I’m all about villains and antagonists here, so it’s fitting I put a Top 10 article in. This is inspired by Wes’s Guide to Gargoyles Finale: Top 10 Episodes of Gargoyles. He’s done a write-up on every ep, so check out his articles while you’re there.
This list is based largely on my preferences but also includes pseudo objective ranking data for sorting the…shall we say, rabble in the lower ranks. Strength: 1 = wimpy human. 5 = Goliath. Wealth / Resources: 1 = homeless. 5 = Scrooge McDuck. Tech: 1 = Middle Ages. 5 = bleeding edge. Magic: 1 = card tricks. 5 = mastery of the Grimorum or a Fey. Cunning: 1 = dumb human. 5 = trickster god. Evil: 1 = street thug. 5 = wipe out an entire race. Threat: 1 = street thug. 5 = will kill you w/out provocation. Insanity: 1 = taking on the gargoyles. 5 = Can I just say Demona?
Feel free to make your own list. (But if Xanatos isn’t #1, I’m gonna have to call the “nice young men in their clean white coats” to come take you away, haha, because you are not in your right mind.)
I don’t have to say there are SPOILERS AHEAD, right?
10
The Weird Sisters
Stats:
Brute Strength = 2 / 5 (they have magic, so it’s not fair)
Wealth / Resources = 3 / 5 (Avalon helps them)
Tech / Weapons = 1/ 5
Magic = 5/ 5 (They are magical beings)
Cunning = 3 / 5 (They manipulated Demona and MacBeth.)
Evil = 3 / 5 (They are not human, and so they have little need for human morals)
Threat Level = 4 / 5 (They are happy to hunt down and kill threats)
Insanity = 4 / 5 (??)
I almost put them at 9, but since they were working for the Arch Mage, I couldn’t put them ahead of their “boss.” These three are an odd bunch, and not just because they change shape and finish each other’s sentences. They have their own reasons for doing what they do, which are often hard to discern. Above all, though, they serve their master Oberon. They must follow his laws, even if they do bend them.
Each has a unique personality, yet they work together practically seamlessly. Their main collective power is in convincing mortals to “consent” to their interference. Once they obtain consent, they can control the human.
Their greatest “achievement” is making Demona and Macbeth immortal by tying the pair’s lives together. This caused good and evil. MacBeth has been unable to rest for almost 1000 years. Demona has caused 1000 years of havoc. But Demona also introduced Xanatos to the Grimorum, leading to the breaking of the Magus’s spell, and thus the ENTIRE SHOW.
9
The Arch Mage
Stats:
Brute Strength = 1 / 5
Wealth / Resources = 2 / 5 (??)
Tech / Weapons = 1 / 5
Magic = 5 / 5 (he literally ate the Grimorum)
Cunning = 2 / 5 (hey, he can explain time travel.)
Evil = 3 / 5 (he’s mostly self-serving)
Threat Level = 3 / 5
Insanity = 4 / 5 (can you blame him?)
He isn’t in many episodes, but he’s big news when he shows up. He was responsible for such notable events as Hudson losing an eye; bandits attacking the princess for the Phoenix Gate, giving Xanatos and Fox a chance to help; attacking Avalon; and manipulating the Weird Sisters into killing Magus.
There are some rather odd things about his character arc, though. In the Avalon eps, he goes from n00b!Archie to Uber!Archie in what boils down to a few minutes. See, he saves himself, acquires the Grimorum Arcanorum, Phoenix Gate, and Eye of Odin, and implements his take-over plan in less than a day. Greg said the whole plan and opportunity came from the Time Stream itself (although Wes has a theory that the idea came from Puck, which I like much better). It was all confusing. Go watch the eps.
Overall, he’s not a unique villain, and his plans are overly complicated and under powered. After all, he only took along Demona and MacBeth to take over Avalon. The Sisters helped, but…what was his plan for when Oberon eventually returned?
8
The Pack
Stats (group):
Brute Strength = 5 / 5
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (wealthy backers)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (cyborgs and robots!)
Magic = 1/ 5 (Wolf’s ax doesn’t count)
Cunning = 3/ 5 (Fox is a 5, but Wolf’s zero drags the average down)
Evil = 5 / 5 (honestly this is mostly Hyena and Jackal, heavy on the Jackal.)
Threat Level = 5 / 5
Insanity = 5 / 5 (Again, H&J skew the results)
The Paaaaack! You know you’re in for some great fights when they show up! They began as Xanatos’s private mercenary crew, doubling as action-TV stars. That is as sweet as it sounds.
Breakdown by character:
Fox: The leader. Maybe even Xanatos’s inspiration for the whole idea. We see one ep where she acts as a member of the Pack. From then on she’s acting for her boyfriend Xanatos, or she’s having fun on her own. She is every bit as ambitious, fierce, cunning, and skilled as her man. She’s the only character on this list to hold TWO rankings. Keep reading.
Dingo: He is as sane as Fox, except he’s more “normal.” He’d be happy being your typical mercenary guarding a convoy or operating a guerrilla campaign. He calls out the madness of his crew members. He is excellent in combat and a good tactician. He knows how to think outside the box, too. Remember how he talked down Matrix? Deep down, he wants to be a hero.
Wolf: He is nowhere near as intelligent as his namesake. He loves combat. Period. His only tactic is muscling his way through. He’s a descendant of Hakon, the Viking who wiped out the Wyvern Clan. He gave up his humanity without a second thought, choosing to become a human / wolf mutant when Xanatos offered him the chance — and choice.
Hyena: A psychopath like her brother, Jackal, she would happily torture her prey to death. She also shows a creepy attraction to robots. Like her bro, she had no problem chopping off most of her body parts and replacing them wwith mechanical ones.
Jackal: Even more psychopathic than his sister, he once became the avatar for Anubis, the God of Death, and tried to wipe out all life on earth for the fun of it. He generally uses more subterfuge and strategy than his hot-headed sister. He too traded his body for a machine.
Coyote: I don’t really consider him a true Pack member, since he is not in the original gang, and he is mainly around to make sure the Pack follows Xanatos’s orders. In his original form, he was Xanatos’s doppelganger. Xanatos programmed Coyote with his own voice and a sense of humor. Being a wise man, Xanatos did not make Coyote super smart. He also programmed him for revenge, a built-in flaw. My fave part of Coyote is his upgraded design every time we see him.
7
Dr Anton Sevarius
Stats:
Brute Strength = 1 / 5
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (wealthy backers)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (wealthy backers)
Magic = 1/ 5 (science!)
Cunning = 2.5/ 5 (…he made a virus that could wipe out humanity. And he’s human)
Evil = 5 / 5 (amorality would be a better description.)
Threat Level = 5 / 5 (the virus)
Insanity = 4 / 5 (he thinks mutating people is a good idea)
Tim Freaking Curry! Need I say more?
Sevarius is your typical mad scientist. His main interest is how far he can push the bounds of science. Morals and ethics never come into play. He works for the highest bidder, which for most of the series is Xanatos. Turns out this is a good thing. If anyone else got their hands on Sevarius, well, we could end up with a world-ending plague and a pack of cloned gargoyles. Xanatos can barely tolerate him and considers him a ham and a bother, but appreciates the “endless possibilities” Anton’s genius offers.
Sevarius has some epic snide lines. He plays numerous “characters.” Generally he is Tim Curry.
He handles crises fairly well but doesn’t have any fighting ability. As for cunning, well…he’s intelligent but not quick-witted beyond what he’s coached to be. He usually overplays his hand.
You really can’t dislike this Dr Frankenstein.
6
MacBeth
Stats:
Brute Strength = 2.5 / 5
Wealth / Resources = 4 / 5 (it’s unclear how much he has, but he’s got at least two castles, not to mention jets)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (jets, electro guns)
Magic = 3 / 5 (Will O the Wisp with USB hook up!)
Cunning = 3 / 5 (he did capture the gargs…)
Evil = 1 / 5 (he’s an antagonist, not a villain)
Threat Level = 2 / 5 (he’ll do what he has to, but he is honorable)
Insanity = 3 / 5 (1000 years of existence have made him pretty darn suicidal)
As an ancient Scottish king who put his people before himself, he follows a high moral code. That doesn’t mean he won’t trick you or just plain kick your butt. He has vast resources and wealth, as well as top-notch tech. His fighting skills are incredible, even giving Goliath a challenge!
His schemes are aimed at either acquiring magical items or killing Demona. Now, offing D will bring his own death, but after 1000 years, he’s done with this life. He has a lot to avenge, too. Demona betrayed him and his people big time.
The gargoyles are not his true targets. They are either a means to an end, or they are an obstacle that planted itself in his path.
5
Lord Oberon (and Titania)
Stats:
Brute Strength = um… / 5 (he can become as big as a sky scraper, ok?)
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (he’s pretty much a god)
Tech / Weapons = 1 / 5 (doesn’t need it)
Magic = um… / 5 (pretty much magic incarnate)
Cunning = 2/ 5 (Titania is the brains behind the brawn)
Evil = 1 / 5 (see above. He just wants his Children to do what he says and to have his island back)
Threat Level = 1-5 / 5 (he can kill you with a word. But he doesn’t want to.)
Insanity = 2 / 5 (by human standards, but he’s a god, so…)
We hear Oberon and Titania alluded to throughout the series. When they finally show up in Ill Met by Moonlight, they do NOT disappoint. Oberon wants his island back, which is totally reasonable. Titania pretends to be on his side, and then pretends to be a referee in the ensuing contest between Oberon and the gargs, but it turns out she is a master manipulator who plays all parties like a mouth harp. Ditto for The Gathering. Without Titania pulling the strings, Oberon would not be very involved with the gargoyles. He is a god of simple wants.
Titania also has simple wants. However, she loves to use very clever means to achieve them. When dealing with her, expect “your” ideas to really have come from her.
While she and Oberon seem to be antagonists, she is only doing so to bring harmony. So why the ranking of 5? Because although Oberon is only in 3 eps and Titania is in 4 (sort of), they change the course of the series majorly.
4
Puck
Stats:
Brute Strength = ? / 5 (he uses magic)
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (friends in high places)
Tech / Weapons = 1 / 5 (doesn’t need it)
Magic = um… / 5 (pretty much magic incarnate)
Cunning = um… / 5 (he’s court jester to Oberon, and basically the god of tricksters)
Evil = 1 / 5 (I’d call it mischievous)
Threat Level = 1-5 / 5 (he can turn an entire city into another species)
Insanity = 2 / 5 (he’s MISCHIEVOUS)
The god of tricksters has Brent Spiner as a voice actor. You know, the guy who played Data on Star Trek? Ironic.
Anyway, Puck is all about having an interesting and entertaining time here in the mortal realm. He is digging his time off Avalon. When he discovered Titania had hooked up with a human, Renard, he checked out the situation. After seeing Renard’s right hand man, Preston Vogel, the trickster decided to turn straight man for even MORE fun. While Puck found Fox, Titania’s daughter, entertaining, he really liked her boyfriend, David Xanatos. Puck liked the fellow trickster so much he offered him a choice: one wish from the Puck, or a lifetime of service from Owen. More on that later.
Despite being a trickster extraordinaire, he is a very loyal friend. He keeps his word, even at great cost to himself. His friendship is to be prized over all the riches of the world.
He is the guardian and tutor of Xanatos’s son, Alex. A high position indeed! Xanatos trusts him implicitly. Other than Fox, nobody else is that high in Xanatos’s confidence.
His schemes and shenanigans come not from evil but from necessity. He has to find creative ways around Oberon’s laws, after all. We don’t even see him that much in the show. When we do, though, he plays a huge role.
He has amazing lines and is just great fun.
3
Demona
Stats:
Brute Strength = 4 / 5
Wealth / Resources = ? / 5 (hard to say, but they are way up there)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (mostly just a laser gun, but sometimes a species-ending virus, so…)
Magic = 3 / 5 (she has to use written spells)
Cunning = 4-5 / 5 (she’s tricked Xanatos, but she never seems to learn from her mistakes)
Evil = 5 / 5 (genocidal maniac)
Threat Level = 5 / 5 (she blasts the arms off stone humans)
Insanity = 5 / 5
If this Top 10 was about sheer villainy, Demona would take #1. But it’s not. While I appreciate Demona’s threat level, she is not my favorite antagonist. I was going to say she is unchanging as a character, showing no growth, but that’s not true. Despite everything she’s been through that should have beaten moral lessons into her thick, 1000-year-old skull, she actually gets worse. By the end of the TV series, she is releasing a virus that will wipe out every human on earth. That’s even worse than when she turned almost every human in NYC to stone. She is single-minded regarding revenge, making her schemes pretty one dimensional compared to antagonists like Xanatos, whose motivation runs the gamut from profit to simple entertainment.
Demona is a very important character. She acts as a test and a foil to the protagonists. She executes life-changing schemes. She is even a main reason for the entire series, since she teamed up with Xanatos to awaken the clan.
While I can understand a bit of her need for vengeance, the fact that she’s held onto it for so long and had so little growth in the area of self -understanding makes her hard to identify with. I also argue that she is irredeemable after City of Stone. You don’t come back from shooting innocents in cold blood — and enjoying it. She’s had chances to turn around or at least back down, but noooo.
She is bad to the bone.
2
Thailog
Stats:
Brute Strength = 5 / 5
Wealth / Resources = 3-? / 5 (a lot)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (pretty much he gets what he needs)
Magic = 1 / 5 (pick-pocketing)
Cunning = 5 / 5 (he outsmarted Xanatos)
Evil = 5 / 5 (Xanatos’s intellect and Sevarius’s lack of morals)
Threat Level = 5 / 5 (he was going to murder Sevarius, Xanatos, Elisa, AND Goliath in one go)
Insanity = 5 / 5 (gotta be nuts to be this evil)
We sadly don’t have that many eps with Thailog, but when we do, we know there is going to be some hard work ahead for our protags. Thailog is a fantastic villain. A clone of the hero, so he has all the strength of Goliath; trained by Xanatos, arguably the cleverest antagonist in this show and most other series; and instilled with the amorality of a mad scientist who thinks mutating people into half animals is a fun science project. Thailog can out-think and outfight pretty much anyone. (Though to be fair to Xanatos, he only tangled with Thailog once, and at that time Thailog used the supreme advantage of surprise.)
Thailog’s MO is betrayal. He’s turned on everyone he’s ever allied with: Sevarius, Xanatos, Demona… He is on one side only: his own. He’ll take down anyone and anything if they get in his way — and he’ll do it with the cunning of Xanatos, the strength of Goliath, and the heartlessness of Sevarius.
While he is a super villain-y villain, he’s almost too villainish. I don’t find him sympathetic at all. He’s only interesting as a character because of the ruthlessness and cunning he uses in his schemes. He certainly isn’t intriguing for character growth, since he doesn’t have any.
He becomes more influential in the comics. I began to like him more in the them. In the TV series, I almost dreaded seeing him, cuz I knew some very dirty business was about to go down, and somebody is going to get hurt.
1
House Xanatos
David Xanatos
Stats:
Brute Strength = 2.5 / 5 human, 5 / 5 with armor
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (world’s richest man)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (his company INVENTS it!)
Magic = 1 / 5 (planting trackers)
Cunning = 5 / 5
Evil = 2 / 5 (it’s more pushing boundaries. He gets the 2 cuz of the Mutates)
Threat Level = 1-2 / 5 (he doesn’t want to KILL the gargoyles, just “play” with them)
Insanity = 2 / 5 (he’s a Magnificent Bastard archetype. Gotta be a little unorthodox)
Behold, my favorite character in all of fiction and real life! The Magnificent Bastard; the king of tricksters; the man Greg named after Thanatos, god of death, and modeled after Odysseus; the only person to play the Time Stream like a rigged slot machine and score more $ than Scrooge McDuck; the richest man in the world; the owner of the world’s tallest building, which has a CASTLE ON TOP; the awakener of the gargoyles; the husband to Fox, Princess of Avalon; the son-in-law of Titania Queen of the Fey, and Lord Oberon; father of Alexander Fox Xanatos, Prince of Avalon; the savior of the gargoyles; one of the only humans brave enough to fight Oberon; the owner of a private mercenary team, media studio, and more technology than you can dream of; the man who pits super-humans against gargoyles for family game night; the warrior who can stand up to Goliath; the antagonist who has three tropes on TV Tropes; the father, husband, and friend who would sacrifice himself for his loved ones; the opponent who can find victory in every situation, because he controls said situations; the all around indomitable spirit — David Xanatos!
Xanatos is unlike practically any other antagonist. He considers revenge a sucker’s game, yet still finds his own version of justice. He has the power to capture, torture, and kill his opponents the gargoyles, yet keeps them around largely for his own entertainment and because he doesn’t want to waste resources. He is exceedingly skilled at generating wealth, yet will happily spend it on a worthy — read: entertaining — cause. He glories in victory, yet will give credit and respect where it is due. He will lie, cheat, steal, and generally be a cunning devil, yet follows his own moral code. He denies feeling love as other people do, yet will put his life on the line for his friends without a second thought.
I can argue that Xanatos plays the most important role in the show (second only to Puck, if Wes’s theory about Puck putting ideas into the time stream is on point). Without him, the gargoyles “would still be gathering moss,” as he reminded Goliath while the gargoyle dangled him by the collar thousands of feet in the air over the side of his own sky scraper. In Hunter’s Moon, he saves them from a very sticky end and provides sanctuary. He puts many a life-altering scheme into effect, too.
Xanatos has a unique relationship with is opponents the protagonists. I think he considers them less as enemies and more as play mates or sparring partners. He has pretty much conquered the world, meaning he’s bored. The gargoyles are great entertainment! He enjoys a nice challenge, which they provide. Even when he has the chance, he doesn’t go for the kill. No, that would be a waste of resources…and of fun. Goliath fascinates him deeply, and may even be a sort of “hero” to him. After all, the Steel Clan and his exo armor look like the Big Guy. At any rate, Xanatos certainly admires Goliath. He probably even considers the gargoyle a friend of sorts, since he can always rely on Goliath to help out if the need arises.
We can’t talk about Xanatos without discussing his plans. This is where he really shines as a unique antagonist. Usually antags and villains fit into niches. Example: Joker causes chaos for his own entertainment, Lex Luthor tries to take over the world or make $, Demona wants vengeance. Xanatos’s motives, however, vary from day to day. He usually has more than one motive for his actions, which helps him secure victory in one shape or form most of the time. That’s what the Xanatos Tag Endings explain. Here’s an example appropriately from my favorite episode The Edge: After Owen beats him in sparring, Xanatos begins to wonder if he’s “gone soft” while locked up. The desire to prove himself to himself kicks off his plan. He gives the Eye of Odin to a museum, which gets him a tax break and good publicity. Then he armors up, looking like Goliath, and reclaims the Eye. This frames the gargoyles, meaning they will come and face him. When they do, he offers them the grand opportunity of becoming his guests at one of his facilities. Goliath of course turns down this magnanimous offer. Xanatos and the Steel Clan take off after the gargs and a fight ensues. Xanatos holds his own, then heads back home. In 20 minutes we have a plan that encompasses many motives: to prove himself, to face Goliath and win back a bit of his own, to test his armor, to get financial and PR reward, to retake the Eye, to rile the gargoyles, and to possibly even win control of them if they took his offer.
Xanatos and Fox are the characters in the series who show the most growth, in my view. Both learn from their defeats. Xanatos learns not to underestimate his foes. He proves to himself despite his protests that he does indeed love, and deeply. He even shows a heroic side. Xanatos and Fox are also able to put aside old animosities and start anew with the gargoyles.
He and Fox date, marry, and even have a son together. That’s not what you usually see in “kids'” animated series. Indeed, they have the healthiest relationship in the series. They are loyal, care about each other, work as a team, “play” together, show affection, and generally enjoy one another’s company.
And I haven’t even gotten into how good a dad he is. From the get-go, he was willing to sacrifice his life for his son. Greg said that Xanatos would do all he could to be the best dad and make sure Alex knew he was loved. Xanatos truly enjoys being with his boy. I’d love to see an episode where David teaches him some of the ropes of being a true Xanatos — the family business, you know.
I’ve seen a lot of antagonists, and none can outclass David Xanatos.
Fox
Stats:
Brute Strength = 2 / 5 human
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (married to the world’s richest man, mom is Queen of the Fey, dad owns a huge company, she is a TV star)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (see above)
Magic = 1-5 / 5 (depending on the situation)
Cunning = 5 / 5 (every bit the match of her husband)
Evil = 1.5-2 / 5 (it’s more about doing things it in an interesting way.)
Threat Level = 1-3 / 5 (she’ll take you down permanently if she needs to)
Insanity = 2.5 / 5 (Gotta be a little out there to think up her plans and match David Xanatos)
It’s no coincidence that Fox is in my the top three favorite female characters of all time (others being Maleficent and Integra Hellsing). I don’t usually like females in fiction, because the writers either make them damsels in distress, or they overcompensate on the feminism side. Either way, 90-some % of female characters annoy me. Not, Fox, though. While she is very much a female version of Xanatos, she’s not “gender swapped.” She uses all Xanatos’s cunning, yet adds her feminine wiles and her own slant on what she considers a good time.
While she is the match and even, in some things, the better of her husband, she doesn’t make a huge issue of it. She is confident and lets her abilities speak for themselves. Whenever she is in an episode, you know she will make life complicated. Whether it’s because she is a werefox, or because she’s plotting to take over her dad’s company, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
She is highly skilled in combat, able to hold her own against humans AND gargoyles. Her ability to manipulate others is also legendary. As for tactical and strategic prowess, she won a chess match against David Xanatos. Using gargoyles and the Pack as pieces without their knowledge, I might add. She’s skilled in technical fields as well. Want her to write an operating system for nanobots? She’s got you covered.
Like Xanatos’s schemes, her plans also include multiple motives. Take Outfoxed, for example. She pays off Vogel to release a virus in Cyberbiotcs’s robots. This will crash Fortress II into the Cyberbiotics Tower. The loss will cripple the company, allowing her to take over. This didn’t work, but now she had the perfect excuse to sneak onto Fortress II, tell her dad she was behind it all, and reveal the secret that Renard was about to be a grandfather. This was grand entertainment for her!
She’s not one to take the easy way to an end. She’s even more devoted to the interesting, if circuitous route, than is Xanatos. Even though Renard would GIVE her Cyberbiotics if she asked, she’d rather take it in her own “fun” way. I rather wonder if the scheme to get the discs in Awakening wasn’t her idea. I can think of at least five ways to get the info that are simpler and more efficient than having gargoyles steal them. Gotta admire a person who would rather fight for what they get than have it handed to them on a silver platter.
While I love Fox and David in their own rights, the best scenes are when they are together. They are a perfect match. You can have your standard Disney princes and princess. I’ll take the King and Queen of House Xanatos.
Owen Burnett
Stats:
Brute Strength = 2.5 / 5 human
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (BFF is world’s richest man)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (see above)
Magic = 2 / 5 (he can interpret Latin)
Cunning = 4 / 5 (he can easily keep up with is boss)
Evil = 1.5 / 5 (it’s more being pragmatic. Example: the gargoyles are a problem, so sledge hammer them in the day.)
Threat Level = 3 / 5 (see above)
Insanity = 2 / 5 (he works for Xanatos)
Owen Burnett, Chief of Security at Xanatos Enterprises, right hand man and best friend of David Xanatos. While at first glance Owen might appear to be a nerd and a yes-man, he is anything but. He confronts Xanatos about plans and even beats him in sparring. For his part, Xanatos encourages this. If Owen ever became a yes-man and let Xanatos off easy, Xanatos would fire him.
While Xanatos and Owen rib each other from time to time, which makes for great viewing, Xanatos respects Owen. Xanatos risked his life without hesitation to save Owen in City of Stone. In fact, he valued Owen so much he chose a lifetime of service from Owen over a wish from Puck.
Owen is fiercely loyal, even plunging his left arm into a vat of magical brew for his boss. Of his own accord, I might add. He acts in Xanatos’s interests at all times.
Owen is an accomplished fighter. He can wield firearms, and is comfortable with long gun or hand gun. He’s also an excellent martial artist. He’ll throw a gargoyle or kick his boss in the chest with equal ease. Bravery is second nature, as evidenced by his actions in Eye of the Beholder (jumping on a werefox) and Deadly Force (disarming mobsters).
Now, you may ask why I am not making a big to-do about him being Puck. Well, I consider Owen his own person, even if he is Pucks’ alter ego. They’re a team.
Alexander Fox Xanatos
Stats:
Brute Strength = 0.1 / 5 (he’s a baby)
Wealth / Resources = 5 / 5 (with is pedigree? You bet!)
Tech / Weapons = 5 / 5 (see above)
Magic = 5 / 5 (Needs development, but already he can transfer souls)
Cunning = ? / 5 (probably 5 by the time he’s grown)
Evil = 0 / 5 (unless you consider extreme cuteness evil)
Threat Level = 1 / 5 (soul transfer, and you could probably trip on his toys)
Insanity = ? / 5 (who knows with babies? He’ll probably be equal to his parents later)
Alexander Fox Xanatos, son of David Xanatos and Fox; grandson of Titania, Queen of the Fey, and Halcyon Renard, owner of Cyberbiotics; step-grandson of Lord Oberon; heir to Cyberbiotics and Xanatos Enterprises; student and ward of Puck.
Alex’s birth set in motion events that would bring peace between the feuding clans of Xanatos and Wyvern. He is 1/4 fey, and that blood being from the Queen of the Fey herself. He’s being tutored and protected by one of the preeminent of the Children of Oberon, Puck, who is so loyal to House Xanatos that he gave up his chance of returning to Avalon and is now bound by Oberon to train and protect Alex.
Per the comic, Alex matures at an accelerated rate thanks to his fey heritage. He is also capable of working magic, even complicated magic like soul transfers.
If Pucks prophecy/dream is accurate, then Alexander will live up to the standards we’ve come to expect from House Xanatos. Greg said the Alex would one day become head of the world federation of governments, so basically he’ll rule the world. He would also combine Xanatos Enterprises with Lexington’s company. Not bad, I gotta say.
Honorable Mentions
Coldstone
While he is a threat, I see him more as a victim/pawn. Yes, Iago is a pain in everyone’s neck, but since he’s locked in with two good gargs, he doesn’t get a chance to act out much. Whenever Coldstone is a villain, it’s a sure bet he’s being used by somebody else.
Tony Dracon
Dracon… He had promise, but instead of growing as a villain, he got dumber and more annoying with each episode. The last ep we see him in, Turf, is one of the worst in the series. He tries to act like a real mafia don, but he ends up being a two-bit slinger on the corner instead of an OG. I wish Rupert Thorn would jump from the Batman-verse and learn Dracon a lesson in real gangstering.
Nokkar
I hate it when writers get deep into a story that’s of one genre and then decide to ram parts of another genre in for the heck of it. Nokkar is an alien, which opens an entire barrel of worms. Do not add classic sci-fi aliens to my urban fantasy! No! Anyway, he is a pretty powerful enemy.
Banshee
Fey make for great antagonists cuz they are powerful and unpredictable. This ep, the Hound of Ulster, was a soft pilot for a spin-off that never spun. Banshee has a number of dangerous powers: shrieking that can pretty much kill you, shape shifting, and looking creepy.
The Hunters
I really wish there had been more foreshadowing of the Hunters, since they are the season’s AND series’s final baddies. Honestly, they don’t even have a reason to be mad at Demona. Their family WON! While they are dangerous, they’re also young and hotheaded, meaning they make a lot of mistakes. Also their costumes could use some work.
I know Blondie Boy went on to head up the Freemasons — er, I mean the Quarrymen, but that was just an Illuminati tool. Like him.
Hakon
Hakon and his men destroyed most of the Wyvern clan, kicking off the whole series. He has no fear and will happily take on Goliath. Clancy Brown is his voice actor, making him even more intimidating.
So who is your favorite villain / antagonist? Who are in your top 10?