Animation
Scar
The Lion King · 1994
Fratricide, a musical number, and a lifetime of resentment
Threat index 76
Tyrant · TV
Joffrey Baratheon
The most hated character on television, by design
Attribute scores
Power30
Intellect40
Menace72
Fear factor70
Cultural impact88
Charisma34
Editorial estimates on a 0–100 scale, calibrated against every other character in the index. Not official canon.
Who they are
Joffrey is a cowardly, petty teenager with absolute legal authority and no supervision, which turns out to be far more upsetting than any competent tyrant. He is not clever and never wins a battle, but he can order an execution on a whim, and the show uses him to demonstrate exactly how bad hereditary power becomes when the heir is simply a bad kid.
Defining traits
Unrestricted royal authorityCowardiceSadism without strategyPublic crueltyComplete lack of self-awareness
What makes them dangerous
There is no appeal process. He can order your death because you looked at him wrong.
And what undoes them
He is not respected by anyone, including his own family, and it makes him disposable.
Things you might not know
- Gleeson largely stepped away from acting afterwards, and has spoken about how strange the public reaction was.
- Cast and crew reportedly applauded on the day his death scene was filmed.
- Martin has said he wrote the character specifically as a study in what happens when nobody can tell a child no.
Why number 12 in Best on TV
Not competent, not clever, and still one of the most reviled characters ever broadcast. He proves that a villain does not need to be good at anything.
If you like this villain
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame · 1996
The darkest antagonist a major animation studio has ever released
Threat index 77
Animation
Mother Gothel
Tangled · 2010
The villain whose weapon is a compliment with a knife in it
Threat index 73