7 Best Walking Dead Villains, Ranked

Many formidable and terrifying villains posed a threat to Rick Grimes and his group of survivors in The Walking Dead. Spanning 11 seasons over 12 years, The Walking Dead became one of the most successful and popular TV shows in history, and the performances of both its protagonists and antagonists, all fighting for survival in a world infested by undead “Walkers,” helped the series achieve this acclaim. Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his found family were at the heart of The Walking Dead, but many other survivors of the zombie apocalypse weren’t so agreeable.

The Walking Dead spawned a number of spinoffs that have also achieved their own successes, including Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: The World Beyond, Dead City, Daryl Dixon, The Ones Who Live, and Tales of the Walking Dead. Most of the most impressive and haunting villains in the franchise have been contained to the parent show, however, which first hit our screens in October 2010. While there are many incredible villains in The Walking Dead, there are some that really left their mark on the series.

7) Pamela Milton

While Pamela Milton, played by Laila Robbins, may not have been the most sinister or popular antagonist in The Walking Dead, the fact that she was the final villain fought by our group of survivors means she will always have a significant role in the series. Milton was the Governor of the Commonwealth who welcomed in several members of our group, though, through blackmail, lies, manipulations, and betrayals, she became a staunch enemy to the Coalition. She eventually tries to eradicate them in a trap, but a revolution ends with her being imprisoned and supplanted with Ezekiel (Khary Payton).

6) Gareth & Terminus

Introduced in The Walking Dead Season 4, the concept of Terminus almost seemed too good to be true. After the Governor destroys the prison and the group living there disperses, they all follow the train tracks to reunite at Terminus, but this brings them right into the path of a group of cannibals led by the truly sinister Gareth (Andrew J. West). In Season 5, Gareth and the group running from a destroyed Terminus eat some of Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) and threaten more before being brutally killed by Rick and his angered group at Father Gabriel’s (Seth Gilliam) church.

5) Merle Dixon

Sure, Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) somewhat redeemed himself in the episodes prior to his demise in The Walking Dead Season 3, but he started as a hateful and controversial antagonist to Rick Grimes and his own brother, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). Merle sexism, racism, misogyny – the list goes on – made him a sour addition to The Walking Dead, especially when interacting with the likes of Rick, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Glenn (Steven Yeun), and more. Merle was a dangerous and unpredictable villain, and yet, he’s still been sorely missed in the years since his death.

4) Shane Walsh

Played by Jon Bernthal in his breakout role, Shane Walsh was one of The Walking Dead’s original antagonists, as he opposed Rick many times in Seasons 1 and 2. Following Rick’s presumed death, Shane helped Rick’s wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs) escape from Atlanta. He subsequently fell in love with Lori and started a sexual relationship with her, only for Rick to return. Shane carried out some heinous acts because of his obsession with Lori, including killing Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince), threatening Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), and even trying to kill Rick, though Rick was quicker.

3) The Governor

The first true villain in The Walking Dead, a real rival to Rick Grimes, the Governor, aka Philip Blake (David Morrissey), was the leader of the Woodbury community who sought to eradicate Rick’s group out of “protection” of his own subjects. Ruthless, twisted, and an expert manipulator, the Governor was a truly terrifying antagonist who causes the deaths of many primary characters, including Merle, Milton (Dallas Roberts), and Andrea (Laurie Holden), while he also attacked and traumatized others, including Glenn and Maggie (Lauren Cohan). The Governor’s impact on The Walking Dead was prominent for many years following his death.

2) Negan & The Saviors

If you thought the Governor was scary, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan was next-level. Negan used his own idea of saving people to subjugate the “Saviors” beneath his rule, stripping them of individuality and putting them under his boot through fear – most notably the fear of falling victim to Negan’s barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille. Negan’s war against Rick led to the deaths of several main characters, including Glenn, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), and Sasha (Sonequa Martin Green). Negan later became something of an ally, but his impact as a totalitarian villain is still being felt in The Walking Dead: Dead City.

1) Alpha & The Whisperers

Of course, Negan is up there with the most terrifying villains in The Walking Dead, and he’s become the longest-running antagonist, but Samantha Morton’s Alpha was arguably even more formidable than him. Alpha believed humans to have reverted to nothing more than animals following the fall of civilization, so led her group like the alpha of a pack. This led to immense apathy when faced with anyone’s death, whether in her group or not, and this included her own daughter, Lydia (Cassady McClincy). Alpha brutally murdered many characters while walking among the Walkers by donning their skinned faces.

[RELATED: Tales of the Walking Dead’s Alpha Timeline, Explained]

The Whisperers were the primary antagonists of The Walking Dead Seasons 9 and 10, which ended with Negan killing Alpha and Daryl killing Beta (Ryan Hurst). They used their skin-masks to hide among the Walkers, and even sent spies into the ranks of our group of survivors. The likes of Tara (Alanna Masterson), Henry (Macsen Lintz), Enid (Katelyn Nacon), Siddiq (Avi Nash), and more were killed by Whisperers, and Alpha even put Negan under her command for a while, proving she is the most powerful, influential, and harrowing villain in The Walking Dead.

Who are your favorite villains in The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments!