Every television generation is different, a unique beast unto itself that has its own set of rules and how to break them. These days, there's a strong audience desire to root for the anti-heroes. We've always been fascinated by villains, which is probably why we were so infatuated with Tony Montana's rise and fall through the criminal underworld in Scarface, or why we watched Walter White descend from high school chemistry teacher to drug kingpin. We may come for the heroes, but we stay for the villains. In the case of a show like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, the journey was with the lead character who seemed to lack the strong moral values we expect from protagonists. The viewing tastes of an audience tends to change with time, with the current era of television being a breeding ground for these loveable bad guys. What this all boils down to is that villains, as hard as it may be for some to want to admit, are just more compelling than the heroes. This TV generation hasn't been wanting for villains, creating some truly harrowing portrayals and memorable antagonists that will live in the minds of viewers forever. We've seen startling acts of violence, perpetrated by monstrous men and women of all sorts on a medium that thrives with villains of this nature. The serialized formula of television is perfect for villains, allowing for an ongoing saga of the despicable criminals we all love to hate. So let's get it started, and take a look at 10 of the greatest villains this TV generation has had to offer us. Do note, this list does not consider villains who made their debut before the year 2000...
