Top 10 Most Badass Vampire Diaries Villains

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#10: Kol Mikaelson

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Introduced as a villain before transitioning into an anti-hero, Kol Mikaelson's ruthless and violent nature means the Original Vampire is invariably an unpredictable force of nature. Stemming from a lifetime of feeling snubbed by Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah; Kol's actions are primarily a cry for attention. While usually following someone else's orders, Kol takes a personal interest in halting Silas' resurrection in season four; even if the end justifies the means, the vampire's unrelenting desire to kill Jeremy did little to endear Elena and company to him.

Following a roller-coaster of a season featuring immortal beings, mad scientists, and more doppelgangers than anyone knew what to do with; ultimately, everything proved to be setting the stage for the arrival of the big bad, Markos. As the leader of the Travelers, Markos sought to eliminate all but the group's magic from the world. More often than not, the show's villains love to spout one-liners, but Markos is far more stoic in nature and goal-driven. This villain is solely concerned with getting the job done.

Like Rebekah, here is a Mikaelson sibling whose time as a pure villain is short-lived; nevertheless, Elijah is more than willing to mercilessly kill anyone stupid enough to betray or threaten him. Fond of humans and quite optimistic, Elijah is about as nice of a guy as the Mikaelson gene pool is likely to produce, but a thousand-year-old grudge against Klaus caused this antagonist to fly off the handle. Even if Elijah being a villain was just a phase, the Original Vampire delivered enough thrills to be worth mentioning!

Heavily linked to "The Vampire Diaries'" mythology, Tessa only physically appears in a few season 5 episodes, but the powerful witch's notoriety is built up throughout the majority of the previous season. The third wheel to Silas and Amara's romance, Qetsiyah jealousy prompts the antagonist to create an entirely new dimension for the sole purpose of keeping the couple from finding peace. Basically, Tessa is a stalker with magical powers. Qetsiyah is vindictive, destructive, and refuses to take no for an answer; terrible traits for a friend, but perfect in a villain!

A mere human could never hope to measure up against vampires, werewolves, witches, immortals, or demons; but still, this college professor gave the supernatural a solid run for its money. Brilliant but also slightly insane, Dr. Wesley Maxfield loves nothing more than to conduct painful experiments on vampires. Along with providing personal entertainment, Wes' trials seek to find a way to turn vampires against each other, with the professor citing humanity's safety as a justification. In truth, Wes is a mad scientist who sees everyone – be it, humans or vampires – as test subjects.

Playing a more prominent role in "The Originals" than on its parent show, the Mikaelson family patriarch still left quite an impact. Known as the vampire who hunts vampires – particularly ones named Klaus – Mikael's interest primarily lies with the villain's own children, but that did not stop the deadly hunter from causing trouble for Mystic Falls' residents. Despite being overshadowed by some of season three's other antagonists, Mikael is even more sadistic than everyone else in the Mikaelson family line, and that is no easy feat!

As the first immortal responsible for the universe's original love triangle, ultimately setting Elena down the road to meeting Damon and Stefan, Silas arguably left the biggest impact on "The Vampire Diaries'" story. Even while desiccated, Silas maintains enough power to manipulate people from the shadows, and freedom only serves to worsen the immortal's behavior. After living for so many years, Silas yearns to taste death, going to exceptional lengths to achieve this goal. Like the majority of the show's villains, Silas has a wicked sense of humor, but the immortal being's threats are not just grandstanding.

More than a memorable villain, "The Vampire Diaries" loves a redeemable one. After seasons of Mikaelson siblings toeing the line between psychotic and misunderstood, Kai Parker showed up to serve as a reminder that being evil can be a ton of fun. Trapped in a prison world as punishment for participating in a touch of slaughter, Kai spends most of season six torturing Bonnie while showing not even the slightest hint of guilt. A villain who just loves being a villain may not be the most novel idea, but Kai was a breath of fresh air and a standout character during "The Vampire Diaries'" later seasons.

Sharing the same face with "The Vampire Diaries'" protagonist, Elena's doppelganger steals the show whenever the witch rolls into Mystic Falls. Willing to do anything to survive, Katherine's backstory is genuinely tragic; however, the past is never used to justify the villain's present-day actions. Always messing with the core trio – particularly Damon and Stefan – Katherine is an absolute blast as a cruel vampire with an insatiable lust for life. Popping up as a villain at various points throughout the series' entire run, Katherine presents a pretty convincing case for being "The Vampire Diaries'" main antagonist.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sybil

Atticus Shane

Arcadius [aka Cade]

Rayna Cruz

The Heretics

Bad enough to birth a spin-off series, the Original Vampires are arguably the best thing to came out of "The Vampire Diaries," and none compare to Klaus. As the first vampire and werewolf hybrid, Klaus borders on the indestructible and simply uttering the villain's name is enough to frighten powerful people. Along with coming across as a genuine threat to Mystic Falls' heroes, Klaus simply oozes charisma out of every pore; here is a villain who is funnier, more likable, and even more relatable than most of the good guys.