Top Ten 24 Villains RANKED!

24 has some incredible characters that make it one of the best shows of all time! It also has some stinkers, though, so it's not perfectly unblemished. However, in today's article, we are only going to talk about some of the good ones—or, more specifically, the well-written bad ones. Some of these villains are terrorists, and some are simply corrupt politicians, but all of them are despicable and have brilliant screen presences. Now, without further ado, I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, present to you today's article: Top Ten 24 Villains RANKED!

10: Dana Walsh

Featured Day: Eight

I understand why many people think Dana is an annoying character, but I found her to be rather intriguing, a surprising mole, and a solid secondary villain. She gets a lot more backstory and character screentime than most villains and, in a sense, is like Nina Meyers, but less interesting. Ultimately, I believe Dana is a relatively strong villain with a good screen presence, contrary to common opinion.

9: Olivia Taylor

Featured Day: Seven

Olivia Taylor isn't the main villain of Day 7, but she acts as an interesting juxtaposition to other end-of-season antagonists. After Jonas HOdges is taken, Tony Almeida becomes the main antagonist due to wanting revenge for what happened to Michelle, but that doesn't mean HOdges leaves the shoe entirely. Hodges is granted witness protection upon giving information up, but due to his crimes, Olivia Taylor believes revenge is necessary. Consequently, this makes her actions justified, but I'd consider her a villain regardless, as she actively went against the law entirely for revenge. But I digress. Her reluctant murdering of Hdoges and eventual belated repentance make for a powerful subplot that questions the black-and-white actions of President Olivia Taylor. The family drama is heartbreaking and is what carries the awkward last few episodes of Day 8, where Tony is, yet again, a villain.

7: Russian President Yuri Suvarov

Days Featured: Five, Six, and Eight

As the main antagonist behind the events of Day 8, Yuri Suvarov was playing the strings in a very interesting way to avoid the signing of the peace treaty. However, once Former President Charles Logan reveals to Madame President Allison Taylor the truth of the conspiracy, Suvarov is forced to sign the treaty or risk exposure to the criminal conspiracy. His role in leading Mikhail Novakovich to kill Renee Walker to risk exposure and such made him a powerful twist villain that genuinely exposed the criminal power a president can have over their country. What makes him even better is his prominent role in Days 6 or 7, where he plays essential roles in the main conflicts. In the end, Suvarov exposes the terrifying truth of how corrupt a country could be, making him a very compelling villain.

6: Phillip Bauer

Featured Day: Six

I know opinions on Phillip Bauer are mixed in the fanbase, with some calling him a lame villain and others finding him fascinating. Personally, I thought he was fantastic (though I still would have loved it if Donald Sutherland hadn't turned down the offer to play him). Phillip has a somewhat demented screen presence, making for an excellent main antagonist of Day 6, as well as a behind-the-strings antagonist of Day 5. Phillip covers up the theft of five suitcase nukes, along with his son Graem (who he later brutally kills), but when he fails to do so, he allies with Cheng Zhi in an effort to spur China's ascendancy as the sole world superpower. I get why this plotline isn't the most unanimously liked, but I found Phillip Bauer to be a fantastic villain who shows that, just because he and Jack are family, they are not even remotely alike.

5: Cheng Zhi

Days Featured: Four, Five, Six, and Nine

As one of the longest-featured villains in 24, Cheng Zhi features as a minor antagonist on Days 4 and 5, as well as a primary antagonist on Days 6 and 9. As a complete villain with no redeeming qualities, Cheng Zhi is formidable and terrifying to watch. Cheng Zhi originally wanted to seek revenge for the death of Consul Koo Yin, and Cheng discovered Jack Bauer was behind his death. Bauer then goes off the radar to avoid being captured by Cheng, but after the events of Season 5, Cheng realizes Bauer is still alive and oversees him being captured and tortured by the Chinese government. Later, Cheng Zhi fights to get the sub-circuit board to have a superb tactical advantage over the Russian government. He eventually uses Audrey as a bargaining chip (after her alleged death) for Jack, saying she could be exchanged for the circuit board. Eventually, his plan fails, and he is taken into federal custody and presumed dead. All that was interesting, but I'd argue his more minor role in Day 9 was his grandest role. His reveal as an antagonist comes after the death of Al-Harazi, who received the defense override module meant for Cheng Zhi. He then kills Open Cell members to retrieve the device, becoming the ultimate, final villain of the main series. He starts to use the device on China, who he feels betrayed him. Cheng attempts to leave the country, but Audrey Boudreau unsuccessfully intercepts her, leading to a climactic and emotional finale. In the end, Cheng Zhi is one of the most formidable and evil villains of 24, securing him as easily one of the best.

4: Nina Meyers

Days Featured: One, Two, Three

While she tops many people's lists as the best 24 villain, I don't quite like Nina that much. Regardless, she is still one of the best villains of the show! Her Day 1 plot twist was one of the best moments of the entire show, and her actions led to a plethora of phenomenal emotional moments. The moment you see her stare at the camera after murdering Jamey Farrel in cold blood is one of the most chilling moments of the entire show. Following Day 1, she is granted presidential exiled immunity in exchange for giving up the information she gained on Syed Ali. On Day 3, she attempts to buy the Cordilla virus and is captured by CTU, where Jack finally brings her to justice, killing her to save Kim's life. Utlaitmely, Nina is one of the most captivating villains of 24, but she isn't quite my favorite.

3: Simone Al-Harazi

Featured Day: Nine

As a minor antagonist of Season 9, Simone is one of the show's most intriguing. And personally? I believe she is hundreds of times more interesting than her mom and certainly her brother. She eventually seems to betray her family and realize the wrongs of her actions. Still, her true intentions are never revealed, as she becomes a minor concern and, frankly, gets Behroozed due to the looming threats of her mother and Cheng Zhi. However, her enigmatic presence and mysterious ideals lead her to be way more interesting than her one-note family members. Simone's plotline with Naveed and his family is saddening through and through, and part of me sympathized with Simone, as it was apparent she was wrapped up in an impossible circumstance with a family who was demented in every way of the word. Ultimately, Simone is a criminally underrated villain and an easy pick for a top-three 24 villain.

2: Sherry Palmer

Days Featured: One, Two, and Three

While she's not as inherently villainous as many on this list, she has an unrivaled screen presence that makes her one of the best characters on the show. She consistently gets in hot water, working against her ex-husband, David Palmer, to get revenge for the divorce and to get into the government by other means. Sherry is simply a brilliant character and is almost unrivaled as a 24 villain. But there's one that's better.

1: President Charles Logan

Days Featured: Four, Five, Six, and Eight

As the mastermind behind Season 5's events and a redeemed villain by the events of Season 8, President Charles Logan is the best villain of the show! He's similar to Sherry in a lot of ways but more cowardly yet, somehow, more formidable. Simply put, you can't get much better of a villain than the literal president of the United States being the mole to a terrorist plot. He's basically one of my favorite fictional villains of all time, up there with Lost's Benjamin Linus, The Dark Knight's Joker, and The Hunger Games's President Snow. He's that phenomenal of a villain!