Top 10 Greatest Cartoon Network Villains of all Time

Not just anyone can cheat death, but then again, not just anyone can challenge the grim reaper. For a guy whose job it is to take undying souls to the afterworld, “Regular Show”’s Death is a pretty chill dude, albeit a bit competitive. Don’t get us wrong: he’s got a bit of a temper and he certainly takes pleasure out of seeing others in pain - but whenever one of the lives of the park's members becomes threatened, he’s still usually open to striking up some kind of deal or proposition for the sparing of their soul. Word to the wise: if you’re ever caught in an arm wrestling match with him, go for his left hand. No one said Death had to play fair.

When it comes to boy geniuses with secret labs, there can only be one. After transferring to Dexter's school, Susan ‘Mandark’ Astronomonov wastes no time demonstrating his unrivaled intellect to his lesser rival. Wanting nothing more than to see Dexter assume defeat and destroy his own lab, the evil boy genius is cleverly conned into trusting Dexter's older sister Dee Dee, which ultimately led to the destruction of his lab. Devastated and without his life's greatest achievement, Mandark slowly falls into a more sinister identity, and not only plots on Dexter's downfall, but also on world domination.

The only thing standing in between this alien's conquest of taking over the universe is one 10-year-old boy with a fancy watch. Vilgax is widely feared as one of the galaxy's most dangerous beings, and for good reason: after an injury forced him to enter a regeneration chamber, he came out cybernetically enhanced, causing him to be even stronger than he was before. However, shapeshifting hero Ben 10 is in possession of the one device he needs in order to build his all powerful army. Due to the young earthling's tenacity, Vilgax has not only been unsuccessful in his attempts, but he has also been banished to the Null Void. While "the most dangerous being in the universe" hasn't abandoned his goal of universe domination, revenge against the Omnitrix warrior is high on his list - so much so that he returns as Ben 10’s main antagonist in the 2017 revival of the series.

Villainy is no excuse to lack style and finesse. Katz is a sociopathic con artist that can justify any means to his end if it results in him winning. The red cat prefers to deceive his victims through the use of scam businesses, in which he'll lure unsuspecting guests into deathly situations for his own gain. Because of his hate for dogs in general and his hate for Courage, Katz enforces strict “No Dogs Allowed” policies. In the event that the cowardly dog attempts to foil his plans, Katz will offer him a chance to best him in a game. All in the name of good sportsmanship we guess.

In the internal struggle against the adults, parents just don't understand. Benedict “Father” Uno operates as the owner of Evil Adult Industries Inc.. He is also as the actual father to the Delightful Children From Down The Lane, who are the Kids Next Door's most relentless adversaries. Father's chief desire is to see the Kids Next Door disbanded, as he carries no tolerance for children and their disobedience. The figurehead is rarely seen out of his shadowed silhouette and prefers to enlist specialized forces to help eradicate his archenemies. It’s believed that Father's social issues are related to his complicated relationship with his own father.

As the leader of the Great Diamond Authority, which rules with absolute power over the Gem Homeworld, it’s not a stretch to say that White Diamond has - on more than one occasion - allowed her powers to go to her head. She doesn’t make it easy to get along with her, and is known to blow up once in awhile. The fact that she doesn’t leave her ship unless she absolutely needs to and that she hasn’t even left the Gem Homeworld in who knows how long has likely contributed to this. Due to her powers and abilities, she elicits fear from other gems as well as from other Diamonds. But thanks to Steven, she’s able to realize that her obsession with perfection is not only flawed, but that she is far from perfect herself.

What do you call a king without his queen? Let us introduce you to the Ice King. He’s a vindictive ruler whose inability to attract a suitable wife has led him to kidnap princesses and force them into marriage instead. The Ice King's attempts are consistently thwarted by Finn and Jake, and eventually the wizard was deemed harmless by those of the Candy Kingdom. Upon the realization that the Ice King isn't inherently evil, unlike The Lich (xref), and just immensely lonely, there are those that have been able to sympathize with his social inadequacies. After all, sometimes even villains need love too.

Some villains perform better in the shadows. This guy is a key example. Slade's origin is just as much a mystery as his true intentions. However, he's made it clear that the existence of the Teen Titans threatens his master plan. Despite possessing superhuman abilities and advanced training, Slade more often than not relies on recruiting talent to aid him in disposing of his teenage adversaries. The villain's special interest in Robin, the leader of the Titans, has allowed them to form a distinguished rivalry, as neither can stand the thought of losing.

Villains are sometimes like superheroes in that they aren't necessarily born, but made. This maniacal mastermind originated from the very same scientist that created his three super-powered arch nemeses. Envious of the attention that the Powerpuff Girls received, Mojo became hell-bent on seeing the trio destroyed. The chimpanzee differs from HIM in that the demonic monster simply wants to see the girls suffer. Following his mutation as a result of his exposure to Chemical X, the evil monkey gained a genius level intellect. However, it has done little to deter him from being frequently outsmarted by kindergarteners.

Before we unveil our pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Red Guy
“Cow and Chicken” (1997-1999)

Nergal
“The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy” (2003-08)

V.V. Argost
“The Secret Saturdays” (2008-10)

Kanker Sisters
“Ed, Edd n Eddy” (1999-2009)

Van Kleiss
“Generator Rex” (2010-13)

You'd had better come well equipped if ever facing off with this shapeshifting demon. Aku's omnipotent presence has given him dominion over the world Samurai Jack once called home, bringing him to oppose the Dark God in one fateful battle. Being the cunning sorcerer that he is, Aku would save himself by sending Jack into a future era where his rule is absolute. Despite the overlord's arrogance, he recognizes that the lone samurai may be the only human in existence capable of defeating him, and it is for this reason Aku opts to recruit his minions to deal with Jack rather then leaving himself vulnerable once again.