The 15 Best Cartoon Villains Of All Time, Ranked

April 27, 2024, 8:10 p.m.

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The 15 Best Cartoon Villains Of All Time, Ranked

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Summary Villains in animated TV shows are just as important as heroes, adding depth and entertainment to the storyline.

Common archetypes like mad scientists and fallen heroes can create compelling villains that steal the show.

Cartoon villains don't have to be grounded in reality, allowing for creativity in their design and character development.

All kinds of animated TV shows need great villains to bring the best out of their heroes, whether they are superhero shows for children, sitcoms for adults, or anything else. A compelling hero and villain relationship can make a show much more entertaining, but in some cases, the villain steals the show and becomes a fan favorite character. Villains should be just as complex and sympathetic as heroes are, even if the TV show is too lighthearted and fun to concern itself with serious discussions of good and evil.

Cartoon villains occupy an interesting niche, simply because they don't have to conform to the conventions of live-action. Cartoon characters can often be much stranger and less grounded for no reason whatsoever. To bridge the gap between off-the-wall creativity and relatability, cartoons often use common archetypes for their villains, such as the mad scientist, the greedy industrialist, or the fallen hero. Using these archetypes well or subverting them completely can make some unforgettable cartoon villains who become as popular as the show's heroes.

Related 10 Forgotten Animated 1990s TV Shows You Should Really Rewatch Step back into the 90s, an era of animated TV gems filled with wit, humor, and captivating storytelling that continue to charm audiences today.

15 Dr. Doofenshmirtz

Phineas and Ferb

Dr. Doofenshmirtz is a subversion of the mad scientist trope. Rather than being a Dr. Frankenstein-type figure or a Bond villain, he's a laughably useless evildoer. After failing at pretty much everything else he ever attempted, Dr. Doofenshmirtz turned to villainy to seek vengeance on a world which wronged him. Unfortunately, he found that he was just as terrible at this. His bizarre contraptions, usually with the suffix "-inator" tacked on, frequently destroy his plans even before Perry the Platypus can get involved. His rivalry with Perry often gives Dr. Doofenshmirtz his only sense of purpose.

14 Mom

Futurama

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Katey Sagal , Billy West , Lauren Tom , Maurice LaMarche , David Herman , Tress MacNeille , John DiMaggio , Phil LaMarr Release Date March 28, 1999 Seasons 11

On the surface, Mom appears to be a friendly grandmother figure to the entire world, but this is merely a marketing ploy which allows her to monopolize the robotics industry. She's the embodiment of unchecked corporate greed in a world that has had 1000 extra years to get even more commercialized and money-hungry. Mom's e-commerce venture takes over the known universe in season 11, so Futurama season 12 could see her trying to monetize everything else. She outlived her initial purpose on the show and became much more interesting.

13 Shego

Kim Possible

Shego's rage is often directed at her own boss, as she gets tired with Dr. Drakken's low-stakes plans, reasoning that they should set their sights on world domination instead.

Shego is the chief enforcer for Dr. Drakken, but she's far more intimidating and dangerous than he is. Without Shego, Dr. Drakken wouldn't be nearly as powerful as he is, and her fighting skills and explosive temperament make the duo a much more compelling foil to Kim Possible. Shego's rage is often directed at her own boss, as she gets tired with Dr. Drakken's low-stakes plans, reasoning that they should set their sights on world domination instead. Shego can wield powerful balls of green energy in battle, but she still struggles to get the best of Kim.

12 Evil Morty

Rick and Morty

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Spencer Grammer , Kari Wahlgren , Chris Parnell , Sarah Chalke , Ian Cardoni , Harry Belden Release Date December 2, 2013 Seasons 7 Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Max

Rick and Morty doesn't often focus on plot development, with most episodes telling self-contained stories that have very little bearing on the overall mysteries of the show. However, when the show does decide to indulge its fans with some new story elements, Evil Morty is always the most compelling mystery. Evil Morty is the universe's reaction to Rick trying to live a life without consequences across multiple different dimensions. He wants to completely wipe out every Rick from every universe, and Rick and Morty season 8 could involve Evil Morty even more than ever before.

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11 Shredder

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Cam Clarke , Barry Gordon , Rob Paulsen , townsend coleman , James Avery , Pat Fraley , Jennifer Darling , Tony Jay , Peter Renaday , Renae Jacobs Release Date December 14, 1987 Seasons 10

Shredder is an outcast just like the Turtles, but he is obsessed with destroying them so that he can restore the Foot Clan to its former glory. Shredder is intelligent and skillful in combat, so the main thing standing in his way is his dysfunctional alliance with Krang. The evil duo often bicker about their plans, and they even sabotage each other if they want to make sure that they are the one who ultimately deals the death blow to Splinter and the Turtles. Shredder has one of the most iconic visual designs of any cartoon villain, as the series lifted his character from the comic books perfectly.

10 Dick Dastardly

Wacky Races

Dick Dastardly was such a standout character on Wacky Races that he got his own spinoff show, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, in which he and his dog try to catch a pigeon.

Dick Dastardly is the perfect archetype of the mustache-twirling pantomime villain, with an evil cackle and a menacing grin permanently plastered across his face. Along with his equally diabolical sidekick, his dog Muttley, the duo try and cheat their way to victory in Wacky Races by any means necessary, often using bizarre contraptions that Wile E. Coyote might find in the ACME Corporation's catalog. Dick Dastardly was such a standout character on Wacky Races that he got his own spinoff show, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, in which he and his dog try to catch a pigeon.

9 Mojo Jojo

Powerpuff Girls

Cast Cathy Cavadini , Tara Strong , E. G. Daily , Tom Kane , Tom Kenny , Roger Jackson , Jennifer Hale , Jeff Bennett , Jennifer Martin , Jim Cummings Release Date November 18, 1998 Seasons 6

Mojo Jojo is a mad scientist with the power and rage of a chimpanzee, making him a formidable opponent for Professor Utonium and the Powerpuff Girls. Along with the gender-bending lobster demon HIM, Mojo Jojo is one of the show's best villains in a constantly revolving line-up of flamboyant miscreants. What makes him stand out from most others is his personal connection to the Powerpuff Girls. Mojo Jojo was the Professor's lab assistant when he was an infant, but a chemical explosion gave him super-intelligence, and burdened him with new human emotions like envy, inferiority and greed.

8 Bill Cipher

Gravity Falls

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Jason Ritter , Kristen Schaal Release Date June 15, 2012 Seasons 2

Bill Cipher doesn't appear very often in Gravity Falls, but he brings about the unforgettable "Weirdmageddon" finale, in which the town is overrun with demons from another dimension. Bill is a trickster, and he often needs to capitalize on people's greed and insecurity to make beneficial bargains. Bill's design is inspired by occult mysticism and Illuminati conspiracy theories, reinforcing his backstory as an ancient and unknowable evil. He appears in many of the creepiest episodes of Gravity Falls before making his full debut as a mysterious figure in the background, such as in the design of the rug at the Mystery Shack.

7 Skeletor

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Yuri Lowenthal , David Kaye , Antony Del Rio , Kimberly Brooks , Judy Alice Lee , Tom Kenny , Ben Diskin , Grey Griffin , Roger Craig Smith , Fred Tatasciore Release Date September 16, 2021 Seasons 3

Skeletor is as purely evil as any villain. He was originally a student of Hordak, but he seizes upon his chance to double-cross him and claim the throne in Snake Mountain for himself.

Skeletor is as purely evil as any villain. He was originally a student of Hordak, but he seizes upon his chance to double-cross him and claim the throne in Snake Mountain for himself. With his power solidified and an army of goons at his disposal, Skeletor quickly sets about trying to capture Castle Greyskull and rule over Eternia. As well as being physically imposing and incredibly cunning, Skeletor is a master of insults and one-liners. Many of these are hurled in the direction of his incompetent henchmen, but he can't seem to find anyone better.

6 Plankton

SpongeBob SquarePants

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Tom Kenny , Bill Fagerbakke , Rodger Bumpass , Clancy Brown , Carlos Alazraqui , Paul Tibbitt , Dee Bradley Baker , Jill Talley , Tim Conway , Sara Paxton , Mark Fite , Mary Jo Catlett , Tom Wilson , Sirena Irwin , Lori Alan , Ernest Borgnine , Mr. Lawrence , Carolyn Lawrence Release Date May 1, 1999 Seasons 14

Plankton's goals are relatively low-stakes compared to many other great villains, but he has just as much dedication as anyone. He tries to get his hands on the Krabby Patty secret formula as if his life depends on it. His wife Karen also acts as his sidekick. It's good for Plankton to have someone providing emotional support, but her plans are just as prone to backfiring as his. When he finally steals the formula for Krabby Patties in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, he kicks up his villainy another notch by trying to brainwash everyone in Bikini Bottom and taking over as a dictator.

5 Azula

Avatar: The Last Airbender

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Mako , Dee Bradley Baker , Jack De Sena , Michaela Jill Murphy , Zach Tyler , Dante Basco , Mae Whitman Release Date February 21, 2005 Seasons 3

Fire Lord Ozai is the main antagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but he stays in the shadows for most of the show. Instead, Azula is the most prominent threat, and she can be just as intimidating as her father. Azula was raised in punishing circumstances, with her father demanding nothing less than perfection. This gives her a ruthless streak that is unmatched by anyone else, and her dedication has made her a powerful foe in combat and on a wider scale. She's also part of the best fight in Avatar: The Last Airbender, when she faces off against her own brother, Zuko.

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4 Ice King

Adventure Time

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Tom Kenny , Hynden Walch , Jeremy Shada , John DiMaggio , Niki Yang Release Date May 10, 2010 Seasons 10

He was a humble archaeologist named Simon Petrikov before the Mushroom War, but he had to resort to wielding the power of a cursed crown to protect himself and young Marcy from hordes of mutants.

Adventure Time has plenty of great villains, and Ice King is the first to make a real impact on the show. Throughout the first few seasons, he is Jake and Finn's most dangerous foe, but he later becomes more of a comic distraction from the much bigger threats in Ooo. Ice King wasn't always an unhinged despot bent on kidnapping princesses. He was a humble archaeologist named Simon Petrikov before the Mushroom War, but he had to resort to wielding the power of a cursed crown to protect himself and young Marcy from hordes of mutants, although the crown soon corrupted his mind.

3 The Joker

Batman: The Animated Series

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Kevin Conroy , Mark Hamill , Bruce Timm Release Date September 5, 1992 Seasons 4

There have been many different versions of the Joker in movies and TV shows over the years. Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix and Jack Nicholson have all turned in brilliant performances as DC's most recognizable villain, but Mark Hamill's version from Batman: The Animated Series is still one of the best. The "Clown Prince of Crime" uses his knowledge of Gotham's underworld to create chaos in the streets, whether he's poisoning the city with laughing gas, testing Batman's limits on a live TV broadcast, or mutating every fish in the harbor to look just like him. Hamill's Joker never runs out of schemes.

2 Slade

Teen Titans

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Greg Cipes , Tara Strong , Khary Payton , Scott Menville , Hynden Walch

Teen Titans largely conforms to a "monster of the week" format, with different villains showing up each episode and pushing the Titans to their limits. Some of these villains are more lighthearted and goofy, but others are much more frightening. Slade is one of a handful of villains who sticks around for a while, and he's the most dangerous enemy that the Titans ever face. Despite being such an important character, not much is known about Slade's origins or his ultimate motives. This mystery makes him even scarier, as the man behind the mask seeks to destroy the Titans for unknown reasons.

1 Mr. Burns

The Simpsons

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buy Not available Not available Not available Cast Tress MacNeille , Julie Kavner , Harry Shearer , Pamela Hayden , Nancy Cartwright , Hank Azaria , Dan Castellaneta , Yeardley Smith Release Date December 17, 1989 Seasons 35

Not all of his schemes are about topping up his already incalculable fortune. Some of them are purely selfish in other ways.

Mr. Burns is the cold-hearted industrialist who seizes every opportunity he can to tighten his grip on Springfield. However, not all of his schemes are about topping up his already incalculable fortune. Some of them are purely selfish in other ways, like when he cuts off the town's supply of alcohol and TV to get his stuffed bear back, or when he tries to skin a litter of puppies to make a fur tuxedo. Mr. Burns reaches his villainous peak in The Simpsons' legendary "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" two-parter. There is no shortage of suspects who might want to kill him, but once again, he gets away with everything.