10 unforgettable Female Villains Who Stole the Spotlight

Television has brought to us some of the most unforgettable villains, but they do not enthrall the audience more than a female antagonist. Not only are these women just evil for evil's sake, they are also intelligent, cunning, and sometimes, oddly sympathetic.

Unlike most male villains who rely on brute force, these women are more ingenious as they indulge in the battle of wits with sensual techniques and psychological warfare. Their authenticity lies in their multidimensionality, as most of them work in the gray area between good and evil, thus creating doubt in the mind of the viewer about their loyalties.

Here are 10 of the most unforgettable female villains who stole the limelight and left the audience amazed with their performances.

1) Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Few villains enjoy such commanding presence on screen as Cersei Lannister. With her sharp tongue, ruthless strategies, and burning ambition, she was the real power behind the Iron Throne. From destroying the Sept of Baelor to eliminating all her enemies, she proved time and again that she, indeed, was a strong contender. The best of talents breathe life into a character; and Lena Headey ensured the same as she made that terribly complicated character somehow, both loathsome yet strangely likable. That said, it was her love for her kids that made her a rounded character. Cersei was a mother who loved her children, making her one of TV's most memorable villains.

2) Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Villanelle redefined television's concept of a female killer. Portrayed magnificently by Jodie Comer, she was unpredictable, charming, and ruthlessly competent. What made her stand out was her dark wit and flamboyant style, turning her into a villain viewers couldn't resist loving. Her cat-and-mouse chase with Eve Polastri wasn't merely exciting; it was dizzyingly complex with obsession and admiration. Villanelle's violence was equaled only by her childlike inquisitiveness, making her a character impossible to forecast. Amidst a world of hitmen, she was an authentic artist of mayhem.

3) Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

Before toxic mothers were a thing, Livia Soprano made an indelible impression on the world of manipulative mothers. Cold and calculating, devoid of any semblance of maternal warmth, she psychologically tortured her son, Tony, almost leading him to destruction. Where she could have chosen physical violence, she instead went for emotional warfare; she was a villain of a different sort - one capable of annihilation with her mendacious words. Nancy Marchand turned the character into a disturbing flesh-and-blood creature, one who transcended into the high zone of preduration from the commonality of adversity.

4) Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries)

If survival is an art, then Katherine Pierce is one of its greatest artists. Unlike her doppelgänger, Elena Gilbert, Katherine was rogue, manipulative, and always one step ahead. She toyed with people’s feelings as easily as she snapped necks, never second-guessing her penchant for self-interest. Her vendetta against the Salvatore brothers took her nearly three hundred years to fulfill, not only for revenge, but to prove the ultimate unassailability of her being. Nina Dobrev layered the character with a unique sense of seduction and danger in every scene. And Katherine's death was just as theatrical as her life, fighting until her last breath and refusing to be taken down without a fight..

5) Fiona Goode (American Horror Story: Coven)

Fiona Goode, portrayed by Jessica Lange, was the Supreme Witch and an undeniable force of nature. She was vain, power-hungry, and utterly ruthless. She would burn the world rather than allow anyone else to take her throne. Fiona's sharp words and glamorous style made her so mesmerizing even as she let down many those near to her. Death was not her greatest fear; irrelevance was a fate worse than mortality for someone as proud as her. Fiona was, as it is commonly believed, one of the very few villains who was not entirely heartless; she loved her daughter in her own distorted way, which, in turn, gave some weight to her personality.

6) Lila West (Dexter)

Lila West was not merely the most chaotic lover of Dexter Morgan, but she also happened to be a true wild-card. As an artist and pyromaniac, she thrived on destruction and manipulation. What was more terrifying about her was that she got inside Dexter's skin like no other. As far as he was concerned, Lila didn't fall into the category of his normal victims. Instead, her way of operating was purely instinctual and was not subject to his usually calculated logic. Her obsessive fixation on Dexter drove him to break his own code in order to kill her. Lila was hauntingly played by Jaime Murray and remains one of the ultimate villains of Dexter, proving that sometimes, chaos can be much more dangerous than control.

7) Serena Joy Waterford (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Hardly any villain would match the complexity of Serena Joy. One among the creators of the brutal Gilead regime, she helped to create a world without the agency of women for themselves. And yet, as the series progressed further, like most protagonists, her downfall was her own making; as under her rule, she suffered the same system that she helped create. Yvonne Strahovski shone in her performance of inner conflict: cruelty, entitlement, and finally, moments of unexpected vulnerability. Even as she stood at the end of her consequences, the reason she had for her actions chillingly turned her into a villain.

8) Margo (The Magicians)

Margo Hanson has walked the journey from a sharp-tongued queen bee to one of those nitty-gritty characters in The Magicians. The unmatched wit and fearless leadership that ruled Fillory with an iron fist was removed from the eyes and view of civilization. Margo seems not like many villains-for hers is less of pure malice, it comes as a necessity. Perhaps it was her ability to make hard choices at any cost that made her unique. Summer Bishil performed her in such a way that Margo achieved a level few female antagonists attain: a combination of humor, heartbreak, and raw power. It made her almost an unbeatable villainess: one to be feared and revered.

9) Maeve Millay (Westworld)

Maeve Millay's metamorphosis from madam of a brothel into a revolutionary figure is, quite frankly, astonishing. Fighting for freedom was her later fight, but initially, she was ruthless and delightfully chilling in her sense of control. While Dolores sought justice, Maeve had other agendas; she was a puppet master playing humans and hosts alike. Maeve was dangerous because, with her brilliance and charm, she learned to set the system into her favor. Thandiwe Newton makes that balance of strength and vulnerability so alluring that in her darkest moments, Maeve is a fascinating figure to watch. It was a journey of power and survival.

10) Mrs. Coulter (His Dark Materials)

Marisa Coulter was the very definition of cultured cruelty. She held a high office in the Magisterium and pulled the strings with results that were appalling. What made her really scary was that she could turn from being charming to being brutal in an instant. Ruth Wilson's performance added an uncanny depth to the character.