Top 10 TV Moments When the Hero and Villain FINALLY Meet
#10: Lord Zedd Tries to Replace the Power Rangers
Top 10 Worst Things Lord Zedd Has Done on Power Rangers
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” (1993-95) In Tommy Oliver’s last episodes as the Green Ranger, Lord Zedd finally sees Zack, Jason, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini face to face. One might think he would take this as an opportunity to fight the Rangers himself. Instead, he shows them their soon-to-be replacements, the Dark Rangers, steals their powers, and lets them go, defenseless as ever. The moment is filled with tension that leaves us genuinely afraid for our protagonists. Thankfully though, the Rangers, thanks to Tommy’s resourcefulness, get their powers back from their evil counterparts. Then, they defeat the baddie and give the now-former Green Ranger a well-deserved send-off.
#9: Richard Kimble Finally Faces the One-Armed Man
“The Fugitive” (1963-67) The series finale of “The Fugitive” gave audiences the showdown they had been waiting for when Dr. Richard Kimble finally meets the One-armed Man. After chasing his wife's killer across the country for four seasons, Richard has the villain in his grasp. Though he’s arrested by his begrudging nemesis, Lt. Philip Gerard, he manages to get the detective to give him one last chance to prove his innocence. On a tower in an amusement park, Kimble and the killer fight for their lives. The Man dies. Richard is exonerated. This finale’s record-breaking viewership changed the way executives thought about the end of television shows. Arguably, the rest of this list owes their big climactic moments to what “The Fugitive” accomplished.
#8: Arthur Mitchell’s Ominous “Hello Dexter Morgan”
Top 10 Most Savage Arthur Moments
“Dexter” (2006-13; 2021-22) Vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan spends season four of the series hot on the trail of seemingly virtuous, but secretly evil, Arthur Mitchell – aka, the Trinity Killer. After discovering the church deacon’s murderous ways, Dexter realizes he feels a kinship with the fellow criminal and patriarch. So he starts a friendship with him using an alias. But the ruse is discovered. The Trinity Killer follows the blood tech, sneaks into the station, and a confrontation ensues. Mitchell stares down at Dexter and the two are finally both aware of the other’s true identity. After several episodes of Dexter making last-minute decisions not to end Arthur, it's a climactic and satisfying moment.
#7: Jessica Jones “Reunites” with Kilgrave
Top 10 Jessica Jones Easter Eggs You Never Noticed
“Jessica Jones” (2015-19) Something the first season of “Jessica Jones” does incredibly well is let Kilgrave be an ominous presence. The audience gets to see more and more of him as the episodes go on and the tension builds. Finally, after the villain forces Jessica’s neighbor to take his own life, she’s had enough of his destruction. She takes the blame for the murder, hoping this will cause his mind-control powers to finally be caught on camera. But before she can get to the Supermax prison where that kind of recording is even possible, Kilgrave shows up at the 15th Precinct, where he professes his undying love. It’s creepy, it's chilling, and Jessica Jones is not okay. Honestly, we aren’t either!
#6: Jon Snow Meets Ramsay Bolton Before the Battle
Joffrey Baratheon Vs Ramsay Bolton
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19) One of the primary conflicts of the sixth season of “Game of Thrones” comes to a head when Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton meet preceding their impending battle. The ever-virtuous Snow shuts down the idea of trading Sansa’s freedom to end the conflict between their houses. And Bolton, with his big villain energy, won’t fight Snow man-to-man. Instead, he chooses to put his life above his warriors’. With “Game of Thrones”'s brutal tendencies, it was hard to say who would come up on top and over 7.6 million people tuned in to see it all play out. Consequently, it became one of the series' most critically acclaimed episodes.
#5: Matt Murdock Is Introduced to Wilson Fisk
Top 10 Jimmy Kimmel Vs. Matt Damon Moments
“Daredevil” (2015-18) When Daredevil Matt Murdock discovers Wilson Fisk (alias Kingpin) is the man behind a criminal conspiracy in Hell’s Kitchen, a battle begins. The pair spend most of the first season dancing around one another. Daredevil stirs up chaos for the crime boss. They argue over the police radio about who really wants to rescue New York. And round and round it goes, until Matt shows up at the art gallery where Fisk’s significant other works. The Kingpin walks in and our hero clenches his fist. He knows who he’s dealing with, but his foe doesn’t. It goes without saying, but the tension is palpable. Vincent D'Onofrio’s imposing presence as Fisk and Charlie Cox’s intense energy as Murdock make the scene extra memorable.
#4: Rick Grimes Parlays with The Governor
Top 10 Rick and Morty Villains
“The Walking Dead” (2010-) When Rick Grimes meets The Governor in “The Walking Dead”, their negotiation is calm on the surface, but the stakes are anything but small. Of course, that’s exactly why it’s such an unforgettable moment. After The Governor discovers the existence of Rick’s group earlier in season three, he begins attacking them. Of course, our main characters fight back and more violence follows. So when the pair get together, they’re hoping to come to some kind of arrangement. The antagonist attempts to bond with Grimes over whiskey and their dead wives. In the end though, Rick is smart enough to see that the man can’t be trusted.
#3: Aang Battles Ozai
Top 10 Katara & Aang Moments on Avatar: The Last Airbender
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08) The battle between Aang and Ozai from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was literally a hundred years, and an entire series, in the making. Ozai's power grows stronger due to Sozin's Comet’s passing, and he plans to leverage that power to destroy the Earth Kingdom. Aang is forced to act immediately. He confronts his enemy, and the two begin their first and final battle. When Aang starts to get weary from the fight, things look bleak – that is, until the Avatar State is triggered. Now, he’s poised to kill Ozai, but he spares him and removes his powers instead. This epic meeting ends in the kind of triumph totally worthy of a series finale.
#2: Sherlock Finds Out Who Moriarty Actually Is
Top 10 Moments from Sherlock (The Series)
“Sherlock” (2010-17) In the BBC’s “Sherlock”, the titular detective is getting tired – until a series of hostages provide a new but deadly puzzle to be solved. Our hero works out every mystery, but isn’t able to save everyone. To make matters more complicated, the person behind the deadly game remains a secret until Watson becomes the final hostage and Jim Moriarty reveals himself. The scene is enthralling, to put it mildly, because as it turns out, the two had met already. Jim was dating morgue specialist Molly Hooper to spy on Sherlock. The villain had been close by the whole time, with the scheme stemming from his obsession with the protagonist. Talk about seamlessly blending excitement and clever storytelling! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
The Turtles Meet Shredder, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2012-17)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs Power Rangers
The Villain Unexpectedly Shows up & Kicks the Good Guys’ Butts
Ezra & Kanan Fight Darth Vader, “Star Wars Rebels” (2014-18)
The Heroes Barely Survive a Battle with the Dark Lord
Cohle Sees the Yellow King,“True Detective” (2014-)
Cohle Finally Confronts the Scarred & Grotesque Antagonist
Will Meets Hannibal, “Hannibal” (2013-15)
Top 10 Scariest Hannibal Moments
Hannibal Begins His “Treatment” of Will
Homelander Meets Hughie, “The Boys” (2019-)
Top 10 Worst Things Homelander Has Done on The Boys
The Encounter Makes for Intense Viewing
#1: BOB Reveals Himself
Top 10 Most Shocking Catfish Reveals
“Twin Peaks” (1990-91; 2017) Special agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry S. Truman from “Twin Peaks” set out to answer one central question: who killed Laura Palmer? The answer, it turns out, is BOB, an evil spiritual entity that possessed Laura’s father Leland. And he’s been lurking in the shadows for quite some time. Thanks to some dreams and another, more benevolent spirit named MIKE, Agent Cooper discovers BOB’s existence, and ultimately learns that Leland is its current host. The malevolent force reveals himself at the police station and admits to it all. His appearance is a gut punch as the heroes finally discover the depths of supernatural evil they’ve been up against this whole time. Did we mention BOB’s also super creepy?
