24 Once Upon a Time villains ranked worst to best

The Evil Queen

The best outfits definitely go to The Evil Queen. Regina in her evil queen era is what the show is built on and I was so here for it. Her "Sorry I'm late" line? Chills every time. Immediately we saw how she was a threat. Regina Mills is interesting, but the Evil Queen was sometimes unhinged in a most deliciously evil way. Her quips, sinister smiles, and delivery were key to the success of this villain. Of course we don't condone her actions, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy all the regal drama that comes with this character!

Rumpelstiltskin/The Dark One

The creepy giggle, the crocodile skin, and the overall ruthlessness of Rumple definitely has him ranking high in our list! And really in the OUAT version, he's actually like three characters from fairytale lore - Rumplestiltskin, the Beast, and the crocodile in Peter Pan - all mashed up into one. And it worked so well! The Dark One is a character I have mixed feelings about, not thinking his redemption arc was written in the best way. It may have honestly been better if he stayed evil even though that's not great for Rumbelle. But Rumple is the catalyst to the whole Dark Curse and Emma having to be sent through the wardrobe. If there's one guy who's a top villain, it's this one.

Peter Pan

It may come as a surprise to some of you fellow Oncers that the Evil Queen or Rumple aren't No. 1 on this list. But I don't know you guys. There's just something about Pan that still stands out and makes him the best villain on Once Upon a Time in my opinion! Spinning this tale on its head, was genius. I really think it comes down to Robbie Kay's acting. He could seem so sincere at times, and so ruthless at others. Pan/Malcolm, aka Rumples' dad (like what!?), was selfish and didn't care about anyone else, including his son. And because he had the Truest Believer, Henry, the stakes were very high for our heroes. We'll also give his helpers Felix, Greg, and Tamara a shout out because they were some characters that we love to hate and executed their roles well. For a boy who never grows up, Peter Pan's level of evil certainly knew no bounds.

All seven seasons of Once Upon a Time are streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.