The Ultimate Villain

[Specific Neptune]

I'm trying to suss out what makes an awesome villain. I already have a few ideas, but I want to know what you guys think makes an awesome villain.

My ideas:

1: Someone who takes over the massive organisation/main kingdom, such as Bane, Voldemort, Rumplestiltskin (from Shrek), Future Layton (from Professor Layton and the Lost Future) and I guess me, from the Control the Throne topic
2: Someone with a badass army, like Sauron, Voldemort, Bane
3: the "big guy", like Sauron (in his humanoid form, not that eye he turns into), Slenderman, etc

What do you lads and ladettes think?

 

[Nabber]

I like villains who are a threat, but not dead serious all of the time.

 

[Bop1996]

I like villains that always appear in control of the situation, even if they suffered a staggering blow recently.

I also prefer the villain to not be a victim of something beyond his control, and for him or her to be truly evil in every sense of the word.

 

[Snowstalker]

That possessed snail in Adventure Time.

 

[Specific Neptune]

Villains with brilliant minds, geniuses, that are able to plan out their next move

 

[Nabber]

Artemis Fowl, and any other villain in Artemis Fowl.
Except Cudgeon, he was boring as hell.

 

[GalacticPetey]

They need to be manipulative like Palpatine.

 

[Dr. Javelin]

They need to be manipulative like Palpatine.

Palpatine singlehandedly killed all his enemies, masterminded both ends of a galactic war, rose to power in the main government, established a dictatorial system, and got the people to love him for it.

That's skill right there.

(oh and he killed two jedi masters in like three seconds but i just find that overpowered and lame, i mean really?)

 

[NotABannableOffense]

Read up on the Black Mage from Maplestory, he literally has hundreds of commanders/officers and he isn't even a boss in the game yet.

 

[Red Barchetta]

Gabe Newell and his army, Valve.

...He's also a "big guy".

Brilliant fella.

Manipulative? *coughHL2E3cough*

 

[Pokemon DP]

I like villains that feel like actual people. This goes for pretty much all the major characters in a story; good, bad, neutral, etc. but I generally find a villain more threatening if they behave like a normal person would, just... they happen to be incredibly smart, calculated, and doing evil things.

ridiculously evil villains and incompetent villains are both just dumb and boring to me

 

[Mario4Ever]

I like villains that always appear in control of the situation, even if they suffered a staggering blow recently.

I also prefer the villain to not be a victim of something beyond his control, and for him or her to be truly evil in every sense of the word.

Prospero in The Tempest is the exception for me here.

I like villains that feel like actual people. This goes for pretty much all the major characters in a story; good, bad, neutral, etc. but I generally find a villain more threatening if they behave like a normal person would, just... they happen to be incredibly smart, calculated, and doing evil things.

ridiculously evil villains and incompetent villains are both just dumb and boring to me

I agree with this.

 

[Pokemon DP]

Blocky tried to call me out on disliking ridiculously evil villains yet liking Monobear, so I'll clarify that Monobear is Joker-styled psychotic rather than generic TAKE OVER THE WORLD evil. And that's generally more interesting.