Bad to the bone.
Halloween may be behind us but there’s still plenty of opportunities to chill your bones and we’re not just talking about that cold weather.
With a raft of new TV shows arriving this winter, we’ve decided to take a look back at some of our favourite TV villains and what it is that makes them so special.
Len Brennan from Father Ted
Most macabre moment: Gleefully asking Father Ted if he knew how to make arrows knowing full well that he planned on sending him off to Suriname. I wonder if Ted would have been able to bring peace between those two tribes that “have been knocking the shit out of each other since 1907!”.
You love to hate him because: He frequently got his comeuppance but you’ll always address him by his proper title. Ya little bollocks.
Stringer Bell from The Wire
Most macabre moment: Plotting against his best friend but naive business partner Avon Barksdale.
You love to hate him because: When it comes to The Wire, there are no clear-cut characters because there are times when the villains adhere to a strict moral code while the cops seem to be a law onto themselves. Of the antagonists, Marlo’s a sociopath, The Greek is the embodiment of evil capitalism, Chris is raw aggression and the remainders are either thugs, politicians or assholes.
Stringer Bell somehow manages to make a violent drug kingpin seem charming, intelligent and honourable.
Alice Morgan from Luther
Most macabre moment: The chilling first meeting between her and DCI John Luther in the interview room.
You love to hate her because: Very few characters can tow the line between hero and psychopath quite like her.
Moriarty from Sherlock
Most macabre moment: Stealing the crown jewels in a scene that displays his brilliance, fearlessness and psychosis.
You love to hate him because: He’s the ultimate criminal mastermind and it’s not a coincidence that Andrew Scott appears in the most memorable episodes of Sherlock.
Gus Fring from Breaking Bad
Most macabre moment: Box-cutter. That’s all.
You love to hate him because: Somebody needs to make Walter White look like he could be the good guy.
Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons
Most macabre moment: His attempt to detonate a nuclear bomb at the Springfield airshow.
You love to hate him because: Who wouldn’t love to hear someone sing the entire score of the “H.M.S. Pinafore”? He also speaks fluent German and as the shows says “No one who speaks German could be evil”.
The McPoyle’s from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Most macabre moment: The entire family kidnapping ‘The Gang’ in a ridiculous Die Hard-esque situation thus forcing Dennis to experience some twisted Stockholm Syndrome. We’re just including them here because quite frankly, they’re amazing.
You love to hate him because: They invented the term ‘fork-stabbed’ and they also give the best fist-bumps in the world.
Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones
Most macabre moment: Take your pick. Forcing his new wife to stare at the severed head of her father is probably up there.
You love to hate him because: Irish actor Jack Gleeson is so good in the role that you’ll actually want to hurt him. Please don’t though, he’s very nice.
The Smoking Man from The X-Files
Most macabre moment: Forcing his own wife to undergo medical treatments that led ultimately led to a nervous breakdown. Oh yeah, he also took manic glee in subverting the truth from us all at all times while conspiring against Mulder and Scully.
You love to hate him because: He says very little but does so much. An intriguing and frustrating enigma for X-Files fans.
Wilson Fisk from Daredevil
Most macabre moment: Beating a certain character to death with his bare hands. Let’s just say that we wouldn’t get on his bad side.
You love to hate him because: Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance is utterly captivating and he steals every scene that he’s in.
Nidge from Love/Hate
Most macabre moment: Throwing Janet under the bus. She was lovely, how could he do that!?!?
You love to hate him because: Your Twitter timeline on a Sunday will never be the same again..or will it?
Lorne Malvo from Fargo
Most macabre moment: Killing his own girlfriend and her friends just to prove a point. Aces.
You love to hate him because: Fargo is a show that revels in the dark, dark humour but Billy Bob Thornton’s Golden Globe winning performance is equal parts magnetic, charismatic and chilling.
Frank Underwood from House of Cards
Most macabre moment: Zoe really needed to catch that train.
You love to hate him because: Democracy is so overrated.
Ramsay Snow from Game of Thrones
Most macabre moment: He’s a lovely man really. Just ignore the whole flaying, castrating, tormenting and torturing thing. We’re not even going to talk about the wedding night.
You love to hate him because: He’s the biggest bastard in Westeros. A badge that I’m sure he would wear with honour.
Frank Vincent from The Sopranos
Most macabre moment: The most viscous and methodical gangster in New York. Just ask Vito.
You have to love him because: There’s a sinister joy from watching a large predator toy with much tinier prey.
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