A good villain can make or break a work. Whether they're a character you love to hate or so off their rockers they strike fear in viewers and protagonists alike. A recent poll by MyNavi Student listed the Top 10 most despicable villains to appear in an anime. The choices span recent and works and a few classics. In no particular order:

Colonel Muska (Castle in the Sky): The antagonist in Studio Ghibli's film organizes a murderous coup to reclaim the Laputan throne and restart the family's lineage Sheeta, whether she agrees to the plot or not. The English dub cast Mark Hamill, who is also known for his iconic rendition of another popular villain, Joker in Batman: The Animated Series .



Frieza (Dragon Ball Z): A galactic emperor who has no problem killing off enemies and subordinates alike. The alien and his kin have blown up planets simply as leverage to keep people in line.



Lepka (Conan, the Boy in the Future): Another wannabe dictator, Lepka (like Muska) wants to rule over the entire the world. He mobilizes his forces against Dr. Lao to learn the secrets of solar power for use with his weapons of destruction.



Gauna (Knights of Sidonia): A shape-shafiting, regenerating alien life-form that began killing and absorbing humans on Earth. The invasion caused the entire planet to split and ultimately destroyed it.



Marshall D. Teach (One Piece):Also known as Blackbeard, he defected from the Whitebeard pirates after murdering Thatch for a Devil Fruit. He's power-hungry and only recruits the most promising prisoners from Impel Down to join his crew. He holds a pruning process by ordering the prisoners to kill one another until only the best are left.



Kyubey (Puella Magi Madoka Magica):The incubator promises to grant wishes of pubescent girls and give them magical powers to defeat the witches feeding off of people. He just leaves out the whole part about it being a ruse to collect energy to power the universe and witches and magical girls aren't so different from another.



Dio Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure): Even before he gained his vampire powers, Dio immolated Jonathan Joestar's dog, stole a kiss from his girlfriend and poisoned his adoptive father. Again, this is before stealing a body and stitching a guy's head onto a dog just for kicks.



Gin (Detective Conan): The man responsible for Shinichi Kudo's current state, Gin works for the mysterious Black Organization. He's commonly tasked with assassinations and overseeing much of the mafia group's missions.



Commodore Andrew Falk (Legend of Galactic Heroes): Falk is institutionalized after shooting Chief Admiral Kubersly but is sprung out to be used in an assassination attempt against Yang Wen-li, one of the series' most beloved characters.



Black Ghost (Cyborg 009): The terrorist organization led by Skull, the group aims to start the next World War using advanced technology.



Which villain do you think is the most despicable of them all? Let us know in the forums!

[Via Otakomu]