Who's your favorite Villain?

[Jeff Wilder]

I'll also go with the Joker, specifically as portrayed in the darker media -- The Dark Knight, Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum, and so forth. As the Batman warned Robin, "You can't know his motives, because they're fluid ... constantly changing. You can never, ever, expect him to behave a certain way."

I also like Angelus, the Big Bad from Buffy, Season Two. My favorite Big Bad from that series, although the sheer power and malevolence of The First was impressive.

Milton's Satan seems like the kind of guy I'd happily argue with over beers.

And, of course, as a Gen-Xer I have to name Darth Vader (Star Wars version only).

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Memorable D&D Villains

Venger - Pseudo D&D (from the cartoon) but very cool nonetheless.

Gulthias - Vampiric cultist of Ashardalon in the Heart of Nightfang Spire adventure from 3rd edition. Lots of cool, unique servants, kept a constant eye on the PCs, and the coolest part is that, if the PCs played through The Sunless Citadel, they are directly responsible for unleashing him on the world.

Strahd - Speaking of cool vampire villains, the coolest D&D vampire of them all, complete with tragic backstory.

Other Cool Villains

Alfred Bester (from Babylon 5) - Slick, conniving, and always has that smile that says, "I know your dirty little secrets." And being a telepath...he does know your dirty little secrets.

Mr. Morden (from Babylon 5) - Another one for slick smiles, Morden is like the galaxy's epic level drug dealer. First obliterated colony is free, but then the price tag keeps going up as you get more and more addicted to the power his "associates" offer.

Ba'al (from Stargate SG1) - I guess I have a thing for slick connivers. Willing to play all sides to get ahead and is one of those villains that always has an escape plan (even if its making a dozen clones of himself).

Corai (from the 2000s era TMNT cartoon) - An honorable warrior that you could admire and even like if not for her boss. Basically a good guy honor bound to serve an evil master. Love that concept.

Puck (from Gargoyles) - The ultimate trickster pulling the ultimate trick...playing the straight man.

 

[fba827]

Oh, and Ursela, the sea witch (Disney's Little Mermaid) -- very creepy and pact-with-the-devil sort but she has her own agenda to twist it further. Not to mention an awesome song delivery

 

[InVinoVeritas]

The Inner Party of 1984. There is nothing to see, nothing to believe, nothing to think... unless it is thoughtcrime.

Alex the Large of A Clockwork Orange. So stylish, you love him, you hate him, you love that you hate him, you hate that you love him.

Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2. The game is one of my personal "best games of all time," because it is the first game I've played that I feel can qualify as literature. Pyramid Head is, simply put, the greatest personification of the emotion of guilt I've ever seen. He does not relish his duty. It can't even be seen as a "duty." You'll go along, thinking everything is all right when something happens, and it's triggered, and he's there and everything is sharp and rusty and heavy and impossible... just like feelings of guilt. You can't reason with it. You can't pity it. You can't stand in awe of it. It's just there, and it's crushingly destructive.

 

[frankthedm]

The Operative from Serenity.

Dr. Venture

Dexter


Special mention for Frollo's villian song Hellfire, from Disney's Hunchback movie.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I'd also like to mention Gul Dukat from ST : DS9 as the prime example of a villain developed over time. Quite a lot of time, as it happens; the character had a variety of roles but certainly "villain" seems an apt description. A singular mind capable of rationalizing almost anything, a very modern conceptualization of evil.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

I'd also like to mention Gul Dukat from ST : DS9 as the prime example of a villain developed over time. Quite a lot of time, as it happens; the character had a variety of roles but certainly "villain" seems an apt description. A singular mind capable of rationalizing almost anything, a very modern conceptualization of evil.

From deposed dictator, to freedom fighter against the Klingons and his own government, to willing accomplice to invasion, to mad prophet...Dukat did it all.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Harry Paget Flashman, eponymous hero of the Flashman series. A Victorian bastard of the first order. Almost no redeeming qualities but damn he's charming.

Vader, in Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back; before he became a soft-****.

Stewie Griffin, some of the time anyway.

Dr. Doom. Man that guy has class.

I agree with those who want a complex villain with complex motives who isn't all cliche panto- stinker. But something left of the list of qualities for a great villain that I'd like to include as essential is: STYLE.

cheers and Merry Xmas to all.

 

[Chainsaw]

Cobra Commander or Starscream. Long live 80s cartoons!

 

[jimmifett]

Mitth'raw'nuruodo
God-Emperor Leto II
Darth Vader
Mr. Glass (unbreakable)
Lex Luthor
Keyser Soze
The Doctor (“There was a goblin. Or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. Nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it – one day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world”)
The Master