9 Stupidly Risky Plans From TV's Most Notorious Villains

8. Marcus Crassus Almost Kills Himself €“ Spartacus: War Of The Damned

Like any good villain worth his salt, Marcus Crassus's introductory episode in War Of The Damned is set around establishing the great man's intelligence and cojones. True to form, he's introduced sparring with his hilariously-named gladiator Hilarius. From what we can see, Crassus is clearly a very competent swordsman, or at least a good deal better than previous villain Glaber ever was. Indeed, there's even an off-handed remark about Crassus's dedication to training, establishing that he puts himself through these paces every day. However, presumably stirred to action by the prospect of soon fighting Sparatcus, Crassus chooses this day to get angry with his pet gladiator, saying he can never see how good he really is because Hilarius will always hold back €“ after all, he's not about to strike down his master and meal ticket. So to this problem, Crassus has a bonkers solution €“ he'll offer Hilarius his freedom and 10,000 denari if he kills his Dominus, promising no guard will strike him down if he wins. Understandably, Hilarius decides to bring the pain and almost kills Crassus before he, in the first of many 'HOLY SH*T' moments of the season, grabs the sharp end of his slave's sword, wrests it from his grasp and stabs him with it. Yes, it's impressive, but it's stupidly risky too €“ if the duel had gone a hairs-breadth differently, Crassus could've been violently impaled by his formidable quarry. Remember, Hilarius isn't an everyday gladiator €“ Crassus only wants the best, so had to part with a good deal of money to get Rome's most decorated champion. To clarify, Crassus picked an even fight with the best of the best and almost came a cropper. If the inspiration hadn't hit him before his impending death, we would've been looking at a much shorter series where Spartacus, unburdened with an equal adversary, romped around Rome claiming flawless victory. It would've been cool, but we'd have been denied a wonderful season.