The 10 Most Important DC Villains To Have Ever Been Created

For as good and known as their heroes are, DC villains are arguably better and more known. Think about that for a second. After the big three of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman are named, how many other heroes are there? 

Ok, fair. There’s The Flash, Green Lantern and Green Arrow, but after that, who?

On the other hand, looking at and naming DC villains isn’t that hard. Batman alone has some of the most recognizable. The problem is that with a roster filled with some of the best villains ever created, it’s tough to decide who the best of the best are. The cream of the crop, if you will.

So you don’t have to go through that kind of stress, we’ve taken the liberty of picking the best for you. Here are the 10 most important DC villains of all time.

10. Cheetah (Minerva)

Cheetah is to Wonder Woman what Joker is to Batman. Arguably the most loved and important of the characters, Minerva, is Wonder Woman’s mortal enemy and she despises everything about the Amazonian. 

Due to a curse she received after getting bestowed with the power of Cheetah, Minerva is forced to live in tremendous pain when not in her animal form. When she is in animal form, her heightened strength, speed, and her ferocity allow her to stand toe to toe with comic books most powerful woman.

9. Black Adam

Like the Reverse Flash and Lex Luthor, Black Adam is the exact opposite of the superhero whom he battles…Shazam.

Teth Adam was granted extraordinary powers by Mamaragan the Wizard. The Wizard had done this so that he would have a successor in place before he died. What he didn’t foresee was that with the power he gave Teth Adam, Adam overthrew the Egyptian Pharoah. Worse yet, he assumed the throne and began ruling with an iron fist. 

8. Deathstroke

Deathstroke is regularly seen as the best mercenary that DC has to offer. He was trained in the military to be the perfect weapon. And the perfect weapon he is. If that’s not enough, his already impressive skill set and human conditioning were augmented by an experiment that gave him above normal strength, reflexes, speed, and intelligence. 

What makes Deathstroke truly unique, however, isn’t his skill set or intelligence. What makes him unique is that his backstory is one of the most heartbreaking in comics. Truthfully, I don’t think there are many people, when dealt the cards Deathstroke was dealt, who would react differently. Therefore, Deathstroke must be apart of all DC villains conversations. 

7. R’as al Ghul

R’as al Ghul is the leader of the League of Assassins. Due to this, he controls one of the most skilled and brutal group in all of comics. Each member of the League is responsible for learning, practicing, and becoming a skilled fighter. But they’re more than that. Because they are called the League of Assassins, each must be willing to, get this, assassinate someone. 

R’as al Ghul is multiple centuries old and because of this, has amassed a small fortune and an understanding of the world that no one can match. He uses both to push his agenda forward in ways that no other could.

Unquestionably, R’as al Ghul is one of the greatest DC villains…ever. 

6. Darkseid

Darkseid is one of, if not the evilest character in all of DC. He is one of the New Gods and as such, over 250,000 years old. Darkseid rules the planet Apokolips and uses it as an outpost for everything that he does. 

Because Darkseid is a New God his power set is incredible. He has a set that includes superhuman strength, speed, and durability. He can both fly and teleport to anywhere he wishes. And possesses Omega Powers and can use the dreaded Omega Beams.

5. Brainiac

When you’ve been targeted as the destroyer of Krypton, you know that you’re one of the greatest DC villains ever.

Brainiac is one of the most deadly enemies that Superman has ever, and probably will ever face. Brainiac is an android whose only purpose is to study and gather as much information as it possibly can. By doing this, it learns everything it needs to know to move in on a species or planet and eradicate them. 

Brainiac has been around since 1958 and reigned down more terror in his time than someone who’s been around for three times as long. 

4. Reverse Flash

What makes Reverse Flash one of the great DC villains is that he is everything The Flash shouldn’t be. Reverse Flash first appeared in 1963 and in a very short time cemented himself as the most important enemy The Flash would ever know.

Even though many characters have gone by the name Reverse Flash, none are as important as Eobard Thawne. Eobard Thawne is from the 25th Century. It was only after finding a time capsule containing the costume of Barry Allen that he became the Reverse Flash. Because he blames Barry Allen for many things in his life, Thawne’s feelings for him transformed from pure hate to an all-out obsession in becoming him. 

3. Sinestro

What separates Sinestro from all the other DC villains in this list is that unlike the rest, he actually stood shoulder to shoulder with the heroes who now oppose him. As a member of the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro was charged with keeping the peace in his Sector. And keep the peace he did…albeit through fear and oppression. 

Sinestro broke free of the Green Lantern Corps and did what very few could’ve done. He became the ultimate enemy of the Green Lanterns all-the-while creating his own Lantern Corps.

2. Lex Luthor

Even though he’s not nearly as physically imposing or as lightning quick as some other DC villains, Lex Luthor needs to be apart this list. He is potentially the smartest villain in all of DC and has used his intelligence to get whatever he wants.

What makes him more compelling than other DC villains is that he actually believes himself to be the savior of the world. Or at least he would be if not for the actual savior of the world, Superman. Because he wants what Superman is, Lex Luthor might be the most interesting villain in DC.

1. The Joker

It should come as no surprise that the Joker is on this list. Not only is he the first of many DC villains that comes to mind when the words DC villains are used, The Joker is the only one worthy of being number one on this list.

For everything the Joker is, for all that he does to those around him, at his core, he is living proof that anybody can crack under the correct circumstances.

And there you go. The 10 most important DC villains ever. Thoughts?

Cheers,

Joel

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