Whether they appear in the middle of a party scene or materialize in the background of someone’s reflection, we already know that a villain’s presence means some serious drama is about to go down. But while we love to hate these characters, we’ve got to admit that they’re usually the key reason why we stay hooked on our favorite shows in the first place. It’s their job to create the obstacles and test the protagonist’s limits, and sometimes, it feels like they’re the central characters rather than the heroes.
Movie critic Roger Ebert once said, “Each film is only as good as its villain.” In other words, these guys have the power to transform an entire movie, and the same rings true for the bad guys in TV shows like Orange is the New Black and Scandal. For instance, can you imagine Scandal without Papa Pope? How fascinating would it be to see all the chaos that unfolded on the show through his eyes? Or even better, how awesome would it be to see what his childhood was like? As much as I do enjoy seeing his daughter become the fixer, I’d find it way more entertaining to get a glimpse of his backstory and see him in a new light.
See which other popular TV villains deserve to have their own spin-off shows by clicking through the gallery below.
1. Regina Mills (aka The Evil Queen) from Once Upon a Time
The Evil Queen is by far one of the most unique TV villains to ever grace our screens. We’ve seen her constantly try to tame the battle of good and evil within herself while waging war on anyone who gets in the way of her happiness.
But what makes her story so fascinating is the fact that she actually chose to be good, and no matter how hard she tried, she never seemed to catch a break. “Choosing good” doesn’t mean being good and her incessant fight for her personal happy ending winds up landing her in the dark side time and time again. You really can’t help but root for her, and it’s exactly why her character deserves to have a spin-off.
2. Elijah Pope from Scandal
You know how Liv always tries but fails to maintain her poker face while Eli speaks? Whenever her face contorts into that expression of disgust and horror she’s basically expressing how we all feel. Because like Papa Pope once said: “I am the hell and the high water.” *shudders*
We’ve already learned a lot about Eli’s character; including the fact that (despite his verbal spats with Liv) he actually has a soft spot for his daughter. He’s extremely intelligent, he’s persistent, and despite his circumstances, he always manages to have the upper hand. But wouldn’t it be a treat to get an inside look at just how much he knows, or how he manages to stay 10 steps ahead of everyone else? Or even better, what if we got to see more of his vulnerable side? We don’t know about you guys, but we’d watch that spin-off religiously.
3. Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin) from Gotham
Let’s face it, Oswald is a master puppeteer. He’s been pulling the strings all along to help drive the plot forward and he always outshines the heroes. So in a sense, it’s almost as if we’re already watching a show that’s all about… Well, him.
The lowly errand boy turned supervillain is cunning, prudent, and a classic example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But you know what? We want to see even more of Penguin. Because of all the villains who’ve appeared on the show, he still intrigues us the most.
4. Rose Solano (aka Sin Rostro) from Jane The Virgin
I feel like the world collectively gasped when Sin Rostro’s identity was revealed. Like, no one would’ve guessed that Rose was capable of killing her own husband and setting up an underground plastic surgery business to alter criminals’ faces.
Throughout the series, she has proven herself to quite the complex character. One minute she’s a terrifying criminal with an extensive kill list, and the next, she’s a lovesick puppy in Luisa’s arms. It’s still kind of baffling how easily she can flip that switch, but it would be really interesting to see where her story began and what goes on in that head of hers.
5. Philip Blake (aka The Governor) from The Walking Dead
This show had its fair share of bad guys, but the one who stood out by far was The Governor. He was a fearless leader to his people, or rather, the community’s “messiah.” He could also charm the pants off of anyone who crossed his path. But underneath that façade, he was actually cold-hearted and batshit crazy.
There were moments throughout the show when he came off as a redeemable character who was capable of turning a new leaf, but then once again he would go back to his conniving ways. Having a show about Philip’s character development would give us so much insight on things like his upbringing, emotional stability, and personal relationships (also interesting because let’s face it — the guy was totally a ladies’ man in his day).
6. Savitar from The Flash
We’re still not over the fact that the fastest speedster in the multiverse (aka the villain who made Zoom and the Reverse Flash look like child’s play) turned out to be Future Barry. Like, how could such a dorky, charismatic guy become a power-hungry, cruel and egotistical maniac with a god-complex?
Well, we do know that it was all an attempt to escape pain, but there aren’t too many details beyond that. For instance, how (and when) exactly did Savitar’s existence begin? And when did he snap and throw all of his values out the window? We’re just dying to know more about his history, and we get the feeling we’ve only just scratched the surface with all the drama that Savitar has to offer. Also, think about the potential in Killer Frost as Evil Barry’s sidekick… it would be truly epic.
7. Sue Sylvester from Glee
Without Sue, Glee would not have been half as good as it was. Sure, she bullied kids, thrived on insulting Will’s over-gelled hair and sought to destroy Glee club. But it was her egotism and ruthlessness that made for the most memorable moments on the show. And of course, her occasional moments of kindness with Becky and her sister added a lot of depth to her character.
So why not have a prequel show where we get to see little Sue morph into the calculating, tracksuit-loving coach that we all grew to love? Though she often crossed the line with her evil schemes and insults, she totally won us over with her hilarious and clever one-liners. Case in point? “I don’t trust a man with curly hair. I can’t help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and I find it disgusting.” SAME.
8. Theodore Bagwell (aka T-Bag) from Prison Break
For a convicted killer, pedophile and rapist, T-Bag was crazy smart. It was hard to not be impressed by his ability to morph into a completely different person and attract different women with his charms, but at the same time, it’s exactly what made his character so terrifyingly fascinating.
There were actually moments where it felt like he was seducing us, the viewers. Those who have watched the show totally know what I mean. So if he were to actually get a show of his own, we imagine that he’d have us all eating from the palm of his hands within a few episodes… which is truly horrifying to think about.
9. Joffrey from Game of Thrones
He’s one of those TV villains that we all hate with a passion because it seems like he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Tyrannical, sadistic, spoiled, dishonest, self-absorbed, and arrogant are just a few words that come to mind when we think of Joffrey. But despite his terrible personality, we’re curious to see his more vulnerable moments (if he ever has them), especially from childhood. Call me crazy, but chances are he actually is capable of feeling love and empathy??? It’s just that he never really shows it. Idk, just a theory.
10. Yvonne “Vee” Parker from Orange is the New Black
Getting her adoptive son killed to save her business? Turning poor Crazy Eyes into her puppet? Emotionally manipulating those who were closest to her without an ounce of guilt? …Yeah, it’s safe to say that if evil had a face, Vee’s would be it.
But what’s interesting is the fact that we never got to see her back story. Sure, there were a few flashbacks of her with Taystee, but we never really got to see the details Vee’s past or how she became so… terrifying. This is exactly why she needs to have a spin-off. I mean, what would be more entertaining than taking a deep dive into the mind of a charismatic, cold-hearted, sociopathic, and manipulative genius?