9. Gul Madred (Chain of Command - The Next Generation)
Calculating, intelligent, manipulative, well spoken and thoroughly horrible without any remorse when required, Madred brought out the worst in the Cardassian people, possibly even eclipsing Dukat until he is effectively broken by Picard's resistance and the timely intervention of Jellico and the Enterprise in events elsewhere. David Warner's soft tones mark against the brutality of the character here as he plays with Picard, torturing him but then revealing more about his personal life as the interrogation proceeds. Like all good villains he's detached from the pain he is causing, only seeing the end goal and taking the information he has been tasked to take from Picard. Why is he a minor villain here? We only get to see him fleetingly at the end of part one and for the bulk of the conclusion but his demise is more tragic than being killed in action - he fails in his job and Picard, only just, remains unbroken. Madred does not seem to be evil but duty bound, a professional who is, unfortunately, good at what he does. His approach is unique and one of the more quoted moments from the series right across the 178 episodes. Tell me, How many lights do you see...?