The inclusion of a good villain can make or break a show or film. When a villain becomes too monotonous or hammy, when they’re shoehorned in for dramatic effect or have little to offer the premise, they become a distraction. Teen Wolf on the whole hasn’t ever been that great with crafting their villains, typically falling into any of the mentioned blunders above, and oftentimes numerous ones at once. Teen Wolf is a television series that survives on the charm and likability of its leads and the generally “fun” atmosphere the show brings. However, season five is already promising new baddies and new hurdles for Scott’s pack to face, so, in preparation for what I’m hoping is an improvement on season four, here are most of the villains from the show so far ranked.
Let us know in the comments which villain has been your favorite!
Season Four Peter Hale
I don’t know how the show could screw a character up as badly as they did, but Peter Hale is proof of too much of a good thing. He started out threatening and fun to watch and was turned into the worst character on the show, period. He takes away screen time that would be better spent with other characters, and his want for power and needling in other characters’ lives became contrived. I truly believe his continued presence aided in making season four the weakest in Teen Wolf’s run so far.
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Kate Argent
Kate Argent was an interesting villain…in theory. In execution, she was little more than an idea, one that was filled out by Jill Wagner trying to do the most with the little she was given. She was relatively interesting in season one when she got to act opposite Crystal Reed, the two sharing an easy dynamic, but her usefulness slowly disappeared by the time she returned in season four, offering little response more than “oh, she’s still around?”
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The Darach
Most of season 3a annoyed me, including the villains (I’m not even including the Alpha Pack and Deucalion, since they were so interchangeable and forgettable). If anything, The Darach was one of the few saving graces of the first half of season three due to later episodes that finally gave her something to do, creating a main conflict by putting Scott’s mom and Allison and Stiles’ dads in danger, forcing the three of them to commit potential self-sacrifice. Once the Darach became the main villain the stakes rose, making for a far more interesting show.
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Gerard
As a character, Gerard was pretty dumb, and the acting and writing were atrocious and heavy-handed, but, for the most part, he was a pretty effective villain. He manipulated a grieving Allison, gained control of the Kanima, and just about killed Jackson in the process. Of course, Scott ended up besting him by being one step ahead, but throughout most of the season, although he was EVIL with a capital E, he did a decent job at lurking in the shadows before playing his final hand.
The Kanima
Jackson turning into the season two villain nearly had the same effect as Stiles becoming the Nogitsune, the main difference being the difference of acting abilities between Dylan O’Brien and Colton Haynes and the fact that as a character, Jackson was kind of a douche. Still, the Kanima was a violent and frightening baddie, made all the worse when we realized he had no control over what he was doing. It was nice to see the practicality of the effects (even if they weren’t always that good) because it showcased the show’s love of their genre. It was an effective use of makeup, stunt doubles, physicality, and some CGI that made one of the first villains that wasn’t simply another werewolf.
The Nogitsune
If I’m being completely and totally honest, the Nogitsune itself isn’t the real interesting aspect of the season 3b villain, but more so its host’s body, Stiles. Up until this point, Stiles not only was a fan favorite, but also the token human on the show–he was the glue that grounded all of the supernatural around him. Then, after saving his father in the season 3a finale, he allows his mind to open and let the vengeful spirit in. It’s an interesting development because the stakes are immediately raised when the big bad that the team is fighting is the lovable Stiles–his grappling with his sanity throughout the season, and Dylan O’Brien’s portrayal of both sides, provided some of the best moments the show has ever done.
Season One Peter Hale
Remember when Peter Hale was a real threat and when his presence elicited more than groans of frustration? Yeah, the memories are pretty fuzzy to me too, but season one Peter was indeed an interesting character. His evil doings (while most certainly evil) had a warped reasoning to them, based in his grief over the loss of his family (again, not excusable, but it gives the character a purpose). He not only was an antagonist to Scott, who he’d bitten, turning Scott into a werewolf in the first place, but he also was a threat to Derek, his nephew, to Lydia, another innocent he attacked, and Stiles, in one of the first few scenes where Stiles’ characterization grew beyond comic relief and a desperate pining over Lydia. His was a real threat to our lead heroes, he had a personality that was dangerous but enjoyable to watched, and he played with the rest of the cast well. Also, he gets notoriety for being the first “big bad” of the series, something that just barely pushed him above the Nogitsune.
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