Fans know that a hero is only as good as their villain, and that adage proved especially true in regards to 1980s animated series. The decade produced several great baddies that terrorized (or just straight-up murdered) our heroes in both animated and action-figure form.
From Masters of the Universe to Transformers, here is a ranking of the decade’s most iconic cartoon foes that gave heroes like He-Man and Optimus Prime a run for their money.
And for more nostalgia-fueled write-ups, be sure to check out the following links:
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- Every ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Episode, Ranked from Worst to First
- 11 Classic 80s Toy Cartoons We Wish Netflix Would Reboot
- 11 Best Live-Action Movie Debuts from Animation Directors, Ranked
11. Miles Mayhem from 'M.A.S.K.'
Alliterative name (and way-too-on-the-nose pun) aside, Mayhem and his outfit, V.E.N.O.M., is a considerable, consistent threat in the world of M.A.S.K. Armed with a seemingly endless budget to produce two-in-one combat vehicles ,and train and employ riders of them, Miles was nothing if not consistent in his objective to be a constant thorn in Matt Tracker’s side.
While he often failed on his attempts to permanently defeat Tracker and his pals -- most of their conflicts obviously ended in victory for Tracker -- Mayhem did succeed at having one of the darkest backstories for a toyline-based villain ever. According to the series’ mythology, he was once a member of Tracker’s team -- before he murdered Matt’s brother (gasp!) and stole half the masks from M.A.S.K. Nevermind why a supposed heroic organization would invest a mask that literally spits acid, Mayhem’s villain bonafides are legit.
10. Dr. Claw from 'Inspector Gadget'
Inspector Gadget’s main nemesis is a largely unseen character; the series took a page from the classic James Bond movies and did their version of the villain Blofeld -- complete with a cat that Claw pets while facing away from us in his custom villain-ized chair.
He ranks low on the list because, as schemers go, he wasn’t exactly a Rhodes scholar in that department. He was always foiled by a guy who can turn into a human helicopter, little girl Penny, and her dog, Brain. The almost mythic way the show treated and presented Claw, however, earns him a spot on the list, however. One can’t think of Gadget without also thinking of his raspy voiced and mysterious enemy. (Or that catchy AF theme song).
9. Mumm-Ra from 'ThunderCats'
One of the most terrifying character designs in the genre’s history, Mumm-Ra scared many a kid sh**less as soon as he appeared in the Thundercats opening titles. Inspired loosely by fellow animated series villain Skeletor, Mumm-Ra’s powerset and overall physically imposing look made him a formidable villain for Lion-O.
Mumm-Ra kept his true villainous form concealed, wrapped in mummy shrouds, before unleashing his true form on the Thundercats. His backstory is a unique one worthy of fleshing out more than the show ever did, as he is a slave to the Ancient Spirits of Evil (obvi) and seems to thrive on keeping his world in a constant state of yellow alert or DEFCOM 2. Any villain who thrives on keeping the mere threat of menace alive puts him in the crazy-but-not-stupid section, and makes him extremely dangerous. Honestly, we’re glad this guy never won -- we’d hate to see what this mass of pure evil would do if emboldened by victory.
8. Serpentor from 'G.I. Joe'
If there’s better animated series arc or villain origin story than Serpentor’s, we don’t wanna know about it. Achieving near-mythic proportions, the “Arise, Serpentor, Arise!” was a mini-movie in Season 2 of G.I. Joe, as our Real American Heroes globe-trotted to stop Dr. Mindbender’s plot to create a new Cobra leader by using the DNA of the world’s greatest historical conquerors and figures. The likes of Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar were used to form the building blocks of Serpentor’s theatrical and arrogant leadership.
His presence marked a turning point in both the series and in Cobra, it gave the Joes a new threat (and Hasbor a new toy) to deal with while creating internal conflict among the bad guys as Cobra Commander was reduced to a de facto No. 2 -- always eager to find a way to undermine his replacement while pretending to kiss his a** for appearances’ sake. Serpentor fully came into his own in G.I. Joe: The Movie, after bringing the disgusting, creepy crawly forces of Cobra-La into the fight. He achieved next-level villainy, however, when he used a snake as a spear (yeah, still not sure how that works) and stabbed Joe leader Duke in the heart with it. That blow was meant to kill Duke, but after blowback from the death of Hasbro’s other 80s hero, Optimus Prime, Duke’s face was reduced to “in a coma.” Even though Serpentor’s most badass move was reduced to a trip for Duke to the ICU, that doesn’t negate the fact that he had the murderous impulse to do it at all.
7. The Boogieman and Samhain (TIED) from 'The Real Ghostbusters'
The Real Ghostbusters went to scarier places in its storylines than the movie it was based on ever did. Their most successful and frightening ventures into this space were episodes featuring Boogieman and Samhain, the greatest Ghostbusters threats outside of Zuul and Stay-Puft.
The Boogeyman, with his goat-like legs and oversized head home to a snarling grin full of teeth and fear, thrived on terrorizing anyone with a heartbeat. The show as aimed at kids, but Boogeyman’s appearances achieved a level of horror that would make some adults skittish. Samhain and his scratchy, haunting voice, has the power and will to freeze time and ensure that humans live a life in eternal night -- specifically, that of Halloween. With a literal pumpkin for a head, and a powerset proton packs could barely defeat, Samhain had the potential to be for the Ghostbusters what Thanos is for the Avengers.
6. Starscream from 'Transformers'
The most Machiavellian of Transformers, Starscream was an Iago-type to Megatron -- placating his boss with false praise and flattery while mocking his leader with disdain behind his back. Starscream is the best, worst kind of Number Two, believing he can do the Big Bad job better despite a track record mostly full of loss.
But the conspiring Starscream is unique, not just for his iconic, fan-favorite status, but for being such an Olympian manipulator. That’s his superpower; playing sides in a way that allows him to turn defeat into personal victory. Even at the cost of verbal and physical abuse to himself at the hands of Megatron. The conniving Decepticon reaped what he sewed, however, thanks to the first animated Transformers movie. After kicking a broken Megatron off Astrotrain and into space, Starscream threw his own coronation (complete with jeweled crown) to ascend to the throne of supreme leader. Galvatron put a stop to it by ending Starscream’s life in a blast of purple energy. We hardly knew ye, Starscream.
5. Storm Shadow from 'G.I. Joe'
Cobra has many tiers of villains, with Storm Shadow emerging as a supporting character thanks to his almost mythic conflict with everyone’s favorite blind combat ninja, Snake Eyes.
While the character was underserved in the two live-action movies based on the toyline, the animated series excelled in its “less-is-more” approach in making Storm Shadow truly pop as a force to be reckoned with. Operating outside and almost above Cobra Commander’s overarching plots, Storm Shadow was the guy you called in when you wish you didn’t have to. His past linked to Snake Eyes’ in a way that that would make the Shaw Brothers’ kung-fu movies envious, Storm Shadow engaged in a battle of wits just as satisfying as any of his sword fights. Whenever he showed up in an episode, you knew it was going to be special. His is one of the few arcs from the animated series that still holds up.
4. Skeletor from 'Masters of the Universe'
Here’s the thing about Skeletor: He kinda sucks. His subordinates, like Beast Man or Trap Jaw, are more menacing and effective than he ever was. But his iconic skull visage, snarky wit, and overall tenacity and severe dislike of He-Man earns him a spot in the Top 5.
Eternia is full of good people just trying to live their lives by way of superior tech and flying jet-skis. And that’s what seemingly pisses off Skeletor the most. You’d be mad, too, if you were relegated to Snake Mountain and your best friend was a bumbling man-beast. There was no scheme or plot beneath Skeletor’s animosity for He-Man; his blinding hatred for the hero -- and the King of Eternia -- may explain why he didn’t really notice how similar He-Man and his alter ego, Prince Adam, looked.
3. Cobra Commander from 'G.I. Joe'
Possessing one of the most iconic voices and charming love-to-hate personalities, Cobra Commander quickly imprinted himself in the minds of young audiences as an unforgettable villain.
His collection of near-misses and all-out defeats is borderline comical, a point the show made meta and direct references to in their search for Serpentor. It also gets called out in the animated movie, which sends the villain screaming into and out of Cobra-La following his exposure to spores that turn him into (appropriately) a snake. His last moments spent hissing “oncccce a maaaaan” to Roadblock, as the Joe wore him like a Yoda backpack through the frozen tundra bordering Cobra-La, were truly tragic and pitiful. But the villain, as cliche as his intents were, achieved redemption in his final moments by coming to the aid of the very heroes he spent his career behind a hood or metal face mask trying to destroy.
2. Shredder and Krang (TIED) from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'
This spot was a Sophie’s Choice between the metal-masked evil ninja and his sometimes overlord brain who lives inside the stomach of a tall, pale thug. We couldn’t pull the trigger on either so we had to rank both.
While Krang came in with the louder, bigger threats, Shredder was more of the boots-on-the-ground baddie and leader of the Foot Clan. He was constantly gunning for or trying to hurt Splinter and his turtles. His personal history and rivalry with the former gave the animated series an almost Obi-Wan vs. Vader quality whenever the two characters were in conflict. Shredder was no stranger to coming out the other side of his evil plans with egg (or pizza) on his face, resorting in some truly comical beats. Krang, however, while sometimes finding himself the butt of a joke or three, is not the sentient talking brain with whom to f**k. He’s a warlord who calls Dimension X home and has one of the most badass mobile fortresses, the Technodrome, in the history of animated series villainy. As cool and likable as the Ninja Turtles were, their villains were ultimately more dramatically and visually interesting.
1. Megatron from 'Transformers'
Megatron is a Decepticon of simple tastes: He just wants to horde Energon cubes, hurt Autobots and humans, and tear out Optimus Prime’s optics. As alien robots go, he’s very consistent and predictable; plot, bicker with Starscream and then enable him by tolerating his antics, fight Prime and his people, lose said fight, and repeat.
That said, we’re unsure why he insists on needing Energon for fuel when he clearly runs on pure, high-octane hate. From the jump, Megatron let it be known that he is weapons-grade evil. Nevermind that the leader of robots than can turn into jets and space shuttles and tanks is a guy who can only transform into a gun that needs fired by someone else, Megatron subsists on good people and innocent lives suffering the fallout of his dastardly plots. Unlike the others on this list, he succeeded at defeating and killing his nemesis. After a brutal, iconic battle in the 1986 Transformers: The Movie, Megatron faked being helpless, begged for mercy, only to blast away a beaten Prime with a pistol. And this is after murdering a spaceship full of Autobots (RIP Ironhide) in cold blood. Megatron’s victory was short-lived and tragic, as the arrogant villain was forced into submission and painfully turned into Galvatron by the planet-sized Unicron. A fitting end for this ruthless character.