Doctor Who: 10 Most Underrated Villains And Monsters

Science fiction often has a knack for predicting the future, whether intentionally or otherwise. And Doctor Who has been right on the money a handful of times, especially when it comes to how capitalism may function in the years to come. One of the most grotesque visions of this future, and one of the more frighteningly accurate, is represented by the evil Sil.

In Sil's first appearance, the Sixth Doctor and Peri land on the planet Varos where executions and torture are broadcast on television for the population's enjoyment. The episode frames this as a stunningly prescient satire on reality television, a genre that didn't even exist yet in 1985. The green Sil is the Galatron Mining Corporation's representative on the planet, rigging the mandatory elections against its governor to ensure that Galatron gets as good a price on the planet's valuable Zeiton-7 ore as possible.

His unrepentantly slimy grin and shuddering laugh as he gleefully bleeds the planet dry make him stick out among late-stage classic Who villains. While his later appearance is Mindwarp is still good, if nothing special, it's his turn in Vengeance on Varos that makes him a perfect representation of a totally amoral future. A point where people become so obsessed with money that human life no longer has any value.

And that's more terrifying a prospect than even some of the most iconic Doctor Who villains could give us.