{
  "id": 16346027,
  "title": "Stephen King's 10 Best Villains of All Time, Ranked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/stephen-kings-10-best-villains-of-all-time-ranked",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-24T16:01:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Polygon",
    "slug": "polygon",
    "url": "https://www.polygon.com/stephen-kings-best-villains-of-all-time-ranked/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Stephen King is renowned for creating unforgettable villains in his novels, novellas, and short stories. One of his strengths is making these antagonists sympathetic, even as they commit vile acts. In his 2009 interview with Writer's Digest, King explained, \"Even bad guys (most of them anyway) see themselves as good — they are the heroes of their own lives.\" This perspective allows him to create complex characters that readers can empathize with, even when they are villains.\n\nFor Halloween, here is a ranking of King's top 10 villains of all time:\n\n1. Kurt Barlow (Salem's Lot): A vampire posing as an antique buyer, Barlow is distant and chilling, appearing sparingly but having a profound impact on the town of Jerusalem's Lot.\n2. Henry Bowers (The Stand): A racist and sadistic bully in the Losers Club, Henry's actions escalate as he becomes more obsessed with Pennywise.\n3. Mrs. Carmody (Midnight Mass): A religious zealot who takes advantage of a supernatural event to manipulate and terrorize a community.\n4. William \"Wild Bill\" Wharton (The Green Mile): An evil and sadistic killer who becomes the focal point of the story and a stark contrast to the protagonist's moral character.\n5. Chris Hargensen (Carrie): Carrie's high school bully, Chris is intelligent, wealthy, and popular, and uses her position to torment her classmates.\n6. Margaret White (Carrie): Carrie's mother, Margaret is a deeply religious fanatic who believes she sees the devil in her daughter's supernatural abilities and ultimately drives her to her breaking point.\n7. Jack Torrance (The Shining): Based on King's own struggles with alcoholism and fatherhood, Jack is a violent and terrifying figure who terrorizes his family in the Overlook Hotel.\n8. Randall Flagg (The Stand): A charismatic and manipulative figure who appears in multiple King novels, Flagg is the ultimate villain, drawing in others to carry out his sinister plans.",
  "summary": "Stephen King has been creating scary villains since the '70s. Here's a list of our favorites, ranked.",
  "key_points": [
    "Kurt Barlow, vampire antagonist in Salem's Lot, is distant and chilling.",
    "Henry Bowers, racist bully in The Stand, escalates cruelty as obsession grows.",
    "Mrs. Carmody, religious zealot in Midnight Mass, manipulates community with supernatural event."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}