3. Gaius Baltar - Battlestar Galactica
There may be some people that would argue whether Baltar should be considered a villain, but the guy- albeit inadvertently- is the reason the Cylons destroyed Caprica and killed most of the human race, so as far as Im concerned he is a villain. From the miniseries to the end of the final season Gaius goes on a journey from the worst form of cowardice to true redemption. For a lot of people the idea that Baltar could redeem himself, was unlikely to say the least but somehow James Callis and the writers managed to pull it off As we got further into the show, it was a distinct possibility that Gaius could have been lost in the shuffle amongst the Cylons and the fighter pilots, but this weak yet brilliant man offered something that no other character in this fantastic show did. His constant machinations, conversations with real and imaginary sixs and the occasional desire to actually help, made sure he was always a relevant character in the ever changing Battlestar. Baltar has so many memorable moments across every season of the show; His involvement in the genocide of his people, the fumbling attempts to conceal his guilt and his disastrous presidency among them. Unforgettable was Baltars trial which drew in and developed a number of characters, Apollo, Gaeta, Roslin and Admiral Adama were just four of the people that made character defining decisions all because of Gaius Baltars trial. Perhaps to say Baltar was redeemed is taking it too far- maybe some who indirectly ends civilisation shouldnt get a second chance- yet by the time of the finale Gaius finally did something selfless for the greater good.