Star Trek: 10 Minor Villains Who Were Awesome
10. Romulan Commander (Balance of Terror - The Original Series)
Not an especially devious start to our rundown of the villains but a striking example nevertheless. Played of course by soon-to-be-Spock's-dad Mark Lenard, the unnamed Romulan Commander from the first season of The Original Series laid down the foundations for an entire race in one single appearance.
Lenard's role is an intelligent one as he plays a game of cat and mouse behind the wondrous invention of the cloaking device aboard the gorgeous Romulan Bird-of-Prey. The ship set itself is one room with a central console, but the commander is a proud man in charge of a flagship vessel striking out against their supposed enemies after such a long time in isolation.
The uniforms and ships might change, but this was where the Romulans sprang from. The civilised nature that contrasted them against the Klingons is present here. Certainly, the sneakiness would be amplified a lot more by the time Marc Alaimo decloaked a Warbird in The Next Generation's The Neutral Zone, but for once you do feel some compassion for him as the episode concludes. He's committed wrong actions but he's been a worthy adversary for Kirk and the Enterprise.