Top 10 Most Badass Supernatural Villains

Four primal beings charged by the Devil with sowing destruction and discord in the lead up to the end of the world, the Four Horsemen all have disparate personalities and abilities that make them interesting villains. War’s callous manipulation pits people against each other. Famine’s decrepitude belies his ability to infect everyone around him with paralyzing desires. Pestilence affects the manners of a folksy doctor while spreading disease. These three are all dispatched fairly quickly by the Winchesters, but the last Horseman, the wise, authoritative, and near-omnipotent Death goes on to become a pseudo-mentor figure to the heroes, helping them out, teaching them lessons, and putting them in their place.

An apparently reformed demon, Ruby is one of the first recurring villains to assist the Winchesters. She takes a particular interest in Sam, helping him develop his demonic powers as well as seducing him. However, Ruby’s help turns out to be a long con, meant to trick Sam into killing the first demon, Lilith, in order to free Lucifer from imprisonment. Despite her deception, Ruby remains a popular, if a bit polarizing, character and her insights into demons offered the first window into their motivations and background. Even we have to admit – she’s awesome. “Yeah, I'm sure you're a little angry right now, but, I mean, come on, Sam! Even you have to admit – I'm – I'm awesome!”

“Supernatural” features a plethora of monsters and villainous beings, but few of them are as loathsome as this angel. A kind of middle management figure in Heaven working for Michael the archangel, Zachariah is more dogged and ruthless in his pursuit of his goals than even the worst corporate slime ball. He frequently torments or threatens the Winchesters or their loved ones in the name of the “greater good.” So it’s intensely satisfying when Dean finally manages to put an end to this smug snake in a suit.

Speaking of business-minded villains, this leader of a group of ancient, ravenous monsters called the Leviathans is the consummate corporate shark, almost literally. Dick Roman leads his hungry brethren in their plan to turn humans into an even more delicious food supply with all the cruel delight of the worst kind of CEOs. Dick’s arrogance and, well, dickish, attitude are backed up by his tremendous strength, nigh-invulnerability, and heinous actions, including his murder of Bobby Singer. Even when he’s finally defeated, Dick still manages to have the last laugh.

While “Supernatural” manages to adapt a lot of cool lore for its stories, sometimes its original ideas are just as good. One of its best concepts to come out of the show is the Darkness, also known as Amara – God’s sister. The yin to his yang, the Darkness bent on revenge against her brother for imprisoning her and attempts to destroy his creations. As strong as or stronger than Him, this makes her arguably the strongest being in the universe. However, her power is balanced by her naiveté. Her bond with Dean and her relationship with God make her an interesting and somewhat sympathetic character.

Bad has never looked so good. Abaddon is a Knight of Hell, and a very powerful demon. After following Sam and Dean’s grandfather through a door in time, Abaddon kills him; earning the enmity of the brothers. She then goes on to try taking over the leadership of Hell before she is eventually killed by Dean with the First Blade. Abaddon conducts evil acts with infectious and playful glee, which, along with her corpse bride/goth chick appearance helps make her an engagingly vile villainess. Long live the Queen, indeed.

The scribe of God, Metatron was the angel who took down the Lord’s words. However, after an extended vacation in which he tried to read every book ever written, Metatron returned to the world stage by taking over Heaven, using his genre-savviness and vast knowledge to manipulate others, gain God-like power, and even kill Dean. After being overthrown, Metatron becomes everyone’s whipping boy and he really comes off as rather pathetic. Despite his villainy, Metatron’s admiration for humanity is genuine, to the point where he’s willing to stand up to God to defend them, which is admirable in itself. He may be a pitiful man, but Metatron is a great villain.

So nicknamed for his disconcerting peepers, Azazel is the first major villain in “Supernatural” and he definitely leaves an impression. A prince of Hell, Azazel is a demon and one of Lucifer’s most loyal followers. His murder of Sam and Dean’s mother causes their father to set the Winchesters on the path towards becoming Hunters and essentially kicks off many of the events in the series. Possessing a sinister, manic personality and a twisted sense of humor, ol’ Yellow Eyes set the standard for every villain who followed.

Speaking of irreverent villains, they don’t get much cheekier than the Prince of Darkness himself. God’s ex-favorite fallen Archangel, Lucifer is one of the biggest big bads to plague the Winchesters and everyone else in Heaven, Earth, and Hell. After manipulating many events from behind the scenes, he attempted to bring about the Apocalypse, only to be imprisoned by the Winchesters - and then getting loose once again. As improbable as it may seem, the “Supernatural” version of the Devil is incredibly funny, menacing, and even a little sympathetic, sometimes all at once, which makes him very close to being the best villain on the show. “Ooh. I’m flattered. All this hard work, all that... grr! You get 'em, slugger! I'm still gonna peel off your skin and eat your soul.”



Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Lilith



Rowena MacLeoad



Meg

“You're good. But I'm Crowley.” You were expecting someone else? Crowley is an ambitious demon, the King of Hell, and one of the longest running villains on the series, to the point of being a regular cast member. Always the pragmatist, to the point where he works with the Winchesters as often as he works against them, Crowley is a complex villain whose quick wit, sass, and endless one-liners often manage to steal the show from its heroes. For as evil as he can be sometimes, Crowley has his redeeming qualities - and we can’t help but love him. “Yes, I know. I love you, too.”