It happened pretty naturally. With the advent of reality TV came the reality TV villain. Because of course—just as every story has a hero, each one has a villain. But whereas the villains of Marvel movies and the like last a short while and exist solely to illuminate the prowess of the hero, over the years, the reality TV villain became the main draw. People weren't tuning in because they wanted to see Judd and Pam develop their relationship—they were tuning in to see Puck spit on people. Did anyone really care about Lauren Conrad's "foray" into the fashion world, or did they just want to see Spencer Pratt wild out? At least when it comes to watching reality TV, hate is a much stronger impetus than admiration.
Now that the puppet masters of reality television know this, reality TV villains are given center stage, and their influence is only growing. Jax Taylor is the most magnetic character on Vanderpump Rules; the most recent season of The Bachelorette fell off a cliff after the villain Chad was sent home. But the Jaxes and Chads of modern reality TV are just following the path that villain pioneers like Puck, Survivor's Richard Hatch, and Spencer paved before them. Be confrontational, be conniving, be charismatic, and above all, be the center of attention. That's the villain way, and we're glad it exists.
Since we were in a devious, "here for the wrong reasons" mood, we put together this list of the best reality TV villains. If you disagree with any of it, invite us out for drinks to talk it out AND WE WILL THROW A MARTINI IN YOUR FACE.