Animated shows usually focus on heroes while villains get pushed to the side. They show up to cause trouble and then vanish once the story wraps. But some of these villains are too interesting to stay in the background. They have real personalities, clear goals, and enough chaos to fuel their own series. They are not just plot devices. They are characters with stories that deserve more attention.
A good spin-off can give them the chance to be something more. It can dive into their past. It can explore what they want when no one else is watching. It can show how they handle a world that does not always go their way. Some might stay bad. Others might surprise people. Either way, the focus would finally shift to the side of the story we rarely get to see.
This isn’t about turning villains into heroes — it’s about showing them without filters. Some animated villains have waited long enough. They have earned a series where they call the shots. Here are five animated TV villains who are more than ready to take the lead.
5 Best animated TV Show villains who deserve their own spin-off series
1. Mystique – Wolverine and the X-Men

Mystique has always been unpredictable. She switches faces and plays both sides. In Wolverine and the X-Men, she shows how dangerous that can be.
She leads the Brotherhood of Mutants and manipulates others without hesitation. But her story has more depth than just betrayal. She has ties to Rogue. She worked for the government. She carries the weight of survival in a world that sees her as a threat.
A spin-off would let her operate in the shadows. It could follow her on secret missions. It could explore how she shifts loyalties depending on the situation. This is not about redemption. It is about understanding someone who survives by hiding. Mystique does not need to be explained. She needs space to act. A solo show could turn her into a lead worth watching by showing the cost of every face she wears.
2. Team Rocket – Pokémon

Team Rocket often gets dismissed. They lose every time. They fly off into the sky. But there is a reason people remember them.
Jessie, James, and Meowth have stories behind the jokes. Jessie failed her way through Pokémon school. James escaped a rich and strict family. Meowth taught himself to speak and still got rejected. These are not just villains. These are people who try over and over again.
A spin-off could follow their early days. It could show other divisions in Team Rocket. It could track how they got stuck on the bottom rung. The show could feature battles that actually mean something, where every loss stings and every win matters. With the right focus, the comedy would stay. But there would also be more at stake. These three are not strong. They are determined. And that is always worth following.
3. Plankton – SpongeBob SquarePants

Plankton never gives up. He runs a failing restaurant. He builds machines that never work. He keeps chasing the Krabby Patty formula.
He is not just a joke. He built Karen. He went to college with Mr. Krabs. He once ran a company that almost worked. He has big ideas and zero success. But he keeps showing up — and that persistence says more than any punchline ever could.
A spin-off could take the villain outside the Chum Bucket. It could show the other side of Bikini Bottom. It could explore his backstory. He might try again with old tech. He might face someone even worse. He might actually win for once. There is comedy in watching him fail. But there is more to see if the show lets him keep going. Plankton is not just funny. He is obsessed. And obsession always leads somewhere new.
4. Princess Morbucks – The Powerpuff Girls

Princess Morbucks has money and power. She wants to be a Powerpuff Girl. But she never earns it.
She throws tantrums. She builds gadgets. She tries to buy what others are born with. That makes her dangerous and sad at the same time. She wants to be accepted. She does not know how. That tension has never been explored fully.
A spin-off could change that. It could follow her as she tries to be a hero. She could start her own group. She could clash with other villains. She might even do some good by accident. The story could show her learning what being a hero means. Not through speeches. Through failure. Through trial. She has every tool and no idea how to use it. That is not just funny. That is worth watching.
5. Captain Hook – Peter Pan (Disney adaptations)

Captain Hook wants revenge. That is all people usually say. But there is more going on.
He lives in a world where time stops. He chases a boy who never grows old. He commands a crew that never really respects him. It is a cycle that never ends. And he plays along because he has no way out.
A spin-off could change that. It could look at his life before Neverland. It could show how he became a captain. It could reveal how the world turned him bitter. The show could stay funny. But it could also get serious. Hook is not just a joke.
He is a villain who has lost something. Maybe time. Maybe pride. Maybe everything. Give him a reason to fight besides chasing Peter. Give him real enemies. Give him a past worth escaping. Hook could be more than a punchline if the show gave him space to tell the truth.
These villains have always stood out, even from the sidelines. They bring depth, ambition, and conflict that rivals any hero's journey. A spin-off would not only give them the spotlight—they’ve already earned that—but also let viewers explore the grey areas that make stories truly compelling. It's time we heard their side.
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