While heroes are meant to be rooted for, villains are meant to be opposed due to their selfish, harmful, and violent schemes. However, some television villains make this difficult. Despite being guilty of awful things, some TV antagonists have such charm, sympathy, and entertainment value that it is hard to hate them.
Many TV villains have such charming and interesting personalities that they gain their own fanbases and even become the fan-favorite of the show. Audiences can love a villain so much that they hope the heroes are defeated or the antagonist gets a redemption arc.
10 Cole Genuinely Loved Phoebe And Was Given A Raw Deal
Charmed
Cole Turner from Charmed is remembered for being Phoebe's boyfriend. It's revealed that he's part demon and starts dating her to get close to the Charmed Ones. His human half genuinely falls in love with Phoebe and turns against the Triad for her, but their relationship ends when he is possessed by the Source of All Evil. Though Cole is banished to the Demonic Wasteland, he returns but can't regain their former trust.
Cole gains sympathy because many events that lead to this outcome aren't really his fault. The actor's appeal and chemistry with the rest of the cast add to Cole's charm, and his official redemption results in his tragic death.
9 Regina Is Charming As The Evil Queen
Once Upon A Time
Regina Mills of Once Upon A Time started as an innocent girl who just wanted to be with her lover and escape her mother's control. However, when Cora killed Daniel to force compliance, Regina became the Evil Queen.
This sad past, partnered with Regina's awesome Evil Queen persona and Lana Parilla's talented acting, makes her one of Once Upon A Time's fan-favorite and charming characters. Although she murdered her father, Graham the Huntsman, attempted to kill Snow White and the Savior, and gaslit her son, audiences sympathize with and adore Regina.
8 Blair Rules Her Life With A Decisive And Vindictive Hand
Gossip Girl
Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl is out to be the top student in social and academic matters at Constance Billiard and has no problem with destroying those she sees as competition. She is manipulative, arrogant, elitist, and misogynistic toward her peers.
Despite this, Blair often steals the spotlight from Serena. She has a fraught love story with Chuck and sympathetic insecurities that encourage fans to sympathize with her. Viewers also enjoy her ambition, charm, snarkiness, style, and confidence, which all cement her as an iconic villain.
7 Cersei's Nuance And Wordplay Are Magnetizing
Game Of Thrones
Cersei Lannister is a complex antagonist in Game of Thrones. She unjustly calls for the death of Sansa's direwolf after Nymeria attacks Joffrey, claims to love her children but uses them to benefit herself, and indoctrinated Joffrey with harmful teachings.
However, Cersei becomes more complex in Game of Thrones through her sympathetic moments. She is grief-stricken at Joffrey and Myrcella's deaths, genuinely begs Tywin not to make her marry, and her walk of shame evokes some empathy. Additionally, Cersei has clever lines and funny insults, especially when speaking with Sansa or about Margaery. She isn't heartless, so it's difficult for viewers not to root for her.
6 Billy Hargrove Knows How To Dazzle People
Stranger Things
In Stranger Things, Billy Hargrove is a frightening and abusive character. He is horrible to his stepsister Max, physically violent and threatening toward Lucas, and is misogynistic. However, he can evidently hide all this with his charming nature if he chooses. He flirts and connects with Karen Wheeler by faking genuine concern for Max, which points to his manipulative charisma.
Billy certainly has his fans, especially after his redemption in Season 3. Many cite his abusive father and his loving mother's absence as reasons to feel empathy for him, though these don't excuse his actions. While his redemption before his death didn't make everyone love him, it did provide some closure to his villainy.
5 Moriarty Keeps His Villainy Fresh With Unpredictable Mind Games
Sherlock
In Sherlock, James Moriarty is responsible for many of the title character's dilemmas. This includes necessity of Sherlock's faked death in the Season 2 finale and the obstacles caused by Sherlock's sister Eurus in Season 4. Despite being the antagonist, there is a certain magnetism that surrounds Moriarty.
Moriarty is so fun to watch as the two characters engage in a mental battle of wills. Even Sherlock can't resist the villain's schemes and plots as they constantly try to one-up each other. Moriarty is more than a match for Sherlock's intellect and foresight, making every encounter a mental chess match.
4 Jan Is Riveting And Grounded
The Office
Jan from The Office is introduced as the central workplace antagonist. She is still appreciated as a counterpart to Michael's eccentricity and a well-intentioned attempt to ground him. Things go south when she and Michael enter a relationship where it becomes apparent that the two are toxic for each other.
"Dinner Party" shows that Jan tried to get Michael to get a vasectomy three times while possibly having an affair with her underage assistant. Nevertheless, Jan manipulates Michael to get back together with her. Despite her cruel actions, Jan is incredibly entertaining and slowly begins to show a softer side.
3 Sue Bruises Her Team's Self-Esteem But Has Memorable Comedic Timing
Glee
Although Sue Sylvestor is the main antagonist in the problematic TV show, Glee, she's easily one of the best characters. Sue despises the titular club and continually tries to bring the group down. She is harsh and brutal to anyone at McKinley High, often calling her students cruel names and being rude to other staff.
However, Sue is played by Jane Lynch, who's famous for her comedic timing and sarcastic line delivery. Having received all the best lines in the show, Sue becomes a beloved character who's incredibly entertaining to watch. She even uses her charm to manipulate others, often targeting Principal Figgins.
2 Daemon's Rogue Personality Makes Him Well-Loved
House Of The Dragon
In House of the Dragon, Daemon Targaryen is the proud, stubborn, and troublesome brother of King Viserys I Targaryen. In the first half of Season 1, Daemon commits atrocious deeds, like murdering his first wife and mocking his infant nephew's death by calling him the "Heir for a Day."
Despite this, Daemon is beloved by many viewers because of charming and persuasive personality. His brutal honesty and trollish comments are seen as wise and hilarious. Matt Smith's charismatic performance helps the character, even if he is a cruel villain in House of the Dragon.
1 Khan Noonien Singh Is Charismatic
Star Trek
In the episode "Space Seed" of Star Trek: The Original Series, the Enterprise crew finds Khan Noonien Singh and his group frozen in stasis. When he wakes, Khan plans to take over the Enterprise and resume his past plans of a eugenics war.
The salient point is that Kirk and his crew are aware of who Khan is and his intentions. However, they cannot resist admiring his positive qualities. Spock even shows confusion at this and Kirk informs him it is possible to objectively admire certain traits without condoning his actions. This demonstrates why Khan is such a threat as he can turn people to his cause, making him one of Star Trek's most charming villains.