This article contains references to gratuitous violence and sexual assault.
FantasyTV has been having a great decade, with a shocking number of amazing shows coming out in the 2020s, and some of them serving up the perfect villain. Villainy suits the fantasy genre particularly well. Fromthe best historical fantasy TVto the dark fantasy and the satirical, this genre understands that there is something innately cartoonish about an evil demon lord taking over the world, which is often the underlying premise of a fantasy villain. World domination seems to be at the top of many villains' agendas, whether they are a Demon lord or not.
The best fantasy villain of all time, in any format, is probably the eponymous Sauron ofThe Lord of the Rings, but his influence has echoed down through books and movies since 1954. Some ofthe most powerful fantasy charactersare otherworldly villains with supernatural powers, able to inflict huge damage on their enemies and the world they live in. Meanwhile, some of the best fantasy TV villains were in low fantasy shows likeLost, which took strange events and placed them in the real world. The best of the best had one thing in common - truly dastardly deeds.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Cast
The Legend of Vox Machina is an animated series that follows a group of rowdy misfits turned mercenaries. As they prioritize easy money and leisure over duty, they find themselves as the unlikely heroes tasked with defending the kingdom from impending evil and restoring justice.
Thordak is an excellent villain to grace TV screens in what is easily one ofDungeons & Dragons’best releases. The dragon was supremely powerful and hard to defeat, but was superbly cold and tyrannous during his reign of terror.Lance Reddick voiced the evil dragonuntilThe Legend of Vox Machinaseason 3, but the American veteran actor tragically passed away in 2023.
10 TV Shows You’ll Love If You Like Legend Of Vox Machina
Animation, fantasy, comedy, and adventure are all key parts of Legend of Vox Machina, and these TV shows have much in common with the series.
Reddick’s stellar performance is a posthumous masterpiece and “one of the last things he got to do,” according to Dungeon Master Matt Mercer (Radio Times).The Legend of Vox Machinaseason 4may reveal an “In Memoriam” title card in tribute to Reddick’s stellar performance as the vitriolic Thordak.Thordak was larger-than-lifeand secretly allied with someone close to Vox Machina - his intelligence and strength nearly accomplished his dream of a world ruled by dragons.
His Dark Materials
Based on author Philip Pullman’s beloved novel trilogy, His Dark Materials is a fantasy/drama television series that follows Lyra, a brave young woman from another world. Lyra’s quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings, and protect dangerous secrets. Lyra will find that her life is inextricably linked with another as they discover they may be the ones to change the world.
Mrs. Coulter was one of the best villains of YA literatureand went on to be an extraordinary villain inevery season ofHis Dark Materials. Living in an alternate version of the real world, Marisa Coulter was a leader of the religious Magisterium. She guided experiments to sever children from their daemon familiars to rid them of the accumulation of cosmic dust, which she believed to be sinful. This severance left the children as good as dead, proving Marisa’s ruthless religious fervor.
Despite her horrifying capacity for torture, her feminist stature was undeniable.
Mrs. Coulter’s secretive, murderous experiments recalled Nazi scientists during WWII, bringing to mind those willing to do anything and stamp on anyone for their misguided ideals.Mrs. Coulter’s religious indoctrination warred with her love for her daughterthroughout the series. Despite her horrifying capacity for torture, her feminist stature was undeniable. Giving away her baby and leading a life of science in a world of men, Marisa only managed to reconcile motherhood with her ambition at the end of the series.
Outlander
Outlander follows Claire Randall, a married nurse from 1945, who is transported back to 1743 Scotland. Amidst political intrigue and danger, she navigates life in the past and becomes torn between loyalty to her husband and the love for a dashing young warrior.
Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall was a bloodthirsty, violent bigot inOutlander. This long-running fantasy TV show put forward one of fantasy’s best villains in Randall, who was almost flawlessly evil. Tobias Menzies brought a strange amount of nuance to a murdering, torturing rapist. Mostly,Menzies' Randall was supremely odious, but he had moments where he evoked a strange sort of sympathy.
AmongBlack Jack’s worst actswere his sexual attacks on Claire when he first met her and on her lover, Jamie. He also physically attacked the corpse of his own brother and ran a horribly corrupt facility at Wentworth Prison.This unique sexual predator in a period drama had a haunting timelessness, recalling modern fiends from crime thrillers. He was undoubtedly one of TV’s most brutal villains.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an animated series that was a result of Mattel’s popular toy line of 5.5-inch action figures. The series helped the Masters of the Universe franchise expand in popularity and ran for a total of two seasons between 1983 and 1985. The TV show was followed by She-Ra: Princess of Power in 1985.
Skeletor is the campy, fantastic villain ofHe-Man and the Masters of the Universethat set a standard for villainous grandstanding worldwide.No list related to perfect villains would be complete without a mention of Skeletor, the biggest threat on Eternia. Combating He-Man since 1983, Skeletor was the blueprint for countless other villains in fantasy and sci-fi over the years.
Skeletor was originally voiced by Alan Oppenheimer.
Skeletor is pure evil and a classic villain, seeking world domination. He contrasts complex evil like Marisa Coulter and even some of the more complicated Marvel and DC villains, normally those that are more contemporary thanHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe. In the age of the sympathetic villain origin story,there can sometimes feel like a deficit of classic villains like Skeletor. The world needs pantomime villains as much as it needs tragic ones.
The Sandman
The Sandman is a 2022 adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic comic series. The narrative follows Morpheus, the King of Dreams, who, after years of imprisonment, embarks on a quest across various realms to recover his stolen artifacts and regain his lost power.
Like Agent Smith ofThe Matrix, the Corinthian is a supernatural villain of biblical proportions. Defeating the Corinthian seemed impossible, so his defeat was satisfying.Boyd Holbrook played this epic fantasy evil, with tiny mouths for eyes, each bearing little rows of teeth. This villain was a literal nightmare, freed from the Dreaming, the realm ruled by Dream.
The Sandmancan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
There was nothing nice about the Corinthian - he was the guest of honor at a serial killer convention. This hilariously dark storyline said it all about the Corinthian. As an antagonist inThe Sandmanseason 1,he was a perfect monsterand provided chilling real-world parallels. This charming and charismatic businessman was every bit the American Psycho ofThe Sandman’sdarkest imaginings.
Lost
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
Ben Linus was the lead villain ofLost, the iconic J.J. Abrams show that defined sci-fi and low fantasy in the 2000s. Michael Emerson played the scheming Ben Linus in what must have been one of TV’s greatest mysteries ever. Initially known as Henry Gale to the survivors of the plane crash,Ben was a lying, murdering manipulatorwith a minimum of scruples.
Growing into the DHARMA Initiative, Ben came to lead a problematic, secretive program on the remote island thatLostwas set on. Emerson’s ability to play Ben as a deadpan deceiver was what made the character.His difficult childhood gave weight to his quiet, insidious cruelty, making him unpredictable. Ben was prone to jealous petulance that made his character credible and human, making his redemption more powerful when it finally started kicking in.
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
Eric Kripke’s magnificentThe Boysgave the world Homelander, one of fantasy TV’s best villains.The Boysplays on Kripke’s strengths in supernatural drama to create this satirical examination of superhero stories.Homelander is the ultimate superhero parody, caricaturing Superman and Captain America. Deranged and driven by his desire for supes to reign supreme, Homelander kills indiscriminately to reach his goal. His laser vision in terrible hands, burning holes in whatever or whoever he chooses.
Beneath it all, as is the case for many villains, is an abused child lashing out at the world in revenge and compensatory anger.Homelander is only as disturbed as the scientists who made him, which was proven in one ofThe Boys’season 3’s most horrifying torture scenes. Homelander visited the lab where he grew up and eliminated his childhood captors one by one, exemplifying the ruthless cruelty that made him one of the most brilliant TV villains of recent years.
Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series set in a world divided by a barrier of darkness. Released on June 25, 2025, it follows a young soldier who discovers a unique power that could reunite her country amid a backdrop of scheming forces, including thugs, thieves, and assassins.
Ben Barnes couldn’t have been more perfectly cast as General Kirrigan, the Shadow and Bone villain also known as the Darkling. Alina’s love interest was a charismatic presence at first, but soon showed his true colors. Ancient, ruthless, and dangerously powerful,the Darkling harbored selfish goalsand used Alina from the start, no matter what his feelings may have been.
The Darkling represents what happens when power gradually becomes the end instead of the means to a better end.
The Darkling was a perfect romantasy villain, strangely alluring in his aura of mysterious power and brooding in dark clothing. He was also incredibly sympathetic and complex, aiming for a fair goal - the reunification of a divided kingdom. However, the Darkling represents what happens when power gradually becomes the end instead of the means to a better end. A corrupt man who lost his way,the Darkling remains a fascinating TV fantasy villain.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
Played by two actors in Amazon Prime Video’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Sauron may be the greatest villain of all time. Charlie Vickers is the Australian breakout star to carry the vast majority of Sauron’s performance. From season 1’s Halbrand to season 2’s Annatar,Vickers gave Sauron multiple terrifying personalities, all of them strangely captivating. Sauron deceived Galadriel and the audience into believing he was a mortal king in season 1, proving the power of Vickers' performance.
While Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringsmovies depicted the Third Age, Vickers showed Sauron inLord of the Rings’Second Age. Adding even more layers to the complex villain, Jack Lowden played the shapeshifting fiend in a First Age flashback. Lowden played a snide, odious bureaucrat, creating one more version of Sauron to hate.Sauron is campaigning for total, tyrannous control over Middle-earthinRings of Powerand lying his way into key relationships to get there, bringing war in his wake.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
Joffrey Baratheon may well be the best fantasy villain to ever haunt TV screens. The brat king had all the entitlement of a poorly raised noble and all the cruelty of a child. This dangerous combination formed the most toxic young character that any fantasy TV show has ever seen.Joffrey executed Ned Stark, starting the war that would continue across the whole series, and he continued to perpetrate unnecessary, sadistic acts of violence.
This included making Ned’s daughter, Sansa, look at Ned’s head on a pike.Joffrey’s grim betrothal to Sansa was hard to watch, and his misogynistic aggression got worse and worse. Fortunately, it was what eventually got him killed. When Margaery Tyrell’s time came to face marriage to Joffrey, her grandmother couldn’t abide it. Joffrey was poisoned to death by Margaery’s grandmother, meeting a fate horrific enough to suit his misdeeds and sealing his epic fate asfantasyTV’s best villain.
