10 TV Villains You Didn't Realise Actually Won
7. Gaius Baltar - Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica's Gaius Baltar (James Callis) sure seemed like he was on a collision course with his just deserts in the series' later seasons.
The cowardly narcissist was to blame for the Cylons' genocide against the Twelve Colonies, his libido blinding him to Number Six's (Tricia Helfer) duplicity, in turn making him responsible for at least 20 billion deaths. That's quite the ethical bar tab.
It really just seemed like a given that Gaius would pay the mortal price for his sins or, in the very least, get locked away for life at the end of his trial.
But alas, Gaius is narrowly found not guilty, and even though the fallout leaves him with few allies, he nevertheless lands on his feet repeatedly in its wake.
Gaius becomes a straight-up cult leader and then, in the series finale, finds true peace by settling down and becoming a farmer with Caprica Six (Helfer), finally embracing the profession held by his father.
Gaius had such a brilliant character arc throughout the show that it's easy to downplay just how fortunate the guy was to slip out of the noose, avoid punishment for causing so much death, and then find genuine contentment. Lucky's not even the word.