Joss Whedon

Top 10 Whedon Villains

Between Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, and Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon has created some of television’s most enduring villains. Before polling our readers, we here at newicue have compiled a list of the Top 10 Whedon Villains. His villains always have clear motivation for comitting their supremely-horrific acts. The concept of serialized television and long overarching plot lines allowed for Whedon to explore his villains almost as much as he explored his protagonists. Some were better than others, and these are the best of the best.

Our first Runner-up:

Saffron, if that is her real name, is wifey-poo to who-knows-how-many dead men, along with quite a few still living in the ‘verse. Firefly’s recurring con-artist is the best Whedon’s yet created. She uses every feminine wile to twist men and women alike into her tangled web. Every damn quality I ever happily lapped-up as a younger man, even when I knew I was getting screwed! Recognizing the temptation and power in the hands of pretty girls the world over, I encouraged my younger sisters to use their wiles for good rather than evil. The results were mixed (Vanessa, I’m talking about you), but you get the distinct impression that Christina Hendricks’ Yo-Saf-Bridge never even batted an eye as she learned to take people for everything – including their lives! I’m sure she’s got a collection of shirts off backs, kitchen sinks and still beating hearts stashed somewhere – stored for free by someone calling her wifey-poo! The reason there are so many exclamation points here is because Saffron is so finely-crafted that, even knowing everything I know about her, I would still gladly, knowingly, gratefully, fall into her clutches (savoring every second until she did away with me) – and that pisses me off! But seriously, Saffron: call me. Had Firefly lasted longer than one season, it’s possible she would have had more time to crack the top 10.

#10 Harmony

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Harmony – you went from being a character nobody cared about, an occasional foil for Cordelia in those early years, who no one even bothered to learn the name of. Then, who knows how it happened (maybe actress Mercedes McNab made sure to bring Whedon coffee whenever he yawned?), suddenly she returns as a spunk-tastic vampire tart dating “Blondie Bear” Spike?! Hilarious! Her true charm is that she is sooooo bad at being a vampire. Collecting Unicorns – not really normal vampire behavior. She’s a bubble-headed blonde in spiked teeth. Never over-played or shoved in the viewers’ faces – Whedon uses her as wonderful narrative candy that never slows the story in the slightest. Harmony is like a wicked frosting on the World of Buffy cake. Not too sweet, always leaves you wanting a little more… During a montage in Buffy, as everyone is struggling with the world coming to an end (yet again), there’s a sudden dramatic cut away to vampire Harmony’s lair where she’s giddily hanging a unicorn poster. Classic Harm. Classic Whedon. If you havent checked out the comics, Harmony shines with her own “The Hills” style reality show. Her betrayal at the end of Angel just proves that no matter how hard she tries, she’s just a vampire trying to survive in a world trying to kill her.

#9 Warren

The online poll really came into play in this decision. At first, Captain Hammer appeared in this spot, but after exploring our definition of “villain” we came to the conclusion that Hammer is more of an antagonist and isn’t really a villain at all. Warren, however, is a terrible human being who commits some undeniably villainous acts. Unintentionally killing Tara while showing no remorse is the biggest. But let’s not forget cheating on his first girlfriend with a robot, and selling out his cohorts when times got tough. Warren is all that is bad with human individuals. His lack of morality, his blind ambition, and his absence of loyalty, define his character. Adam Busch delivers an amazingly detestable performance. The unchecked, unwarranted ego of his character make it so easy for us to despise him. Warren directly leads to the creation of an even greater villain, and for that he has earned his spot on our list.

#8 Glory

Glory was very refreshing after season 4. A Big Bad who could kick the shit out of the most powerful members of the scooby gang and then go home and talk about her bad hair day and new shoes. She has the bubbly blonde personality and one-liners that kept her interesting while acting as a looming threat over the whole season. She kills without a second thought because her ultimate goal of obtaining the key is all that matters to her. The Slayer’s power doesn’t even come close to her own, so she almost looks at Buffy like a little gnat hanging around bugging her while she tries to maintain her existence and reclaim her former……..well, glory. Of all the Buffy villains, Glory was closest to matching the charm and wit of the Mayor, acting as a source of campy amusement as well as posing a most dangerous threat. When there were episodes of Season 5 that lacked her presence, they felt flat comparitavely. Glory is that great balanced villain… Comedy leading to tragedy. That is what Joss does so well, and he accomplished this to perfection in Glory. Glory makes me happy and scared at the same time, and that marks a great Joss villain.

#7 Lindsey

Lindsey thinks himself Angel’s greatest adversary. Whether he is or not, Lindsey is defintely a thorn in Angel’s side. While he may be merely human, Lindsey’s passion to destroy Angel made him a more formidable foe than many of his demonic enemies. From day one, Lindsey is far more interested in making Angel suffer than advancing his career at Wolfram & Hart, global domination, or even good old fashioned slaughter of the innocents. And although (much to Lindsey’s disappointment), Angel is NOT the one to finally kill him, the rivalry between the two could even give Spike a run for his money. (Funny how the two characters that have these types of rivalries with Angel are also the hottest men ever) It is truly Epic when Angel cuts his hand off during the resurection of Darla. Epic on the scale of Star Wars or Doctor Who. When Lindsey comes back and is revealed as the mind behind Spike’s resurrection as well, working with Eve to destroy his nemesis he is more badass than ever. He has learned the mystical arts, he’s all tatted up, and the only thing that could stop him was Cordelia’s last act of heroism. I believe that if we had had more time with Lindsey he would have become even more potent a nemesis, but what we did get was short, sweet, and epic.

#6 Holtz

Holtz sticks around in suspended animation to destroy his nemesis - Angelus. A mere human, Holtz’s determination to do to Angelus what was done to him, earns him a spot on our list. After a minor adjustment to the modern world, Holtz is able to tug at the right threads to unravel Angel’s team, and effectively destroy his psyche. Holtz goes after Angel the way Angelus used to torture his victims. It almost seemed like admiration, the way Holtz used Angelus’ tactic of turning those Angel cared about the most against him, to completely destroy him without actually killing him. And it almost worked. The betrayals that Holtz masterminds are the greatest in the series. Between turning Wesley against him, and raising Connor in Quor’Toth with a blood lust for Angel , Holtz arguably did more damage to Angel than anyone else could. While we all know Angel as the sad, brooding vampire trying to atone for his evil past, Holtz was the first time we saw this represented externally. The other characters in the Buffyverse, in time, came to see Angel and Angelus as two distinctly different personas. Only Holtz and Angel never could; even with 100 years each to think about it. It’s this connection that makes Holtz such an effective enemy.

#5 The Gentlemen (Hush)

There aren’t many things more creepy than floating bald men in suits who always smile and never speak. They are only introduced to us for a matter of minutes, but still stick with us, living in the back of our minds and haunting our dreams. Especially when they’re intent on cutting out your heart while rendering you unable to scream. Eeeek, right? Hush is a great episode for many reasons. Joss proved his critics wrong by showing that his shows are not just all witty dialogue. He can tell a compelling, creepy, suspenseful, emotional tale, without dialogue. The Gentlemen are a HUGE part of why this worked. From the moment they float down the silent street searching for prey, we had gossebumps running up and down our arms. In short, The Gentlemen are a large part of what makes Hush one of our favorite episodes. While we never really get to know The Gentlemen or their straight-jacketed minions, they are arguably the creepiest of all the creatures in The Buffyverse, and they are still giving us nightmares. They’re so scary, in fact, they were featured monsters in a maze in Universal Studios Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights in 2005 and 2008. Bet you didn’t know that.

#4 The Operative

The Operative is Serenity’s main baddy McBad – and well done at that by Chiwetel Ejiofor. I don’t know if this is the first time this angle has ever been played, but it feels utterly fresh and new – The Operative is no villain out for vengeance, money, domination or on some psychotic bender, he just has a job to do and takes satisfaction in a job well done. Not pride. That would be a sin, a weakness to be exploited, and The Operative has no weaknesses. Not even guilt for the evil he knows he’s doing – he’s following orders, and believes that if everyone were to follow orders the entire ‘verse would be a utopia. He is a man without sin, a walking act of God, working to achieve utopia. He is the sharp edge of a killer’s knife, and a knife never gloats, feels pain or remorse. When you fail at your mission, he is the sword you fall on, to end your life nobly. Well, his sword is that sword, anyway. Lesson? Don’t think for yourself, consider following orders next to godliness, work efficiently and you, too, can one day be a dictator’s right hand man… and if you can’t, you should be dead, anyway. The Operative is worthy of a feature film, and really drives Mal in his own mission, baiting him to act strongly on his beliefs, as the Oeprative himself does.

#3 The Mayor/ Olvikan

Who could forget Mayor Richard Wilkins III, the immortal , diabolical, slayer-corrupting mayor of Sunnydale for 100 years, who’s hell bent on global domination as a giant snake monster named Olvikan. There never was a villain as sweet, charming, and clean as the power hungry, germ-phobic, well-mannered Mayor Wilkins. If you can say nothing else about him, he certainly has the best sense of humor of all of the Buffyverse big bads, ripe with puns and a deep appreciation for Family Circus. Certainly it was Dick’s human side that earned him such a prestigious spot on our list. His heinous nature is only rivaled by his sleezy used-car salesman charm, the kind that only a psychotic school girl like Faith could really love. Just one bit of advice: scream all you like as Mayor Wilkins is dining on your entrails, but please watch the swearing.

#2 Angelus

This could be a really long and really easy section to write. I could just make a timeline of all the brutal physical and psychological damage he has done over time. From his torment of Drusilla, to his psychological torment of Holtz, to his murder of Jenny Calendar, Angelus proves time and time again that he tortures and kills because he finds great joy in it. Angelus is an artist. His wave of terror spans centuries, including his brief returns when Angel loses his soul. Angelus is unique in that he is a distincly different character from Angel. He allows us to explore the meaning and importance of a man’s soul. The dark moments he creates haunt us, as well as the characters that we love in the Buffyverse. His cunning, brute strength, lack of morality, and joy of destruction make Angelus the most formidable Vampire in history. And lets not forget: dude nailed a puppy to a wall.

#1 Dark Willow

What’s really amazing about Dark Willow, besides her ultimate power, is that we can all relate to the pain that causes her to go on her rampage, leading to the attempted destruction of the world. When the love of her life is murdered in cold blood by Warren, our favorite mousy Wiccan goes on a path of destruction that makes our other contenders seem like cuddly puppies. Let’s break it down a little… Willow deals with the death of her love, Tara, by flaying Warren alive, hunting down his cohorts, kicking Buffy’s ass, destroying Giles in a magic duel, and trying to destroy the world. And on top of all this, she’s really, really hot when she gets mad. Putting all levity aside, Willow allows us to explore the way we deal with death in a uniquely powerful way. There are so many emotions that we all go through when those close to us pass, and The Dark Willow Saga is really an exploration of many of those emotions. The anger fueling Willow is not uncommon in times of loss, and this human element puts Dark Willow at the top of our list.

After Our Poll, the following Villains are the Top 10 as voted on by YOU. The lists are not entirely similar, and the differences are crucial. Some of your choices appear on our list in different places, and some don’t appear at all. I think that this really speaks to how people define villainy, as well as the popularity of some actors in the Joss universe.

#10. Reavers

Newicue Rank = NOL

Reavers are the looming threat behind the firefly series. Basically Supercharged Raping Cannibalistic Zombies, the Reavers strike fear into even those as tough as Jayne and Mal. The Reavers work best in the Firefly series when they arent even seen, just rumors that strike fear into the hearts of all those living the the ‘verse. They are Joss’ Jaws. The suspense when they are sensed goes beyond rational fear, and makes hero and villain alike haul ass in the opposit direction. In the Firefly episode Bushwacked, we see the psychological damage done to one human who witnessed his whole community slaughtered by these creatures, and it isn’t pretty, as he cuts on himself and tries to murder and eat those around him, mimicking the darkness that now lives inside him. In their main scene in the movie Serenity the Reavers descend upon our heroes during a heist, and end up shooting Jayne through the leg and posing one of the most serious threats in the movie. The Reavers are monsters out of out nightmares, and work effectively in driving the story of both Firefly and Serenity.

#9. Caleb

Newicue Rank = NOL

Caleb really seemed mostly like a way for Joss to work with Nathan Fillion again. He only really functioned to do the First’s dirty work, taking advantage of that time to insult women and preach his ass- backward gospel. Caleb is supposedly a preacher, but I think he’s really just a crazy dude who stole some preacher’s clothes after killing him. Most noteably, Caleb lures Buffy and the potentials into a deadly trap and removes Xander’s eye from its socket. He is creepy and menacing, and pulled off some unbelievable villainy, especially after being imbued with the First’s power, but ultimately he probably was at the top of this voting mainly because he is played by such a beloved actor. Fillion did an amazing job in the role, but i don’t think caleb should be higher on a list than Lindsey, Lilah, or Darla for that matter. But hey, that’s the thing about democracy: you never know what you’re gonna get and who people relate to. So, cheers to you, Caleb – you cracked the Top Villains list. Kudos.

#8. Drusilla

Newicue Rank = NOL

What a crazy bitch! Her cute little accent and backstory make Drusilla extremely endearing. The fact that Angelus essentially made her into a mentally broken, partially psychic, vampire dreamer doesn’t hurt either. The Dru – Darla dynamic works perfectly and she really commands the screen when she steps on the stage. We always want to see more of Drusilla. There is a void when she isn’t on the show. Joss writes her so well. When Darla and Dru trap Holland Manners in his own house party, and slaughter all of the guests that just happen to be the who’s who of Wolfram and Hart, you really see how much Drusilla enjoys the murder and mayhem of vampirism. Really, Drusilla is more of a fun popular character than a strong villainous character, but that’s what’s so great about this list, it’s not the quantitative villainy that speaks to us, it’s the fact that these characters are undeniably villains and yet so lovable, funny, charming, mysterious, multi-layered characters. And Drusilla clearly fits that bill.

# 7. The Gentlemen (Hush)

Newicue rank = 5

The Gentlemen are Creepy, and Hush is awesome. Don’t know how much more there is to say other than giving credit to those actors who donned the role. From the way they moved their heads when communicating, to the subtle facial movements that work with all the makeup, the actors that played these villains really outdid themselves. It could have been easy to go overboard with it, but instead they pulled the Gentlemen off in a way we have almost never seen. With every moment they were on screen, The Gentlemen creeped us out more and more, and for villains with so little screen time it is quite a feat for them to make both our editor list, and be in the top 10 in a poll that encompassed so many amazing characters. I wish I could see Hush pop up again someday, as long as it is executed so well.

#6. Spike

Newicue rank = NOL

Again. Another popular character and actor in the Joss community. James Marsters as Spike is superb. One of the beauties of Spike as a bad guy is, we never know if he is bad or good, so we never know when he might turn on our beloved heroes, even when it seems like he’s in their corner.

The Slayerkiller. Spike kills two slayers, and Buffy was supposed to be his hat trick. He just had to go screw it all up by falling for her. Unlike most villains, Spike doesn’t want the world to end. He likes the world. He likes his beer, and his stories, so his villainy is more to cause problems for those around him, and to beat people up as much as possible. Whatever can be said about Spike he is hot, and he is cool, and he is easy to love.

#5. Captain Hammer

Newicue Rank = NOL

With great power comes great responsibility. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Don’t be a dick. Advice we’ve all heard before, but unfortunately no one took the time to tell Capt. Hammer the “hero” in Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. He’s a superhero and he’s not above rubbing your nose in it. The problem with including the good Hammer on this list is that as somebody put it in the comments on whedonesque.com, hes the antagonist, not the villain. Essentially it is Dr Horrible’s plan that gets Penny killed, and while he is a ginormous asshole, Capt. Hammer is just trying to stop a villain from stealing, and murdering. While being villainous to us, the viewer, because he is hurting our loveable doctor and stealing his girl, Capt. Hammer is really not a villain to the world in which he lives. That’s one reason Whedon is so great, he made us love the villain and hate the hero. Captain Hammer is really easy to hate. Oh, and when he’s talking about his hammer, he means his penis.

#4. Dark Willow

Newicue Rank = 1

We obviously love Dark Willow, placing her #1 on our own list. Her arc is amazing, and she does some of the craziest things, acting against the trio, the scoobies, and ultimately the world itself. Her path of destruction is amazing. It was another look into Willow’s pain and suffering. I think this is a popular vote-getter because we can all relate. Who doesn’t want to take sweet revenge when we experience a moment of extreme loss? Those of us who view Dark Willow as the greatest villain don’t even see the others on this list. Or so one reader makes it seem… Funny aside: I was watching the Dark Willow saga with my girlfriend recently, and she had not yet seen it. After Tara dies and Willow is hunting down Warren she turns to me and says, “If anyone did that to me I would F*#cking skin them alive.” Kinda took the big surprise out of that moment but still, it proves that the pain of a woman scorn is universally relatable.

“Dark Willow. Done.” – Aimery

#3. The Mayor

Newicue Rank = 3

What else can we say about the mayor? He’s awesome. The juxtaposition between his OCD good old boy attitude, and his brutal nature works so well. And remember, as Mayor Wilkins always said, “There’s nothing uncool about healthy teeth and bones”

“Now, the MAYOR, on the other hand, is easily the best of the Buffy villains. He’s manipulative, he’s funny, and he’s scary in a very quiet way. The father figure he plays to Faith also makes him intriguing.” – Rick

“…he is not only the best Whedon villian, but one of the best ever. Right behind Hannibal Lechter in Silence.” – Payden Cash

#2. Alpha

Newicue Rank = NOL

One of the main reasons I think Alpha made this list is that the actor who played him is beloved and AMAZING. Tudyk’s portrayal of Alpha was one of maturity and finesse. The first season of Dollhouse was only as good as it was beacuse of Alpha’s brutality, and the fear he struck into those who ran the house. My problems with the show itself aside, I think that his character was all over the place in the second season. Bad, confused, good… it never really made any sense. I almost wish Joss had just waited and revisited Alpha in comics, like he did with so many other characters. Nonetheless, here is one for Dollhouse. The fans have spoken, and Alpha is #2!

“I think Alpha was the greatest villain of all time. Alan Tudyk played him brilliantly.” – chickflix

“Dollhouse’s Alpha is also great – there’s this flamboyant Joker-esque quality to him that I love. (and the switcheroo in s1 took me completely by surprise)” – Rick

#1. Angelus

Newicue Rank = #2

The Baddest of the Badasses. In Angel, when the team voluntarily brings Angelus back to get information on the Beast, he picks them off one by one, preying on their weaknesses. We get to see how psychologically damaging he can be. The emergence of Angelus is always a fear in the hearts of those around Angel. What equals true happiness? What could possibly bring out the beast? In a way, Angelus is Angel’s greatest enemy. He is Buffy’s greatest enemy. He is EVERYONE’s greatest enemy. It is understanable the he would be voted number 1 by so many people. Out of nearly 7,000 votes, he was over 100 votes ahead of Alpha in second. This was the largest gap in between any two back to back characters on this list.

So there they are. Your picks for the top 10 Whedon Villains!