Throughout The Simpsons, Charles Montgomery Burns is responsible for some of the show's funniest moments. Despite the laughter, it is important to remember that Burns is not a nice person. At his core, he is one of the most despicable TV villains ever created.
His misdeeds are numerous, ranging from comedic to downright evil, his lust for money and power often endangering others in the process. From risking the lives of his employees to dealing with the actual Devil, there is no line that Burns won’t cross. Here are the 10 worst things that Mr. Burns has ever done.
He tried to have Homer’s dog put down
As Homer Simpson's boss, Mr. Burns frequently makes his life a living hell. He’s tried to have him beaten, given him brain damage, and even attempted to seal him in a crypt. Now, it turns out that Burns has been tormenting Homer since childhood.
In the episode “To Cur, with Love,” Homer used to be friends with a dog named Bongo. After Homer tried giving Bongo a toy that he received from Burns, the latter reacted with hostile intent. This caused Bongo to protect Homer and bite Burns’ arm. After he tries to have Bongo captured and put down, Homer is forced to give up his best friend.
He most likely killed his parents
If you thought Burns treats his employees badly, his parents have it worse, especially his mother. In "Homer the Smithers," we learn that he despises his mother because of an affair she had with President William Taft. His hatred was so severe that he tried to pull the plug on her. She survived the attempt and continued to torment him for five more decades.
In later episodes, he hints that she passed away, specifically due to a lack of indoor plumbing. In "The Mansion Family," Burns admits on paper that the cause of his parents' death was “… got in my way.” Thus, it is implied that he intentionally killed his mother.
He stole a trillion dollars and then gave it to Fidel Castro
Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Burns was entrusted to deliver a trillion-dollar bill to help Europe rebuild. Apparently, this decision was made because he was “America’s wealthiest -and therefore most trustworthy- citizen.”
As one would expect, the bill never made it to Europe. Rather, Burns stole the bill for himself and kept it hidden in his wallet. After the FBI attempts to arrest him, he flees to Cuba along with his loyal assistant Waylon Smithers and Homer. After meeting with Fidel Castro and showing him the bill, Castro refuses to return it. Burns often makes mistakes regarding money, but giving Castro a trillion dollars is by far one of his biggest blunders.
He threatened Lisa over a newspaper
In "Fraudulent News" Burns discovers what the people of Springfield think of him after a news report mistakenly claims he died in a landslide. To improve his public image, he proceeds to buy every media outlet in town. He even attempts to buy Lisa Simpson's independent newspaper, the Red Dress Press. When she refuses to sell, Burns tries to force her using more ruthless methods, such as hiring goons to make Homer crash his car and cutting off power to her house. He even drugs Homer to obtain confidential information on her. By the end of the episode, he succeeds in getting Lisa to surrender, reducing her to tears in the process.
He made Mona Simpson into a wanted criminal
If you thought Burns trying to put down Homer's dog was bad, think again. Out of all the things he’s done to Homer, perhaps the worst was making his mother a criminal. During the 1960s, Mona Simpson broke into Burns' bio-weapons lab to destroy germs he was attempting to weaponize.
In response, he turns Mona into a wanted fugitive, forcing her to flee Springfield and leave her family. After two failed attempts, he eventually succeeds in having her arrested, which devastates Homer. In the end, this one act of evil forced Mona to leave her son, who came to resent her for constantly abandoning him.
He used Lisa's teachings about recycling to kill marine life
After Burns goes bankrupt in "The Old Man and the Lisa," Lisa tries to teach him the value of recycling. At first, he appears to take her advice to heart and embraces the benefits of recycling. He even manages to open a recycling plant in her name.
Unfortunately, using his newfound knowledge, he creates a giant net made from one million six-pack holders. He then makes Lisa watch as he uses the net to drag in dolphins, whales and other marine life to create an all-purpose, edible slurry, which horrifies her. This episode just goes to show that even when he tries to do good, Burns can’t help but be evil.
He tried to murder Bart and Abe
In "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish,"" Burns and Grampa Simpson are revealed to have been part of the same army unit during World War II. Towards the end of the war, Burns convinces his fellow Flying Hellfish to steal priceless paintings from a German castle. They then agree to a deal in which the last surviving member would inherit the paintings.
Once they become the only surviving members, Burns tries to have him assassinated. After Grampa finds the treasure with Bart, Burns arrives to take it from them. He then kicks Bart into a chest, which he pushes into a lake. Even for Burns, trying to drown a child is taking things too far.
He hit Bart with his Car
Mr. Burns is no stranger when it comes to endangering the lives and health of others. However, he crosses the line in "Bart Gets Hit by a Car." As the title suggests, the episode starts with Burns slamming his car into Bart while he is riding his skateboard.
The situation is so serious that even his loyal assistant Smither’s shows concern for Bart’s condition. Considering the severity of the incident, it is a miracle that Bart’s injuries were not much more severe. Even so, seeing Burns show zero concern or remorse for hitting Bart, and yelling at Smithers to give him a nickel rather than call for help, is nothing short of horrifying.
He tried to woo Marge
In "Marge Gets a Job," Marge starts work at the nuclear plant to try and raise enough money to repair the foundation of her home. She quickly catches the eye of Burns, who becomes smitten with her.
He then tries to woe her, at first coming off as kind and cordial. After she rebuffs his advances and tells him that she is married, he fires her. After threatening to sue him, he responds with what is probably his most inappropriate comment in the series - "you don't need to sue me to get my pants off."
He tried to block out the sun
In "Who Shot Mr. Burns: Part 1," after Springfield Elementary strikes oil underneath its foundation, Burns builds a slanted oil rig to steal it. This leads to a series of unfortunate events that affect people throughout the town. These include the school firing Groundskeeper Willie and new teacher Tito Puente, Moe losing his tavern, the destruction of the Springfield Retirement Castle, as well as injuring Bart’s dog, Santa’s Little Helper.
To make matters worse, he literally blocks out the sun, forcing the town to spend a fortune on his electricity. Even Smithers sides with the town against Burns, who fires him for his treachery. You know things are serious when even someone as loyal as Smithers says you've gone too far.