Many people regard teen TV shows as frivolous and funny -- something teens watch to simply pass the time. In recent years, teen TV has become so much more than that telling dramatic and impactful stories in both comedy and drama settings. With the rise of these darker stories came the increasing popularity of teenage villains.
From sinister and unforgivable actions to selfish and ignorant personalities, there are so many things that make for a great villain character. And just as teenagers are often overlooked in the real world, teenage television villains are also overlooked when it comes to judging just how evil they are.
August - Young Royals
Though Netflix's Young Royals was created in Sweden, it quickly became a hit to teen audiences around the globe. August (Matte Gårdinger) may not start out as the villain, but he quickly becomes one of the least liked characters in Young Royals. Jealous of Prince Whilhelm's standing, August tries his best to mentor him to earn some of his royal benefits. However, when that doesn't work, August results in blackmailing Wilhelm after filming him and another student having sex.
Like all great villains, August is motivated by his own needs which cause him to act the way he does. Though he does show a bit of remorse for what he's done, he doesn't do anything to right his wrongs which cements him firmly into the antagonist role.
Billy - Stranger Things
Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) joined the cast of Stranger Things during season two, taking over for Steve (Joe Keery) as the main teen villain on the show. Billy regularly bullied his sister and his friends and even got physical with Steve at the end of season two. His villain arc is completed in season three when he becomes a host for the Mind Flayer, kidnapping and killing Hawkins residents.
Though Billy tries to justify his abusive actions because of the abuse he receives from his father, it's simply not enough to make Stranger Things fans sympathize with him. No tragic backstory can dismiss the racist and abusive actions Billy commits over the two seasons he was on the show.
Bryce - 13 Reasons Why
When it comes to teen TV villains, Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice) would definitely win the award for most sinister. As the main villain in 13 Reasons Why, Bryce is responsible for a series of sexual assaults committed against his female classmates and a huge reason why Hannah's life ends the way it does.
Though the writers tried to give Bryce a conscience in later seasons, fans refused to believe that Bryce was anything but a villain. In the end, Bryce never faced true consequences for his actions and never showed remorse which are key signs that he's a true villain.
Chuck - Gossip Girl
While none of the characters in Gossip Girl are necessarily good, Chuck (Ed Westwick) is more immoral than heroic. Though Chuck does commit questionable actions, it's really his personality that makes him the villain on Gossip Girl.
Chuck is extremely self-centered, always looking out for himself. He also doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to women, nearly assaulting Jenny in the pilot episode. And while his relationship with Blair ended up with a happy ending, he repeatedly subjected her to mental abuse by withholding his emotions and playing mind games with her. Chuck believes that he's essentially good, which makes him even more dangerous as a teenage TV show villain than others.
Hester - Scream Queens
When it comes to female teenage villains, there aren't many but when writers get it right, they usually create a memorable antagonist. That's exactly what happened with Hester (Lea Michelle), the main character in Fox's Scream Queens.
Hester starts out as the villain in disguise, committing atrocious crimes as the Red Devil before pinning it on the Chanels. Her crimes persist in the second season after she is checked out of a hospital by one of the Chanels. Hester is an amazing TV villain because she never shows any remorse for her crimes and instead, regularly tries to justify them as her way of righting the wrongs committed against her family. Her villainy is fueled by her revenge, which makes her just as bad as the immoral people she's hunting down.
Mona - Pretty Little Liars
Freeform's best original series Pretty Little Liars helped transform teen TV into the dramatic and dangerous genre it has become. Leading that charge was the main villain for the early seasons of the show: Mona (Janel Parrish). Wronged by Alison while she was alive, Mona jumps at the chance to torment Alison's best friends, thereby becoming the show's first "A" antagonist. Not only does she act out of selfish reasons, but she's also willing to risk her friendship with Hanna to enact revenge.
Monty - 13 Reasons Why
Bryce might be the main villain in 13 Reasons Why but Monty (Timothy Granaderos) is a close second. As Bryce's best friend for most of the show, it's no surprise that he has questionable morals of his own. Monty's "villainy by association" ultimately negates any positive characteristics he shows to the other characters.
Though the show tried to justify Monty's actions by giving him a tragic home life and making him hate his sexuality, fans simply weren't buying it. Monty never apologized to Tyler for his horrendous actions and always defended Bryce, which makes him a villain in his own right.
Nate - Euphoria
Since HBO's Euphoria is one of the most gritty teen shows currently airing, it's not surprising that the show is home to one of the best teenage villains of recent years: Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). He's also one of the scariest because of how realistic his character is; unlike other similarly aged antagonists, Nate's villainy isn't over the top.
Like most teen villains, Nate has a tragic past that he attempts to use to justify his actions rather than admitting he has severe anger issues. He also never faces consequences for his actions thanks to his family's wealthy status in the town. While Nate loves Maddy, he also treats her terribly by encouraging her negative self-image and cheating on her with Jules. What makes it worse is that while he shows some shame for his selfish and destructive actions, he still indulges in them to get what he wants.
Rafe - Outer Banks
While there are a handful of villains in Netflix's Outer Banks, Rafe is definitely the best when it comes to the teen characters. Like his father, Rafe has a hard time controlling his anger and acts impulsively in dangerous ways. This includes nearly drowning his sister and accidentally shooting Sheriff Peterkin.
What's worse is that Rafe has no remorse for any of his actions and disguises it all under the guise that he's helping his family. It also doesn't help that Rafe never faces any consequences considering he's a white, wealthy male whose father owns most of the Outer Banks.