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10 Villains That Are More Popular Than Their Hero Counterparts

Every protagonist needs a formidable antagonist - someone who takes the danger to the next level and challenges the hero to be better. Sometimes, however, these villains end up being more than just fearsome and become iconic personalities in their own right.

Negan

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The swaying hips, the leather jacket, the smug smirk, and Lucille. Man, Negan is just too cool for zombie-killing school. Even if he did (spoiler alert) smash Abraham and Glenn’s brains in, he’s been the most exciting thing about the snore-worthy season 7 of The Walking Dead.

He’s a despicable guy – make no mistake about it – but he oozes confidence in everything he does. While Rick Grimes whines and loses his smile every other week, Negan continues to heat up the screen with his barbed-wire bat. He’s dedicated to the cause, and he’s so quotable, too. I mean, every time I open the freezer nowadays, I say, “this is going to be as cold as a warlock’s ballsack.”

It’s pretty obvious that the TV series is losing its legs and will probably get its eviction notice in a season or two. Until then, though, let’s hope that Negs doesn’t face the same fate as the Governor and is able to entertain us with some more of his Neganisms.

Loki

When Thor: Ragnarok was announced, most people were concerned by only one thing: was Loki going to be in it? Tom Hiddleston’s turn as the God of Mischief has been universally praised, cementing this character as one of the best on-screen comic book villains.

While he lacks the brawn to take on his brother, Thor, he certainly has the brains to excel. If it weren’t for those pesky Avengers interfering, he would’ve ruled Earth by now as well. Considering all that’s going on in the world at the moment, would he have been any worse than some of our leaders? I rest my case.

One of the biggest criticisms of the MCU has been its lack of credible villains, but Loki is the exception to the rule here. He’s been the standout antagonist so far. Every time he appears, trouble soon follows – and that’s exactly what we want from him.