From interdimensional demons to cosmic entities, these animated antagonists have sent chills down our spines with their incredible powers. Join us as we rank the most formidable villains from animated series! Our list includes characters from beloved shows across different eras, but excludes movie-only villains.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Guilty, guilty, and oh so very guilty of being the new big man of crime.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're trembling in fear over the animated adversaries that
00:16were the pinnacle of power and strength in their respective series.
00:21Outside of TV movies, we won't be featuring any animated film baddies since they deserve
00:26their own lists.
00:27Expect major spoilers ahead.
00:30Oh dear, oh how frightfully upsetting.
00:37Number 20.
00:39Alistair Has Been Hotel
00:41Of all the overlords in hell, few are as feared and reviled as the radio demon himself, Alistair.
00:49He enters the scene with a radio host's charisma and a serial killer's frightening aura.
00:55Let's begin.
00:57Along with the usual reality-altering abilities of a demon, he maintains control over all the
01:11radio broadcasts in hell, and can even offer deals to anyone desperate enough. But be warned,
01:17do not make a deal with him.
01:19That's when Alistair revealed himself as the radio demon, and anyone that will mess with
01:25him, well, let's just say his broadcasts never lacked new voices.
01:34Once he owns your soul, what's to stop him from tearing it apart and broadcasting your screams
01:39over the radio? At the start of the show, he returns after a seven-year disappearance and
01:45now uses his powers to help the protagonist, Charlie, with her hotel, while secretly furthering
01:51his own goals.
01:52Top of the hour, and we're discussing a certain has-been who has been spotted cavorting around
01:56town after a seven-year absence. Did anybody miss him? Did anybody notice? More on tonight's
02:00program.
02:00Number 19.
02:02Grandfather.
02:03Codename, Kids Next Door.
02:05With his red-hot temper and fire-based powers, Father is undeniably one of Sector V's most
02:11dangerous enemies.
02:13I will no longer tolerate failure. Destroy the kids next door, or else!
02:21However, there is one force in the universe more powerful than him, his own father. Grandfather
02:27is a remorseless tyrant who ruled over the Earth many years ago, forcing children to work in tapioca
02:34factories. Before I forced them to produce bowl after bowl of sweet, delicious tapioca!
02:41His horrifying powers allow him to transform anyone, kids or adults, into senior city zombies
02:47and warp reality into a Victorian-era nightmare. The one sole brave enough to face Grandfather
02:54head-on was his other son, Numba Zero, and the only way to end his reign of terror is to decommission
03:01his memories and pray that no one tries to restore his power again.
03:05I wasn't trying to crush you, Pappy. I just wanted to see what would happen when you put
03:10an adult into a decommissioning chamber.
03:12Now, Nigel!
03:14Number 18.
03:16Him, The Powerpuff Girls.
03:18Townsville has more than enough villains to keep the Powerpuff Girls busy, but they pale
03:23in comparison to the most undeniably evil and sadistic of them all, him. His presence is
03:30so frightening that we never learn his real name, which is probably for the best.
03:34This is a villain so evil, so sinister, so horribly vile, that even the utterance of his name strikes
03:41fear.
03:42Him has every heinous ability you can think of. Mind control, reality warping, resurrection.
03:48He could probably send the entire Earth into the sun at the flick of a wrist if he wanted.
03:54What makes him truly evil is how he uses these powers to psychologically torture and manipulate
04:00his victims.
04:01Now they will destroy you, and your poor, helpless creatures won't be able to fight back.
04:09Fortunately, even the King of Darkness is no match for the Powerpuff Girls.
04:14Number 17.
04:15Vaatu, The Legend of Korra.
04:18As dangerous as Fire Lord Ozai is, he isn't anywhere close to being the Avatar's true natural
04:25enemy. That honor belongs to none other than the spirit of darkness, Vaatu.
04:29I lived 10,000 lifetimes before the first of your kind crawled out of the mud.
04:38The antithesis of Rava, the spirit of light and peace dwelling within the Avatar. Vaatu's
04:44goal is to spread chaos and destruction. Along with the ability to fire powerful spirit
04:49beams, Vaatu's dark presence can corrupt other spirits, turning them into vicious dark
04:54spirits.
04:59Vaatu's power is also known to grow exponentially in times of chaos. After becoming the Dark Avatar
05:06spirit, Vaatu's powers reach their peak and he gains the ability to control plant life.
05:11Vaatu is also immortal, so even if he gets purified, he will always return so long as Rava exists.
05:18Vaatu exists.
05:25Number 16.
05:28The Kor, Amphibia.
05:33If knowledge is power, then the Kor might as well be a god. A coalescence of Amphibia's
05:40greatest minds, the Kor secretly serves as the true ruler of the island. With the help
05:45of the Calamity Box, the Kor gradually advanced its civilization by conquering other worlds.
05:50Even without the box, the Kor's intelligence and advanced technology made it the most dangerous
05:55being in Amphibia.
05:57Toads and nukes of the Resistance. Your leaders have been captured. Your rebellion is over.
06:05After acquiring a host, the Kor not only gains more mobility, but it becomes virtually unbeatable
06:11within its domain where it can access energy weapons, as well as control an endless supply
06:16of robot soldiers and mechanical arms to overwhelm its foes.
06:28As a last resort, the Kor can even weaponize Amphibia's moon to completely wipe out resistance.
06:34Number 15. Unicron, The Transformers Franchise.
06:50Though his origins have undergone a few changes over the years, Unicron is, and always has been,
06:56pure evil. Also known as the Chaos Bringer, Unicron's power is so great that even Megatron,
07:02who is infamously proud, has no choice but to submit to Unicron's will.
07:18In almost every appearance, Unicron is depicted as a planet-sized robot capable of destroying
07:23planets, stars, and potentially even the entire universe and beyond.
07:28In the series Transformers Prime, Unicron's blood produces dark energon, which can revive fallen
07:34Cybertronians as vicious undead.
07:37Rivers of your very life blood, rising from the depths to become one with me.
07:44Furthermore, the series also reveals that over time, Unicron became the Earth itself, allowing
07:50him to control the planet's surface by producing earthquakes, as well as creating an endless
07:54army of stone avatars.
07:57Number 14. Discord, My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic.
08:02In a land as harmonious as Equestria, one force in the universe is powerful enough to disrupt
08:08the tranquility. Discord, the master of chaos.
08:13Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
08:17At the snap of a claw, reality is his to play with and warp in any way imaginable, turning a
08:24tranquil landscape into a bizarre playground. He ruled over Equestria many moons ago, causing
08:30rifts between friendships and reveling in the disharmony, before he turned to stone. Twice.
08:37Thankfully, Fluttershy was able to reform him by being his very first friend.
08:42Well played, Fluttershy. Well played.
08:45While no longer a villain, he still has a massive mischievous streak, and still loves turning
08:51all of reality upside down, often at the expense of our heroes.
08:56This flu of mine is highly contagious.
09:02Number 13. Dark Phoenix, X- The Animated Series.
09:08During a rescue mission, Jean Grey ended up fusing with the mysterious cosmic being known
09:14as the Phoenix Force.
09:15Scott! Logan! Someone help me!
09:21It granting her incredible power, but the power was overwhelming, and it refused to leave Jean.
09:27Thanks to the inner circle's meddling, the Phoenix's full potential is unleashed and Jean
09:32is transformed into the Dark Phoenix.
09:35The mortal Jean Grey is no more. I am fire-made flesh. Power in the world.
09:44I am the Dark Phoenix!
09:49Jean's telepathic powers were tough enough, but combined with the Phoenix Force's untameable
09:55spirit, and even deadlier fire-based abilities, the Dark Phoenix is one of the most destructive
10:00forces in the universe. Only through Jean choosing to sacrifice herself was the Phoenix Force
10:06finally tamed.
10:07My time here has ended. I must depart.
10:12Thankfully, taking small parts of the X-Men's life forces allowed the Phoenix to revive Jean,
10:18ending the nightmare for good.
10:20Number 12. Darkseid, DC Animated Universe.
10:24Of all Superman's foes, few can match the sheer might of the new god of Apocalypse, Darkseid.
10:31And when the time comes, you and this primitive planet will swear allegiance to Darkseid, or
10:38you will be destroyed.
10:39It's plain to see that Darkseid is the pinnacle of superhuman strength, on par with, and maybe
10:45even surpassing, the Man of Steel himself. Undeniably, his deadliest attack is his Omega Beam,
10:51a deadly eye laser that can knock a foe off their feet or disintegrate them with pinpoint accuracy.
10:57Thankfully, Superman can survive this deadly attack, but others, sadly, aren't so lucky.
11:03While Darkseid was destroyed by the Justice League, he was later resurrected in the series finale
11:16of Justice League Unlimited, where his power was increased to near-cataclysmic levels.
11:21It seems I have you to thank for my resurrection.
11:25He would've finally killed Superman, if not for Lex Luthor's skillful deception.
11:31Number 11. Daggun, Ben 10, Ultimate Alien.
11:35I'm everywhere.
11:40This conqueror of a hundred dimensions is literally power incarnate.
11:45As one of the most powerful beings in the Ben 10 franchise, Dagon possesses an arsenal of
11:50special abilities including, but not limited to, advanced magical knowledge, reviving the dead,
11:56laser eyes, shape-shifting, immortality, weather manipulation, as well as the power to control
12:02minds on a global scale.
12:04Every being in this dimension will kneel before him.
12:10Even when imprisoned, it only takes fragments of Dagon's power to leak through his seal to cause
12:15mass chaos on Earth.
12:17Even though one of his few weaknesses is that he can be sealed away, anyone that seals Dagon
12:22within themselves becomes imbued with his limitless power.
12:25With Dagon's power added to his own, Vilgax will be unstoppable.
12:29Yes.
12:30That was, after all, the point.
12:34Number 10.
12:35Rick Sanchez Prime, Rick and Morty.
12:38No matter what universe, Rick is a super genius with a cynical view of the world around him.
12:43But which Rick is the Rickest Rick of all?
12:47Arguably, that title belongs to Rick Prime.
12:50Well, well, well.
12:51If it isn't us, you know the worst part about inventing teleportation.
12:55This one is possibly the smartest of all, managing to outsmart our Rick.
13:00He's always one step ahead of our guy and has more advanced tech than he does.
13:04Dead wife Rick.
13:05I'll tell you, this guy does not know when to quit.
13:08Just to make him an even bigger threat, he somehow has regeneration abilities and may
13:12possibly be immortal.
13:13He looks like he hasn't aged a day.
13:16However, his absurd amount of luck can't last forever.
13:19And his arrogance may finally be his downfall after ruining his titular counterpart's life.
13:25Number 9.
13:26Aku, Samurai Jack.
13:29Born from the Black Mass of Darkness, Aku is evil incarnate.
13:34Who dares to summon the Master of Masters, the Deliverer of Darkness, the Shogun of Sorrow, Aku!
13:45He effortlessly managed to conquer the Earth after sending his greatest foe through time.
13:50With the embodiment of evil, Aku has any devious power imaginable.
13:55Shapeshifting, creating time portals, being able to corrupt innocent beings into his minions,
14:00and a vast amount of dark magic.
14:02No fool, it is I, Aku.
14:09However, despite his immense strength, there is one weapon that can truly harm him.
14:15The samurai's divine sword.
14:17If Jack were to travel back to the past, he'd have a second chance to smite Aku before his
14:22true rise to power.
14:24Luckily for Aku, he has an army of assassins to keep him busy.
14:28But his luck will run out eventually.
14:30It is done.
14:32Oshii!
14:33I'm okay.
14:38Number 8.
14:39Goal, Adventure Time.
14:41Lich is undeniably one of the most terrifying threats to O.
14:45An undead sorcerer with terrifying abilities to match his ghastly appearance.
14:50But there's one entity in the multiverse that even the Lich bouts down to.
14:55Goal.
14:56Oh.
14:57My.
14:58Goal.
14:59Goal.
15:00This cosmic entity is said to be the embodiment of chaos itself.
15:04His very presence is felt everywhere disharmony can be found.
15:08He can corrupt and fuse other beings into monsters and even wipe them out of existence.
15:12His presence is felt in every crevice where chaos lurks.
15:16While he can't be destroyed, he is weakened by music and harmony.
15:21Goal has been a lingering presence over the show since season 5, and it took a heroic sacrifice
15:26to pacify him in the series finale.
15:29I wish to banish Goal from this world.
15:34Uh oh.
15:35Um.
15:36I wish for Goal to disappear.
15:37Number 7.
15:38Trigon.
15:39Teen Titans.
15:40Trigon!
15:41Stand up and fight!
15:43Insignificant insects.
15:46Also known as Trigon the Terrible, this interdimensional demon's nickname doesn't even begin to cover
15:53how dangerous he is.
15:55As Raven's biological father, Trigon is the literal embodiment of all that is evil and unholy
16:02in the universe.
16:03I may be the source of all darkness, but you are your own worst enemy.
16:11Along with his gigantic appearance and super strength, Trigon also has the power to manipulate
16:16energy and perform god-like feats of magic such as warping reality, pyrokinesis, summoning a demon
16:23army, flight, as well as raising the dead and empowering them with magic.
16:28When he unleashes his true power, Trigon is more than capable of destroying entire dimensions.
16:34Needless to say, Trigon has definitely left his mark as the Titan's most powerful enemy.
16:40I shouldn't have dragged you into this.
16:42Any of you.
16:43But you're in.
16:45And you need to know.
16:47I need to tell you.
16:49When I was born, they looked into my face.
16:52Number 6.
16:53Nolan Grayson AKA Omni-Man.
16:56Invincible.
16:57If you were the strongest being on Earth, how would you use your talents?
17:01Our most trusted officers were each given a planet to weaken by themselves.
17:07I was one of those lucky few.
17:10At first glance, Omni-Man looks like your ideal superhero.
17:14Immeasurable strength, superhuman speed and senses, and nigh invulnerability all wrapped
17:20up in a loving father and noble protector.
17:23Unfortunately, there's darkness hidden beneath the cape.
17:26You should've stayed dead.
17:27He has the strength of a god, and he has no qualms using it on anyone.
17:33His fellow heroes, the citizens of Earth, not even his own son, Mark.
17:38All along, he was preparing the Earth to be invaded by his people, the Vitrumites.
17:42It's time for you to know where I really come from.
17:45I am from Viltrum, but it's not the planet I've told you about.
17:50Fortunately, his love for his son prevented him from killing Mark and enabled him to slowly
17:55redeem himself in season 2 and beyond.
17:59Number 5.
18:00The Collector The Owl House.
18:02While Emperor Belos was an almighty powerful witch hunter, he made one fatal mistake, trying
18:08to betray the Collector.
18:10Wait, if you're a titan, you can let me out.
18:13I can stop the spell, and we can play together.
18:16Despite his childlike appearance, the Collector is one of the strongest beings in the demon
18:21realm, often referred to as a child from the stars and the Grand Huntsman.
18:26Not much is known about the Collector in his past.
18:29He's my friend, right?
18:30What?
18:31He wouldn't lie.
18:32He wouldn't.
18:33Who is that?
18:34He wouldn't.
18:35Hello?
18:36Hundreds of years playing his game.
18:39I wanna play a new game.
18:41Huh?
18:42What is known is that he possesses so much magic power and knowledge that even the most ruthless
18:47despot can't help but fear him.
18:49While he has yet to reveal his true power, the Collector's proven that he can do virtually
18:54anything, including moving the moon simply by swiping his finger.
18:59Hmm…
19:00Okay.
19:01The fact that he acts childish and is obsessed with playing games arguably makes him all
19:07the more dangerous and unpredictable, especially to those who make the mistake of crossing him.
19:13Say!
19:14You wanna play tag?
19:15I'm it.
19:18No.
19:194.
19:20Bill Cipher – Gravity Falls
19:25To Bill it's just a game, but to us it would mean the end of our world.
19:31Who knew a one-eyed triangle with a top hat and a bow tie could be so terrifying?
19:36In his initial appearance, Bill first comes off as your run-of-the-mill dream demon with
19:41a love of chaos and a twisted sense of humor.
19:43However, the truth is far more terrifying.
19:55It turns out Bill was responsible for wiping out the entirety of his home in the second dimension,
20:01before setting his sights on the neighboring third dimension.
20:04When he finally transcends into the real world and obtains a physical form, Bill also acquires
20:09god-like powers and becomes virtually invincible.
20:13Whether he's turning reality upside down or bringing people's worst nightmares to life,
20:17you definitely don't want to get on Bill's bad side.
20:20Oh no!
20:21A tantrum!
20:22Whatever will I do about that?
20:24How about this?
20:25Boom!
20:26Aw snap!
20:27He just killed Time Baby!
20:32Number 3.
20:33Child Young Justice
20:36I can taste him here.
20:39Tastes like disappointment.
20:43Compared to the Witch Boy Clarion, the being known as Child is an entirely different breed
20:49of evil.
20:50As a lord of chaos, Child already possesses enormous mystical might on her own.
20:54But with the support of her fellow chaos lords, she becomes virtually unstoppable.
21:07As a result of this magical power boost, and with the help of her nigh-indestructible,
21:12familiar flaw, Child's threat level rises exponentially to the point where her desire to watch the world burn
21:18forces Earth's heroes and villains to join forces.
21:22Even the combined teamwork of the mystic powerhouses like Clarion and Dr. Fate prove to be little more than nuisances to her.
21:29Despite suffering from bad luck in the end, Child practically redefines the true meaning of chaos.
21:36Too perfect.
21:43We'll use their own power to destroy them.
21:46Number 2.
21:48Anti-Pops
21:49Regular Show
21:50This place and its creatures offer me nothing, and I plan to extend the favor by destroying it all!
21:57His name is literally what it means.
22:00Contrary to the good-natured and polite Pops, his brother, Anti-Pops is thoroughly unpleasant and seeks to destroy
22:07everything and everyone, especially his brother.
22:10As a cosmic being, Anti-Pops possesses telekinesis, energy manipulation, and can grow into a titanic being
22:18with enough strength to shatter entire planets with ease.
22:21However, Anti-Pops' most dangerous power is his signature ability to create glitches that can erase anyone and everything they touch.
22:29Anti-Pops' rivalry with Pops actually goes back lifetimes, as he and his brother are so powerful that every time they collide in a final clash, they actually reset the entire universe.
22:56Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
23:11You have the option to be notified for occasional videos, or all of them.
23:15If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
23:191. Infinity Ultron What If?
23:26This version of Ultron is so deadly, he makes the snap look trivial by comparison.
23:31Hailing from an alternate universe where the Avengers fail to stop him, Ultron not only destroys the Earth, he also manages to acquire the Infinity Stones, becoming Infinity Ultron.
23:53With infinite cosmic power at his fingertips, Ultron easily manages to wipe out all sentient life in his universe.
24:00Not long after completing his mission, Ultron's powers evolve yet again, allowing him to access the multiverse as well as detect and then defeat the Almighty Watcher.
24:07The fact that Infinity Ultron at one point has enough power to threaten every universe and force even the neutral Watcher to take action speaks volumes to just how dangerous he is.
24:14Who do you think is the mighty?
24:15Not long after completing his mission, Ultron's powers evolve yet again, allowing him to access the multiverse as well as detect and then defeat the Almighty Watcher.
24:25The fact that Infinity Ultron at one point has enough power to threaten every universe and force even the neutral Watcher to take action speaks volumes to just how dangerous he is.
24:36From here I can see everything, no one can stop me now.
24:42Who do you think is the mightiest baddie of all?
24:45Let us know in the comments.
24:47So much power!
24:52Welcome back, baby!
24:56Did you enjoy this video?
24:58Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
25:00And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
25:04All right.