Most playDungeons & Dragonsto experience playing the hero, butwhat’s a hero without a villain? Without a villain, a hero can’t exist as they have nothing to protect the people from. A villain can take the form of a bandit group or a random monster, but the best ones have far more substance.
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Thesevillains have a purpose. A reason for their actions. They aren’t driven by a primal force like the average monster, but by a desire. They want something from the world, and they’re willing to do horrible things to obtain it. In the long history of D&D, here are the best villains that the franchise has come up with.
10Xanathar
Beholders are a very insecure bunch. Unable or unwilling to trust anyone other than themselves, they seclude themselves in their lairs to plot and amass strength. Xanathar was not like most beholders. Where most of their kind despise the mere thought of socialization, Xanathar thrived in it.
Xanathar is the undisputed crime lord of Waterdeep. The beholder runs numerous criminal enterprises throughout the city, away from the prying eyes of the Lords of Waterdeep. In addition, due to the complexity of their chain of command, none of Xanathar’s crimes could be traced back to them. Even after their death, the name Xanathar became a title for those who would take up the mantle of Xanathar’s Thieves Guild.
9Halaster Blackcloak
Also known as the Mad Mage, Halaster was a blight upon Undermountain. As an archmage, there was very little Halaster couldn’t achieve using the arcane. He summoned countless creatures from various planes and bound them to his will. He’d force them into building his Hold and carve out numerous caverns within Undermountain, creating one of the deadliest dungeons in the history of D&D.
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While mad, Halaster is still a very prideful person. He is more than willing to unleash his full repertoire of spells at the slightest insult and, should you catch him in a moment of lucidity, may the gods have mercy on your soul. If by some miracle he is overcome by an adversary, the mage always has a Clone or a Contingency spell in use to ensure his survival and you best believe he will remember your face.
8Ashardalon
While dragons are definitely one of the most popular monsters in D&D, there aren’t many named dragons. Sure there are godly dragons like Bahamut and Tiamat, but there aren’t many famous or infamous ‘mortal’ dragons, enough to be named. That is until you come upon Ashardalon, the immortal Greatwyrm of the Astral Plane.
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This red dragon reveled in the destruction he caused and took pride in the fear he instilled. After nearly dying at the hands of Dydd the Wise, the dragon fled to the Abyss and replaced his missing heart with a Balor. He would then break into the Bastion of Unborn Souls to gain immortality and cause a cataclysm throughout the realms before taking up residence within the Astral Plane.
7Kas
After years of being Vecna’s right-hand man, Kas would betray the lich, taking his master’s eye and hand in his attack. While he failed, Kas would gain power within the Plane of Ash and become the first vampire. While vampires are inherently evil in D&D, Kas' main focus has been revenge against Vecna, making him more or less a neutral party if anything. That said, what makes Kas a villain is his sword.
After his failed attempt at Vecna’s life,Kas' cursed sword was leftin the Material Plane. This sword corrupts all that come into contact with it. It fuels its wielder with the same bloodlust that its previous wielder held, leading them to commit heinous acts to appease the corrupted blade.
6Strahd Von Zarovich
While Kas may be the first vampire, Strahd is by far the most famous. Once a noble warrior within his father’s armies, the various battles and wars changed the noble for the worse. He murdered his brother to seal his pact with the Dark Powers and to steal his fiancé, Tatyana. When Tatyana died in her attempt to flee, Strahd fell into madness and cursed Barovia.
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The unfortunate souls that reside within Barovia became targets for Strahd’s aggression and grief. He trapped Barovia in a demiplane, keeping the denizens from escaping and leaving them helpless against the years of torment the vampire would inflict. He may not be the strongest, but the psychological damage that this vampire has caused is more than enough to contend with some of D&D’s heaviest hitters.
5Lord Soth
The death knight has always been an interesting creature in D&D. The concept of a paladin falling from grace and being forced to roam as an undead warrior is theperfect basis for a tragic villain. So perfect in fact that one of Dragonlance’s most memorable villains was based on one.
Once a Knight of Solamnia, Lord Soth would flee after killing his wife and siring a child with an elven priestess. His once fellow knights hunted the disgraced lord relentlessly, each attack darkening Lord Soth’s heart until he slew the priestess and his child. As she died, the priestess cursed Soth, leading to his revival as a Death Knight. Soth would then lead an army of the undead, razing everything that stood in his way.
4Acererak
As the lich featured on the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s cover, it would make sense that Acererak would be more than just a simple enemy. Once an apprentice to the god Vecna, Acererak made a name for himself through the infamous Tomb of Horrors that had claimed countless adventurers since its creation.
The tomb itself serves not only as the lich’s home but as a trap for those unlucky enough to stumble upon it. Lured in with the promise of treasure, adventurers would find themselves faced with numerous death traps and monsters. Those who fell to this horrid dungeon would be used as sacrifices to fuel Acererak’s ever-growing power.
3Vecna
The history of the Undying Kingis one filled with war and bloodshed. He learned necromancy and the secrets of lichdom from the demon lord Orcus. He conquered and ruled over Oereth for many years until his betrayal. Even after his fall, the lich survived and used his influence within the Material Plane to achieve godhood.
Even the hand and eye Vecna lost to Kas during the vampire’s betrayal served as instruments to spread Vecna’s evil. Just being in contact with either item is enough for a character’s alignment to shift to evil or for them to lose their soul entirely. Should the latter happen, Vecna can possess the soulless body, giving him yet another way to influence the world.
2Demogorgon
Not to be confused with the flower-mouthed monster of Stranger Things, D&D’s Demogorgon is far more of a threat than the show’s monster could ever hope to be. He’s the self-appointed Prince of Demons and the embodiment of chaos and destruction. He isthe strongest of the demon lordsand his mere presence causes madness within being of lesser power.
Demogorgon seeks to corrupt everything good to bring about disorder within the multiverse. By doing this, it will be easier for Demogorgon to destroy everything, even those who worship him. Only when everything has fallen into the Abyss will Demogorgon be satisfied.
1Tiamat
The five-headed dragon goddess is quite possibly one of themost well-known entities within D&D. She is the mother of chromatic dragons and the sister to Bahamut, the god of metallic dragons. Tiamat is cruel and arrogant, a trait shared by her children, and she wants nothing more than to destroy the Realms.
To achieve her goals, Tiamat made several deals with demons like Asmodeus to achieve power and even has a lair within the first layer of Hell. While she has found herself in the service of others from time to time, her desire to bring chaos to Bahamut’s order never waned. With the help of the Cult of the Dragon, Tiamat constantly plots her return to the Material Plane and dreams of the chaos she will spread.
