10 TV Villains Who Deserve Their Own Spinoffs
While a tried and true hero is easy to root for, it's typically the villains who make TV shows worth watching. These antagonists are so compelling and scene-stealing that it's easy to imagine them leading a successful spinoff series of their initial shows. Making a spinoff can be a difficult undertaking. There must be a reason why the tale should be told, especially since the audience might already know how these stories end. Many of these spinoffs would be darker than the original TV show since focusing on the most morally bankrupt characters means tackling intense themes.
However, these TV villains are incredibly fun to watch, even when they do despicable things. Witnessing how they came to be the authors of the protagonists' nightmares or what they do in the aftermath of the series' conclusion would only make them more nuanced. Since viewers love to hate these characters, seeing them as more fleshed-out and three-dimensional would complicate how people think about them, making for interesting television. Since spinoffs have become more popular than ever, it would be easy to find an audience base for these potential shows.
10 Gus Fring - Breaking Bad (2008–2013) & Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
Played by Giancarlo Esposito
Breaking Bad is a great example of a series almost entirely made up of villains. Though Gus actively works against Walter White (Bryan Cranston), Walt is arguably the most notorious villain of the series. However, since Walt's story has already been told, it's time to bring Gus' to life. Breaking Bad already received a prequel show, Better Call Saul, which proved that the series' tone and themes can translate to spinoffs. Gus was heavily featured in Better Call Saul, but there's still plenty about his early years that viewers could discover.
Seeing Gus' youth would shine a light on how he came to be the unscrupulous man the audiences meet in Breaking Bad.
Seeing Gus' youth would shine a light on how he came to be the unscrupulous man the audiences meet in Breaking Bad. Though this would mean that a new actor takes on the role, instead of the incomparable Giancarlo Esposito, this could be a good thing. While Esposito has received universal acclaim for his performance as Gus, seeing an up-and-coming actor take on a younger version of the role would help the audience separate the different versions of the man and potentially root for him in his youth.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Breaking Bad (2008–2013) | 96% | 97% |
9 The Master - Doctor Who (1963–Present)
Played by various actors
Like the Doctor, the Master has taken on various forms throughout Doctor Who, each one evolving with the series. When the series returned in 2005, it didn't take long for the Master to make an appearance. The Master might also be a Time Lord, but they're the opposite of everything they stand for, sowing chaos and terror wherever they go. However, with the same level of intelligence and ingenuity as the Doctor, watching the master travel across the universe would be just as thrilling.
The short-lived Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, might not have lasted very long, but it proved that other stories can be told within the Doctor Who universe, and they can be darker. Currently, the fate of the Master is up in the air, but it's clear that they're still out there somewhere and ready to make trouble. However, an origin story for the Master could be the perfect companion for the contemporary seasons of Doctor Who. Not every Doctor in Doctor Who interacted with the Master, but whenever they appeared onscreen and tangled with the Doctor, it was memorable.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Doctor Who (1963–Present) | 90% | 64% |
8 Kilgrave - Jessica Jones (2015–2019)
Played by David Tennant
David Tennant might be best known for playing the charming hero in Doctor Who, but his character in Jessica Jones couldn't be more different. Kilgrave is the monster who hunts Jessica's (Krysten Ritter) dreams in Jessica Jones season 1, using his ability to control people to terrorize Jessica for years. One of the most terrifying TV villains of the past ten years, Kilgrave has no empathy or moral line, which can be hard to watch throughout Jessica Jones. However, it also makes him an interesting character to explore.
A spinoff that tackles his youth, which was full of torturous experimentation, or the years before he met Jessica, would be one of the darkest shows within the MCU. Focusing on his adolescence and his slow transformation into a person without empathy would show what state he was in when he finally encountered Jessica. While there would be parts of his series that would be extremely upsetting, knowing he eventually gets what he deserves would be comforting.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Jessica Jones (2015–2019) | 83% | 80% |
7 Katherine - The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)
Played by Nina Dobrev
Though The Vampire Diaries already has a memorable spinoff featuring one of the show's most iconic villains, Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Katherine was the first and best antagonist of the series. Though Damon (Ian Somerhalder) served as an antagonistic force at first, he was working to bring Katherine back, as she had an undeniable power over the people in her life. Elena's ancestor and doppelganger, Katherine, frequently pulled people to the dark side while garnering surprising amounts of sympathy.
Since she was already ancient by the time the Salvatores met her in the 1800s, there are many centuries and periods to explore through Katherine's eyes. After faking her death in the church and going into hiding, Katherine traversed across the U.S., finding people and supernatural beings to swindle and bend to her will. Discovering what Katherine was up to during these years and watching her in different cultural periods would be a fun historical fantasy series for fans of The Vampire Diaries.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) | 86% | 72% |
6 Ben Linus - Lost (2006-2010)
Played by Michael Emerson
The infamous leader of the Others in Lost, Ben Linus, is a ruthless killer and manipulator in the show, but he always has a reason behind his actions. Even though his reasoning is often based on flawed logic, Ben is a survivor above all and is ready to align himself with whoever will offer him the best protection. This instinct and Ben's undeniable intellect help round him out as a character and ensure that the heroes on the show never underestimate him.
Learning more about Ben's past might help make this redemption arc more realistic and would help answer some of the questions that audiences and critics are still asking about Lost.
Unfortunately, Ben Linus is an example of a poorly executed character redemption in a TV show, as Lost rushed the story and didn't make it realistic that Ben had changed his ways. Learning more about Ben's past might help make this redemption arc more realistic and would help answer some of the questions that audiences and critics are still asking about Lost. Though his backstory is explored through flashbacks, these only show small moments of Ben's early life, which could easily be expanded into a show.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Lost (2004-2010) | 86% | 89% |
5 Kathleen Coghlan - The Last Of Us (2023–Present)
Played by Melanie Lynskey
As excitement for The Last of Us season 2 builds, it's fun to look back on the episodes of season 1 that have come to define the show. While Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) journey is the backbone of the series, it's characters like Kathleen that make the world feel real. Though Kathleen isn't a character from the original game but an addition made by the series, she easily fits into The Last of Us universe as a woman driven by desperation and fear.
The Last of Us season 2 is slated to premiere in April 2025.
Melanie Lynskey was the perfect choice to play Kathleen, and it's easy to want to watch more of Lynskey in the future. After watching her stellar performance in Yellowjackets, the thought of a Kathleen spinoff makes a lot of sense. Witnessing her rise to power and the way her city grew and found ways to survive in the wake of the end of the world would be the ideal extension of the larger universe of The Last of Us.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
The Last of Us (2023–Present) | 96% | 88% |
4 Love Quinn - You (2018-2025)
Played by Victoria Pedretti
As one of the few characters who would match wits with Joe (Penn Badgley), Love Quinn appeared to be one of his many victims at first but proved herself to be much more. Though Love did ultimately meet her end at Joe's hands, she was a worthy adversary, clocking the moment when Joe was losing interest and moving on to his next target. While it eventually becomes clear that Love is just as ruthless a killer as Joe, it's still easy to root for Love since many aspects of her life pushed her to this point.
Love's life in Los Angeles before Joe could easily be adapted into a spinoff series as she grappled with her violent tendencies and tumultuous relationship with her brother.
Love's life in Los Angeles before Joe could easily be adapted into a spinoff series as she grappled with her violent tendencies and tumultuous relationship with her brother. The dynamic between Love and her brother, Forty (James Scully), is one of the most interesting parts of You season 2 and could be the centerpiece of a spinoff about Love. Even if her role in the future of You is over, her past is still ripe for exploration.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
You (2018–2025) | 92% | 75% |
3 Lukas Matsson - Succession (2018–2023)
Played by Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård is hilariously evil in Succession season 4 as the tech giant Lukas Matsson. While going toe-to-toe with the Roys, Matsson quickly proves just how much Logan (Brian Cox) was doing to hold Waystar Royco together. After his death, the Roy siblings scramble to fill the hole he left in the company and close the deal with Matsson. However, by the end of the series, it turns out that Matsson is just as much of a shark as Logan. He was always going to betray the Roys.
After Succession ended, many fans and critics were sad to see the series go, and it seems as though there's still a high demand for shows within this genre. HBO's more recent series, Industry, has gained traction in the years since Succession ended, and a Matsson spinoff could help fill this hole. Following Matsson at this point in his career would be similar to seeing a young Logan Roy build his empire and would include plenty of ruthless deal-making and backstabbing.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Succession (2018–2023) | 95% | 88% |
2 Livia Sopranos - The Sopranos (
Played by Nancy Marchand
Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is considered the best anti-hero in the history of TV and the character who served as the basis for the archetype that's everywhere on television today. However, the notorious gangster wouldn't be anywhere without his mother, the woman who shaped so much of who he is. Though fans and critics got to see more of a young Livia in the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, there's a lot more to learn about Livia Soprano.
Who she was before she met Tony's father and her dynamic with the neighborhood and the many powerful, violent men who populated it would be interesting to see. A manipulative and shrewd woman who knows how to play those around her, Livia has a lot going on behind the scenes, which Tony eventually realizes when she betrays him. After 26 years, The Sopranos hasn't faded from the cultural conversation, and Livia's story could seamlessly continue the franchise.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
The Sopranos (1999–2007) | 92% | 96% |
1 Tywin Lannister - Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)
Played by Charles Dance
The Lannisters are a powerful and dangerous house in Game of Thrones, and the patriarch, Tywin Lannister, is one of the more interesting villains in the series. While there are plenty of ruthless and terrifying antagonists in the show, Tywin is smart and careful. He doesn't needlessly dole out vengeance and violence, instead biding his time. In eventually placing his grandchildren on the Iron Throne, his plans play out over generations, even if he always wanted the throne for himself.
Though it's his cruelty towards those closest to him that eventually results in his death, Tywin is fiercely protective of his family name and is part of a long tradition of Lannister pride. Watching him grow up and seeing what life was like under the last few Targaryens before the throne was usurped would be an exciting addition to the Game of Thrones universe. While there are already spinoffs of the series being produced, if any character from the original show were to get one, Tywin would be a brilliant choice.
Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Game of Thrones (2011–2019) | 89% | 85% |
