Top 10 Epic Entrances in Television

For a show called “Utopia,” the opening scene isn’t very utopian. But, it does start the series off with a bang. Before we get a protagonist, a plot, or any other information, we get two badass villains who are ruthless, funny, and make an amazing entrance. A comic book store isn’t the first place you’d expect to see a massacre, which makes this scene shocking enough to really make an impact. The worst part is the way they gas the owner and customers, including a little kid, claiming that it’ll just make them go to sleep…but that’s just a lie to make them compliant. Chilling.

The dragon eggs showed up in episode one, so anyone familiar with Chekhov’s Gun has been just waiting for them to hatch. And when the moment comes, it doesn’t disappoint. When Daenerys walks into her husband’s funeral pyre, it looks like she has given up—but instead, it just leads to one of the most epic moments in a series that’s pretty epic to begin with. From within two concentric rings of fire, three baby dragons are born. This scene was definitely a dramatic and unforgettable ending to season one, and hinted at how exciting the subsequent seasons would be.

So much is revealed about Frank Underwood in so little time. You might expect a wealth of scheming two-faced manipulatorsin a show about politicians, but Democratic congressman Underwood takes it to a whole new level. A whimpering dog brings him running out of his house in a show of concern, but that’s all it is—a show. With a cold calm reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Iago, Underwood turns off all emotion and smothers his neighbor's injured dog. The worst part—or the best part, depending on how you look at it—is his creepy monologue about the meaning of pain.

In a show that’s seen all kinds of demons, it isn’t easy to make an impact—but Spike certainly manages to. There’s no shortage of vamps on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but while they are undeniably creepy, evil bad guys for Buffy to stake, there’s never a really cool villain until Spike comes crashing into the “Welcome to Sunnydale” sign in his black car and black leather duster, complete with blaring rock music and a cigarette hanging from his lip. If there’s anything the first season’s villains lacked, it was personality. And from the moment he enters, Spike has personality in buckets.

This opening sequence is full of metal and robots, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the 1970s series on which the newer “Battlestar Galactica” is based. What does come as a surprise, however, is the beautiful, red-clad woman who struts in between the Cylon Centurions in the first episode of this miniseries. What makes this entrance so fantastic is how shocking it is to anyone suspecting a standard metallic toaster. Cylons have obviously designed a new and improved model. If the deadly robots can pass as humans—and incredibly sexy humans, at that—they’re going to be more dangerous than ever.

The opening scene to the iconic “Breaking Bad” packs a lot into a few seconds when Walter White bursts onto screen, manically driving an RV through the desert, wearing nothing but tighty-whities and a gas mask. You have no idea what’s going on, but it sure makes an impact and sets the pace and tone for the rest of the show. As a flash forward, it’s an excellent way to jump straight into the action and to set up the theme of science and chemicals, not to mention it shows how much of a priority Walt’s family is to him.

Douglas Reynholm’s entrance is epic just because it’s sudden, flamboyant, and shockingly inappropriate—just like the rest of the show. His father Denholm Reynholm is serious, stern, pragmatic, and an excellent businessman, but in this case the apple fell very far from the tree. After being in hiding for seven years, Douglas bursts into his father's funeral in the middle of the eulogy. From the white suit to the dramatic wail, it’s unexpected and just plain weird, and it’s clear from the first second that Douglas is going to be a fun and outrageous addition to the show.

It looks like Andrea doesn’t stand a chance against the Walkers chasing her—but then, with the slash of a katana, a mysterious hooded figure enters the scene, dragging two chained, armless Walkers behind her. In a show about zombies, it’d be hard to make a more impressive entrance. Underneath that hood, who is she? Where did she come from? What is she doing with those Walkers? And the best thing about this scene is that it’s so refreshing to see a female character make a badass entrance without relying on her sexuality.

Will McAvoy’s opening scene is painfully awkward—until it becomes awesome. As a celebrity journalist who has completely sold out, he comes across as a total pushover. But then he snaps. He suddenly can’t stomach the hypocrisy, and boy does he show it, in a speech that is not only funny and thought provoking, but also proves how much intelligence and passion the character actually has. His controversial argument that the United States is not the greatest country in the world is epicbecause it’s such a shocking message to hear, as is the hard evidence he throws out to back up his point.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:

Sherlock Holmes
“Sherlock” (2010-)

Agent Coulson
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-)

President Josiah ‘Jed’ Bartlet
“The West Wing” (1999-2006)

Slade Wilson
“Arrow” (2012-)

Apophis
“Stargate SG-1” (1997-2007)

The Master
“Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)

We’ve seen lots of epic entrances on “Supernatural,” like the light bulb-shattering, lightning-striking first appearance of the angel Castiel. But now, the End is Nigh, and if anyone knows how to make an entrance, it’s Death, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. In “Supernatural,” the Four Horsemen, foretold in the Book of Revelation, ride fancy cars instead of horses. But that doesn’t make them any less apocalyptic. Death is smooth and powerful and scary, and the super creepy soundtrack makes the scene unsettling as well as epic. “And behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.”

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite character entrance? For more epic Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.