The sci-fi genre has assembled a remarkable rogues gallery over the decades and from across all those years evil, Paste Magazine has put together a list of the Top 11 Villainous Species in All of Science Fiction.
These species represent the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low, the baddest of the bad: Alien races who want to enslave, destroy and/or eat the planet, the galaxy or just whoever they can get their hands on. Leading off the list are the Daleks, the Doctor’s most famous enemy, one of which was recently discovered, in part at least, in an English pond. Cylons both old and new feature on the list, ranking high for wiping out the 12 Colonies not just once, but twice. I’m particularly pleased to see the Goa’uld almost make the list, their hilarious incompetence as galaxy-conquerors outweighed by their even funnier scenery-chewing in Stargate SG-1.
Some of the species on the list are more firmly-entrenched in pop culture consciousness than others but all should be at least recognizable to the average sci-fi fan. I’m a bit disappointed by a few oversights; the sci-fi nerd in me laments the absence of the Moties and why the Colossi are included but the Xenomorphs aren’t is a complete mystery. Still, that’s the beauty of these lists. They give us something to argue about. So check it out for yourself and tell us where they went wrong!
