Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
Sign In
Search BuzzFeed

    21 TV Villain Scenes So Creepy, They May Be The Best Acted Of All Time

    "If you think this story has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."

    Hannah Marder
    by Hannah Marder

    BuzzFeed Staff

    So I'm ready to admit something about myself. I'm easily freaked out.

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    But at the same time...I kind of like being scared? Which means I pretty much always love a good TV villain, even when they're bone-chillingly creepy.

    The WB

    Here are 21 of the creepiest TV villain scenes I could think of...in case you didn't want to sleep tonight!

    🚨🚨WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Also, some gore, which I've put a "Click to reveal" over.🚨🚨

    1. When Homelander killed Stillwell on The Boys:

    Homelander asks Stillwell to tell him the truth — she says she's afraid of him. He thanks her then kisses her, then laser-eyes her eyes off and kills her, turning to Billy and asking him what the plan was again
    Amazon

    Everything Homelander does is super creepy, but I love this scene in particular because even for him, it's extra creepy. Stillwell is the only person he has any kind of relationship with, and he kills her. It's even worse because you know it's coming because she lied to him.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Amazon / Via youtube.com

    2. When Angel confronted Buffy as Angelus on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

    Angelus says he has a message for Buffy, the kind where she finds her friends' bodies. Buffy says he must remember who he is and tells him to release Willow. Xander attacks, and Angelus grabs and kisses Buffy, saying things are about to get interesting
    The WB

    GOD, I LOVE THIS SCENE. This is the first time Buffy really meets Angelus knowing it's him, and boy, does it deliver. Angelus is a complete 180 of the Angel Buffy knows and loves, and that's shown perfectly in this scene, as is his obsession with hurting Buffy. It's such a great taste of things to come. 

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    The WB / Via youtube.com

    3. Negan's baseball scene on The Walking Dead:

    Negan walks out of the trailer with a barbed wire wrapped baseball bat, asking if anyone is peeing their pants yet. He introduces himself to Rick and demands his stuff or he'll kill him
    AMC

    This is seriously one of the best villain introductions and one of the most chilling scenes from the entire series. Negan is such a great, terrifying villain, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan really shines in this scene. 

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    AMC / Via youtube.com

    4. When Shawn meets Mr. Yang on Psych:

    Shawn asks Mr. Yang to let his mom go, and she reveals she could've killed his mom hours ago, but hasn't because she wants Shawn to like her. She isn't sure what to do, because she knows her and Shawn will work together again
    USA

    I was more of a casual Psych viewer, but damn, the Yin and Yang episodes GOT me. Mr. Yang in particular was so bone-chillingly frightening that this scene has stuck in my memory for years. She's such a great match for Sean. Ally Sheedy is always great at playing an unhinged character, but she's especially good in this role.

    I can't find the scene, but you can watch it near the end of Season 3, Episode 16 on Peacock.

    5. When Walt let Jane die on Breaking Bad:

    Walt rushes over to stop Jane from choking, then stops himself and watches her die
    AMC

    Hear me out — Walt isn't necessarily that creepy a villain. Still a great villain, but not really creepy. But there are a few moments — like this one — that are just so chilling to watch. You can see every emotion and thought on Bryan Cranston's face as he goes from his instinct to help Jane to his cold, calculated decision not to. It's harrowing.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    AMC / Via youtube.com

    6. And also when Walt basically lost it after realizing Skyler used up a bunch of his money:

    Walt (in the crawl space) asks Skyler where the money is, and she admits she gave it to Ted, begging Walt to let her explain. Walt screams then starts laughing as Skyler looks on in horror
    AMC

    Another example of Walt being creepy! He basically seems to have lost his mind here, and it's one of my fave episode endings ever. Laughing over his impending doom in the crawl space is Disney-villain levels of creepy, and I love it.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    AMC / Via youtube.com

    7. When Kilgrave showed up at the police station and controlled everyone but Jessica on Jessica Jones:

    Kilgrave asks why he'd want to torture Jessica, saying he loves her. Jessica asks why he's been ruining her life, and he says he's just been proving he's the only one who matches her, and that it'll take time but he'll prove it
    Netflix

    What makes Kilgrave such a great villain is that he truly thinks he loves Jessica and is doing this all for her, and this scene is such a great representation of that. He's obsessed and unhinged, and it's so fun to finally see him come face-to-face with Jessica in present day. David Tennant killed it here.

    Watch the scene at 0:30 here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Netflix / Via youtube.com

    8. When Moriarty revealed himself to Sherlock in Sherlock:

    Moriarty says he's loved this game, and Sherlock says people have died. Moriarty says that's what people do, and that if Sherlock doesn't back off, he won't just kill him - he'll burn the heart out of him
    BBC

    Moriarty has to be one of the best villains in all of literature and in all of television, and it's certainly not easy to do him justice. However, Andrew Scott truly did. He was delightfully unhinged, creepy, and diabolical, and this is probably my favorite scene of his.

    Watch part of the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    BBC / Via youtube.com

    9. Basically anything with the Nogitsune on Teen Wolf, but especially this scene:

    The Nogitsune yells "Divine move, divine move? You think you have any moves at all? You can kill the Oni, but me? Me? I'm 1,000 years old. You can't kill me!"
    MTV

    Give Dylan O'Brien all the awards!! He's lovable in every season, but his turn playing a villain in Season 3 turned a campy show about high school werewolves into a legitimately creepy and compelling saga about dark spirits. Every scene with the Nogitsune is perfect, but this is definitely the best one.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    MTV / Via youtube.com

    10. On Pretty Little Liars, when Ian tried to kill Spencer:

    Ian says Ali hit her head and died. Spencer says Ali was suffocated. Ian says the fake suicide note he wrote for Spencer will answer enough questions. Spencer asks him not to do this if he loves Melissa, and Ian says that's why he's killing her
    Freeform

    Ah, back when PLL was good. I actually found Ian to be a much more compelling villain than pretty much any other villain on the show. His motivations made sense, and he could be real creepy when he wanted to be. It's almost as if he believed Spencer killed Ali when he tried to kill her in the bell tower.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Freeform / Via youtube.com

    11. On Game of Thrones, when Joffrey forced Sansa to look at her father's dismembered head:

    Joffrey shows off Sansa's father's dismembered head to her, telling her to see what happens to traitors – Sansa said Joffrey promised to be merciful, and Joffrey said he was, then forces Sansa to look at Ned's head
    HBO

    A classic. Joffrey is one of the most infamous villains of all time, and for good reason. He does plenty of cruel things, but the way he revels in his cruelty toward Sansa in this scene really makes it stand out from the others. 

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    HBO / Via youtube.com

    12. On Game of Thrones, when Ramsay tortured Theon:

    Ramsay says "if you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention" and Theon begs, saying "please" — Ramsay replies (holding up a knife) "you say please again, and you'll wish you hadn't"
    HBO

    Basically all of the torture scenes, but especially this one. I'm not even going to screencap any more of it because I have refused to fully watch any of the Ramsay torture scenes since I saw them. Iwan Rheon played a villain so well that I honestly think I'd run the other way if I saw him IRL.

    Watch the scene — if you REALLY want to — here:

    View this video on YouTube
    HBO / Via youtube.com

    13. On The Magicians, when Reynard bit off Marina's finger and then ate her cat in front of her:

    Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal
    Reynard bites off Marina's finger then says there's so much more fun to be had
    Syfy

    I HATE THIS SCENE, partly because of the cat, but also just because it's so terrifying. Still, I have to admit Reynard is a damn terrifying villain, and this was the creepiest he'd been yet. 

    I can't find the above scene on YouTube, but it occurs in Season 2, Episode 3. You can watch the show on Netflix.

    14. On Lost, when Ben was trying to convince everyone he was Henry Gale, who'd crashed his hot-air balloon on the island:

    Ben says if he was one of these people, there'd be no balloon and he'd draw a map to a secluded place like a cave, a good place for a trap
    ABC

    What makes Ben so creepy is that he's not often outright evil — he's being sneaky and suspicious. So it makes sense that my fave scene of his is before he's even revealed to be Ben. Here, he's "Henry Gale," but you can still tell there is something REALLY creepy about this guy. Benjamin Linus basically invented the word "creepy."

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    ABC / Via youtube.com

    15. On Hannibal, when Hannibal drugged Mason and told him to cut his face off and feed it to Will's dogs, which he did:

    Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal
    Will asks Mason what he's feeding his dogs, and Mason says "just me"
    NBC

    In a show about a guy who eats people, you'd think the creepiest scene would be with him, but no. Mason is a horrifying villain, and I literally cannot stand to watch this scene. It makes me feel nauseated.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    NBC / Via youtube.com

    16. On American Horror Story: Freak Show, when Twisty the Clown attacked the picnicking couple:

    Twisty approaches a girl at a picnic, who asks who he is and where the rest of his mask is. Her boyfriend returns, asking who the clown is, and the girl gets scared, thinking her boyfriend had hired him
    FX

    I can't stand clowns, and this scene is basically the embodiment of the fear of clowns, so there's no surprise it's on this list. Twisty may be a man of few words, and his costume and makeup help him be creepy, but it's his physicality and face, too, and he's never creepier than in this scene. (Though, okay, he's almost as creepy in every other scene too.)

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Netflix / Via youtube.com

    17. On Twin Peaks, when Bob crawled over the couch toward Maddy:

    Bob crawling toward Maddy creepily
    ABC

    Another scene where the villain doesn't talk, because he doesn't need to. Bob is one of the scariest villains of all time, and this scene literally haunts my nightmares. 

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    ABC / Via youtube.com

    18. On Orange Is the New Black, when Piscatella held Red and her family hostage and then cut off Red's hair:

    Red tells Piscatella to let everyone else go, because he doesn't want witnesses, but he says he does, because he wants to see them tear off her "mama bear" costume — he then cuts her hair, cutting skin with it
    Netflix

    Piscatella is such a messed-up villain from the start, and he just gets worse as time goes on, so it makes sense that one of his last scenes would be the creepiest. He basically scalps Red in front of her prison family, and it's one of the hardest TV scenes to watch ever. God, I hate this man.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Netflix / Via youtube.com

    19. When Nate had a breakdown on Euphoria:

    Cal says "Oh, you think you're tough now? Come on, Nate!" and Nate starts screaming and banging his head against the floor as Cal walks away
    HBO

    I'm counting this scene for both Nate and Cal. For the first time, we see Nate lose control, and it is both extremely compelling and extremely creepy to hear his head banging against the floor as he screams. Equally creepy is Cal literally just walking away and sitting down in his office as he listens. What a messed-up family.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    HBO / Via youtube.com

    20. And also when Nate threatened Jules:

    Nate telling Jules that she would end up on a sex offenders list and she deserves better than that because she's nice, smart, and generous, so she should keep her mouth shut and not try to ruin his life so he doesn't have to ruin hers
    HBO

    In contrast to the last scene, the way he speaks in this scene is so calm and collected that it makes it even creepier. The way he compliments Jules is so unsettling, not only because you get the feeling he means it, but because you also get the sense he'd like to hurt her (which makes sense, since he seems to hate Jules but also be attracted to her). Jacob Elordi does an incredible job playing such a hated character.

    Watch the scene here:

    View this video on YouTube
    HBO / Via youtube.com

    21. And finally, on The X-Files, when Scully and Mulder met the mom who lived under the bed and carried on incestuous relationships with her children in "Home":

    Peacock calls her sons good boys and Scully says they killed the sheriff, his wife, and a deputy. Peacock says "I can tell you don't have no children. Maybe one day you'll learn the pride, the love, when you know your boy will do anything for his mother."
    Fox

    I didn't even know about this episode before I worked at BuzzFeed, and now I've mentioned it in so many articles...truly, if you haven't seen it, don't watch it. It'll scar you for life. It is the epitome of creepy and disturbing, and I'd be remiss not to include it here.

    You can watch the scene in Season 4, Episode 2 on Hulu. That is, if you never want to sleep again.

    What disturbing and freaky TV villain scenes did we miss? Let us know in the comments!