The Simpsons have just started their 31st season and after three decades on air, they show no sign of stopping anytime soon. Throughout the years we have welcomed a whole host of characters, each with their own traits and catchphrases that we love and have become embedded in our daily lives.
But where would the town of Springfield be without its villains? The catalyst for some of the finest episodes has come about from these no-gooders doing, well, no good. Let’s celebrate the bad guys with this list of top ten Simpson villains!
Russ Cargill
The main antagonist from The Simpsons movie, Russ Cargill is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and although his intentions seem good at first it soon becomes apparent that Russ is indeed mad with power.
With permission from President Swarzenegger, Cargill encases the town in a giant dome shutting it off from the rest of the world until Homer comes to the rescue. Well, it was Homer who got them in the mess in the first place by chucking Spider-Pig’s feces silo in the lake, but would you expect anything less from him?
Frank Grimes
Frank Grimes isn’t really a bad person, and that’s the problem. He has worked hard his entire depressing life and feels like he deserves more, especially when he meets his moronic new co-worker Homer after getting a job at Springfield power plant. Franks's jealousy of Homer's large house, beautiful family and amazing adventures is what sends the hateful feller into an early grave. There is a lesson for us all there. Not sure what that lesson is but it must be something.
Artie Ziff
Making his first appearance in “The Way We Was” Artie was a member of the Springfield High debate team and Marge’s prom date until his “busy hands” ruined the evening.
Since then he went on to become a multi-millionaire but despite his riches, he still cannot buy the one thing his heart truly desires, the love of his blue-haired high school flame.
It’s hard to feel any sympathy for Artie though, given that he is a massive sleaze bag, emphasized by the vocal tones of Jon Lovitz.
Hank Scorpio
When you talk about Simpsons villains, you can’t miss out Hank Scorpio as he is clearly the biggest out and out supervillain of them all. Well, clear to everyone apart from Homer, who takes a job at Hank’s Globex Corporation in the episode “You Only Move Twice.” In fairness to Scorpio, he does seem like a great guy to work for and treats his employees with the utmost kindness. A perfect job, as long as you can get past the spy torture, flame throwers and constant military attacks.
Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearny
Originally starting off as three older bullies who manage to convince Bart to do the unthinkable and cut the head off the statue of Jebidiah Springfield, these three hormonal terrorizers have actually gone on to show their softer sides as the years have gone by. Dolph is actually a well-educated fan of the arts, Jimbo is a devout Christian, and Kearny is, in fact, a father. That doesn’t mean they won’t punch you in the guts should the opportunity present itself.
Fat Tony
If you were to ask Fat Tony what he does for a living he would probably tell you that he is a respectable businessman, but the truth is, Tony’s business consists of illegal gambling, cigarette smuggling, bootlegging, and many other rackets. Voiced by the perfectly cast Joe Mantenga, Fat Tony actually passed away from a heart attack in the episode “Donnie Fatso” and was replaced by his identical, although more slender cousin Fit Tony. However, the stress of being a crime lord causes Fit Tony to gain weight and he now shares the original moniker of his cousin.
Snake
If you hear the word “Bye” in a Californian dude drawl, chances are you have just been robbed by Springfield’s resident thief Snake Jailbird. Hank Azara’s brilliant vocal performance of Snake had propelled the casual background character to a fan favorite, and over the years we have learned more and more about the multi-time convict, including his slightly awkward on-again-off-again relationship with policewoman Gloria, who is voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld, New Adventures Of Old Christine, and Veep fame.
Nelson Mutz
It might be quite hard to remember but Nelson was actually quite a scary character when The Simpsons began, bullying Lisa and Bart in his debut full episode “Bart The General.” Since then Nelson has gone on from Bart’s main enemy to one of his closest friends, even becoming Lisa’s boyfriend at one point.
Nelson’s most iconic attribute has to be his trademark laugh, in which he always seems to be in the right place at the right time to cackle at people's misfortune.
Sideshow Bob
Real name Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, Sideshow Bob yearns for the finer things in life such as good food, the fine arts and the murder of one Bart Simpson. One of many sidekicks to popular TV show host Krusty The Clown, Bob tried to frame his boss but was foiled by Bart and now spends most of his days in prison planning yet another escape to kill his juvenile nemesis. Bob is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, who once described the character as “Fraiser pickled in arsenic.”
Mr. Burns
As if there was any doubt, The Simpson's most prolific villain has to be Charles Montgomery Burns. The billionaire owner of Springfield Power Plant, Burns's dubious doings include poisoning the environment of the town, blocking out the sun and of course, releasing his hounds on many poor unsuspecting citizens.
Almost always accompanied by his adoring assistant Smithers, Burns is one of the few Simpsons villains who hasn’t softened over time, and if anything becomes more evil as the years roll by.