Ozark fans might have felt a little sad about the show ending after only 4 seasons but luckily, the door might not be completely shut on the Byrd's criminal adventures in the Missouri Ozarks. Showrunner Chris Mundy recently revealed that there has been much interest in a spinoff and that's something that'll definitely be discussed.
If that happens, fans will be hoping the new show centers around one of the fan-favorite characters or maybe even the brutal antagonists. Among the things that made Ozark such a good show was its 3-dimensional miscreants. But who were the true standout baddies, according to Reddit?
Helen Pierce
The Chicago-based lawyer happens to be on the cartel's payroll and is soon tasked with monitoring the Byrdes' money laundering activities. Redditor miekrichh lauds her for being "scary and cunning."
Helen is a great secondary antagonist because she is ever-ambitious and is quick to punish. She is happy to manipulate Wendy into working without Marty and is also happy to influence Omar so that he can make her the head of the casino operations. But all great runs come to an end and eventually, she gets to pay for her treachery with a bullet to the head.
Cade Langmore
Extremely desperate for money, Cade tries to steal from Marty as well as kill him. However, he isn't so successful and about him, MoissourriBoy 56 says "Cade was a pretty terrifying dude. The way he bludgeoned Petty was his villainous peak."
Cade might not be shrewd but he is indeed as terrifying as the Redditor puts it. He puts a real stamp on his status as a villain by causing one of the most brutal Ozark deaths: bashing in Agent Petty's head with a rock. Cade isn't a complicated character either. He is the stereotypical baddie who has spent years in prison and causes havoc for no good reason. He almost ruins his daughter's job, too, just because he is in desperate need of money.
Javier "Javi" Elizondro
WuTangForever88 singles out Javi for being "impulsive, reckless and almost gleeful about being a psychopath," adding that "he is a true wild card." The character is introduced in the final season, eager to take over the leadership of the cartel from his uncle, Omar Navarro.
Javi is arguably the most bloodthirsty of all the villains. To him, murder is the only way to get rid of problems and in just a short span of time, he kills Sheriff Nix, Darlene, and Wyatt. The aggressive manner in which he goes after the Byrdes makes him unlikable too. So does the way he tries to take over the leadership of the cartel yet he's hardly qualified.
Darlene Snell
Redditor potatoesconeman describes Darlene as "batsh*t crazy and unpredictable." She and her husband Jacob are initially the biggest drug lords in the Ozarks but this changes when the Navarro cartel comes in.
Darlene thrives in acts of violence and scores villain points at a quicker rate than any other character. She is at the center of some of the most shocking Ozark moments, including one where she shoots Del for calling her a redneck. Extremely happy to be violent, she is never selective about who to kill - although, of course, the Redditor's description of this behavior isn't the most sensitive. Whether it's a preacher's wife, her end customers, or her own husband, she'll be happy to go the homicide and mass murder routes.
Frank Cosgrove Jr.
Frank Jr. first appears in Season 3 as the unruly son of Kansas mob boss Frank Cosgrove. Redditor amwf4eva reminds everyone that he "was really insufferable from the get-go. adding that he is "a real entitled spoiled brat and a problematic daddy's boy."
Frank Jr. has a long streak of annoying moments, making fans wish for his downfall. He engraves his name permanently on the wall of disdain when he brutally assaults Ruth yet she only wanted him to behave. But through him, the importance of reforming is highlighted. After getting short by Darlene, he changes his ways and becomes a decent person.
Camino "Del" Del Rio
Redditor ginger2020 describes Del as the best villain in the series, commenting that he is "calm, cultured, and utterly ruthless." The enforcer kickstarts the mayhem on the show by murdering Marty's business associate for stealing from the cartel.
Del is as much about actions as he is about words. He might not have one of the coolest villain monologues but he comes with the speech about his father and Carlotta, right before he murders Marty's colleague. He knows how to put on a show too, something he proves by throwing Wendy's lover Gary “Sugarwood” Silverberg out of a building.
Sue Shelby
When their marriage hits rock bottom, Marty and Wendy go to see Sue but she ends up blackmailing them. CCORRIGEN describes the therapist as quite the hilarious villain. They write, "She was something else, wasn't she? Her part in the show (comedic relief) was absolutely spot on."
Sue is the true definition of "appearances can be deceiving." From afar, she seems like a nice person but her true colors are revealed when she realizes her patients are very rich. Some of the best villains are known to be materialistic and Sue turns out to be of the same kind when she shocks fans by purchasing a bright yellow McLaren 570S supercar with the proceeds from the blackmail. Unfortunately for her, her flamboyance gets her whacked.
Omar Navarro
Omar is introduced as the head of the Navarro cartel and the overarching antagonist of the show. HeyTormorrow feels he was really great in Season 3, writing, "I loved his intro season."
Omar's greatest trait is his intelligence as he is able to quickly figure out when his own subordinates are being self-centered or manipulative. Moreover, he often demonstrates his abilities as a leader by making the best calls and being open to new ideas. And no matter how hopeless the situation is, he is ever calm, something that becomes clear during his time in jail and during the cartel wars.
Agent Roy Petty
The FBI agent shows up in the Ozarks to investigate Marty and goes on to threaten several people. Redditor remmij thinks Petty was quite the hypocrite, writing, "He really thought he was one of the "good guys", but he was just a sociopathic thug with a badge.
'Hypocrite' is a fitting adjective for Petty because he constantly judges the residents yet he is worse than them. He judges Rachel for being a criminal yet he was willing to murder her a while earlier. Petty is also disappointed by Ruth's actions yet he was more than glad to get the cartel to try and kill her. His arrogance is quite excessive and it isn't surprising that this is what gets him killed.
Wendy Byrde
EconomyCriticism7584 says Wendy "gets progressively worse every season (almost every episode)," adding, "A lot of bad things that occurred from season 1 to season 4 was Wendy’s fault." Wendy initially tries to flee with her cheating lover before embracing her new money-laundering life alongside Marty.
No matter how hard one looks, it's hard to find a good thing Wendy does. She is vicious, remorseless and an expert at gaslighting. Wendy has no problem letting her brother die just so she can be on good terms with the cartel. Moreover, it's hard to forgive her for trying to work without Marty even though he came up with the idea in the first place.