The 20 best sitcom villains

Married…with Children was the type of Fox sitcom that pushed the boundaries of good taste. The series focused primarily on Al Bundy, but he was surrounded by characters who tried his patience and revealed his shortcomings at every turn. His particular nemesis was his neighbor, Marcy D’Arcy, who seemed to take pleasure in needling and emasculating him. Though Al landed a few blows in their verbal sparring, it was more than clear that Marcy remained virtually unmoved by his efforts. When it came down to it, she clearly had the upper hand in their relationship.

Jane Lynch gave one of the performances of her career in Glee, in which she plays the nefarious cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. A steadfast opponent of the New Directions, she goes to great lengths to make life as miserable as possible for Will and his students. In Lynch’s capable hands, she becomes a villain who manages to redeem the entire show. While absolutely committed to power and winning — no matter the cost — she has more humane and soft qualities. However, these are often subordinated to her more utilitarian view of the world and her place in it. 

Though Jake Peralta of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a skilled detective, he has to contend with a number of opponents throughout the series. Few people manage to get under his skin as much as the Vulture, however. He always snatches Jake’s cases from under him just before he is ready to solve them. Dean Winters is sublime in this role, imbuing the character with a certain handsome charisma, even as he also makes it clear that the Vulture is a truly disgusting person who looks at women as little more than conquests and cares little about the actual solving of crimes, just so long as he gets the credit. 

Olivia Colman is one of the most talented actors of her generation, capable of playing tyrannical royals like Queen Anne and loving mothers. In Fleabag, she plays Godmother, the godmother (and later stepmother) of the main character. Colman is in fine form in the role, using her wide eyes and gentle voice to convey this character’s innate cruelty. Indeed, there’s something more than a little terrifying about the sharp juxtaposition between the character’s honey-sweet voice and the cutting remarks she always makes about her stepchildren. Even though the audience is led to hate her, the fact that Colman is playing her keeps her from becoming totally despicable. 

30 Rock, in typical sitcom fashion, is populated by larger-than-life personalities, from Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon to Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy. Likewise, it is known for producing several great villains, from Jack’s domineering mother to his arch-nemesis, played by the enormously talented Will Arnett. Devon Banks yearns to supplant Jack and, to this end, will do almost anything to get what he wants. Arnett renders him into a cartoonishly fiendish character, but this is precisely what makes him so much fun to watch. No matter how much he tries to get ahead of Jack, he is always stymied in his efforts.

In addition to being one of the funniest sitcoms of recent years, The Good Place is also a remarkably complex series, engaging with questions of morality, philosophy, and the nature of the afterlife. Though most of its episodes center on the four main characters as they navigate life after death, it also has several powerful and nefarious villains. Of these, Adam Scott’s Trevor is particularly memorable. It helps that Scott was so beloved as Ben in Parks and Recreation. Trevor takes his job as a demon very seriously, and he is quite adept at tormenting, so it makes sense that he would be seen as nothing less than the epitome of evil. 

Long before she was issuing ultimatums to studio bosses, Fran Drescher was enchanting audiences as the loud-voiced Fran Fine on The Nanny. From the beginning, it was clear she had her eye on her boss, Mr. Sheffield, but she always had to contend with icy blonde C.C. Babcock, who had her own designs on Maxwell. It was always fun to see C.C. thwarted by Fran, but not nearly as fun as watching her lock horns with butler Niles. It’s particularly hilarious to witness those moments when C.C.’s iron composure breaks, usually because of one of Fran’s hijinks.

The Drew Carey Show is the quintessential workplace comedy, and though the “everyman” Drew Allison Carey is the main character, he’s joined by a number of other more outlandish characters. Extraordinary in this regard is Mimi, who, with her vibrant clothing and makeup, is yet another of those unruly women who populate the sitcom world. She loves nothing more than making Drew’s life miserable. Though the show clearly doesn’t want the audience to identify with or even really like her, Kathy Kinney’s performance is so committed and rich that Mimi becomes more than just a shrewish stereotype. 

If there was ever a show that showed in stark terms the ineptitude and self-serving nature of many in American politics, it’s Veep. While Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer might be the focus of the show, one of her primary antagonists is Jonah Ryan, who begins as a lowly operative at the White House but builds his own power. Jonah is unapologetically terrible and goes out of his way to be as unpleasant as possible. There’s something almost refreshing about the fact that he makes no apologies for being such a terrible person.

Futurama is one of those sitcoms that demonstrates the extent to which animation can be as entertaining for adults as it is for children. Though it takes place in the distant future, it nevertheless offers some brilliant insights into the present. One of its most enjoyable recurring characters is Mom. At first glance, she appears to be a kindly old lady who wants to take care of her customers. In reality, she is a ruthless and cutthroat capitalist who is far more spry than she lets on. It’s precisely this skillful duplicity that earns her a place among the great sitcom villains, particularly since she repeatedly shows that she has no compunction about removing those who stand in her way.

From the very beginning, MASH demonstrated that it had what it took to be one of the great sitcoms, with a memorable and very talented cast, sharp writing, and piercing social insight. Of course, like all good sitcoms, it had its fair share of villains. Frank Burns was undeniably villainous. Weasel-faced, cruel, and unbearably arrogant, he frequently made life miserable for the various members of the 4077th. At the same time, there was more to him than met the eye, and there were hints that his nefarious nature was due, at least in part, to a troubled upbringing. This layer of ambiguity makes him such a great villain. 

Of all the many denizens of Springfield, Mr. Burns is by far the most nefarious. Possessed of enormous wealth and utterly unscrupulous, he is the epitome of American capitalism. He also looks the part, with his increasingly decrepit body and wizened and withered visage. He’s the type of larger-than-life sitcom villain who will do whatever it takes to hold onto his vast fortune, and he doesn’t care how many people he has to hurt to do so. His unabashed greed and nefariousness make him such a beloved sitcom villain. It’s easy to see why he regularly tops the list of great Simpsons characters. 

Over its numerous seasons, Frasier  consistently proved to be one of the best comedies to have emerged from the 1990s. Much of this can be attributed to the chemistry of its cast, and both Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce deserve significant credit for so memorably portraying Frasier and Niles Crane, respectively. Also of note is Frasier’s ex-wife, Lilith, whose icy mannerisms and detached demeanor were perfectly captured and conveyed by Bebe Neuwirth. Cold, cutting, and deliciously venomous at times, Lilith is perfectly positioned to effortlessly puncture Frasier’s pomposity and sense of self-regard. Watching two such perfectly cast actors striking sparks off each other is a joy. 

When it comes to cringe sitcoms, no show can hold a candle to The Office, which took an original British concept and Americanized it. While Jim, Pam, and Michael might conceivably be seen as the series’ protagonists, Rainn Wilson’s Dwight Schrute more than steals these. Dour yet relentlessly efficient and a remarkably good salesman, Dwight makes for a very good nemesis for Jim, who often manages to dupe him. However, Dwight is more than just a straightforward villain, and the show wisely gives him the space to grow and become a fully fleshed-out character with his own struggles and character development.

Like Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is very much a show about terrible people. Though the Gang is deeply troubled and on the verge of the dangerously deranged, they’re more than matched in this regard by their regular nemeses, the McPoyles. Both unsettling and over-the-top, these two brothers (as well as their extended family) have become more unhinged and physically creepy. Any time brothers Liam and Ryan show up, it’s almost guaranteed that they will cause chaos in the lives of the Gang and anyone else who happens to cross their path. This is also true of their extended family, including Pappy (memorably portrayed by none other than Guillermo del Toro). 

By this point, The Simpsons has become something of an American institution, and it’s almost impossible to imagine a television landscape of which it’s not a part. Famous for its various colorful characters, one villain looms above them all: Sideshow Bob. Memorably voiced by the talented Kelsey Grammer, he has made it his life’s mission to destroy Bart Simpson by whatever means necessary. With his rapier wit and his nefarious laugh, Bob is one of the finest characters to have emerged from the series. Despite his murderous tendencies, it’s impossible to really dislike him, and his appearance on the series is always a cause for celebration. 

Focusing on the various detectives of the 99th Precinct of the New York Police Department, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of those shows that invites the viewer to love and care about its characters. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t have villains because it certainly does, including Kyra Sedgwick’s nefarious Madeline Wuntch. She has a particularly antagonistic relationship with Captain Holt, and it’s always hilarious when she shows up to trade insults with him. She has a definite edge as a villain, considering that she is more than willing to damage Holt’s career whenever the opportunity presents itself. 

Even for a show as devoted to portraying terrible people as Seinfeld, Newman stands out as being particularly nefarious. Played by the great Wayne Knight, Newman seems to take particular joy in making Jerry’s life miserable. (To be fair, Jerry doesn’t do anything to endear himself to Newman, either.) On the other hand, Newman seems quite close to Kramer, as seen by how often he helps the other man with his various schemes. Given how much fun it is to watch Jerry and Newman spar with each other and how campy Knight’s performance often is, it’s easy to see why he remains so beloved among audiences. 

Parks and Recreation has a well-deserved reputation for being a show that aims to make its audience feel better about the world. Nevertheless, it has its fair share of villains, one of the most notable of whom is the woman referred to as Tammy 2. As Ron Swanson’s second wife, she retains a remarkable hold on him, and anytime she arrives, she causes untold chaos in his life. She is also one of Leslie’s nemeses, given that she has control over the Pawnee Library. Megan Mullally is at her deliriously hilarious best in the role, and she makes Tammy into a cunning and clever villain who is more than willing to use her sexual hold over Ron to make him miserable and bend him to her will.

Though she might be best known these days for playing the lovable and naive Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls,  Betty White had been on television for a long time before that show began, and she was particularly well-known for playing Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. White gives one of her best performances in the role, capturing Nivens’ two-sided personality. To fans of her television show, she appears to be indeed the happy homemaker, but in reality, she is ruthlessly (and sometimes cruelly) sarcastic and man-loving. Watching her spar with Mary and everyone else in the show is a pleasure.