The science fiction genre produces great villains all the time. 2025’s Predator: Badlands follows a Yautja, an alien species typically portrayed as a bad guy. This time around, Dek is on the right side of the fight, initially hunting down a creature for sport before realizing that the actual threat is the Weyland-Yutani Company, which means to use him and other beings for experiments. Life isn’t all that different for Samson in 28 Years Later, as all he wants is to be able to care for his child and tear apart the occasional troublemaker who looks at him the wrong way.
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With all the fun that sci-fi movies have, it’s easy to forget that the genre also houses its fair share of TV shows. Surprisingly, the 1990s killed it in the sci-fi TV department, releasing hit after hit, some of which are still relevant today. Here are the 10 best sci-fi TV villains of the ’90s.
10) Eugene Tooms (X-Files)
The X-Files uses the “monster of the week” method, which allows a unique adversary to get up to no good in each episode. One of the few exceptions to the rule is Eugene Tooms, who shows up in two episodes. Tooms can extend his life by eating human livers and also has superhuman strength, as well as the ability to contort his body. Despite not having much character development or interesting motivations, Tooms is easily The X-Files‘ scariest villain, and that has to count for something.
9) Gul Dukat (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
A villain who is stuck in their ways can get stale after a while. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Gul Dukat likes to keep the Federation on its toes by never letting it know where his true allegiances lie. Dukat’s attitude gets him in trouble by the end of the series, when he ends up in prison with the Pah-wraiths. Still, he has a legendary run before then, making sure the residents of the titular space station are always looking over their shoulder.
8) Borg Queen (Star Trek: Voyager)
Star Trek has plenty of iconic villains, from Khan to the Klingons. However, the cream of the crop might just be the Borg Queen, who terrorizes the crew in Star Trek: Voyager. Her best quality is that she can get anyone to at the very least hear her out, being a master manipulator. The Borg Queen’s rivalry with Seven of Nine is so great that it lasts until the final season of Star Trek: Picard.
7) Mom (Futurama)
Unlike the other shows on this list, Futurama doesn’t take its sci-fi setting overly seriously. Philip J. Fry wakes up in the future and does what he does best: deliver packages. There are those in the universe that mean to do him harm, though, including Mom, the CEO of MomCorp. Her business stands for everything that’s wrong with the world, replacing humans with robots and making all kinds of shady business deals.
6) Ba’al (Stargate SG-1)
Few villains are as dangerous as the ones who have to work for everything they have. When Ba’al sees an oppurtunity in Stargate SG-1, he always takes it, no matter the cost. He’s not the series’s most powerful villain by a stretch of the imagination, but what he lacks in power he makes up for with his quick thinking. It also doesn’t hurt his case that he utilizes clones that allow him to spread the influence of the Goa’uld System Lord wherever he pleases.
5) Vicious (Cowboy Bebop)
Anime often gets lost in the sci-fi shuffle because people consider it its own category. However, Cowboy Bebop embraces the genre’s best parts, featuring unique ships and fascinating planets. But it’s hard to focus on any of that because the conflict between Spike Spiegel and Vicious demands all the focus. Vicious’ deal is that he wants as much power as he can get his hands on, which means he can never pull any punches.
4) Cartagia (Babylon 5)
Life in Babylon 5’s galaxy is hard enough without evil dictators amassing power. After becoming emperor of the Centauri Republic out of sheer luck, Cartagia slowly loses his mind and puts the people he’s meant to be looking out for in grave danger. The situation gets so dire that Londo Mollari has to put together an assassination plot that will make everyone believe the empire died of natural causes.
3) Gendo Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
All great anime feature at least one evil dad, but Neon Genesis Evangelion introduces the one least likely ever to get a card on Father’s Dad. While Gendo Ikari’s work is essential, he uses it to shirk his responsibilities as a father. All that matters to him is his ultimate goal, and he’s willing to take down anyone that gets in his way. It doesn’t get more evil than that.
2) Pudface (RoboCop)
Being the best doesn’t always mean making the greatest impact; sometimes it means being the most determined. In the RoboCop TV series, which tones down the violence the movies are famous for, Pudface Morgan comes after the titular cyborg time and again to get revenge. By the end of the show, Pudface is in custody, but he gets a few good licks in.
1) Evil Dick (3rd Rock From the Sun)
For being a comedy series, 3rd Rock From the Sun can get pretty dark. Dick Solomon is the leader of a group that the Big Giant Head sends to Earth, which puts a target on his back. In one episode, an alien assumes Dick’s appearance, kidnaps the real Dick, and plans to impregnate a bunch of women to raise an army. His plan doesn’t work, but the fact that he comes up with it is enough to earn him a spot on this list.
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Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
