In theory, viewers should root for the hero facing adversity. However, as of late, villains and antiheroes are starting to garner the veneration due to the compelling twists and turns in their character arcs. Although we’ve seen various male antagonists stealing the scene and keeping us intrigued, some of the most iconic characters to hit TV lately have been antiheroes of the female variety.

With their polished sense of fashion and their persuasive charm, these women make you doubt of their cruel intent but also get in your nerves for the ease with which they destroy everything they touch. Despite their devious nature, it is hard to put into words the conflicting emotions that viewers undergo when seeing these characters soften occasionally. It's a love/hate dynamic at its core.

From Villanelle to Katherine Pierce, here are 9 of television's best TV antagonists whose personalities are initially so disdainful that they unintentionally became approachable — and in some cases, fan-favorites.

RELATED: 'Killing Eve' Is All About Eve and Villanelle

1. Villanelle (Killing Eve)

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Image via BBC America

Starting off with the Russian psychopath that made us all obsessed like Eve (Sandra Oh). Killing Eve's Villanelle, played by Emmy-winning actress Jodie Comer, is a cold-hearted assassin who doesn’t mind dropping a little girl’s ice cream bowl just to make her cry. Every time she hunts down new prey in high-class locations (while pulling off a fabulous outfit in the process), Villanelle has no empathy for her victims only a deep sense of joy when she accomplishes her mission. However, what makes this antagonist so attention-grabbing is her gullible personality and her love for Eve, even if it is shown through insane actions. Although she might giggle and make jokes like an adorable child, Villanelle makes it clear that no one can mess with her or those that she cares about.

2. Annalise Keating (How to Get Away With Murder)

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Image via ABC

The very thought of someone running a law class with the mentality that it is all a game where winning is the ultimate priority is in of itself a very immoral train of thought. However, How to Get Away With Murder's Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) always goes one step ahead to practice what she preaches when she influences her group of students to think like her. With each trial, Annalise exudes confidence and eloquence which mask the inner turmoil she is facing behind closed doors. Despite viewers being well-aware of her corruptive sense of justice, they can’t help but sympathize with her during her moments of weakness.

3. Georgina Sparks (Gossip Girl)

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Image via The CW

On the original Gossip Girl, the Queen B title may belong to Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), but Georgina’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) passive-aggressive comments could almost snatch away the crown during the few episodes that she participated in the show. When she initially popped up on the show over the course of its first two seasons, Georgina was always finding ways to destroy Serena’s (Blake Lively) life and make Dan (Penn Badgley) fall for her instead. Although she was successful for a while, the time came for her to pack her bags and leave. But not for long! When things started to feel dragged by the main couples’ on-and-off relationships, Georgina returned with even more sketchy plans and gave the show the additional spice it was lacking. She would’ve been a great Gossip Girl, if the short time she spent with the computer wasn’t a false alarm regarding the actual identity behind the blog.

4. Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries)

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Image via The CW

Nina Dobrev had the chance to play both good and bad on The Vampire Diaries. Although she was widely known for starring as the series' main character Elena Gilbert, pulling double-duty to play Elena's vampire doppelganger Katherine gave the actress an opportunity to truly excel on-screen. As a vampire thirsty for revenge, Katherine did whatever it took to survive. From pretending to be Elena to almost destroying Mystic Falls, she was unapologetically cruel and didn’t mind playing with other people’s feelings. But this doesn’t mean that she didn’t have moments in which a bit of her humanity seeped through. After all, she did give the cure to Elijah (Daniel Gillies) when he wanted it the most, and you could occasionally see her love for Stefan (Paul Wesley) overpower her vindictiveness.

5. Constance Langdon (American Horror Story)

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When thinking about American Horror Story, the first face that comes to mind is probably Jessica Lange in whatever character she is portraying in a particular season. Although we’ve seen plenty of evil from her as Sister Jude or Fiona Goode, her first character in the show can is still considered her most memorable one. Constance Langdon is the next-door neighbor that constantly pays a visit to the Murder House, where many people in her life died and continued to have their spirits trapped in the mansion. Although there was nothing redemptive about the character, it's safe to say that she was the central piece to the whole storyline and its successful turnaround.

6. Inspector Sierra (Money Heist)

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Image via Netflix

Once Money Heist was renewed as a Netflix original, it was hard to picture a new plan led by the Professor’s (Álvaro Morte) gang with another person leading the police operation. When Inspector Sierra (Najwa Nimiri) stepped in without one hint of mercy, it was clear that she was the villain that viewers wouldn’t sympathize with. Yet, the show once again turned the audience’s perspective around when Sierra allied with the Professor and became responsible for making sure that the heist was a success. Let’s be honest; she probably became your favorite character once the ending credits rolled during the final season.

7. Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time)

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Image via ABC

When fairy tales clash with real life, it's hard to differ who is the evil witch or the princess in despair. Once Upon A Time played with that concept multiple times when exploring Grimm’s characters through a modern-day take. One of the villains that stood out was Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla) aka the Evil Queen in Snow White. Whenever the story played out in the fairy-tale format, the Evil Queen knew how to make an entrance and fill people with fear. However, whenever the day-to-day plot kicked in, you couldn’t help but understand that Regina just wanted what was best for her adoptive son as well as what was best for everyone in Storybrooke.

8. Sue Sylvester (Glee)

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Image via FOX

Let’s face it, the underdog reaches their best self after they experience harsh criticism and rocky paths along the way. Glee's Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) was that essential antagonist for Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) to dedicate his all to the glee club and help the students earn well-deserved trophies. Although she was quick to blurt an offensive comment to anyone she deemed a loser, Sue still had many heroic instances in the show. From when she secretly voted in favor of the New Directions during the Regionals competition in Season 1 or whenever she used her influence on Becky (Lauren Potter) for good, Sue was in reality a lamb wearing a wolf coat. Also, let’s not forget that “Sue Sees It” was one of the coolest lines to be replicated on Glee.

9. Petra Solano (Jane the Virgin)

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Image via The CW

Also a character you hated but then loved, Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas) was introduced in Jane the Virgin as Rafael’s (Justin Baldoni) egocentric wife who would consider lying about domestic abuse to get custody of Jane’s baby. However, as the show progressed, Petra noticed that she had grown a sense of love and care for Jane and Rafael that she never experienced within her own family. The more this trio bonded, the more emotionally charged the dramedy got. Of course, the Villenuevas’ household was the comfort family that drew audiences to the storyline, but whenever Petra and Rafael joined in, the family seemed that more complete.