apocalyptically grim world of Dark Sun.
Yet one question may prove to be more important than that of setting – after all, as a multiverse home to all manner of spellcasters and magical trinkets that can send people from one world to another, settings are just places where events happen. What is far more important, is picking out good villains to menace the party. A formidable villain is integral to good D&D storytelling, and with the right villains, a live-action D&D show could easily be the next breakout fantasy streaming hit.
10 Kitiara Uth Matar
Dragonlance's Morally Flexible Seductress
In the world of Krynn, there are some genuinely titanic, monstrous villains. And then, on the other side of the spectrum, there is Kitiara Uth Matar. This ambitious swordswoman was born in poverty during one of Krynn's darkest times, and, through her skills and charm, rose to prominence as a Dragon Highlord in the service of the dark goddess Takhisis. Atop the back of her blue dragon companion Skie, she led the Blue Dragonarmy to victory after victory in the War of the Lance.
Takhisis, the Queen of Many Colors and None, was originally meant to be a separate deity from Tiamat, although both were frequently depicted as a massive dragon with five heads, one for each color of chromatic dragon. Later editions of D&D clarified that they were the same entity, and that any differences were just due to the nature of her manifestations on Krynn being different from those on other D&D worlds like Toril.
Kitiara would be a phenomenal villain in live-action because her flavor of evil is selfish, not outright cruel; she cares deeply for people, like her half-brothers Caramon and Raistlin, as well as her childhood love Tanis Half-Elven, who all fought against her during the War of the Lance. It's just that as much as Kitiara can love anyone else, she loves herself more. Although a Dragonlance-specific show is unlikely to happen, an anthology or world-hopping approach would allow for Kitiara to bring her signature seductive talents to bear in making any heroes' lives difficult.
9 Lord Soth
Death Knight Of The Black Rose
Another Dragonlance villain, Soth is one of D&D's greatest tragic figures. Once a virtuous and proud Knight of Solamnia, Soth broke his vows to his Order and his wife; then, after being given a chance to redeem himself and save the world, he fell victim to jealousy. Soth doubled down on his crimes even as the gods smote Krynn with a fiery mountain. His body died in that fire, but his soul was cursed to walk the world in pain and anguish as penance for his sins, and he was made a death knight.
His power as a death knight makes him a genuine threat to even the strongest adventurers, and whatever mercy once lived in his soul burned away in the Cataclysm.
Much like his beloved Kitiara, Soth's kind of evil is that of selfishness and pride. His loyalty to Takhisis was only ever a means to an end so he could find a way to have Kitiara's soul him in eternity. Yet his power as a death knight makes him a genuine threat to even the strongest adventurers, and whatever mercy once lived in his soul burned away in the Cataclysm. Soth also spent time as one of the Dreadlords in the world of Ravenloft, meaning he could easily appear anywhere in the D&D multiverse as an implacable foe.
8 Jarlaxle Baenre
Sellsword, Thief, Murderer, And All-Around Charming Bastard
Drizzt Do'Urden might be the most famous D&D drow, but Jarlaxle Baenre isn't too far behind him. This charismatic sellsword was raised as a weapon in the drow city of Menzoberranzan, where the cruel and matriarchal society and the dread goddess Lloth only ever saw him as a tool for chaos and violence. Jarlaxle set out to make his own fortune, founding the mercenary company Bregan D'aerthe. Over the years, he was both friend and foe to Drizzt, depending on his priorities.
This Legend Of Drizzt Character Could Give D&D The Queer TV Icon It Needs
The Legend of Drizzt books by R.A. Salvatore have TV's next queer icon waiting to be adapted, and a streaming giant should exploit that.
As dangerous as he is suave, Jarlaxle is a fantastic potential antagonist for any D&D series set in the Forgotten Realms. Jarlaxle respects skill, power, and confidence; he has no qualms about killing, but is also content to show mercy when it can benefit him. That means that he could easily ingratiate himself with heroes, and then just as easily stab them in the back, which makes him the kind of toe that audiences love to hate.
7 Verminaard
Zealous Highlord Of The Dragonarmies
Dragonlance's mightiest Dragon Highlord, Verminaard led the Red Dragonarmy to victory after victory from atop his companion, the red dragon Ember. Verminaard ruled the lands he conquered with an iron fist, reveling in the chance to demonstrate not only his own cruelty, but that of his mistress, the dark dragon goddess Takhisis. Unfortunately for Verminaard, the Heroes of the Lance assaulted his fortress of Pax Tharkas and demonstrated that Takhisis was no longer the only goddess affecting events on Krynn, and he fell in battle against them.
As a champion of Takhisis, Verminaard is a phenomenal foe for adventurers; a show that touches on the War of the Lance could portray Verminaard at his prime, or a show on a world other than Krynn could easily justify his presence by Takhisis having plucked her champion's soul away in the moment of his death and sent him elsewhere to continue slaughtering in her name. Either way, this brutal warlord would be a truly daunting foe for any party of adventurers.
6 Demogorgon
Prince Of Demons And Lord Of The Gaping Maw
While the Stranger Things demogorgon was named after him, the true Demogorgon bears no resemblance to that mindless beast. Instead, Demogorgon is one of the demon lords of the Abyss, ruling over its 88th level, the Gaping Maw. A massive, two-headed creature of chaotic rage, Demogorgon inspires so much fear even among his fellow demons that none dare contest his self-appointed title as Prince of Demons.
Demogorgon's two mandrill-like heads, Aameul and Hethradiah, have distinct personalities and goals, which often place them at odds with each other.
D&D's cosmology portrays the Abyss as an infinite series of layered reams, ruled over by demon lords; those demons squabble with each other almost as much as they do with the forces of good and the devils of Hell. Yet consistently, Demogorgon has remained one of the most powerful lords of the Abyss, with copious mortal cultists working on the Material Plane to further his goals. Adventurers anywhere in the D&D multiverse could easily run afoul of the Prince of Demons and his plans for chaos and destruction – but surviving his wrath would be a much greater challenge.
5 Zariel
Archduchess Of Avernus
If D&D's demons are the embodiment of chaotic rage and destruction, the devils are their opposite – vindictive, ambitious, and above all, obsessed with their version of lawful behavior. One of the Lords of the Nine, Zariel is the Archduchess of Avernus, the first layer of Hell and a twisted, blood-soaked battleground. Once an archangel in the service of Heaven, her hatred for demons was so great that it consumed her, and she fell, echoing John Milton's Lucifer – "better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n."
As a potential villain, she is just sympathetic enough that characters may be tempted to try and redeem her…
As a fallen angel, Zariel has been consumed by her need for violence, and works tirelessly to ensure enough souls are dragged into the Hells to continue her prosecution of the Blood War against the Abyss. Yet beneath her cruelty, an echo of her former self persists, enough to occasionally overwhelm the archdevil with grief for her crimes against mortalkind. As a potential villain, she is just sympathetic enough that characters may be tempted to try and redeem her – but she is so consumed by her darker nature that redemption is well beyond her grasp.
4 The Lord of Blades
Warforged Prophet Of Destruction And Vengeance
D&D's world of Eberron stands out from other campaign settings because of its comparatively high level of technology, which is fueled by magic. Among the many marvels of the world are the warforged, humanoid constructs of wood and metal that have been imbued with the spark of life by arcane secrets, and who were used as disposable soldiers in the War of a Hundred Years. That conflict ended with a magical apocalypse, which transformed the country of Cyr into a twisted waste known as the Mournlands.
D&D: 10 Fun Facts About The World Of Eberron, According To Reddit
Eberron is one of many worlds for fans of Dungeons & Dragons to explore, but for those starting out, these facts should help introduce the location.
Out of the Mournlands has come a warforged calling himself the Lord of Blades, and this monstrosity has only one thing on his mind: vengeance. The Lord of Blades and his followers seek to shed mortal blood in retaliation for how warforged were used during the conflict, and have little concern for collateral damage. A TV series set in Eberron would be phenomenal for a whole host of reasons, but the potential appearance of the Lord of Blades is at the top of that list, as this mechanical mastermind has no mercy for meddling adventurers.
3 Acererak
Archilich And Mastermind Of The Tomb Of Horrors
The undead monstrosity Vecna is well-known as Critical Role's big bad, with his appearance in the season of The Legend of Vox Machina sure to challenge those intrepid adventurers to the limit of their abilities. Yet in the early days, Dungeons & Dragons had another lich who caused the deaths of uncountable adventurers: Acererak. Introduced in the classic adventure module The Tomb of Horrors, Acererak was actually Vecna's apprentice in his youth, learning horrible secrets at his master's hand before constructing the infamous Tomb.
Much like Vecna, Acererak is a twisted, selfish undead creature, set on devouring souls and continually expanding his understanding of the fundamental forces of reality. He has long abandoned inconvenient mortal frailties like morality, instead seeing all of life as just a means to his preferred end of more power. A D&D show using Acererak to his full potential would be giving its protagonists a nearly unbeatable foe, as a lich of his strength is functionally immortal.
2 Raistlin Majere
Hero Of The Lance And The Greatest Archmage In All Of Krynn
Young Raistlin Majere was a frail child, unlike his twin Caramon, who seemed to have been blessed with the muscles meant for both of them. All Raistlin had was a hunger for power, which only grew after he ed his Test at the Tower of High Sorcery and became a mage. As a Hero of the Lance, he helped fight against Takhisis as she attempted to dominate Krynn, yet his ambition led him down a darker path from that of his friends, and he traded in his red robes of neutrality for the black robes of evil.
Whether as a main antagonist or a secondary one, Raistlin's ambition would make him a great addition to any D&D story.
Raistlin has long been considered one of the most iconic D&D characters, with his golden skin and unsettling hourglass eyes. Even more iconic, though, is how he transcended time itself to take over the identity of the dark wizard Fistandantilus, risking his soul for enough power to enter the Abyss and challenge Takhisis herself for godhood. Whether as a main antagonist or a secondary one, Raistlin's ambition would make him a great addition to any D&D story.
1 Tiamat
The Great Dragon, Queen Of Many Colors And None
The greatest evil goddess in D&D's multiverse, Tiamat features heavily in such adventure modules as Tyranny of Dragons, where players are forced to prevent her from being summoned onto the Material Plane. Often manifesting as a titanic five-headed dragon, Tiamat is the mother of all evil dragons. Greedy, spiteful, and arrogant beyond belief, this dark lady of chaos is the apotheosis of evil.
Dungeons & Dragons' Tiamat Figure Towers Over Adventurers & Soda Cans
One of the most powerful foes in Dungeons & Dragons can soon face parties in the flesh, as the Tiamat figure by WizKids towers over standard minis.
Her appearance in a D&D show could be subtle, with her cultists and avatars doing horrible things in her name, or it could be horrifyingly blunt, as seen in Amazon's new Secret Level anthology, whose first episode is a Dungeons & Dragons story explosively featuring Tiamat. Even a story focusing on other foes would likely lead to Tiamat's appearance at some point, as her constant lust to control the universe means that whenever evil stirs, her involvement is only a matter of time.
Dungeons & Dragons
The Dungeons & Dragons franchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
