Female villains are becoming more and more common on our favorite TV shows. From cold and calculating to manipulative and murderous, female villains are every bit as frightening as their male counterparts. These are some of the most terrifying female villains currently on the small screen.
From cunning and manipulative ladies to downright psychopaths and cold-blooded killers, some of the most terrifying, villainous characters on TV today are women. Among the latest examples is Alpha (played by Samantha Morton), who will arrive for The Walking Dead’s second half of season 9. Alpha is the leader of the group known as The Whisperers, who wear the faces of zombies to trick enemies into believing they are the undead.
There are plenty of frightening females already on the small screen, of course, terrorizing their towns and showing that there’s a wide range of ways to be a true baddie. Here’s a roundup of some of the most villainous of them all. (Note: Spoilers ahead.)
Claire Underwood (House of Cards, Netflix)
Claire (Robin Wright), the first female President of the United States, proves that she’s just as cold and calculating as her now-deceased spouse and former president was, if not more so. A complete sociopath, she doesn’t shy away from doing whatever is necessary to get what she wants, no matter who it might hurt or who might get killed — even by her own hands.
Samantha Winslow (Ray Donovan, Showtime)
Played by Susan Sarandon, Samantha is a powerful movie studio exec who is about as ruthless as they come. She hires Ray (Liev Schrieber), a well-known and equally ruthless “fixer,” to help her pursue her nefarious agendas and manipulation, getting rid of any threats that stand in her way. She’ll stage a suicide without batting an eye, or interfere in a mayoral election if it will help her get what she wants.
Aunt Lydia (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu)
Make no mistake that Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, who won an Emmy for her performance in 2017) is about as terrifying as they come. Her sole purpose in the theocratic nation of Gilead is to indoctrinate the handmaids and keep them in check — by any means necessary.
