Yeah, like me.
What makes a great villain? Usually it’s a wickedly tough adversary that the hero(s) must go up against in order to protect the innocent. In many superhero stories, there are usually quite a few different archenemies. Each of them is colorful in their own way.
Let’s take Batman for example. He fights criminals all over Gotham City, but the only villains who are most popular are the colorful ones, such as Joker, Penguin, Cat Woman, Riddler, etc. because they stick out from the rest as much as the superhero.
Dick Tracy is another perfect example. The criminals he fights all have various quirks, which they are named after, like Mumbles, Flat Top, Prune Face, Itchy, etc. I’ll tell ya, if it wasn’t for that, Dick Tracy would never have made it as an icon, no matter how heroic he was.
From an artistic perspective, a great villain is an enemy who is not only colorful, but is evenly matched to the hero. That way it appears more like a 50/50 chance on who will come out on top.
I have here a top five list of my most favorite match-ups that help explain my point.
#5) He-Man vs. Skeletor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Skeletor’s motive is simple, he wants to rule the world. He-Man is the only one who can stop him and maintain peace in Eternia. It sounds a little one-sided at first, but now I understand that it’s merely a power struggle between the strongest beings representing good and evil.
#4) Obi-Won Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) vs. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) from Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith: These two Jedi warriors used to be partners. With the seduction of Darth Sidous and unfair treatment of the Jedi counsel, Anakin had completely turned rogue. That soon led to their exciting one on one battle, but what was really touching was when after Obi-Won won the fight, he still felt devastated from Anakin’s betrayal just as any mentor would feel if their protégé turns on them.
#3) John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) vs. Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) from Demolition Man: The motives for these two need no introduction, cop vs. convict. However, the relationship goes deeper when Phoenix gets Spartan arrested with him. The battle scenes between them became more intense when Phoenix develops some new combat skills, which challenges Spartan even more.
#2) Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) vs. Faith (Eliza Dushku) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: These two are both slayers and used to be friends. Although Faith was troubled to begin with, her reason for turning rogue was different. She wanted to live on the wild side and be free, but Buffy knows better. That soon caused some friction between them as to how the slaying should be done. On the other hand, don’t you just love a good cat fight?
#1) Xena (Lucy Lawless) vs. Callisto (Hudson Leick) from Xena: Warrior Princess: Let’s certainly not forget this classic match-up. Years ago when Xena was evil, she conquered Callisto’s home village and killed her family. That drove her to become more like Xena in every way possible while vowing revenge. Callisto had definitely succeeded, even from beyond the grave, if you know what I mean. As beautiful as she was, it’s really Callisto’s psychotic persona that makes her a favorite of mine.
Basically a good villain is one who is worthy of the title. Whether it’s personal grudges or being consumed by a dark power, villains have goals, but it’s their evil intent that gives them bad karma, which is also enjoyable to watch at times.
and 
(1986-1987) was also a classic series, which had some memorable villains. One of my favorites was Scared Stiff. He’s a ghost who always fell to pieces like a skeleton. Other villains include Fangster the red werewolf, Haunter the British hunter, Sir Trance-a-lot the skeleton knight, Long John Scarechrome the pirate ghost, and Brat-a-rat. I think he’s some kind of rat ghost. 
The Ghostbusters always go through a transformation sequence before a mission. I wonder if Eddie ever got used to it. They also have all kinds of gadgets and stuff. It makes me wonder how they get all of that gear inside those little backpacks. At least we know they always come prepared. 
An interesting comparison between the two versions is that Jake, Eddie, and Tracy don’t use ghost traps. Their electric beams merely send the ghosts to limbo. Eventually they come back, thanks to Prime Evil. When I got the DVD sets, I had learned that there was another Ghostbusters series from 1975, which starred two of the stars of F Troop, Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. That turned out to be a great show also with its brand of humor. 
(1998-2006) was definitely a favorite. Three sisters, Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) are a team of witches who fight evil beings like warlocks, demons, and other evil spirits to protect the innocents of San Francisco. They’re known as the Charmed Ones. This show is along the lines of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When the Charmed Ones vanquish an enemy, they burst into flames with neat effects and echoed screams. Most of the witches, warlocks, and demons don’t really have a particular look. In fact, they look no different than ordinary citizens, which makes it easier to blend in as long as nobody uses their powers in public.
#13) Selene (Kate Beckinsale) from Underworld: She’s a kick butt death dealer vampire. Unlike many of the others listed here, Selene is on the side of good. She’s not really seductive because her main focus is to take out lycons. You’ve got to admit though. Selene is a hottie.
