There are many reasons that we fall in love with TV villains. Maybe they live life the way we only dream of, ignoring the rules of polite society and taking what they want. Perhaps we are intrigued by the intricate traps they set for our favorite characters. Or, simply put, they're just badasses.
Whatever the reasons, a great villain can capture our imaginations in ways that a hero often can't. If you have a vision of morality that is absolute, you're likely disappointed when noble leads let you down. For villains there's much more of a grey area: Absolute evil is rare (and usually boring). The chance for redemption exists in even the darkest of souls.
Whether they traffic in petty nuisances or plots of wholesale destruction, there are those small-screen baddies that everyone loves to hate. These are the 25 greatest TV villains of all time.
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Written by Brenden Gallagher (@muddycreekU)