5 Star Trek Movies Villain of All Time: Who Are Most Famous Villains in Sci-Fi History?

By Aarush Sharma On Jun 8, 2022

5 Star Trek Movies Villain of All Time: Star Trek features more “misunderstood opponents” than straightforward villains as a franchise. Frequently, the Federation experiences miscommunications with other extraterrestrial species.

However, in the far future, there will be some pure villainy. This saga also gave us some of the most infamous villains in sci-fi history. These Star Trek villains come from all eras of the franchise, including The Original Series, The Next Generation, Voyager, Discovery, and everything in between.

They appear on both large and small displays. The malicious delight they provided to fans is something they all have in common. Here are 5 of the best (or, more accurately, the worst) Star Trek villains of all time, ranked.

1. Gul Dukat (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 1993-1999)

Gul Dukat, a Cardassian war criminal, was the most complex, layered, and outright wicked villain in Star Trek.

He commanded the colonization and subjugation of the planet Bajor as the commandant of Terok Nor, the space station that would later be known as Deep Space Nine. During his reign, millions of Bajorans died in work camps and endured unspeakable pain.

When he lost the planet, he grew enraged and determined to reclaim his old position as the world’s ruthless administrator.

Despite experienced actor Marc Alaimo’s portrayal of Dukat being dripping with vanity and wickedness, he added depth to the character. His real concern for his half-Bajoran daughter was one of those levels.

But, no matter how much we sympathized with him on occasion, DS9 never forgot that he was a nasty guy. No Trek nemesis was ever given more to work with, or delivered it all so brilliantly, as a recurring villain over the seven-season run of DS9.

2. Khan Noonien Singh (Star Trek 1967, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982)

In the 1967 episode “Space Seed,” Ricardo Montalban portrays Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically produced despot from the twentieth century.

Despite a strong performance, if it hadn’t been for that one episode, he wouldn’t be on this list of Star Trek villains, much less ranked so high. No, it was his reappearance 15 years later in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a vengeful madman that cemented his place among the all-time greats.

Star Trek had an unequaled combination of believable motives, top-notch acting, and forever remembered phrases (“Vengeance is a dish best served cold”). He’s the best big-screen Trek villain of all time thanks to this combination.

The rest of the movie series pales in contrast. Particularly the other Khan, Benedict Cumberbatch, who played the character in Star Trek Into Darkness (in name only). He does not appear in our list of Star Trek villains.

3. General Chang (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 1991)

In the original crew’s final outing together, The Undiscovered Country, Christopher Plummer played the second-best cinematic villain in the Star Trek franchise.

When the Klingons and the Federation are forced to make peace following a tragedy on the Klingon homeworld, not everyone in the Empire wants to make friends with their long-time foes.

Chang, a Klingon general who loved to quote Shakespeare and disguised his hatred behind a sardonic smile, was at the front of the line.

An elderly warhorse who wasn’t ready for a peaceful future, he was even willing to collaborate with his adversaries to ensure that no real peace could be achieved.

He may have only appeared in one picture, but it was an unforgettable one. Not to mention, we adore a villain with a fantastic sash.

4. Kai Winn Adami (Deep Space Nine, 1993-1999)

Religious zealots, as we have seen in the real world, are terrifying. What will happen if they obtain political power? They’re even more terrifying.

Kai Winn, played by Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher, is one of these characters. Season one of Deep Space Nine introduced us to her as a Bajoran Vedek (priest). She first appears as a religious fanatic intent on dividing the Federation and the Bajorans.

But Winn’s objectives were insufficient. She quickly ascended to the position of preeminent religious authority in her world. Winn said it all with a condescending smirk that makes you want to despise her.

As the series went on, we discovered that her seeming faith is nothing more than a façade for her quest for power and control. Despite the fact that the authors gave her layers, she was one of Star Trek’s most brutal antagonists.

5. Kruge (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, 1984)

The Klingons were a lot of bluster and posturing in the original Star Trek TV series.

They rarely, however, do something that is very awful. In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Christopher Lloyd, who played Doc Brown, established the ultimate pattern for Klingon’s badassery.

Kruge, a Klingon Bird of Prey commander, was obsessed with learning the secrets of the newly-created Genesis planet for his own gain and the Klingon Empire’s glory.

We watched Kruge ruthlessly kill his lover Valkris for seeing sensitive information, as well as one of his own officers for making a mistake on the bridge, in just this one film.

Not only were they murdered, but they were completely vaporized. To prove a point to his enemy, he also destroyed a Federation starship and had one of his own officers murder Captain Kirk’s son.

With this portrayal, Christopher Lloyd set the tone for what Klingons would be in the franchise going ahead. That’s why this Star Trek villain is so high on our list of ranking villains.