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What makes a great TV villain? They can be some of the most manipulative, cunning, and strategic players, but sometimes, that makes them the most fun to watch. Just because someone plays a villain on TV, it doesn't always make them a bad person. Many Big Brother villains are well-liked by their fellow castmates, others, not so much.
Big Brother has had plenty of villains throughout its 24 seasons and some of them have even gone on to win, despite their clear role as the antagonist. Quite often, they are hated by other houseguests, but loved by viewers for their strategic gameplay.
Dr. Will Kirby - BB2 & 7
Dr. Will Kirby is the original Big Brother villain. He is one of the most charming, intelligent, and manipulative players to ever be on the show. He was able to manipulate and deceive the other houseguests and even got them all to go on a fast, so he could have an advantage.
He uses showmances to get further in the game, throws every competition (unless there’s money involved), and famously told the entire house that he hated them on All-Stars but still didn’t receive any votes to evict. He won Season 2 and almost made it to the end of All-Stars.
Dan Gheesling - BB10 & 14
Dan Gheesling is considered by many to be one of the best players to ever compete. Dan won his first season then returned as a coach in Season 14 where he came in second. Gheesling used manipulation tactics to get further in the game and would make promises to everyone, despite having no intentions to keep them. He hurt a lot of people yet somehow managed to make amends and get them back on his side.
His most famous villainous acts include hosting his own funeral to make the house think he had give up, and getting Danielle Murphee to use the veto on him only to then turn around and evict her boyfriend. Dan had the combination of charm and cut-throat nature that was always so fun to watch.
Jessie Godderz - BB10 & 11
Loved by some, hated by others, there's no doubt that bodybuilder Jessie Godderz made his mark on the show. He was narcissistic and charismatic, which allowed him to use other houseguests to do his bidding.
After leaving in 10th place the first time around, Jessie’s alliance had a complete breakdown when he was blindsided, proving how much power he had over them. He was brought back for Season 11 and finished 11th. He’s a very popular villain, continuing to return for cameos such as "Mr PEC-Tacular" in Season 17.
"Evel" Dick Donato - BB8
Nicknamed “Evel” Dick by his fellow houseguests, Dick Donato was constantly antagonizing and berating the other players. He is truly one of the most iconic villains in Big Brother history and fans have a lot of mixed opinions about him. Overall, he was a fan favorite during his season due to being a bad boy with a soft spot for his daughter, Dani Donato, who he was trying to rebuild a relationship with.
A lot of Dick’s antics were intentional in order to make himself the villain and keep his daughter safe. In the end, Dick and Dani both made it to the final two and despite Dick telling half the jury that he didn’t think any of them deserved to be in the finale, they still voted for him to win and the Donato’s ended their season on top.
Rachel Reilly - BB12 & 13
Rachel Reilly annoyed everyone in the house with her grating laugh and non-stop crying. She was also outspoken, called out floaters, and played the game hard, which led to constant fights with her fellow houseguests. Fans were sometimes annoyed with her as well, but they also admired her strategic gameplay and ability to win competitions, plus her strong relationship with her showmance/now-husband Brendon Villegas.
She placed 9th in her first season, becoming the first jury member, but was able to win it all when she came back with Brendon in Season 13. She is considered one of the greatest physical players in the show's history, winning every endurance competition she played in.
Amanda Zuckerman - BB15
Amanda Zuckerman is considered to be one of the most villainous women ever to play the game. She was known for stirring the pot and for late-night fights accompanied by glasses of red wine. Amanda was truly a master manipulator, she hurled insults at other contestants while making spiteful and sometimes even racist comments behind their backs. Despite this, Amanda and McCrae Olson controlled the game until their alliance fell apart and Amanda went home in 7th.
She walked onto the stage after her eviction to a mixed crowd reaction. Half of them were cheering, the other half booing. Big Brother 15 is considered to be one of the most controversial seasons of the show, with Amanda being one of many villains on the season.
Paul Abrahamian - BB18 & 19
Paul Abrahamian may have based their first Big Brother season around friendship, but sometimes, they would get heated, as shown when they called Michelle a rather harsh name in BB18. As a returning player in BB19, they had to change up their strategy and ended up being the puppet master/villain of the entire season.
Paul ended up making it to the finale but lost both their seasons by only one vote. Their villain status comes from their ability to manipulate and puppeteer the other houseguests and start fights, or at least escalate them, without looking like the bad guy. Paul would often make the other players turn against each other, and frequently pretended to be loyal to everyone, all while orchestrating every players downfall.
Jase Wirey - BB5 & 7
Jase Wirey was the head of the four horseman alliance, and he played the game openly and honestly, which at times made him a villain. He often came across as cocky and arrogant, even taunting other players during endurance comps. Other houseguests called him “the devil in disguise” due to his ability to get under everyone's skin.
He tried to be less of a villain when he returned for All-Stars but still showed his cards by his refusal to say goodbye to certain houseguests pre-jury. When he lost his temper after finding out he was getting backdoored, it was clear that he hadn't changed.
Danielle Reyes - BB3 & 7
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Danielle Reyes, AKA “Black Widow” is one of the best players in Big Brother history, who didn't win. This is because the jury wasn’t sequestered at the time, and they found out about all of her manipulative tactics by watching her diary rooms. She was kind and supportive to her other houseguests but came across as cold-blooded and cutthroat in the diary room, revealing all her manipulative plans and counting down how many players were left.
Her most famous villainous moment was when she betrayed her closest ally Marcellas Reynolds, evicting him after he was convinced not to use the veto. The jurors found her to be cocky and didn’t want to reward that, which has now forever changed the game, and jurors are sequestered before the finale.
Mike "Boogie" Malin - BB2, 7 & 14
Mike Malin was one of the original villains alongside his partner in crime, Will Kirby. The two made up the famous "Chilltown" alliance, where they frequently plotted and schemed against other houseguests and laughed about it in the diary room. Mike was less of a villain in BB2 as Will emerged as the main antagonist of the season, but when Mike returned for All-Stars, he didn't hold back.
He was always manipulating and plotting against the other houseguests in all the seasons he competed in. In perhaps his most villainous act, he strung Erika Landin along and pretended to be interested in her while making it clear to the audience that he had no feelings for her. Despite this, he won S7 and even came back as a coach in BB14.