Unlike other types of characters, the defining quality of a good villain on a TV show is, by and large, that they are unlikable. While there are exceptions, such as characters like Walter White from Breaking Bad and Dexter from Dexter and Dexter: New Blood, the best TV shows villains are ones fans can’t wait to see get taken down.
Such is the case with the Netflix series Ozark, though the situation is complex. While some of the villains are characters fans loathe, others are ones they sympathize with. Indeed, the villains in season 4 of Ozark ran the gamut from those fans pity to those they wish would disappear.
Mel Sattem
Mel has good intentions, beginning with finding Helen who is believed to be missing, though she actually died at the hands of Omar in one of the most heartbreaking deaths on Ozark. But while he was initially just looking to help her ex finalize the divorce, he became enthralled in the suspicious nature of everything about the Byrdes. His investigations into something he knows nothing about and trying to insert himself into a situation that he shouldn’t makes him a villain for those who are on Marty’s side.
While he isn’t necessarily trying to be villainous, his instincts are leading him to do villainous things from one perspective, like follow people, visit Wendy’s father, and ask questions around town to get to the bottom of what’s going on.
Clare Shaw
Clare Shaw isn’t someone fans might view as a villain. She was a Big Pharma CEO looking to save her company, one her family built, and willing to do just about anything to accomplish it. When the Byrdes presented her with the idea of buying illegal drugs to use within her medical opioid formulas in order to save money and get illegal drugs off the streets at the same time, she eventually reluctantly accepted.
While fans might sympathize with her decision, and even part of her justification, in the end, it was a bad move that some might view as selfish and self-serving. Her motivation was more about saving her company than it was about getting drugs off the streets.
Jonah Byrde
Fans might not initially think of the 14-year-old as a villain, given that he’s just a teenage boy trying to deal with typical coming-of-age struggles along with the complicated and dangerous life his parents thrust him into. Not to mention tremendous loss, particularly with his uncle.
With that said, it’s tough not to include Jonah given how many things he did that put his family in harm’s way. Considered more of a low-key villain, it was Jonah’s disclosures to people like Ruth and Darlene that set off a murderous chain of events.
Ruth Langmore
Ruth is a tough one to peg because she’s possibly the most likable character on Ozark. She had a tough life, losing her mother when she was young and dealing with an abusive father. Much of her hardness stems from circumstance, and she should be lauded for being as strong as she is. With that said, depending on perspective, to some characters, Ruth is a huge and threatening villain.
With that said, she is still a villain who has done terrible things, including working within a drug empire to sell drugs to addicts. While it was all in the name of self-preservation, she isn’t above ignoring the law.
Marty Byrde
Marty Byrde has the unique ability to remain calm in just about any situation. It may be partly because he knows his value means none of the bad guys really want him dead. They need him alive because his skills are too great to eliminate.
With that said, it’s his skills and decision to work with the cartel that got the family into the mess in the first place. He makes villainous decisions, like to work with Omar to backstab Javi or go behind Darlene’s back with ease. The fact he can remain so level-headed and clear when talking about murder, selling drugs, and harming others is downright deplorable.
Darlene Snell
Arguably the most terrifying character on the series, Darlene doesn’t get into verbal fights with others. The second someone gets too close or threatening, she kills them. She even killed her own husband.
Darlene did not bat an eye killing two people in the seven episodes before she was finally killed herself. Considering she shot off Frank Cosgrove Jr.’s penis, then had the gall to apologize and try to make a deal with him, shows just how villainous and unaware of her evil she could be.
Omar Navarro
That final scene of season 3 when Omar shot Helen in the head without a thought, the continuation of which was played out in season 4, proved just how villainous Omar could be. If someone was no longer of use to him, he would kill them.
Even despite his clear affection for Wendy, he would not hesitate to have her killed if she did not come through for him. He so much as told her this while he was in prison after surrendering to the FBI, the best thing Omar did on Ozark, and there’s no doubt he meant it. The fact he was also willing to have his own nephew Javi killed for the sake of his own freedom proved that he had no moral compass.
Javi Elizonndro
Javi was the embodiment of an eager young man, desperate to have power in the family cartel business and finally run things. But he was clearly not ready, and his uncle Omar knew this. He killed the Sheriff without a second thought, even though there was no reason to do it. Even worse, Sheriff Nix was someone who might have been able to help him.
He acted creepy towards Charlotte, who wasn’t even 18 at the time, and his overall arrogance and impulsive nature make him more dangerous than others who at least think before they act.
Wendy Byrde
Wendy, one of the best characters on Ozark, has had the most compelling character arc on the show, descending into dark territory that’s reminiscent of Walter White on Breaking Bad and his journey to becoming Heisenberg. She almost seems to thrive on the power she has and the danger in her life.
Some of her most heinous acts include allowing her brother Ben to be killed and watching Darlene suffer a heart attack, taking her time calling 9-1-1. The fact that Wendy approaches her dealings with a disingenuous smile and devious cleverness makes her both terrifying and villainous.
