Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! featured some memorable villains throughout its run. These stand as the series’ most iconic.
The Scooby-Gang has mysteries to solve, one “jinkies!” at a time. Standing in the way of these meddling kids and the satisfaction of a mystery solved is a string of goofy villains. They might have been cantankerous townsfolk more often than actual monsters, but that didn’t stop Scooby’s villains from terrorizing Shaggy and his pals.
The Scooby-Doo franchise extends across movies, comics, and video games, but the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?animated series holds a special place in many fans’ hearts. It’s where all the shenanigans began, and the threats the Scooby Gang faced within were some of the most compelling.
Updated July 29, 2023, by Callum Murray: The beauty of Scooby Doo: Where are You? is the scope of villains that can feature in the show. There’s cat creatures, ghosts, swamp monsters and many more that feature in each episode. But the thing that makes it most interesting is the human being that hides behind these monsters, revealing their very real motivations ranging from stealing an inheritance to revenge for a missed opportunity. The reveals are always fun and hokey and feature memorable villains in every episode. That’s what makes the show the unique cult hit it still is today, years after it originally aired. 18 Ghost Of Captain Cutler
“A Clue for Scooby-Doo” introduces viewers to the Ghost of Captain Cutler, a villain who remains iconic in large part thanks to his glowing seaweed, footprints, and diving suit. Most villains prefer to stick to the shadows, using the darkness and element of stealth to their advantage, but not this one.
He’s a thief posing as a shipwreck victim, but he’s also one of the few villains who’s identity was deciphered by Shaggy before Velma had the chance, a rare occurrence in the franchise. The unraveling of the boat-stealing Ghost of Captain Cutler makes for one of the series’s best segments overall. 17 Cat Creature
‘Make a Beeline Away From That Feline’ sees Scooby and the gang investigate a jewel theft by a cat creature who wears a red cape, and it’s a quirky fun mystery as always with this show. The episode gets going straightaway with the investigation, and doesn’t let up.
Aunt Olivia opens a package containing a strange golden medallion which makes her have dreams that she’s a cat creature committing robberies. Turns out the villain of the piece is Dr Bell, who is using Aunt Olivia as a front to commit robberies by hypnotizing her with a golden medallion. 16 The Black Knight
Scooby and the gang have gone through numerous changes over the years. They’ve appeared in TV shows, animated and live-action movies, comics, and video games. They’ve been t-shirts and toys of every sort.
None of that would have been possible without “What a Night for a Knight,” the very first episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? “What a Night for a Knight” introduces viewers to the Black Knight. Two glowing yellow eyes peek out from the visor of his suit of armor, which looks more ridiculous than menacing as he chases the Scooby Gang around. Beneath the helmet, he’s just a museum curator trying to protect his art smuggling operation, but the Black Knight is still an icon of the franchise. 15 Redbeard’s Ghost
Ghosts and spirits of all sorts are a staple of Scooby-Doo, as the gang investigates one supposed haunting after another, and “Go Away Ghost Ship” brought viewers one more apparition: Redbeard’s Ghost. He may be something of a forgotten cartoon now, but Redbeard’s Ghost sure left an impression on the Scooby Gang.
During his brief time with them, Redbeard’s Ghost chains the gang up, forces them to walk the plank, and even makes them cook for him. Magnus, the man beneath the mask, does all this just to disguise the fact that he’s been pirating his own cargo as a form of insurance fraud, making him that much more despicable. 14 Apeman
This episode is all about an Apeman who terrorizes a movie set. Apeman is an underrated villain with a good motive.when he is finally unmasked by Shaggy. It’s fairly obvious from the outset who the villain behind Apeman is, but it’s an enjoyable mystery nevertheless.
Carl the Stuntman is the villain behind it all and his motive in ‘Never Ape an Ape Man” is his bitterness for not getting the lead in a film. This show might be over 50 years old, but it has great storylines that gives their villains a three-dimensional arc, and this episode stands out as one of the best.
