The 10 Best TV Villains with Tragic Backstories

In every story, there should always be a fantastic antagonist who is written and handled in the same way as the protagonist. Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter are just two of the iconic villains that are arguably bigger than the heroes of their own stories.

However, the medium of TV is a better platform for character development to bring out the best in those antagonists and dive deeper into their backstories, generating sympathy for viewers. From Netflix's most anticipated animated series to HBO's greatest gems, there are plenty of villains with tragic backstories that fans would love.

Benjamin Linus — 'Lost'

Lost follows the survivors of a commercial jet aircraft traveling between Sydney and Los Angeles that crashed, and it includes elements of science fiction and the paranormal. The story has many ruthless characters, but Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) is its main adversary. He abducted, tortured, killed a lot of people, and even sacrificed his own daughter.

Despite having a horrible upbringing in which his mother passed away while giving birth to him and he was neglected by his alcoholic father, he. It wasn't until a time traveler from Ben's future shot him and left him for dead that his compassion to save a prisoner cost him his life, wiped his memory, and changed him forever.

Livia Soprano — 'The Sopranos'

a woman sits in the chair with meal placed in front of her

The Sopranos is an American crime drama TV show that centers on Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), an Italian-American mobster who struggles to balance his family life and his position as the head of a criminal organization. Meanwhile, Tony's narcissistic mother, Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand), constantly sought to harm him and even attempted to have him killed.

Many Saints of Newark, the show’s prequel movie, details Livia's impoverished upbringing and reveals that the only way she could leave her family was to marry Johnny Boy Soprano. However, that didn't work out because her unfaithful spouse didn't appreciate her, and she was overburdened with domestic duties, gradually making her bitter.

Jinx — 'Arcane'

Jinx from Arcane is sitting on a chair with guns — Image via Riot Games/Netflix

Arcane, a League of Legends series, provided gamers with in-depth knowledge and backstories of several of their favorite in-game Champions. The sisters Vi and Powder are among them, and the latter develops into one of the show's primary antagonists, Jinx. The series does a superb job of showing Jinx's development into a cunning criminal and giving viewers a reason to sympathize with her.

Powder lost her parents when she was a child, which was very traumatic and caused her to develop issues with abandonment and codependency. Things worsened when Powder attempted to save her adopted family but instead killed them, leading her sister, Vi, whom she worshiped, to blame her. To divorce herself from her past, Powder adopts the moniker Jinx and turns to a life of crime.

The Governor — 'The Walking Dead'

The Governor aiming his gun at something off-camera in The Walking Dead.

Beyond the frantic zombies, The Walking Dead featured a wide range of antagonists looking to seize control wherever they could live in a society in disarray. The Governor, a.k.a Philip Blake (David Morrissey), was one of the most heinous antagonists in the series. Despite his charm and natural leadership abilities, he is brutal to anybody he perceives as a threat to his rule.

The Governor's growth was significantly impacted by his brother's fruitless attempts to confront their violent father while growing up in a hostile environment. The loss of his wife and daughter later contributed to his trauma with his daughter Penny turning into a zombie, but Philip refused to let her die and kept her infected body locked away in his closet while waiting for a cure.

Al Swearengen — 'Deadwood'

a mustached man in suit is walking towards the camera

Deadwood is a Western television program that features real historical individuals and events and significant fictitious aspects. It is set in Deadwood, South Dakota, in the 1870s. Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) is the elusive bad guy who is regarded as a wisecracking counselor and a backstabbing crook in the town. Al's traumatic past made him a ruthless individual who was quick to kill others, especially for personal gain.

Al is a dangerous individual largely because of his early desertion and youthful violence. Moreover, Al's upbringing in an orphanage and subsequent adoption, as well as the physical and mental abuse he endured from his adoptive father as a child, undoubtedly contributed to the development of his ruthless character.

Homelander — 'The Boys'

a blonde superhero is standing against the window

The Boys is a superhero TV series that centers on a group of vigilantes who fight against people who take advantage of their superpowered skills. Homelander (Antony Starr), the main antagonist of The Boys, is a sadistic supervillain who delights in controlling and killing people while appearing to be a hero.

Homelander was reared by Vought lab doctors and never had the opportunity to experience parental love or form a loving family, which can explain his behaviors. Moreover, He was subjected to several cruel physical examinations, techniques to evaluate his physical prowess, and arduous mental brainwashing to mold his personality, leaving a profound and severe trauma.

Arthur Mitchell — 'Dexter'

Dexter centers on the titular character, Dexter (Michael C. Hall), a forensic analyst for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department who specializes in bloodstain pattern analysis but also has a secret life as a vigilante serial killer who hunts down murderers. Arthur Mitchell, a.k.a The Trinity Killer (John Lithgow), a devout, tax-paying family man with three decades of serial killing expertise under his bloodied belt, is introduced to viewers in season 4.

Arthur's traumatic past began by witnessing his sister bleed to death in front of him after falling in the shower and shattering the bathroom door. Later, after the family moved to Miami, Arthur's mother suffered from severe depression and committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, leaving him to live with his alcoholic and violent father, who passed away when he was 19.

Beatrice Horseman — 'BoJack Horseman'

An animated horsewoman is smoking cigarette while teaching her son, a horseman in navy suit

BoJack Horseman is an adult animated black comedy-drama that follows the title character voiced by Will Arnett, a former sitcom star from the 1990s, who plots his comeback to fame. Even though BoJack is the villain in his own life story, Beatrice Horseman (Wendie Malick), BoJack's alcoholic and abusive mother, is the series' other antagonist.

Before discovering her horrific backstory, Beatrice appears to fans of the show to be a sardonic, negligent, and spiteful lady. Despite coming from an affluent family, Beatrice experienced a tragic childhood when her brother was killed in World War II. This caused her mother's mental health problems, leaving her to deal with her abusive, misogynistic, and overbearing father. Later, she slowly became estranged from BoJack's father, who was from a working-class household, since their marriage was anything but ideal.

Nate Jacobs — 'Euphoria'

A man stares at the camera as he sits at the bar

Euphoria is a teen drama that takes place in a Los Angeles high school and chronicles the lives of the students, featuring mature themes like drug usage and sexual experimentation. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), the football captain willing to crush everybody to achieve his goal, is the show's main antagonist.

After learning about his father's hidden explicit recordings at an early age, layers of unresolved trauma built up over the years for Nate, and a perverted concept of masculinity and sexuality developed. Moreover, being raised by a strict father who forced him to act like a man led to major anger problems and a distorted view of relationships and behaviors.

Cersei Lannister — 'Game of Thrones'

A blonde woman is standing by the balcony — Image via HBO

Game of Thrones fans both support and desire the downfall of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), the last ruler to sit on the Iron Throne. She is, without a doubt, exquisitely cunning and devious, driven by duty and power, and one of the most shrewd players in the game.

Despite being brighter and more vicious than most men, Cersei is the product of a world dominated by men. She is only valued for her ability to establish alliances through marriage and produce heirs for the king. Beginning with her mother's death during childbirth, her father's absence, her political marriage to King Robert, and their miserable and adulterous union, Cersei is who she is for a reason.

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