One of the most compelling elements of any TV show comes from the dynamic relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist. Several elements go into making a TV show gripping and exciting, from the camera work, to the casting, to the story being told. While the narrative may call for a special relationship between the hero and the villain, it takes great actors to create the right chemistry and tension to make the pair into a timeless coupling.
Whether the hero and villain share several traits in common, like Sherlock and Moraiarty, or they appear to be direct opposites, like the Flash and the Reverse-Flash, the relationship needs to be well-defined. Exploring how these conflicting characters engage with one another and the motivations behind their actions is vital. And when everything comes together correctly, these duos can make a story spectacular.
10 Captain Raymond Holt And Madeline Wuntch
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013 – 2021)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an incredible crime comedy focusing on the Ninety-Ninth precinct police department in New York, and a big part of what made the show fun was the relationships between characters. While Jake and Amy’s slowly blossoming love story may be at the heart of the show, another relationship that burns hot is that of Captain Raymond Holt, and his commanding officer, Madeline Wuntch. The pair have a burning hot intensity between them that mostly presents as Holt being the hard-working police captain and Wuntch just chasing the bottom line, but there’s no doubt that this rivalry is memorable.
9 Dexter Morgan And James Doakes
Dexter (2006 – 2013)
In the early seasons of Dexter, the impossibly charismatic serial killer, Dexter Morgan, is constantly backed into a corner by James Doakes, another officer in his department. The traditional dynamics of heroes and villains are blurred as a result of Dexter’s dark actions, and Doakes being a diligent police officer, but the show presents it in such a way that audiences wish for Dexter’s success in evading Doakes. The rivalry ends with a fiery blaze in the season 2 finale, but the rivalry deserves a place among the top 10 for its complexity and effective storytelling, along with great performances from actors Michael C. Hall and Erik King.
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8 Jim Halpert And Dwight Schrute
The Office (2005 – 2013)
Heroes and villains in TV shows don’t always wear capes, or even fight crime. Sometimes, they can present as humble paper salesman. Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute are one such example, starring in The Office, who have a tense rivalry throughout much of the series. Dwight is a stickler for rules, and a talented salesman, but his rival, Jim displays remarkable natural talent, despite having almost no interest in selling paper. The rivalry saw the pair engage in prank wars, competition for promotions and several other games that added hugely to the quality of the show.
7 The Flash And The Reverse-Flash
The Flash (2014 – 2023)
The Flash frequently featured speedster villains to face off against the titular hero during the series’ run. However, perhaps the most memorable and impactful villain of the series was the antithesis of the hero, the Reverse-Flash. Reverse-Flash hails from the future, and in his early years, he grew up as a huge fan of the original speedster. Young Eobard Thawne worked hard to learn the origins of his hero and successfully replicate his achievements in hopes of becoming like him, but when he was upstaged by the Flash, his admiration turned to resentment.
In a major twist of fate, Thawne went back in time to kill Barry Allen as a child, but was thwarted and ended up killing his mother instead, thus sparking the hero’s origin story. Since that time, the rivals have had their timelines intertwined across generations and the multiverse to become one of the most iconic rivalries on TV. The relationship evolved and changed as time went on, but undoubtedly, the Flash and the Reverse-Flash are some of the best paired individuals in a superhero story, which also gives them a unique position on this list.
6 Rick C-137 And Rick Prime
Rick And Morty (2013 – Present)
Another pair of characters with an irreversibly interconnected timeline appears in Rick and Morty for one of the title characters. The series actively engages with a multiverse full of countless other realities with variations ranging from the most minor and insignificant to major changes. With Rick C-137 as the central protagonist and the series slowly revealing how he became the man who appears in the show to be nihilistic, selfish, and unfeeling. As it turns out, Rick C-137 was once a content man who had a passion for inventing, but his true loves were his wife and daughter.
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One day, as C-137 was working in his garage, an alternate version of himself approached him, offering to share the secrets to interdimensional travel and a way out of his singular existence on one simple plane. C-137 turned Rick Prime down, instead choosing to focus on his family, and in his pride and anger, Prime ruthlessly murdered C-137’s family. This was the catalyst to C-137 going on a seemingly endless journey for revenge and a desperate attempt to bring his wife back, but eventually, he found his family.
5 Eleven And Vecna
Stranger Things (2016 – 2025)
In Stranger Things, both Eleven and Vecna were subjects in a secret government experiment to tap into the potential for psychic powers. Before Vecna became the monstrous demon that appears in Stranger Things season 4, he was a young man with significant ambitions, and a complete lack of compassion or respect for human life. After subject 001 from the Hawkins lab experiment brutally and mercilessly killed the other test subjects, eleven was responsible for overpowering him and sending him away. But unbeknownst to her, she played a large part in turning him into the monstrous Vecna that went on to control the Upside Down and plague Hawkins.
4 Walter White And Gus Fring
Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)
Breaking Bad is one of the best shows to ever come from Netflix, starring Brian Cranston as the up-and-coming drug lord, Walter White. As Walter attempts to expand his drug trafficking operations, he seeks out the help of an established kingpin in the drug world, Gus Fring. Both men are incredibly level-headed, articulate, intelligent and cautious, with Fring appearing to have the advantage on most of these fronts. Their bitter rivalry has several ups and downs, and while neither is a traditional “hero,” the dynamics make for an incredible and tense story between two terrifyingly powerful men.
3 Daredevil And Wilson Fisk
Daredevil (2015 – 2018)
Returning to the world of superheroes and supervillains, Netflix’s more grounded take on a Marvel superhero in Daredevil introduced the world to a spectacular duo in the form of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Both actors are absolutely extraordinary, and the tense rivalry that is developed between the pair is powerful. Despite both men being essentially mortal human beings with heightened strength for Fisk, and incredibly refined hearing which is presented as a form of echolocation for Murdock, the battles between the two feels grounded and gritty, easily earning them third place for best rivalry.
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2 Rick Grimes And Negan
The Walking Dead (2010 – 2022)
Rick Grimes and Negan played out one of the most brutal and bitter rivalries on TV in The Walking Dead. Initially, when Rick meets the leader of the Saviors, he underestimates the threat he poses, having dealt with half a dozen other major threats since the outbreak of the virus. However, Negan immediately establishes how serious of a threat he is, with the help of his baseball bat, Lucille. For several seasons after the pair first meet, the relationship evolved and shifted to become increasingly dynamic and complex, with Negan trying his best to atone for his past.
1 Sherlock And Moriarty
Sherlock (2010 – 2017)
Earning the top spot for best rivalry on TV, Sherlock and Moriarty have one of the most enduring rivalries of all-time. Originally created by Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes series of works, but perhaps perfected in the BBC series Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott both delivered career-defining performances for the show that gave new life to an aging franchise.
In many ways, the two men are mirror images of each other. They are both brilliant, callous, manipulative and extraordinarily perceptive, but while Sherlock uses these gifts to engage in helping others, Moriarty chooses to use his skills to help break the system and commit crimes. The spectacular performances and the incredible match of mental prowess, layered with mystery and games to bend each other to their will, makes this the most enjoyable and engaging rivalry in TV.
