Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the all-time greatest bad guys in animated TV shows.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the all-time greatest bad
00:12 guys in animated TV shows.
00:24 Defined by the horrific persecution he's faced by being both Jewish and a mutant, on
00:37 paper Magneto seems like someone who only wants the best for his kind.
00:41 But when it comes to the execution, Magneto is pretty villainous.
00:45 As the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, he's frequently tried to wipe out the human
00:49 race to propel mutants to the forefront.
01:00 His violent ideology regularly put him at odds with his old friend, Professor X and
01:04 his team of X-Men.
01:06 The beloved 90s cartoon excelled at its complex portrayal of Magneto and his constant cruel
01:11 tactics.
01:12 Though he'd assist the X-Men on occasion, this was a mutant ultimately determined to
01:16 bring humans and mutants to war.
01:19 What makes this master of magnetism a true menace?
01:36 This Dimmesdale Elementary School teacher might not be a very effective villain, but
01:39 his eccentricities make him incredibly iconic.
01:42 Whether it's his weird facial expressions or his passion for failing students, you just
01:46 can't forget this guy.
01:47 The fact that Cosmo and Wanda used to be Crocker's fairy godparents also makes his connection
01:52 to the gang an incredibly unique one.
01:57 He's one of the few characters who knows that magical beings actually exist, and that
02:06 knowledge could potentially place Timmy in danger.
02:08 Emphasis on the "potentially", though.
02:10 His particular obsession with fairies and his subsequent plans to snatch them always
02:13 comically fail.
02:14 At the end of the day, the show always reminds us that Mr Crocker is off his rocker.
02:37 Gargamel's got an appetite for Smurfs, and that desire to eat them makes him truly horrifying.
02:41 Well, that and also his appearance.
02:44 We know judging books by their covers is mean, but yeah, this guy has a unique look, to say
02:49 the very least.
02:54 With his pessimistic personality and manipulative ways, Gargamel is just a rotten character
02:59 in general.
03:00 He's been the Smurfs' most popular antagonist largely due to his loudmouth nature and penchant
03:04 for inventing traps.
03:05 Gargamel also has knowledge in potion making, and it's his skill which, when played right,
03:10 can make him go from a dunce to a danger.
03:12 Whether you love or hate Gargamel, you can't call him forgettable.
03:28 Can't a mad scientist just conquer the Tri-State Area in peace?
03:31 Dr Heinz Dufenschmerz is the infamous arch-nemesis of "Perry the Platypus".
03:35 With his wide array of contraptions, he always seeks to plunge Danville into chaos.
03:43 We're talking about a guy who'll seek vengeance for some of the absolute pettiest
03:49 of reasons.
03:50 Though he's hardly an intimidating villain, it's his quirks that make him so legendary.
03:54 The man behind Dufenschmerz Evil Incorporated has no shortage of schemes that always end
03:58 up failing spectacularly.
04:04 Though he's redeemed himself in the end, his comically evil antics have defined him
04:08 as an amazing villain for an entire generation of fans.
04:26 Darkseid has made his presence felt in nearly every corner of DC, and more specifically,
04:31 the DCAU.
04:32 Whether he's popping up in Superman the animated series, or the Justice League cartoons,
04:36 he brings pure destruction with him.
04:41 As the tyrannical leader of Apokolips, he tends to rule with an iron fist.
04:44 But this is a villain who goes beyond just having an imposing design or intimidating
04:48 voice.
04:49 After all, there's a reason that the heroes and villains teamed up to stop him when he
04:52 returned in the Justice League Unlimited finale.
04:55 Darkseid might very well be DC's embodiment of pure evil.
05:11 For as dynamic a character as Inspector Gadget is, it makes sense for him to have an equally
05:15 dynamic villain.
05:16 Dr. Claw is an evil crime boss ruling over Metro City, who plays the perfect foil for
05:21 Inspector Gadget.
05:22 Where Inspector Gadget might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, Dr. Claw is an incredibly
05:26 intelligent adversary, which always makes for an interesting dynamic.
05:34 Another thing that makes him so memorable is the fact that, at least in the original
05:37 cartoon, his face is never directly shown.
05:39 Instead, he's often obscured by shadows which gives him this vibe of mysterious intrigue.
05:44 Claw's vast criminal empire, menacing voice and sometimes comical hatred for Inspector
05:48 Gadget make him a classic cartoon villain.
06:02 Mojo Jojo might not have set out to become a supervillain, but life would have other
06:06 plans for the remarkably intelligent chimpanzee.
06:09 After getting exposed to Chemical X, he would become one of the Powerpuff Girls' greatest
06:13 foes.
06:14 His goals often involve world domination, the total destruction of Townsville and the
06:17 complete annihilation of the Powerpuff Girls.
06:20 He's not just memorable for being a super-intelligent evil chimp, though that's certainly part
06:31 of it.
06:32 Mojo's also notorious for being a bad guy who's actually beaten the Powerpuff Girls
06:35 on occasion.
06:44 Not a lot of bad guys can say they got the upper hand in multiple episodes.
06:47 Mojo might be comic relief at times, but at the end of the day, he's someone who should
06:51 be feared.
07:02 The beloved "Teen Titans" cartoon may have a sprawling collection of incredible
07:05 villains, but few leave as much of a lasting legacy as Slade.
07:09 Better known to DC Comics readers as Deathstroke, this version of the character was modified
07:13 slightly to be put into the cartoon.
07:15 But don't think that makes him any less terrifying.
07:23 Slade has regularly orchestrated attacks against the Titans and nearly pushed Robin to the
07:28 brink of insanity on multiple occasions.
07:30 He's been not just a lethal combatant, but also a strategic genius.
07:35 And he's always ten steps ahead, which makes him great for fans wanting a cool villain,
07:39 but seriously bad for the Teen Titans.
07:55 In "Adventure Time", Death is perceived in the form of the Lich, and he's a terrifying
07:59 sight to behold.
08:00 What's more is that this is a villain who'll stop at nothing until he destroys the world.
08:04 Sure, that's kind of a common goal for bad guys, but the Lich just has a way of standing
08:08 out.
08:13 Throughout the show, he's put Jake and Finn through absolute hell, and has always
08:17 found a way to persist.
08:18 With an immense wealth of powers and a chilling physical appearance, audiences would be right
08:22 to feel scared of this guy.
08:38 Demonic Triangles with a wicked sense of humour might sound like a joke, but Bill Cipher can
08:42 be a serious threat when he wants to.
08:44 The main antagonist of "Gravity Falls" is responsible for completely transforming
08:48 the titular town into his personal hellscape.
08:50 He's also the villain that can mess with your head, and nothing is worse than mind
08:54 games.
08:57 Okay, well maybe Cipher's ability to transform reality is technically worse, but like only
09:06 by a little bit.
09:07 Even the laws of space and time are more like suggestions for Bill.
09:10 With powers and personality like that, it shouldn't really be a surprise that Bill
09:14 is such a fan favourite.
09:27 The amalgamation of all the evil in the universe takes shape as a demonic-looking being with
09:31 a laugh that pierces through time itself.
09:33 How could he not be on this list?
09:39 In the beginning, Aku was nothing but formless darkness floating through space, until three
09:44 mythical gods destroyed him.
09:46 However, a small shard of his essence survived and landed on Earth, eventually taking on
09:50 the form we all know and fear.
09:52 He may constantly be bested by our favourite samurai, but since he holds domination over
09:56 the world, the Shogun of Sorrow is still the one holding all the cards.
10:02 They take guts to draw your supervillain inspiration from a butterfly, but kudos to the Venture
10:12 Brothers' primary antagonist for pulling it off - with varying degrees of success.
10:17 With a deep-seated, obsessive hatred for Thaddeus Venture, the Monarch is the supervillain we
10:21 often find ourselves rooting for due to just how pathetically incompetent he actually is.
10:29 Still, for being a wimp that doesn't actually know that much about butterflies, he still
10:34 managed to gain a group of devoted henchmen, and not to mention a smoking-hot-yet-rather-gravelly-voiced
10:39 partner in the form of Dr Mrs the Monarch.
10:42 Well played.
10:47 Nowadays, he may be known as a comedic figure with a high-pitched voice that makes us laugh
10:58 more than it strikes fear into our souls, but back in his heyday, Skeletor was the villain's
11:03 villain.
11:04 He had the evil Laughdown, a host of unexplained magical powers, and a whole slew of maniacal
11:08 ideas to take over Eternia.
11:13 Sure, having a literal skeleton as the main antagonist is kinda cheesy, but there's
11:19 no denying his popularity as a cartoon villain.
11:21 He'll always be our favourite evil skeleton, even more so than Baron Dark.
11:25 And while Hordak was a great villain in his own right, he's still got nothing on our
11:29 man Skeletor.
11:42 He may be smaller than everything else under the sea, but you won't find a better source
11:45 of rage, insanity and laughter than this pint-sized organism.
11:56 Owner of the Chum Bucket, Plankton's single goal in life is to steal the Krabby Patty
12:00 formula from his business rival Mr Krabs so his restaurant can become a rousing success,
12:05 leaving the Krusty Krab in its dust.
12:07 Sadly, his plans always, always, always fail, which often just sends him into further spirals
12:12 of madness and aggression - which, you have to admit, is often the highlight of any episode
12:16 he's in.
12:17 An unappreciated shell of a sea creature with a size complex, may he never change.
12:34 These heroes in a half-shell have no shortage of bizarre enemies, but the most lethal among
12:39 them by far is the leader of the Foot Clan, the master ninja known as the Shredder.
12:47 Even in his campiest incarnation, this razor-bladed death machine proved to be just as skilled
12:51 in martial arts as the Turtles, besting them in battle on a few occasions.
12:56 With his legion of Foot Ninjas, as well as his advanced technology provided by the alien
13:00 tyrant known as Krang, Shredder more than earned his title as the Turtle's greatest
13:05 foe.
13:21 He may have a voice that could shatter glass, but he's much deadlier than he sounds.
13:24 Cobra Commander is the supreme leader of the terrorist organisation, Cobra, and considering
13:29 they're responsible for every bad thing that happens in the G.I.
13:31 Joe universe, that's quite an evil accolade.
13:34 Even though he tends to have his minions second-guess him at every turn, and despite the fact that
13:45 he was once dethroned, there's no one who can rock a crow mask quite like the Commander.
13:50 His plans for world domination might often be considered crazy, even by Cobra's standards,
13:55 but to be honest, that's part of his wacky appeal.
13:57 Besides, who else would think of hiding rockets within fast food restaurants?
14:12 This may not be the first time that the clown prince of crime graced the small screen, but
14:16 many to this day still believe this to be the definitive incarnation of the iconic Batman
14:21 villain.
14:22 A murderous psychopath never seen without his trademark smile and laugh, this clown
14:25 only exists to bring anarchy and pain to Gotham City.
14:33 Obsessed with trying to bring down Batman, the Joker raised the bar for all villains
14:36 everywhere with the depravity of his crimes, the genuine fear he instilled in us and the
14:41 mental war he waged on Batman to try and push him over the edge.
14:45 Throw in the now-legendary voice work of Mark Hamill and you have an animated character
14:49 for the ages.
14:56 Avatar's spin-off series "A Legend of Korra" gave us the stoic and terrifying villain Zaheer,
15:09 but he is no match for the OG Avatar villain.
15:17 As the ruler of the Fire Nation, he causes extensive suffering, which can be seen in
15:22 the oppression of the Water Tribe as well as on the scared face of his own son.
15:26 And all of that happens before he even takes centre stage as the main antagonist.
15:30 Of course, things change in the finale, where he shows viewers the true extent of his ruthlessness
15:35 with his plans to set fire to the entire Earth Kingdom, culminating in a legendary showdown
15:39 with Avatar Aang.
15:40 All hail the Phoenix King.
15:46 Despite his numerous incarnations over the years, the original leader of the Decepticons
15:56 has endured to become a timeless villain that still holds up to this very day.
16:04 A ruthless conqueror with an unquenchable thirst for power, Megatron will sacrifice
16:08 whatever it takes in order to win the war against the Autobots and secure himself as
16:12 the ruler of the entire universe.
16:14 While a lot of villains reach for the same goal, this is the guy who can back up his
16:18 claims with a zero-tolerance-for-failure policy and a ton of firepower.
16:43 For over 30 years, this malnourished, unempathetic millionaire has served as Springfield's
16:53 resident antagonist.
16:55 Whether it's random acts of organised violence, theft, bribery, manipulation and probably
16:59 every other criminal activity under the sun, Charles Montgomery Burns has done it several
17:03 times over.
17:10 He can be downright intimidating or pathetically hilarious all within the space of an episode,
17:15 as he never fails to entertain.
17:17 Sideshow Bob may be a fan favourite, but Burns is a threat to all of Springfield, maybe even
17:22 the entire world, while Bob only ever has eyes for Bart.
17:25 I mean, what is there to say, except that our number one villain is nothing if not excellent.
17:37 So that's our list.
17:38 Is there an amazing bad guy we missed?
17:39 Share their greatness in the comments.
17:50 Thanks for watching.
18:00 (upbeat music)