Top 10 Bad Boys of 2013

With 2013 about to draw to a close, we are taking a look back at the years top ten bad boys of television and film. From the Governor to Khan, we either loved, or loved to hate these villainous men and the characters they so brilliantly portrayed. Also take note now that this write up includes SPOILERS for: Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, Sherlock, Game of Thrones, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Man of Steel.

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) – Many of you may disagree with this choice, but Walter was added because as the Breaking Bad series went on, we see that it becomes less about the money for his family and more about building an enormous drug empire, as he makes clear to his partner in crime, Jesse. Walter degrades into a money-hungry meth peddler but yet there we all were, still hoping that he was going to turn back into the man he once was. As he died on the lab floor, we all couldn’t help the ache we felt in our hearts for this horrible man who finally found peace.

The Governor (David Morrissey) – The Walking Dead first saw the Governor as a potential saviour to the group struggling to survive, but all too quickly things went sour. A nice, cordial man on the outside, what laid beyond his good looks and authoritative Southern drawl was a man of pure evil. David Morrissey made bad look so good the past two seasons as he did battle as the Governor, and although he was far from the image seen in the graphic novels, the Governor quickly earned a fanbase despite all of his evil. “Maybe he’s turned himself around this time. Maybe.” we all kept thinking, but we all know how that ended…

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) – It’s no doubt that this bad boy is a fan favorite. Smooth, eloquent and good looking, fans were more than pleased to see Loki’s return in Thor: The Dark World when it hit theatres in November. Not only was Tom Hiddleston’s performance brilliant, but the more evil things he did and schemes he came up with, the more we somehow loved him. Some have even called for a spin-off film specifically for the backstabbing step brother, but that may just be wishful thinking for some Loki-fans.

James Moriarty (Andrew Scott) – If you hated him with every fibre of your being, then Andrew Scott did his job. Portraying Sherlock’s most formidable foe, the great detective went toe-to-toe with Moriarty throughout the first and second seasons (both direct and indirectly), seemingly unraveling all the mystery there was to Sherlock and forcing him into suicide, leaping to his death in front of his good friend, Watson. Moriarty was the only man considered to be an intellectual equal to Sherlock, and was by all means the darkness to Sherlock’s light. “Every fairytale needs a good old-fashioned villain. You need me, or you’re nothing.” Moriarty tells Sherlock in the episode The Reichenbach Fall.

Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) – A human augment, Khan and his people were considered genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order. For the first half of the movie, film-goers were led to believe that John Harrison was a Starfleet agent gone rogue. When Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise finally have Khan safe in their brig, his true identity and intentions are revealed. Somewhat justifiably, Khan recounts that his actions were simply to save his crew, whom he considers his family. This put some audience members on the edge of whether or not he was truly a bad individual, or simply a man that felt hope was lost; all portrayed fantastically by Benedict Cumberbatch, whom seems to make the jump from hero to villain with ease.

Zod (Michael Shannon) – One of Superman’s most formidable foes, General Zod hunts Clark down on Earth some years after Krypton is destroyed and he’s released from the Phantom Zone. In the end it comes down to the fact that Zod wants to terraform Earth and prep it to be the new Krypton; a process that would inevitably wipe out humanity. Wanting to bring back what was lost is completely understandable, but like Khan, Zod went about it the complete wrong way and in the end, forces Superman to make a decision that doesn’t have a good outcome either way.

Raymond Reddington (James Spader) – “The Concierge of Crime”, Red is one of the FBI’s most wanted, so when he surrenders suddenly after decades on the run, his actions raise eyebrows. For the ‘greater good’, Red has murdered and tortured people, and his ethics are more than a little murky. But we can’t help but be interested in where this may lead; unraveling Red’s past is one of the best parts of the show, as well as finding out what his connection is with Agent Elizabeth Keen.

Jax Teller (Chalie Hunnam) – He’ll do anything in the name of SAMCRO and much to our displeasure, we watch Jax turn into the very man he hates; Clay. There isn’t anything he won’t do for his family though and now that he’s the club’s new president, it seems like things are going to be getting a lot worse before they get better for Jax.

Don Draper (Jon Hamm) – Draper is a little bit different from the others in this bad boys list but we can’t help but pay attention when he’s on the screen. While he’s certainly not a drug pusher or a murderer, it’s Draper’s lack of moral compass that makes him a bit of a bad boy in the eyes of many viewers. While he might be a rampant alcoholic that spends more time with other women than he does his wife, that doesn’t mean he isn’t at least trying to turn things around, and that’s why we’re still in his corner.

Walder Frey (David Bradley) – Anyone who watches Game of Thrones doesn’t have to be told why we picked Walder to be one of the top bad boys of 2013 and it’s two words, Red. Wedding. Frey set out to see that Robb Stark was killed following a deal he makes with Tywin Lannister for protection from other rebels. In perhaps one of the most horrifying scenes to ever take place on television, Robb’s wife is stabbed repeatedly in the stomach and the slaughter of the Stark clan begins. Robb meets his demise at the hand of his own bannerman, Roose Bolton and while all this is happening, Walder Frey sits back on his throne and drinks wine.