Like candy there are different types of villains too many to write for a thread with the details for each type, I will start off with my favorite "The Gentleman Villain" it described as possessing the 3C's: cunning, charisma, and charm. These traits can make them efficient in getting close to their targets to commit their villainous acts. My second fav is the Wealthy Mastermind.

So share with everyone what is your favorite type of villain?

The type of villian who tells the hero what they're going to do/tell them their plan in which leads to their defeat.

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My favorite villain types are the comedic villain, which is self-explanatory; the evil scientist because of my personal love for them, especially when combined with the comedic type; and the sympathetic/redeemable villain done right, especially when combined with the other types.

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My favorite kind are the kind of villains are those that put a lot of emphasis on theatrics as they commit their wrongdoings (Joker, Discord, Loki, Voldemort), the manipulative mastermind who pull the strings in the background to get what they want (Palpatine, Cozy Glow, Shadow Weaver, Fire Lord Ozai), and the classic tragic villains (Darth Vader, Davy Jones, Severus Snape, Zuko, Catra).

my favourite is livewire and poison ivy

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My favourite type are those who know they're bad and they love every minute of it. Bonus points if they are pure evil with a capital E. That said, I don't mind those who believe they are in the right despite their many wrongdoings.

I also like villains that are a serious threat to our heroes. The type where shit gets serious the moment they show up.

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I also like those kinds of villains too.

My favourite one is the desperate villain like griffith (berserk )one who was a good guy but lost everything and the only way to reclaim what they had is to be the bad guy my second is the honourable warrior type like wamuu (jojo’s bizarre adventure )

I like the trickster. You can never predict them and the level of power they wield is always a mystery. Best examples I can think of are prereformation Discord, Bill Cipher, and The Joker.

Petty villains, and those who know that they do bad shit and love doing it.

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It really depends on the story. But they should be at least of equal intelligence to the hero or the leader of a hero group.

Villains with good backstories and make feel like you understand why they became villains in the first place.
Joker.
Poison Ivy.
Mr. Freeze.
Killer Croc.
Scarecrow.
Discord.
Nightmare Moon.
To name a few.

Gone are the days of the simple thugs who beat up duh gudy too-shoes just cuz dey was dere.
I like the classy villains and the trickster types. Therefore to use pony exaples, I liked Discord and The flim-flam bros. On the opposite end of the spectrum I had mixed to negative feelings about the Storm King.

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There's a type of villain I've never seen, but I'd love to...
It's a combination of many types of villains:
- Methodical: That plans very well every movement like chess.
- Warrior: Has combat abilities and isn't easy to defeat.
- Honorable: Possess a moral code - almost always - that respects, not being an asshole and accepting when someone's powerful or dignified.
- Fair: That has no immoral thoughts or actions and is capable of prosecuting objectively someone before making the final decision.
- Smart: Knows what makes other villains fail and doesn't want to repeat those same mistakes.
- Promise Keeper: If - in any moment makes a pact or alliance - he/she would always respect the terms of said alliance and not betraying anyone.

Villains who never submit. When the Legion of Doom was petrified, Tirek and Cozy Glow lost their will to fight, and my respect. But Chrysalis carried on in spite of her fate's inevitability.

It's why when I compare mlp characters to the warring factions of Warhammer 40k, I more often compare Chrysalis to the Imperium of Man than to the Tyranids.

I saw fit to immortalize my opinion of Chrysalis in this talentless video if anyone cares to watch it.

Other examples of this villain type include Frieza from Dragon Ball Z/Super, Medusa from Soul Eater, and Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood.

I am also fond of mindless forces of Destruction like Soul Calibur's Nightmare and Shin Godzilla, and I am equally fond of reluctant monsters who try to fit into this category because it is less painful than trying to be human, such as Gaara from Naruto and Lucy from Elfen Lied.

I like to see the pure evil, malevolent, threatening villains, who are fun to have around feeling so evil and compelling, and eventually dying. (MLP examples including Nightmare Moon (if you view her as separate from Luna, but even otherwise she still feels compelling, menacing, and has a cool design), Chrysalis, Sombra, and Tirek. Even the Storm King despite his goofiness and seeming less outwardly threatening than the redeemable Tempest. G1 Tirek for sure, definitely. Other examples include Bill Cipher, the Emperor from Final Fantasy II, even Malekith from Thor: The Dark World (despite him lacking personality), as well as the more popular Hela. Disney examples include the Evil Queen, Maleficent, Jafar, and Scar. Also almost ANY villain played by Christopher Lee.

Including Dark Forms (like Queen Metalia, Death Phantom, and Pharaoh 90 in Sailor Moon Crystal, the Shadow Queen in Paper Mario: TT-YD, etc.), and Sombra qualifies for both even though he seems more campy and pompous in his second appearance. More fun of course if said Dark Forms speak.

Dark Lords like Palpatine, Sauron, Voldemort, Ganondorf, Devimon, Myotismon, Lord Bagra (Digimon Fusion), Darkar (Winx Club), etc. qualify too.

Shadowy villains too like they start out in the shadows or you don't see their face (like Blofeld), etc., or otherwise mysterious villains (Sombra was this, and Thanos's servant The Other, though not a MAIN villain).

Sophisticated villains too like Cell, Treize Khushrenada, or Sephiroth. (Sephiroth is my favorite actually for a number of other reasons. First, his name sounds really cool, both angelic and demonic at the same time even though he's a human who is empowered and eventually transforms. Second, his theme song. Just... his theme song. (As in, One-Winged Angel, which is the namesake for villains' monster transformations) Third, some of his scenes like slaying a dragon in the rain or that iconic moment where he walks into the fire (even used as one of his victory screens in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). Lastly, his death scene is spectacular.

And also, evil clowns/jesters. Not sure why but they always felt like interesting, compelling, sinister villains to me, often with a dark sense of humor. Examples being the Joker from Batman (favorite version being Jack Nicholson), Kefka from Final Fantasy VI (though I'd actually put the Emperor between him and Sephiroth), Piedmon from Digimon, Dimentio from Super Paper Mario, Pennywise from It (the Tim Curry one), and Emperor Nogo (who doubles as a Dark Form) and Rascal from Glitter Force.

Of course, the redeemable villains can also be fun with good enough redemption arcs and stuff, like Discord being fun to have around, and starting from Rainbow Rocks you don't even see Sunset as a villain anymore as she's a lovable protagonist now. (Hated her as a villain though)

Going by trope (tvtropes.org) mine would be Affably Evil (just because you're evil doesn't mean you lack morals), The Chessmaster (hello Kira), Create Your Own Villain (the hero makes a villain, the hero's actions have consequences), Even Evil Has Standards (evil doesn't mean do whatever), Fair-Play Villain (when they're so powerful that they'll fight you and win on your terms it makes the story stronger), For the Evulz (sometimes it's just fun to watch someone who knows they're evil, and enjoys that they're evil), The Magnificent Villain (they're smart, charismatic, competent, they make you believe they'll win, and they're just a joy to watch), and the Noble Demon (sure they're evil, but they have a code of honour and they'll stick to it, respect). More often then not I find these villains to be either interesting, entertaining, amusing, or a combination of all three.

If you want names of villains well Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Expanded Universe/Legends), The Joker, Fire Lord Ozai, Kira, Captain Ginyu/The Ginyu Force, Hit, Beerus (if you consider him a villain, hey he is a destroyer god after all), Father Alexander Anderson, and Bankotsu to name a few.

Anti-villains. Their goals are actually good, but to achieve them they chose, or had to take an evil way. They might even know that what they do is bad, but the end justifies the means in their opinion.

I enjoy a villain who does things for the right reasons but is doing it in a way that is contrary to how the hero operates. I enjoy a villain that I can relate with and that often seems to be villains that in their minds is doing the right thing because that makes them all the more dangerous. Another type is the brains and brawns combo, the villain that is a mastermind but also has the muscle or fighting skill to accompany their brilliance.

I kinda love all kinds of villains as long as they're well executed, but some of my favourite types would be theatrical villains that really chew the scenery with their memorable performances, manipulative masterminds that can smooth talk their way out of any situation, really intimidating villains that can make you terrified just by speaking, and the type you gave yourself, the 3 c's one.

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I luuuvs me all kinds of villains in general, but my favorite are the tricksters. Villains like Discord, who are smart and cunning, and total jerks, and unapologetically love every minute of being total manipulative jerks and have fun messing with people.

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I like sinister, scary, sadistic, and pure evil villains, like King Ghidorah, Scar, Palpatine, and the Wicked Witch of the West. I also don't mind tragic villains and anti-villains as long as they're too are scary, sadistic and well-written, like the Indoraptor, Frankenstein's Monster, Indominus Rex, The Big One, the MUTOs, and Shin Godzilla, but I don't want to make protagonists look more like a-holes.

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I somewhat like discord. Chaotisch, hard to read, almost overpowerd with few weaknesses. It feels better to face and win against such an villian than to win against someone posessed with one Goal and easy plans

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That song is beautiful. A bit sad for my tastes, but I could still feel its beauty. I may not view the world like that sort of person, and I see fighting when all hope is lost as worse than surrender, but I must admit it takes courage. Is it misplaced, or can I just not see? I have spent my life learning to understand people. I don't think we can ever know for sure. To each, a different path seems best.

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These are my favorite to. Maybe because I find them closer to me than the heroes. Sometimes I scare myself. Once I was undercover in an enemy occupied territory. So I walk up to an enemy soldier and strike up a conversation. When she asks, I tell her that I understand she isn't an evil person, she's just following orders. She admits I am the first native() to show her kindness, and invites me to her squad's party.
Now for the psychology. I was honestly working to understand my enemy. Not for any tactical advantage, just because I try to see both sides of an issue. But then, years later I realized; I knew I might end up killing her, and I went out of my way to empathize with her. Most people try to demonize their enemies to distance themselves from taking human life. If the enemy was a complete monster, does it really count as human life. I could work to understand, and then kill, with no remorse. This sort of behavior, coupled with a natural problem understanding people, has lead me to agree with something someone very close to me once said. I am sociopathic. Not homicidal, don't worry, that situation described above was a game, in real life I am a coward, who has no intention of tangling with the law. I also am always striving to be a good person and to get in line with God's will. Not doing a great job, but trying to be good.

I'd say my favorite villains are ones that

-willingly monologue in front of anyone for fun
-actually have fun doing their job
-act like their life and job are a game

Which is why Sombra became my third favorite during the later seasons of mlp
And bill cipher my first

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My favorite among the ones I like has to be a villain that doesn't believe themselves to be a villain, only that they understand in order to complete their ultimate goals (which are usually good ones) they think they have to terrible things to get them done. It creates a good protagonist/antagonist relationship I think, and the conflict out of it is nice to explore.

Other than deeply rooted ones like that, I do enjoy the tragic villains -- ones with horrendously harsh experiences that cracked them beyond recognition. I also enjoy stories that cast these villains as heroes, or at the least protagonists of the story. Joel from The Last of Us is a good example, as to be fair he was the villain in the end. Ironically though, that end created a new favorite of mine; two villains (both are a type I like) fighting against each other. I love that kind of dynamic.

My favorite villains are the Chaotic Good ones. In my story, those are the kinds I have throughout. All of them do bad things, yes. However, none of them are truly evil, as they're (ultimately) trying to do the right thing.

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It all depends on whether or not if you'd rather die than live in your enemy's world...I honestly pity Chrysalis for not being killed.

I like villains that can be redeemed. Which is why I love changeling and King Sombra stories on this website.
I also like villains who make it so both the hero and the villains could swap places as the main character, like Funny Valentine in Jojo’s who’s only goal was to make America and it’s people as successful and happy as possible. I believe this type of villain is called an anti-villain, where they have noble goals, but they villainous things to achieve those goals.

I guess my favorite villain type would be a villain who can balance when and where to do villainy. An example of this would be Red Death from the Venture Bros. show as he manages to do villainy while having a loving family. That's something rare in most villains.