Summary

• TV has given rise to complex and captivating female villains that audiences simultaneously hate and can't get enough of.
• These female antagonists, like Aunt Lydia from The Handmaid's Tale and Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones, can elicit strong emotions from viewers, turning them against their own beloved heroes.
• From the seductive Alice Morgan in Luther to the manipulative Katherine Pierce in The Vampire Diaries, these female villains bring depth and complexity to their roles that make them both terrifying and compelling.

A great villain can make a viewer's blood boil, yet deep down they know their favorite TV series wouldn't be the same without these characters' devious acts. In recent years, TV has allowed for a growing number of fantastic female antagonists, offering a complexity that can make audiences simultaneously hate them and need more of them. These women are willing to destroy the hero or whoever else they please in a way that's compelling and completely steals the show.

From the despicable Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter to Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the movies have many iconic female villains. With the golden age of television allowing for more complex characters and larger roles for women on TV, female antagonists on the small screen are being explored in a level of depth that allows audiences to connect and sympathize with them. Great TV villains can make audiences sympathize to the point where they're turning against their heroes — or make them so angry and frustrated that they need to shut off their televisions.

11 Alice Morgan - Luther

Luther begins as a captivating game of cat and mouse between the titular character and the seductive murderer Alice. She is a fiercely intelligent and dangerous killer, managing to outwit the show's hero on many occasions. Alice is terrifying, but she's also painfully irresistible and captivating. The complex romantic relationship between the show's characters draws many comparisons to Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham.

10 Katherine Pierce - The Vampire Diaries

Katherine Pierce is the vampire doppelganger to Elena Gilbert, allowing actress Nina Dobrev to dabble in both good and evil in The Vampire Diaries. Katherine is manipulative and cruel, but despite being a vampire, she shows acts of humanity from time to time that make audiences fall for her. Katherine's charm and occasional acts of love make her a villain viewers love to hate.

9 Livia Soprano - The Sopranos

In a show about violent mobsters and murderers, Livia Soprano still manages to be one of the most hated characters in The Sopranos. Not only is she the mastermind who attempts to turn Junior against her own son in season 1, but her behavior impacts Tony Soprano long after her death. While playing the part of the miserable old woman, Livia Soprano manipulates those around her, and never once takes responsibility for her actions.

8 Stormfront - The Boys

The Boys is filled with characters who are fun to hate. From Homelander to Soldier Boy, the Prime Video series is filled with irredeemable villains who constantly steal the show. The Boys season 2 villain Stormfront is one of the most unlikable characters on the show, primarily because she's an actual Nazi. Like many supe villains in The Boys, the threat of Stormfront is that she was able to fake being a hero, and knew how to manipulate the public.

7 Aunt Lydia - The Handmaid's Tale

Ann Dowd is a fantastic actress who also played a great female antagonist in HBO's The Leftovers. However, it's her role as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale that's downright terrifying. The world of Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale is a bleak, dystopian future ruled by an oppressive theocracy that largely restricts the role of women in society. Aunt Lydia is a woman who s this terrible regime, making her a major threat. Lydia brutally enforces the patriarchal power of Gilead to the point of abusive violence, making her so easy to hate.

6 Kai Winn - Deep Space Nine

In the massive universe of Star Trek, Kai Winn stands out as a memorable villain who made audiences legitimately furious. Smartly written and brilliantly portrayed by Louise Fletcher, Kai Winn is a religious leader with great aspirations, utilizing her image of social niceties to commit acts of self-service and rise through the ranks. She was a politician disguised in religious attire, making her both incredibly dangerous and an intelligent social commentary.

5 Georgina Sparks - Gossip Girl

While Georgina may not be the terrifying murderer psychopath that other female villains are, in the world of Gossip Girl, she serves as a perfect foil early on. Georgina finds a number of ways to meddle and sabotage those around her, from putting roofies in Serena's drinks to having characters deported. Somehow, despite every awful act, Georgina manages to be a villain who is hard not to love.

4 Villanelle - Killing Eve

Jodie Comer is one of the most exciting young actors in recent years, with the character Villanelle in Killing Eve showing the terrific range she's capable of. Villanelle is a cold-hearted assassin who's happy to commit simple acts of cruelty and shows no remorse for the lives she ends. The scariest thing about Villanelle is the pure joy and fun she seems to feel from her cruelty, and that she's not only a ruthless killer but also a character who provides great comic relief in the series.

3 Sue Sylvester - Glee

Played by the hilarious Jane Lynch, Sue Sylvester is the thorn in the side of Glee's New Directions. As the largely successful coach of the cheerleading squad, Sue is a bully to everyone at McKinley High, from students to teachers, and even to the school's principal. Competition for funding puts her at direct odds with Will Schuester, causing her to constantly attempt to sabotage the underdog glee club and its . There is more to Sue than the devious outer layer, though, and as the show progresses it begins to explore her complex and vulnerable sides.

2 Azula - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is filled with iconic characters, with Azula being one of the most memorable. While she may only be 14, she's incredibly tactical, manipulative, and powerful, allowing her to have a threatening, power-hungry presence. Azula is a product of the abusive, war-like culture in which she was raised, psychologically damaging her and forcing her to project that same trauma onto others. No matter what evil she commits, Azula is a villain fans still feel remorse for in the end.