This February 14th we celebrate Valentines Day,a day of Romance and Chocolates. Well,That's not how We are gonna be celebrating that day. Nope,here at Retro Rebellion,Feb 14th is Villain-tines Day,a day for Bad Guy Love.
With that Said,Retro Rebellion presents tbe Ultimate List of Memorable Animated Villains...according to Me,that is. This list will not only contain Cartoon and Anime Villains,but also Video Game Baddies as well.
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Let's get started with some Honorable Mentions.
Don Turtelli (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles '87) - Turtelli was a crime boss from the 80's Ninja Turtles show who had a fun way of getting info from his victims - tickling their feet. His most famous victim being April O'Neil. Overall,Turtelli was a fun idea for a Villain.
Tron Bonne (Mega Man Legends) - This Pirate Princess isn't a Villain,per se,but still a very memorable and fun Antagonist. Her family theme song is also fun and memorable.
Dr. Robotnik (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog) - This version of Dr.Eggman is one of the most memorable and entertaining Game to Toon characterzations ever. This is mostly thanks to his starring role in various Youtube Poop videos. He's biggest mission is to either capture or destroy,his ultimate nemesis,Sonic The Hedgehog,so that he can rule Mobius.
Darth Vader (Star Wars) - Not an Animated Baddie,but had to be put on this list due to how Iconic He is. His theme,the Imperial March,is also Iconic.
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And now for the Main List.
The Joker (Batman) - The Joker has always been the antithesis of Batman and it's because of this,he's not only the most memorable member of Batman's Rogues Gallery,but also a Definitive one. You just can't have a proper Batman series without The Joker. There have been many many versions of the character,but the best and most iconic version is the Joker from the 90's Animated Series (voiced by Luke Skywalker himself,Mark Hamil). He was really fun to watch,Hamil's Joker is just Legendary. And how about that iconic laugh of his?
Shao Khan (Mortal Kombat) - "You Will Die,Mortal!" Those are the Immortal Words of The Mighty Emperor of Outworld. For most fans of Mortal Kombat,Shao Khan was their first taste of a Big Bad in the Series. Khan has a very cool and very iconic look,which is a mix between Skeletor and a Samurai. Khan was the most powerful boss in the 2D Mortal Kombat games,decimating everyone in just a few hits. If you were an arcade-goer,this lead to a lot of Quarters being spent...and I do mean A Lot.
Dr.Doom (Marvel) - He was the 1st Real Big Bad of the Marvel Multiverse and is still a big deal today. That metal mask and green hooded cape of his are simply unforgettable. And while there are more powerful Villains in the Marvel Multiverse,Dr.Doom remains the most iconic and memorable.
The Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) - There have been many versions of The Shredder,and each of them memorable in their own way. But the '87 Animated version of tbe Turtles' Chief Nemesis is special. See,The Shredder was only the main villain for a short while in the Original Mirage Comic,who soon became an afterthought after he was killed. The '87 version expanded the characters roll in the franchise and eventually made the character popular. He soon became the Turtles' #1 Villain thoughout the franchise. Despite their differences,all Shredders have the same goal: World Domination.
Skeletor (Masters of the Universe) - He-Man and Eternia's #1 Nemesis. Skeletor covets the secrets of Castle Greyskull so that he can rule the Galaxy. Like with Shredder and Joker,there are multiple versions of Skeletor,But none so iconic or memorable as the Filmation version. Yeah,that version of Skeletor was the most fun to watch...especially when he does that iconic evil laugh of his.
Megatron (Transformers) - The Definitive Leader of The Decepticons believes in Peace though Tyranny and will stop at nothing to rule the Universe and rob it of it's Energon. Like with other Baddies on tbis list,there are multiple versions of this guy,but the G1 Version will always be the most iconic and memorable.
Cobra Commander (G.I. Joe) - There are multiple versions of this dude too and they are all Megalomaniacs who lead Cobra,a ruthless organisation hellbent on dominating the world. The Real American Hero Cobra Commander is the one everyone best remembers...complete with raspy voice. Cooobraaaaa!!!
Mumm-Ra (Thundercats) - An ancient evil of Third Earth,who calls upon the powers of The Ancient Spirits of Evil to become Mumm-Ra,the Ever-Living. He was the biggest threat to the Thundercats and almost succeeded in destroying them a few times. 80's Mumm-Ra was the best version.
Giovanni (Pokemon) - The leader of Team Rocket,a ruthless mafia-like organisation who use Pokemon for their criminal activities. One of the most memorable things (if not the most memorable thing) about Giovanni is when he revealed himself to be the mysterious Veridian City Gym Leader way back in Generation 1. There were many other Evil Teams and Bossess after him,but Giovanni and Team Rocket remain the most memorable and most iconic.
Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog) - A man shaped like an egg and has an I.Q. over 300. Eggman's goal is to conquer the world with his Deadly Machines. He would've succeeded too if not for his arch-nemesis,Sonic the Hedgehog. Eggman battles Sonic in a veriaty of Vehicles and Mechs,some of which were iconic. Dr.Eggman is a classic Video Game Baddie and Tbe Sonic Series wouldn't be the same without him.
Bowser Koopa (Super Mario) - He's big,strong,has a fiery temper,and Loves to kidnap Princessess. He's King Bowser Koopa,the biggest threat to the Mushroom Kingdom and the very first boss most NES players have ever encountered. It's one of the reasons why Bowser is so memorable. Fun fact: Shigeru Miyamoto initially based Bowser on the Ox Demon King from Journey to the West,that's why he has ox-like features. Bowser was given some turtle-like features as well,to make him realated to the Koopa's,who were turtles.
Dr.Wily (Mega Man) - Ex-friend and Rival of Dr. Light. Dr.Wily wants to dominate the the world and force it to recognize him as the Ultimate Robitics Genius. For us Mega Man fans,Dr.Wily is fondly remembered as the OG Mega Man Villain and to this day remains one of the most iconic Baddies in All of Video Games.
Sigma (Mega Man X) - Sigma,aka the greatest Mega Man Villain,was originally a Maverick Hunter turned evil by a Virus. Ever since his 1st defeat at the hands of X,Sigma now lives on as a living digital entity that's part computer virus. There have been,and there will be,many more X-Series villains,but Sigma will Always remain Lord Of The Mavericks!
Ganon/Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda) - Ganondorf is a Gerudo who is the reincarnation of the Demon Lord Demise,and it's because of this,Ganondorf is the emodiment of evil. He aims to dominate Hyrule and rid it of it's Legendary Hero,Link and it's Princess,Zelda. In many continuities,Ganondorf controls the Triforce of Power.He also has a Demon Boar form simply called,Ganon. There were many Villains in the Zelda Franchise,but Ganondorf will always remain the most iconic.
M.Bison (Street Fighter) - The OG Street Fighter Baddie is Still the best. Energized with Psycho Power,M.Bison is one of the franchises most powerful villains. He is the leader of Shadaloo,an underground terrorist organization. Out of all the Street Fighter villains,M.Bison remains the most memorable.
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7) - The King of All Final Fantasy Villains. With his cool look and Awesome Sword (the masamune),Sephiroth instantly became a fan favorite. Sephiroth's goal in the original game was to become one with the planet by striking it with Meteor (look up the FF7 story for yourselves guys,cuz I ain't gonna explain how sephy's plan is supposed to work). Sephiroth remains the face of all Final Fantasy Villains,he's just that iconic.
Queen Beryl (Sailor Moon) - Galaxia's the most powerful,Nehelenia is the sexiest,Pharaoh 90's the biggest,and Death/Doom Phantom is the scariest. But Beryl will alway be the most Iconic and memorable Villain in the Sailor Moon franchise. After all,she was the first major villain we Sailor Moon fans were exposed to. Beryl herself was the ruler of the Dark Kingdom,an ancient evil group who,along with their mistress Metalia,decimated the Silver Milenium. They were later reborn on Earth after their first total defeat by Queen Serenity. On Earth, they seek the Silver Crystal,the only thing that will restore Metalia to form.
Frieza (Dragon Ball) - Intergalactic Tyrant Frieza is the most recognizable villain in all of Dragon Ball. We first meet him in the Namek Saga of Z,where he was after the Namekian Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. The tyrant almost succeded,but was thwarted by his lack of understanding the Namekian Language. He later met his first true defeat at the hands of Super Saiyan Goku. Since then,Frieza has made many many more apperences throught the franchise,including having a major roll in Dragon Ball Super. He's a true Anime icon.
Devimon (Digimon) - Devimon was the very first villain the Digidestened crossed paths with. His voice and look make him one of the most memorable anime villains of all time. His Touch of Evil and Black Gears can corrupt any Digimon. Devimon is a great villian and one of the most memorable in the Digimon Franchise.
Myotismon (Digimon) - Myotismon was the second Major threat that the Digidestined has faced. He wanted total domination of both the Real and Digital Worlds,but first he had to find the 8th Digidestined and destroy her. Because he knows that once the 8 Digidestined Children are united,he'd be in serious trouble. Anyway,Myotismon had a very cool look,he was like a masked vampire-lord. Liked his voice too,very menacing. Myotismon will always be remembered fondly by Digimon fans and Anime fans alike.
Dr. Claw (Inspector Gadget) - Dr. Claw,leader of the criminal organization known as M.A.D. This dude is an 80's cartoon icon and it's due to his deep menacing voice and overall presentation (only his arms were shown to the viewer).
Mojo Jojo (The Powerpuff Girls) - There's just something memorable and entertaining about an evil,somewhat-goofy,fast-talking chimp with a super-brain. His laugh is fun too.
Mandark (Dexter's Laboratory) - Mandark is Dexter's greatest rival and evil scientist in-training. He was an entertaining villain. His laugh was the most memorable thing about him.
Maleficent (Disney Animated Canon) - The Mistress of All Evil. There have been various versions of the character,but the OG Maleficent will always be the best and most iconic. No words can describe the awesomeness that is the DAC Maleficent.
So what do you think? Should We celebrate Villain-tine's Day Every Feb 14th? And how about my personal picks? Lemmie know in the comment section.
Until Next Time,
Stay Gold,Space Cowboys.
