession

At its heart, Succession reminds us that even billionaires are human, and it delivers this message with sharp wit. While the show portrays the super-rich with understanding, it ultimately demonstrates that wealth can’t solve all problems—especially when it comes to family and emotional fulfillment.

Logan Roy consistently withholds the approval his children deeply desire. His difficult upbringing, marked by poverty and abuse, seems to have created an emotional barrier, leading him to become harsh and controlling once he achieved success and built a family.

Oz Cobb

The Penguin

After The Sopranos popularized the idea of a villain as the main character, we’ve enjoyed many compelling antiheroes on TV, like Vic Mackey and Walter White. But Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the main criminal in The Penguin is arguably the best TV antihero of the last ten years.

I was immediately captivated by Oz Cobb when he appeared in The Batman – he seemed like such a compelling, mischievous villain! But getting his own series really blew me away. It turns out there’s a deeply tragic story behind him. He’s a real underdog, struggling to survive in a brutal world, and haunted by a difficult relationship with his mother. The details of his past are genuinely disturbing – I was shocked to learn about what happened with his brothers. Honestly, he’s a complex character, and while his actions are monstrous, you can’t help but feel a little sympathy for the darkness he carries.

Martha Scott

Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd created a strikingly personal TV show, Baby Reindeer, by exploring his own traumatic experiences. The result is a raw, funny, and unsettling depiction of being stalked and the impact it has on a person’s life.

Jessica Gunning’s portrayal of Martha Scott was captivating because she initially presents as approachable and harmless. As the show progresses, Martha’s disturbing true nature is gradually revealed, making the performance all the more chilling.

Homelander

The Boys

We’ve seen many versions of the ‘evil Superman’ idea recently, like in Brightburn and Invincible. However, many consider Homelander from The Boys to be the most memorable. Antony Starr’s frightening portrayal has established Homelander as the definitive opposite of the traditional heroic ‘last son of Krypton’ figure.

Homelander’s entrances are always frightening because you never know if everyone will survive. That’s what makes a villain truly compelling – the constant sense of dread and danger whenever they appear.

2025-12-07 16:51