ONCE UPON A TIME: Ranking The Villains

With Once Upon A Time having reached its end, I thought it would be great to take a trip down memory lane. One thing ABC's hit fantasy series will be remembered for is providing its own take on the many classic villains most of us have grown up with from both Disney films and literary works. It loved to take one of the most fundamental story devices and add more flavour to it by turning it into a cog of a more reliable and well-oiled machine. The villains of this show were made to stick out like sore thumbs, enthralling millions of fans worldwide and becoming the roots of some of the most important, educational messages conveyed via screens. And a few of these actors and actresses that got the opportunity to portray such iconic characters were even able to spark new life into them and have managed to change how they are seen by viewers. Seems like another form of 'powerful magic' if you ask me.

Throughout the six to seven year journey, creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis have continually reminded fans about one of their few aims. To prove that things are not as black and white as they can be perceived in reality. It's a message that I not only strongly relate to but live by as well, which further deepens my love and appreciation for the show. And this message tends to resonate best through each and every villain that has stepped foot into Storybrooke. Not only do they create a story for the audience to follow (which would be important for any villain in general), but they are focused on heavily and given real depth. Once Upon A Time allowed such characters to demonstrate extensiveness as well as the thin line between good and evil, something that's rarely the case in other related material (especially of that targeted towards children). These particular antagonists are given proper motives for their actions. They are given the chance to reconsider their position along with the chance to change their fate for better or worse. Some of them are reminded that redemption is never impracticable and that it's never too late to seek a happiness they would greatly desire. Unlike most other works that simply just show the idea in play, this series has the opportunity to also explain the idea, as it is of great relevance with many of its storylines.

Whether they were traditional, original or just downright dark and twisted to the point of unfamiliarity, almost every major villain on this show has had a story to tell. Some have had us confused while others have left us rightly sympathising for them after the tragedies they've experienced. Regardless of how we feel about them, our reaction is always expected and in most situations, us generally hating them is a sign of how well they have turned out. However, here is where I aim to dig a little deeper. While Once Upon A Time has seen numerous foes come and go, I decided to pick twenty of the shows biggest baddies from all of the seven seasons. From regular fan-favourites such as the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) to short-lasting hurdles like Hades (Greg Germann), I rank and rate each of the twenty while providing a brief summary, the tiniest bit of an analysis as well as a personal view. I consider the development, impact and also how well they are portrayed. If you happen to think otherwise, it's okay since this is just my opinion. Feel free to provide your own thoughts in the comments section of this piece.

Here we go:

20. King Arthur

Rating: 0.5 / 10

There is nothing much I can say about this character because there is nothing much he had given. King Arthur (Liam Garrigan) just happened to be one of those bad, effortless takes on the legend. You just can't seem to find anything distinctive about him. He first acts as a friend and when the truth spills out, he acts like a self-absorbed brat obsessed with power and glory. Arthur could pretty much be the most forgettable villain on Once Upon A Time. He also was introduced at the show's weakest point. It's a shame because prior to his first appearance, I was always hoping they brought him and Camelot into the show. I even thought it would've been interesting making him some sort of antagonist. In the end the writers did both, but rather poorly. I as a result, had been let down. It's not so much me being emotionally detached to the character, but me logically deeming him as irrelevant in almost every way. You just think a better job could have been done when it came to writing him. The only thing I could probably applaud is the performance. Well done Garrigan! You did what was expected of you and did it well.


19. Greg Mendell & Tamara
Rating: 1 / 10

Another two which were easy to forget. Might as well pair these ones together, because it won't make them look any better. The plain but intriguing objective to destroy magic was perhaps placed in the wrong hands. The show's first couple of completely original villains were merely underwhelming. Neither screamed 'main antagonist' and I didn't see either posing much of a threat. Either that or they were stretched too much, just to meet those 'big bad' requirements. On top of this, I found their relationship to be quite pointless. Rather than seeing them as formidable magic exterminators, I saw Greg (Ethan Embry) and Tamara (Sonequa Martin-Green) as the bearers of unnecessary soap opera drama for a fantasy adventure series. Finally, there was a lot of information about the two I personally considered relevant which the writers didn't touch on. We never knew how the two exactly met each other. There was no explanation as to how they got in contact with the 'home office'. There wasn't even an explanation as to how they became a couple of Pan's bitches. Story-wise, they were pretty weak characters and it was somewhat difficult for me to accept their place in the overall plot. Besides, I'm sure most would agree that both Greg and Tamara were two of the most emotionally irritating people to pass into Storybrooke.


18. Isaac Heller
Rating: 1.5 / 10

The next original villain was slightly more admirable. He took a mantle and wasn't at anytime afraid to use it to his own advantage. Driven by his annoyance of being pushed around and treated like a minnow, Isaac (Patrick Fischler) found a small bit of luck that would later on see him as a catalyst to one of the show's most interesting concepts regarding the position of heroes and villains. The role reversals could seem very plain and obvious, but they still appeared to have sweetened Once Upon A Time and make characters all the more appealing. Isaac himself occasionally saw things for what they were, but the weight of his unpleasant experiences left him naturally twisting the images to his liking. All whilst being an intentionally irksome outsider. I cannot deny the behavioural issues Isaac had, but even with or without them he himself had a valid excuse for his committing of sin. So his a-hole tendencies were the least of my worries. Yet why eighteen? For me, he didn't strike me as a solidly constructed antagonist. It wasn't that he didn't have a high level of power because he did, even though it all came from a pen. I just couldn't help but gather his stance still fell short. One thing he couldn't rub off very well, was being a pushover. I see a problem such as this one as quite a significant hole in any character, hence the very low rank for this one.

17. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Rating: 1.5 / 10

There's no going without congratulating Hank Harris and Sam Witwer for bringing these classic literature characters to life. They sunk so deep in the roles, it was like they were the actually Jekyll and Hyde being themselves. I also can't go past Once Upon A Time here, for having continued their own path of storytelling. In true Once fashion, the writers were all about erasing the distinction between good and evil. I just loved how they left us asking ourselves which of the two was more of the monster. Which was hurting more from their pain? How much did they despise each other? All of this coming inside a small handful of episodes. That's about it for the positives. Now for the negatives. Firstly I didn't appreciate how underutilised the characters were, especially given the effort that was put into them. I also didn't understand Hyde's level of power. And unlike most who were invested in them, I for some reason failed to see the fascination. That probably goes back to the amount of screen time they had. Usually for me, I hesitate to like a lot of things unless I have a fair idea of what they are. The idea I received from Once's take on Robert Louis Stevenson's critters remained foggier compared to other bad guys on the show. I'm sorry. I tried, but I had trouble connecting with them.

16. Ursula (The Sea Witch)

Rating: 2.5 / 10

I'm kind of upset with how Ursula (Merrin Dungey) was treated. One of Disney's most memorable villains was unfairly turned into one of the show's most forgettable. She was the least favourite of the 'Queens of Darkness' and the one the show was in a hurry to have come and go. It sort of made me felt bad for Dungey in a way too and left me questioning the truth surrounding the casting choice. How much of it was because of her natural acting talent and how much of it was the fact that her older sister was president of the ABC Entertainment Group? Whatever it is, it remains upsetting. The writing team had something good in Ursula and were quick to get rid of it after just six episodes. Now it leaves most to think she wasn't a good villain when she had every opportunity to be one. The sea witch definitely had the sassy, careless attitude. She also wasn't hesitant to cause damage and kill people like she tried to with Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue). I would've liked to see more of it. Instead came the rushed redemption, then she's pushed out the door. And as for the costume design while I do agree there was nothing special about it, it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. I personally enjoyed having Ursula around and I'd love to have her higher up in the list, but logic says I must rank her appropriately. That unfortunately is sixteen.

15. Hades

Rating: 2.5 / 10

Before you continue on, the answer is no. I wasn't one of the fans calling for James Woods to play this role and I'm certainly not placing this character low on the list because it wasn't played by him. To be honest, I kind of like Once Upon A Time having tried to make something new out of old work. I like that they looked towards different people to help forge their own identity. They did it here with Greg Germann, and did the same with Liam Garrigan for King Arthur. Perhaps though it just didn't work as well here. I speak of course about the writing and development. You start with Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle), throw in some Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) and mould them into one. Ensure to wash the colour out of it as well and make it look dull. If you follow the steps carefully, you should end up with what is to be Hades. That just about sums him up. He's another trickster with less of a personality. When he came on screen, I wasn't as excited as I wanted to be. On top of that, there is barely any visual backstory on his character. We were just taking his word for everything and I myself just didn't know what to believe from it. My thoughts on the relationship with Zelena (Rebecca Mader)? I guess it kind of worked. And as for the blue fiery hair, I didn't know what it meant here. Plus the CGI was poor, but I guess I'll let that bit slide (I usually do). Purely because of the mysterious vibe I received, he sort of looked better than a few other wrongdoers on the show.

14. Dr. Facilier

Rating: 3 / 10

Although the dark and creepy witch doctor was less dark and less creepier here, the puzzle in him was never taken away. Dr. Facilier (Daniel Francis) stayed a character with many untouched areas. No clear idea of his upbringing. Not many past events. Not even his short-lasting relationship with Regina had any proper build-up. He is one of the only characters to have his foundation mostly built in the present time. You could say he was the new story's answer to Rumplestiltskin (but less delved into). He was often searching for answers to situations that benefited him. He did some good deeds and some bad deeds. And we were to never know what his next course of action was. That was probably one of the only good details about him, despite the originality or lack thereof. I love mysteriousness in characters as it keeps me around in hopes of identifying something from them being out of the ordinary. Then again, it can every once in a while be a pain not knowing much about who the heroes are truly dealing with. Having not known much about him as well as not having the time to do so was what held him back from stepping up in the ranks. Shady and blurry. That was Dr. Facilier in a nutshell. He was and forever now is, the prime example of uncharted territory.

13. Anastasia (The Red Queen)

Rating: 3.5 / 10

Yes! I am well aware that this one was from the spin-off and not the main series. But since I am going to talk about Jafar (Naveen Andrews / Oded Fehr) and include the Wonderland take on him, I felt it would only seem fair for me to have the Red Queen (Emma Rigby) listed here as well. After all, she was in the same universe. Specifics though are beyond my reach as it's been almost five years since I touched the spin-off, and I haven't bothered to try and recapture everything that took place within each of the episodes. What I do remember however, was Anastasia's outline and her general personality. She was discovered to be a step sister of Cinderella (Jessy Schram), who threw herself away from the opportunities at love and true happiness. At her weakest point, Cora (Barbara Hershey) would come around to get in her head and remind her of the irrelevance she found in such things. Not only did Anastasia distance herself as far as she could from true love, she would be stuck in the crossroads. Even with all the power she obtained from ditching another proper chance at happiness with Will Scarlet (Michael Socha), she still ended up as a pawn on a larger chessboard. Riches and royalty couldn't chain down her true nature. She was quite cheeky as a villain, but hidden within her was a sense of both confusion and growing regret. A nice touch of depth if you asked me.

12. Peter Pan

Rating: 3.5 / 10

I suppose a lot of you are dying to know what I think of this guy. Well be prepared for a rather unpopular opinion. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the most overrated character of the most overrated storyline of the series. Surprised you didn't I? Don't think I don't know how hard it will be to argue this. This is why I have an awful lot more to say about this character compared to most others here. Peter Pan simply didn't do much for me. I just wasn't as fascinated by him like the majority of other viewers. So many questions and plot inconsistencies surrounded this particular character. He seemed so shallow, that even the writers didn't know what to do with him when they brought him back. I can't blame them as it was a very small picture to paint. Come to think of it, this shouldn't be that hard to argue at all. If I were to ask any fan why they like Pan, they'd come back with two reasons. One, he is a good villain and two, Robbie Kay. Pretty vague reasons aren't they. They also tell me of how one-dimensional this character was.

I'll start of with the positives as it would only seem fair. I'll first of all congratulate Adam, Eddy and whoever else that decided to gather inspiration from the original story of Peter Pan. Turning this character dark for the series was something fresh and unseen by many. I also have to congratulate those responsible for casting Robbie Kay. This guy genuinely looks like somebody who was meant to play Peter Pan, regardless of whether they were good or bad. And he had done little wrong, though the scrunching up of the face in certain scenes had probably annoyed me in the past. Finally, my thoughts on the twist with Pan being Rumple's father? Brilliant! Something that I didn't see coming myself. It was Once Upon A Time continuing to choose its own path of showing historical fairy tales in ways that haven't been done previously. Couldn't be any happier with how these ideas came into play. It didn't however change the fact that the cons still outweighed the pros when it came to this take on the mischievous young boy.

There are many reasons for my distaste of this version of Peter Pan, but the one that will forever get on my nerves is the mixed messages that came from him, especially those that revolved around his relationship with Rumple. The fact that he couldn't ever make his mind up on whether he loved his own son or not. One moment he refers to him as a 'pink naked squirming little larva' and the next moment he is seen pleading to him about a fresh start. Not to forget that he was the reason for Rumple's hideous name. Malcolm (Stephen Lord) continued to blame him for all of his problems and ditched him at his most vulnerable, yet still ended up wanting to remind himself of the son he had. That's when the name Peter Pan came in, the same name as the straw doll given to Rumple as a kid. All of this still happens to confuse me. If you disliked your own son so much, wouldn't you want to try and forget them. Pan had proven to be nothing but a nonsensical, two-minded moron.

There's no denying his villainy as he really was dark and twisted. After all, he willingly gave up his son in favour of eternal youth and ripped so many other children away from their families. Not to mention he tried to trick his great grandson Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) into dying for him. That is downright evil indeed. But that's about it. Everything else is questionable. Was he powerful? Everybody claimed him to be so, but it was barely proven to be true. Either that or the proof was pretty weak. Most times I saw him, he was like a bug getting flicked off the shoulder. Regina schooled him. Emma schooled him. Didn't scream powerful to me. Was he entertaining? Well that depends on what us as individual viewers find to be 'entertaining'. If you find walking around and taunting others entertaining, than this little clown's the one for you. Me? Not so much. I found him lacking that value. Finally, I need answers. How come Rumple couldn't kill him without killing himself? If it was blood magic, then how so? Nothing made sense and answers weren't given very well. Was I just to accept everything for what it was? I'm usually not one for doing that.

It was very easy to notice the little screen time Peter Pan had during the underworld arc. He only had one scene in the 100th episode. Devil's Due only had his voice. Sisters only had him in the last minute and the following episode (Firebird) saw him killed off for a second time. Not to forget the series finale, where a wish realm version of him just stood in the stocks talking about how 'evil' his son was. If that doesn't have you asking why, I don't know what does. What was the whole point of bringing him back when he was so detached from everything else that took place? The only reason I can think of when it came to his return was Horowitz and Kitsis attempting to please teenage girls who had a crush on the actor. It was clearly evident from what was given that Pan had hit a dead-end and the writers just didn't know what to do with him. He looked to be nothing but a decoration. I'm sure Kay was pleased to return and rightly so, but he too deserved a little better. Overall, Peter Pan was just one of those characters whose flaws were overlooked. Truth is he wasn't a fantastically written villain.

11. Maleficent

Rating: 4 / 10

In the Disney universe, she is known as the 'mistress of all evil'. In Once Upon A Time she is... well... just another obstacle. Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) fell short in quite a few areas. I didn't so much have a problem with her having a heart and being given something to fight for in a daughter. In fact I found that to have been rather important, as it had the show stick to one of its long-established ideas. Plus, there were details that I did approve of. Sometimes her cold yet smooth way of talking down to her enemies and the emphasis put into almost every word was fairly intimidating. And her fire-breathing dragon form? I was able to live with it. But I tried digging deeper into the entire character. The result was I just couldn't. I was still gathering a bland, uninteresting atmosphere that surrounded her. The menace in her could never correlate with her power. She was degraded and made to look weak and for a while, unmotivated. Even the dragon in her didn't come out to do as much as it probably should've. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Maleficent. But she had some faults and I was never going to shy away from speaking up about them here.

10. Jafar

Rating: 4.5 / 10

Let me guess. You are curious to know which of the two actors here played Jafar better. Naveen Andrews or Oded Fehr? Well I'm afraid I cannot give you a definitive answer to that one. Both did a tremendous job. But here is the interesting part. We already know they portrayed the same Jafar because the crew tried reaching out to Andrews ahead of the sixth season. Unfortunately he was busy with another project, so they had to find somebody else and in came Fehr. What's interesting about this? Well for those who watched both the short-lasting Wonderland spin-off and the sixth season, you may notice a slight difference in the character other than the change of actor. It isn't entirely wrong to see it like this, because I did so too. The Jafar from Once Upon A Time In Wonderland looked to be darker, more serious, willing to maim and/or kill and he was filled with greater determination. Fehr's performance saw Jafar closer to the one of the Disney adaptation, with him coming across as smoother and lighter whilst hinting the tiniest bit of cheek. Both takes on the character were in my opinion, amazing. Although I will say that I grew accustomed to the first version of Jafar, much to the point where the second took a little while getting used to. Since it all was the one character, it's essential that I briefly judge this as a whole. A very good villain, but a few others just happened to take further steps ahead.

9. Captain Hook

Rating: 5.5 / 10

Usually I don't like to consider Hook much of a villain. He sort of missed that evil essence the rest on this list had. Plus he was seen more as a both a hero and a neutral. However, there was a reason I placed him rather high on the list. The picture hints it. Hook's finest hour came when the power of the Dark One consumed him. He would be filled with hatred, anger and disgust. He would be brainwashed by the darkness to fulfill his long-awaited revenge on Rumple. He would be quick in dropping to his knees after learning the truth and easily persuaded to completely eradicate goodness and light. Adding to this newfound outlook on life, was the most captivating of personalities ever seen on Once Upon A Time. One minute it's all smiles and impersonations, and next comes the coldest and darkest of insults towards others. Probably sounds extravagant for a set of behaviours, but it was fitting for entertainment purposes. I genuinely loved the new but short-lived aura of unpredictability that hung around Hook. It was something that made up for a fair bit of the dullness the first half of season five provided, and it definitely brought the best out of Colin O'Donoghue. Plaudits are required.

8. Mother Gothel

Rating: 6 / 10

I guess the severity of one's suffering can correlate with the severity of their misbehaviour. I mean to lose an entire world and family. Would someone need anything more to turn evil? Mother Gothel (Emma Booth) was unquestionably as villainous as one can be. Separating loved ones, sexual deception, cults and dark witchcraft on top of mystery and stability. Perfect ingredients for the summoning of a corrupted heart. Gothel always wanted to be taken seriously. She was someone so calm, having everything planned and little pushing her off the edge. A trait while common with a few other baddies in the series, was seemingly displayed better by a tree nymph. Gothel also represented a powerful issue that has been known to be quite familiar in reality. War driven by discrimination. It took the actions of one nasty girl for this spirit of nature to see things black and white. To her, it was plants versus humans. A simple but effective rise of a true monster. This depraved mistress caught my eye from the moment she first appeared. The fact that she is technically a plant is riveting on its own. I initially didn't think she would play as big of a role as she did. Other than coming in very late in the series, I don't believe there was that much wrong with Mother Gothel. It was more-so a few other villains doing better in leaving their marks and creating a name for themselves.

7. Cora (The Queen of Hearts)

Rating: 6.5 / 10

I couldn't have a go at anybody for taking one look at this lady and thinking 'Ugh!'. There was stuff this woman did which left blood boiling. Everything that came from her mouth was close to meaningless and most just wanted her to be dealt with as soon as possible. But doesn't that indicate how good of an antagonist she was? She was meant to get in people's hair. She was meant to create disgust. That was the whole intention. However, there is a need to see the bigger picture. Cora may have looked to be annoying, but she had her reasons. The judgments from this mother of two were often misguided, but stemmed from detestable circumstances. Born into peasantry, fooled by a nobody and kicked around by a narcissistic snob. No one in their right mind would ask for that sort of life. The pain and suffering Cora experienced at a young age was strong enough to have her abhorring any return to it. She put herself first and cheated for power, ignorant of the long-term damage it would bring about. Giving up her first-born and killing the love of her second child. And once in superior shoes, Cora then tried inflicting her thoughts and feelings onto everyone close to her without giving them the whole story. She sought happiness from riches and saw any lesser life equal to her old one. To her, love was weakness and any raw emotion was a setback from the achieving of greatness. Long story short, Cora was all business and no heart. A villain of misconception. Me like that. Me like that very much!

6. Fiona (The Black Fairy)

Rating: 6.5 / 10

It was the mid-season finale of season three when the Black Fairy (Jaime Murray) would first be mentioned. Ever since that episode, I was left wondering whether or not we were going to at least catch a glimpse of her in the series. I was wanting to know just how dark she was and how she came to be the Black Fairy. But back then, I led myself to believe that I was asking for too much. As seasons went by, I instead was interested in searching for the ultimate villain. One that would truly represent the entirety of darkness in the show. The answer came in season six and it would also bring me back to the long-forgotten chase for the Black Fairy's identity. In steps none other than the aforementioned character, and she was made to be the darkest of them all. The creepy smile, the high-pitched giggling, the extraordinary black-feathered dresses and unpredictable behaviour. Fiona was everything she needed to be and a little bit more. The self-proclaimed inventor of dark magic just knew how to get in our heads and leave us concerned about what was yet to come. The fact that even she was born from tragedy was interesting. And the twist of being Rumple's mother. Wow! Despite me also wanting to know for a while who Rumple's mother was, I still never saw that coming. That was brilliant!

The Black Fairy was something great that could've been even greater. The way I see it, she could have almost been the perfect antagonist. Fiona knew how to torment her victims, often blinding them to expose their weaknesses. On the odd occasion she even lured them into making tough decisions that always swayed in her favour and compared to other villains we've seen, not much was able to push her buttons. Overall, she was a nice balance of intelligence and strength. However what she happened to lack was something she wasn't given much of to begin with. That being time and space. An evil character that looked to be so well written, could've been given an entire season to wreak plenty of havoc on Storybrooke's residents. But like few that have come before her, it felt as if the full power she held was never explored. In the end, she was another roadblock easily deceived and taken care of by none other than her own son, Rumplestiltskin. Once Upon A Time disappointingly turned their most powerful dark sorceress into another ordinary plot device.

5. Ingrid (The Snow Queen)

Rating: 7.5 / 10

I know what some of you are probably thinking. 'Why is this one so high on this list? She was boring'. Well I'd be happy to give you an answer as to why this is. I can't blame anybody for wanting to have had the Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) share a little more flavour. I too was in that position, asking for the exact same thing. But it didn't take long for me to notice the importance of her not doing so. Similar to Cora, Ingrid put feelings aside in favour of faux glory. The only exception being that Ingrid was willing to find and recapture long-lost love after success. This character really represented her nature. The cold, distant atmosphere that surrounded her not only made its presence through her hideout and magic, but through her personality as well. Ingrid knew exactly what she wanted, and obtaining it was the fulfillment of her entire life. When the best answer came to show, she saw the error of her ways and made the hero's move in sacrificing her life for the rest. The earliest example of it never being too late to do the right thing and seek a true happy ending. In my opinion, Ingrid was probably the most underrated and least despicable villain on the show. I was able to strongly connect with her and understand her pain. I feel that it's unfair to judge her on the story or the overall outline of season 4A, because she kind of made it look better. Believe me, I am surprised myself as I never expected for somebody like the Snow Queen (whose approach to evil was so gentle) to win a lot of my respect.

4. Cruella De Vil

Rating: 8 / 10

No offense to Glenn Close (who did a great job), but Victoria Smurfit had practically made this character her own. And all in just ten percent of the show's active period. Cruella De Vil could arguably be Once's most flavoursome addition to the series. It wasn't just her unusual appearance that had her sticking out. She was tremendously charismatic. The style. The temperament. She would even be given her own visual and aural trademarks. And what made her extremely different from other versions of the crazy puppy-skinner, is that she had magic. Magic! Cruella! What an odd mix. This Cruella's magic came in the form of persuasion. She would release her breath onto any living creature and have them doing her bidding. It might not have seemed like an entirely interesting power to have, but it was yet another distinction between herself and the many other characters within the show (in particular the sorcerers, most of which had shared similar magical abilities). So many uncommon features had kept Cruella from looking like 'just another character' from the fairy tale show.

I think everybody knows what the best thing about Cruella is. She's unlike most villains on this show. Whilst others were driven into darkness by the forces that stood against them, this one would stumble across it through a newfound hobby during her childhood years. A hobby so morally disturbing, that it would frighten her mother. It didn't involve a lack of power, a loss of love or a hunger for vengeance. It was simply a taste for murder. Cruella was revealed to be in a completely separate category, which was one of a true sociopath. As a result of this she would be locked up in a confine space for many years, only to become more deranged and grow hungrier for killing. As soon as she took advantage of another chance at freedom, she was quick to turn to mother and have her dogs maul her. After that, she'd skin the dogs for a fur coat. Sounds dark. Sounds twisted. Sounds like Cruella De Vil. But despite all this, her level of evil in ways couldn't be gathered from her everyday character. Strange isn't it? You'd think that would be a bad thing. But somehow I saw the opposite. I really enjoyed Cruella and was intrigued by everything she did. Whenever this gin drinking, fur coat wearing, diamond loving, puppy killing queen of sass and wit showed her face with a 'Hello dahling!', my eyes were immediately then glued to the screen.

3. Zelena (The Wicked Witch of the West)

Rating: 9 / 10

Envy. Not a super creative basis for villainy but it was one that certainly brought out the best in this brilliantly wicked addition to the series. Rebecca Mader breathed new life into not just the character, but the entire tale of 'Oz' as well. Zelena came into the story with one direct goal, oozing determination whilst planning ahead. She wasn't afraid to admit of her weaknesses and stood to calmly have them nullified through her strong coercive strategies. She killed, she deceived and she taunted. She did  everything expected of an antagonist and then some. It all would rightly get on the nerves of many and leave them irritated. But even when the bad outweighed the good in her, we still saw the pain and misfortune she experienced at a younger age. How her mother willingly gave her up. How her adoptive father abused her. How she led herself to believe Regina's life was meant for her. There were times when we were left to sympathise for her, as she too was human and deviated from a path of innocence. Zelena also helped shape the development of her younger half-sister and helped her shine brighter. She represented where Regina used to be and gave Regina the chance to pass the lessons onto her.

Whether or not the method was adequate, the decision to bring her back was nothing short of fantastic. The Wicked Witch returned from defeat and grew into someone incredibly entertaining. Her style of humour didn't just strengthen the proof of her sister connection with Regina, but it recovered what Regina went on to lose a bit of; the comical impudence. The name-calling, eye-rolling and gutsy insults to others became more common with her in the later seasons as she was being redeemed. And best of all, Zelena not only came across as 'wicked', but nuts as well. She just loved it when her fiendish ways got recognised and never feared standing up to darkness herself. She would even go on to do insane things like chop her own hand off. All of these qualities had Zelena ending up as a fan-favourite and for a short period of time she got to carry the show with them. I simply adored her. Plus I loved the strong association between her and the colour green. Her name, her magic, her green skin, the green apples, the paint options, etc. Even her cursed name Kelly (for season seven) was a shade of green. It was all very clever. After all, green happens to be my favourite colour. Did wicked always win? It certainly did on Once Upon A Time.

2. Rumplestiltskin

Rating: 9.5 / 10

The best word to describe Rumplestiltskin? Iconic. Simply iconic. Could just about be the first thing you think of when Once Upon A Time is mentioned to you. The voice, the laugh, the movements, the deals, the loopholes and the memorable lines. On top of all this, he is brought to life by UK acting royalty. What more could you want from him? Much to my pleasure, he's first introduced as someone so enigmatic and potentially threatening. Didn't take to long for him to become a favourite of mine, as I was always (and still am) a sucker for 'mystery'. He was somebody you were only ever desperately eager to learn more about. What made him so different from others? Why was he so dark and creepy? What brought it out? Even when the details about him gradually peeped in, the mystery still lingered. Seeing Rumple in his scaly form practically remained as an addiction of mine. It's great to know I wasn't the only one feeling this. I searched many places online and have read the excitement from plenty of other fans about the Dark One on display. They too were craving more of his antics. It just goes to show you can never have too much of a good thing.

But why not numero uno? Well my reason is one commonly shared among the fandom. A lot of us have regularly pitched our frustration when it came to the progression of Rumplestiltskin. We knew very well from the beginning that this magical imp was always going to be a tough nut to crack open. But as seasons went by, character development was either made to look slow or inactive. Just when one thinks Rumple had learnt a lesson and taken the next step into redemption, he would be quick to throw himself back into the abyss for the sake of having power. It would look as if nothing had changed. The anger from us viewers was reasonable. Every time he reverted to his old ways, we were left wishing for somebody to put him in his place. We wanted punishment to come knocking down the door. Some of us raised doubts about the relationship with Belle and others were hoping it would crumble from Rumple's poor choices. They say old habits die hard, however this wasn't just a saying. It was the ultimate cause for Rumple's loss of fans.

1. Regina (The Evil Queen)

Rating: 10 / 10

At first she seemed so unoriginal, but in the end she turned out to be as close to perfect as one could be. It was a basic sort of evilness made to look better than what it was. For me, the Evil Queen undeniably kept the show on its feet. The birth of Regina's dark side stemmed from reasonable events which included the loss of choice and freedom brought by her control freak of a mother. This dearly beloved villainess didn't just compete through brute strength, but through taunting, manipulation and the cruel judgement of others. She came across as highly ambitious and did whatever it took to get what she wanted, even if it was killing her own father to make those she despised suffer. Even on the road to redemption, some of Regina's finest qualities stayed with her. Most notably her dark, witty sense of humour that brought forward some of the show's most memorable quotes and one-liners. A lot of what Once Upon A Time centered itself around came through Regina's malevolence. She demonstrated most of what the show tried hard teaching. For instance, the lengths Regina went to seek revenge on Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) for losing her true love, didn't just indicate to us her level of evil, but also demonstrated how powerful the magic of true love was. 

I did say 'close to perfect' didn't I? Because I definitely meant that. Despite the perfect rating, she still wasn't flawless. Throughout each season, a couple of Regina's undesirable traits stuck around and kept raising their ugly heads. Whenever the scales tipped against her, she was always quick to throw her problems onto other people. Regina was always looking for someone to blame other than herself when it came to her mistakes. She was also unable to read emotions. Whenever she witnessed the pain from those around her, she struggled to deal with it in an appropriate manner. And early days saw her unable to resist the temptation in solving problems in easy but nefarious ways. Regina was so thick at times that even the person she loved most in Henry had difficulty getting through to her. Then again, these imperfections gave meaning to the ongoing transformation over each of the seven seasons. The change from evil to good was seen by plenty as the greatest journey of them all. A lot of people are to be thanked for this magnificent work of art. But it's mostly thanks to Parrilla, that the Evil Queen was the best written and most well-developed villain on the show. The amount of time and effort she spent on bringing Regina to television screens and satisfying fans all over the world, had her become a truly admired actress and an inspiration to many. There is a reason why Parilla had eight nominations and four awards for her role. Just watch her shine on Once Upon A Time.

Travis "TJ" James