Top 30 villains in television history

Photo Credit: The CW

18. Eobard Thawne 

One of the few consistent villains in the Arrowverse, Eobard Thawne appeared in the first episode of The Flash and has remained as a recurring bad guy since then. Know as the “Reverse-Flash” because of his uniform is the opposite of the Scarlet Speedster, and he’s The Flash’s greatest enemy. Eobard is a speedster from the future, who despises Barry Allen with every fiber of his being.

Desperate to thwart his nemesis, he travels back to Barry’s childhood hoping to murder him, but the future Flash whisks his younger self out of the house safely. To get revenge, Thawne ends up killing Barry’s mother, inadvertently causing a new string of events that would have the young orphan pursue a path of heroism.

Part of the reason Thawne works so well as a villain is his close relationship to Barry. After getting stuck in the wrong timeline, he’s forced to mentor the younger version of the man who will grow up to be his arch nemesis so that he will become The Flash. It’s a compelling look at at a villain who must put aside his hatred and create the person who will end up causing him a lifetime of pain.

The relationship is one of the most successful on the series, with Barry hating the man who both changed his life for the better and the worst, while still harboring a bit of a soft spot for him. This is seen in his inability to kill the Reverse-Flash during the “Crisis On Earth-X” crossover event. Both men are destined to duel throughout time as the balance between light and evil, forever tied together despite their desire to move on with their lives.