Top 10 Best Cartoon Villains of the 1990s
Ah, the 90s - when some of animations greatest villains came to life. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we are counting down our picks for the top ten cartoon villains of the 1990s.
Continuing our series on the greatest villains from animated shows, we'll be looking at the rise of evildoers from the 1990s, and how these characters have stayed with us for decades! While he may have had many of his highlights in the 90s, we still consider The Shredder to be a 80s villain so he won't be making the cut. In addition, despite their awesomeness, we won't be including any anime villains like Freiza or Team Rocket.
Ah, the 90s - when some of animations greatest villains came to life. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we are counting down our picks for the top ten cartoon villains of the 1990s.
Continuing our series on the greatest villains from animated shows, we’ll be looking at the rise of evildoers from the 1990s, and how these characters have stayed with us for decades! While he may have had many of his highlights in the 90s, we still consider The Shredder to be a 80s villain so he won’t be making the cut. In addition, despite their awesomeness, we won’t be including any anime villains like Freiza or Team Rocket.
#10: Magneto
“X-Men” (1992-97)
Fighting for mutant supremacy, no matter the cost, this archenemy of the X-Men has made it his life’s mission to save mutant-kind from oppression by overthrowing humanity. While Magneto's methods are often violent and cruel, it’s hard not to sympathise with the man’s motivations, as he only wants to create a better world for his people. Although he is often forced to work with our heroes to take down bigger threats like Apocalypse, Magneto’s ruthlessness firmly cements him as a villain – a sympathetic villain, but a villain nonetheless.
#9: Negaduck
“Darkwing Duck” (1991-92)
The terror that flaps in the night may be an unconventional and goofy superhero, but there is nothing playful about his Negaverse counterpart. Darkwing may have the likes of Bushroot and Megavolt to contend with, but when it comes to sheer megalomania, Negaduck cannot be beaten. With an abject hatred for his heroic counterpart, Negaduck solves all his problems using the most violent means possible, which often involves the use of chainsaws and shotguns. He managed to make an entire universe his personal playground, and is quite possibly the foulest duck anyone has ever seen.
#8: Dr. Robotnik
“Sonic the Hedgehog” (1993-94)
Top 10 Greatest Cartoon Network Villains of all Time
The first Dr. Robotnik from the “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” series was a goofy character who was played for laughs, but this second and much darker incarnation of the character was downright diabolical. An evil makeover along with a sinister voice ensured that no one could mistake him as anything but the twisted genius he claimed to be. When he said he wanted to crush that pesky blue hedgehog, viewers were inclined to believe him! With an endless amount of robots at his command, this version of the big-bad from the original SEGA games definitely gave Sonic a run for his money.
#7: Megabyte
“ReBoot” (1994-2001)
What happens if you take the irresistibly evil voice of Judge Frollo and give him a CGI body? You get a villain so badass that he still manages to strike fear in fans, despite the series’ out of date graphics. As a virus, this psychopathic piece of code only has one mission in life; to corrupt and dominate all of Mainframe. Proven to be utterly unforgiving with a devious sense of humour, Megabyte’s character is made all the slicker by Tony Jay’s signature vocal talent, making even the most diabolical of programs extra suave. Add to the fact he’s able to dish out some serious punishment with his bare hands and you have one memorable of a villain.
#6: Megatron
“Beast Wars: Transformers” (1996-99)
While the original Megatron stole the show as the greatest villain of the 80s, his Jurassic reimagining as a transforming T. Rex in the popular “Beast Wars” series deserves high praise as well. The leader of the Predacons, this diabolical transformer leads the battle against the Maximals on a prehistoric Earth. Known for his devilish wit and fondness for quoting Shakespeare, his bitter rivalry with Optimus Primal is as epic as anything from the original “Transformers” series of the 80s. With an array of devastating weapons, visually striking transformations and tons of brilliant quotes, this mechanical beast is truly worthy of the name of Megatron.
#5: Lex Luthor
“Superman: The Animated Series” (1996-2000)
Top 10 Cartoon Network Series of the 1990s
Who could possibly live up to the title of The Man of Steel’s greatest foe? Well, the world’s smartest man is a good place to start. With genius level intellect and billions of dollars at his disposal, Lex Luthor is a man who believes that mankind needs a human to lead them towards greatness, as opposed to an alien demigod. Forever on a quest for power, he’s certainly not afraid of funding the criminal element of Metropolis for personal gains. Conniving, brilliant and an expert manipulator, he’d happily burn down the entire world just for the chance to bring the The Last Son of Krypton to his knees.
#4: Mojo Jojo
“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005)
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The colourful trio of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup have a whole rogues gallery of memorable enemies that could have made this list, but none were quite as entertaining as this super-intelligent, super-evil monkey. What you see is what you get with Mojo Jojo; he lives on an observatory, which is stuck on top of a volcano, and dreams of world domination. With a brain so big that it actually sticks out of his head, this villainous monkey has quite a knack for building giant doomsday machines that can even put the Powerpuffs in their place.
#3: Sheldon J. Plankton
“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)
Top 10 Funniest Young Sheldon Moments
He may be smaller than everything else under the sea, but you won’t find a better source of rage, insanity and laughter than this pint-sized organism. Owner of the Chum Bucket, Plankton’s single goal in life is to steal the Krabby Patty formula from his business rival Mr Krabs so his restaurant can become a rousing success, leaving the Krusty Krab in its dust. Sadly his plans, always, always, always fail, which often just sends him into further spirals of madness and aggression, which you have to admit is often the highlight of any episode. An unappreciated shell of a sea creature with a size complex, may he never change!
#2: The Joker
“Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-95)
Top 10 Scariest Cartoon Villains
This may not be the first time that the Clown Prince of Crime graced the small screen, but many to this day still believe this to be the definitive incarnation of the iconic Batman villain. A murderous psychopath never seen without his trademark smile and laugh, this clown only exists to bring anarchy and pain to Gotham City. Obsessed with trying to bring down Batman, The Joker raised the bar for all villains everywhere with the depravity of his crimes, the genuine fear he installed in us, and the mental war he waged on Batman to try and push him over the edge. Throw in the now legendary voice-work of Mark Hamill, and you have an animated character for the ages.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
The Brain
“Pinky and the Brain” (1993-98)
Venom
“Spider-Man” (1994-98)
Demona
“Gargoyles” (1994-97)
#1: Mr Burns
“The Simpsons” (1989-)
Top 10 Best Cartoon Villains of the 1980s
For over thirty years, this malnourished, un-empathetic millionaire at the has served as Springfield’s resident antagonist. Whether it’s random acts of organised violence, theft, bribery, manipulation and probably every other criminal activity under the sun, Charles Montgomery Burns has done it several times over. He can be downright intimidating or pathetically hilarious all within the space of an episode, as he never fails to entertain. Sideshow Bob may be a fan favourite, but Burns is a threat to all of Springfield, maybe even the entire world, while Bob only ever has eyes for Bart. What is there to say except that our number one villain is nothing if not “exeeeecellent.”
