There must always be the perfect villain to match up against the perfectsuperhero. It’s a law of nature, where there is someone who has it in them to want to save the day, there is always someone who was scorned by the world who now looks to ruin it. That’s the great thing about villains, depending on what you believe in terms of nature vs nurture; the antagonist of whatever the story is, was once an innocent outcast trying to do good, but the world hurt them, so they hurt it back.

In comic books, and all their adaptations to the big and small screens, arch enemies are usually just that. A parallel character to the hero that maybe could’ve used their powers the right way, but chose evil instead.

No matter whether it is DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, or some independent comic book label, the bad guys in the stories we read and watch always engages us just as much as the hero. As Joker once said to Batman (Tom Cruise said it in Jerry Maguire, too!), “You complete me!”. No statement can be more true of how two nemeses feel towards one another.

20Deacon Frost (Blade)

Deacon Frostappears in Marvel Comics as the arch enemy of the vampire hunter known as Blade. On the page, he is mostly seen as tall with white hair. Frost has immense powers that many vampires don’t. He can regenerate lost limbs, and you forget about all that fear of garlic or silver; Frost is immune to that. Thus making him a very tough enemy to Blade.

Frost is not Blade’s biological father, but he did attack his mother prior to her giving birth to him. Thus, making Blade half-vampire upon being brought into the world.

Stephen Dorff’s Best Role Ever

When Blade originally jumped off the pages of Marvel Comics and into the world of feature-length films, it was actor Stephen Dorff who knew how to perfectly encapsulate the arrogant, indestructible vampire.

With careful moments of humor woven into the script, Dorff came off as the perfect villain who felt above the rest because, in theory, Deacon Frost is above other vampires due to his extreme physical strength that would threaten any protagonist. Stephen Dorff has had a lengthy acting career, but many people like to single out his work in Blade and go back to see him as a great bad guy.

19Violator/Clown (Spawn)

First appearing in the Image Comics edition ofSpawn#2 isViolator.Spawn creator Todd McFarlane created the demonic creature to be the arch enemey of his demonic protagnist, Spawn. However, to convey such a prescnece in the comics of the creature, Violator is more than just a terrfying looking beast from the depths of hell, the creature does take human form as an obese trash talking clown.

A Toxic Relationship

Violator toys with Spawn throughout the comics and animated series as well. Spawn is not worthy of the HellSpawn position in their eyes. The two go back and forth as rivals many times throughout the comics.

When Violator takes human form as The Clown, we continue to see this antagonizing, but some of it comes off almost as if Clown is mentoring Spawn. This is a character arc within the villain that shows the inner struggle of Violator from time to time. When Violator is in human form, there is a gray area for the evilness of the demon. This is more prevalent than in the perfect midnight movie, 1997’s live-action adaptation ofSpawn.

18Mojo Jojo (The Powerpuff Girls)

The Powerpuff Girlshit the airwaves of Cartoon Network at the right time, as there was a surge of fresh new shows and outlandish characters hitting the channel in the late 1990s. The arch enemy of the trio of butt-kicking little girls with superpowers wasMojo Jojo,a genius chimpanzee who is a mad scientist hellbent on destroying the girls' hometown of Townsville.

Villain Origin Story

Mojo Jojo’s origin story garners some sympathy for the series and the comic books' big bad. He was the pet and/or former lab assistant of Professor Utonium, the girl’s biggest ally, but turned his back on him and grew jealous of his newest creation.

A fun behind-the-scenes fact about Mojo Jojo is that he’s voiced by Roger L. Jackson, who has been in the business for thirty years now. You may not know his name, but you’ve heard his voice in other TV shows and films as well, like Ghostface’s voice in theScreamfranchise.

17Jigsaw (The Punisher)

Billy Russo, also known asJigsaw,is billed as the arch enemy of Frank Castle, aka, The Punisher, in the world of Marvel Comics. With a cut-up face tied together by poorly woven stitches and staples, his face very much looks like a puzzle of skin. Jigsaw is girzzly-looking and violent, which works perfectly to go up against The Punisher, a character who has no shame in brutally killing his enemies.

Jigsaw and The Punisher Were Once Friends

Dominic West makes for a great wise guy version of Jigsaw in the underrated 2008Punisher: War Zone,but in Netflix’s two seasons ofThe Punisher,we also got actor Ben Barnes in the role. In the show, Russo and Castle were both war buddies who turned enemies, thus creating a long arc over two seasons of a rivalry that turned quite violent.

In terms of the comics, Jigsaw may be Punisher’s biggest rival, but he also appears in storylines that involve Daredevil and Spider-Man.

16Cheetah (Wonder Woman)

Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston first created the nemesis for Diana Prince back in 1943.Cheetahhas had some changes since she first graced the pages ofWonder Woman#6, but back then, before becoming Cheetah, she was a jealous socialite named Priscilla Rich, who grew envious of all the powers and praise Diana Prince had in her life.

Cheetah Was Underused in Wonder Woman ‘84

2021’sWonder Woman ‘84was a bit of a flop. Going in many were excited to see Kristin Wiig play the live-action version; however, many argued how underused she was for being such an arch enemy in the comics. She’s a powerhouse character on the page and sort of a throw-away character in the third act of the film.

Still, Cheetah is admired by many DC fans as a worthy villain that perfectly parallels everything about Wonder Woman. Her predatory skills and superhuman strength put comic book fans on edge when she appears, because she very well can take it to Wonder Woman in a fight.

15Black Manta (Aquaman)

Debuting inAquaman#35 of the comic books,Black Mantahas become, for the most part, the main antagonist of the major storylines withinAquaman. He has no superpowers but is highly intelligent and tactical in how he plots to take down the King of the Seven Seas. His suit has aided him with battles on land and underwater, making him a perfect foe for Aquaman.

Black Manta’s Origin

Black Manta, otherwise known as David Hyde, first appeared in DC Comics inAquaman#35 in 1967. His name was David Kane then, and he sought vengeance due to the death of his father, Jesse Kane, a pirate who was killed by Aquaman. Manta would then go on to become a mercenary who was out to kill Aquaman. In 2003, his origins shifted in a way that complimented his high intellect.

Black Manta was autistic, and when he was a boy, he was sent to Arkham Asylum, where he was subjected to many awful experiments. This was something that propelled his villain arc in his adult life.

14The Mandarin (Iron Man)

The Mandarin, who first appears in Marvel’sTales of Suspense#50, is the arch enemy of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. The good vs. evil matchup between the two is an interesting look at those who have mystical powers and those who use technology. The Mandarin uses his ten rings, which grant him power and control over the country of China. This arc sets up a matchup between the villain and Tony Stark and his company, Stark Industries.

The Mandarin’s Complex Storyline in the MCU

2013 saw the release ofIron Man 3. The third installment was indeed Marvel’s first polarizing film. Leading up to it, many were excited about seeing Ben Kingsley in the role of The Mandarin.

The appearance of Kingsley made The Mandarin feel like a modern global terrorist of sorts, but in the end, it was all an act, and The Mandarin inIron Man 3was not even the real Mandarin. Kingsley ended up playing an actor named Trevor Slattery, who was trying to be The Mandarin. However, Marvel corrected itself withShang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Ringsby bringing back Kingsley to play Slattery and introducing Wenwu, the real Mandarin.

13Deathstroke (Teen Titans)

Deathstrokedebuted in theNew Teen Titansissue titled “The Terminator,” and since then, comic book fans have been enthralled by the mercenary for hire whose real name is Slade Wilson.

The Villain We Almost Got in Ben Affleck’s Batman Movie

For a brief moment in time, Ben Affleck, who played Batman in both Zack Snyder’sBatman v. Supermanfilm andJustice League, was going to direct and star in his own version of Gotham’s Dark Knight, and Joe Manganiello was going to suit up in the iconic black and orange suit as Deathstroke.There was even some test footagethat hit social media with it. It would not come to fruition, though, as it was all scrapped.

Still, Manganiello seemed very on board to play the role. Stating that Deathstroke was out to kill Batman due to the death of his son, Deathstroke’s persona and overall look make him a fan favorite bad guy. He jumps around a lot in DC Comics, taking on anyone from the Teen Titans to Green Arrow.

12Kingpin (Daredevil)

Wilson Fisk, also known asThe Kingpin, is the ruler of the criminal underworld. Created by Stan Lee himself and first appearing inThe Amazing Spider-Man#50, the large and in-charge, bald-headed boss of organized crime always seems to be a step ahead of the heroes he faces. Wilson Fish is as cunning as he is ruthless, and if you’re in his way, he will bury you.

The Many Foes of Kingpin

Kingpin has taken on many of your favorite Marvel superheroes. If the storyline takes place in New York City, chances are he’s had a hand in the crimes committed. Kingpin has squared off against Spider-Man in both comics and animated shows and animated feature films.

He’s also been an adversary of Daredevil in both the comics and the 2003 film where Michael Clarke Duncan played him, and more recently, the MCU version of Kingpin is played by Vincent D’Onofrio. The vicious, vile, sociopathic crime boss is on full display in what many think is the best version of the character in D’Onofrio’s performance.

Related:Echo Star Vincent D’Onofrio Discusses Kingpin’s Role in the Series

11Sinestro (Green Lantern)

Billed as one of themost underused DC villainsin their world of heroes and villains,Sinestrohails from the planet Krougar; he is the epitome of a bad guy who believes that what he is doing is for the greater good, as he is the arch enemy of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. His origins date back to the early 1960s, when he was created for DC Comics by Gil Kane and John Broome.

Sinestro Is a Complex Character

Thaal Sinestro is strictly at war with Hal Jordan; he’s always close by attempting to do damage to the universe. In the world of Green Lantern there, of course, is The Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro went out and formed a team of his own with the Sinestro Corps.

Like many, he began his journey as a hero, policing the universe, who then became dissatisfied and became a villain. Some would argue he has merged into the realm of anti-hero, though a lot of comic book readers find his motives understandable in some instances.