In a lot of ways, Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal is a masterclass in political drama. Sure, there were others (particularly, The West Wing) that came before it. But Scandal was, arguably, the one show that pushed the boundaries of storytelling in this type of landscape. It featured storylines that may have been too dark or shocking for other political dramas. These include everything from torture to unexpected murders.
Ultimately, this was only possible because of the type of characters that the show had assembled over the years. Aside from main characters with a degree of shadiness, Scandal also features villains who are seriously vile. That said, some are not as dangerous as others.
Abby Whelan
Being longtime friends, it was quite shocking for fans to see Abby (Darby Stanchfield) turn against Liv (Kerry Washington) around the time that Mellie (Bellamy Young) was running for president. She even banned her former boss from the White House.
A few seasons later, Abby also gets pulled into shady dealings when she momentarily thought that she could be president one day. It also turns out that she had something to do with Frankie Vargas’ assassination although she had no idea that she did. Compared to others on this list, Abby doesn’t have as much blood on her hands.
Tom Larsen
Larsen was a Secret Service agent assigned to the President’s detail. For the most part, he looked reliable and trustworthy. Little did fans know, however, that Tom was a double agent, serving B613 under the leadership of Rowan Pope (Joe Morton).
When it looked like Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) was going to get reelected. Rowan put a plan in motion that involved killing Fitz’s son to gain the public’s sympathy. On the night before Election Day, Tom jabs Jerry (Dylan Minnette) with a deadly strain of bacteria. Other than Jerry though, it is unclear if Tom had killed anyone else.
Sally Langston
Ever since the beginning, Sally had always made it clear that she had serious White House ambitions. She even ran for President, only to lose to Fitz. But then, Sally got to be POTUS temporarily after Fitz goes into a coma.
And while at the White House, she tries to concoct a plan with Hollis Doyle (Gregg Henry) to stay in power even after Fitz wakes up. By the third season, Sally goes from scheming to murderous. In fact, she ends up stabbing her husband Daniel (Jack Coleman) to death with a letter opener after he told her they were over.
Hollis Doyle
From the onset, it was no secret that a lot found Hollis to be a despicable man (including his own daughter). Nonetheless, he was necessary, especially when it came to rigging the votes in Fitz’s favor in Defiance. It was later revealed that Hollis was the one who hired the person that rigged the machines.
Later on, he put out a hit on the same one, resulting in an explosion that killed seven people at Cytron. The only reason he is isn’t further up this list is because he didn’t get cause further deaths (fortunately).
Theodore Peus
Compared to other villains in the series, Peus is among those who only appear relatively briefly. Nonetheless, he makes a big impact, particularly due to all the damage he inflicts. Initially, he presents himself as one of Mellie’s most generous benefactors. Little does Mellie know, however, that Peus was giving her money in exchange for control of her White House.
Olivia and her associates eventually manage to take him down but not before sending armed drones all over major cities in the U.S., threatening to detonate them if he doesn’t get Mellie. He detonates two, killing 70 people.
Andrew Nichols
In Scandal, fans supported some relationships more than others. In the case of Mellie and Andrew (Jon Tenney), many had doubts, and rightfully so. In the beginning, he appeared loving, supportive, and warm. In time though, he revealed his villainous side.
During an investigation conducted by Olivia’s office, it was discovered that Andrew was determined by the U.S. to start a war with West Angola. Andrew even goes as far as kidnapping Olivia to force Fitz’s hand. It works. Despite this, Liv gets auctioned. Fortunately, a former gladiator comes to her rescue.
Maya Lewis
On the show, Maya (Khandi Alexander) was portrayed as both a villain and a victim. Sure, Rowan tried to frame her for Jerry’s murder. And while she had nothing to do with that, Maya is anything but innocent. Early on, it was revealed that Maya is far more brutal and ruthless than anyone could imagine.
For starters, this ex-spy got her husband to have a plane shot down during Operation Remington. That resulted in the deaths of 300 innocent lives and Maya never lost sleep over it. She also bombed a church, but it got evacuated in time.
Cyrus Beene
Cyrus (Jeff Perry) is Fitz’s longest-serving chief of staff and he certainly enjoys the power and influence that the power affords him. Over the years, he also showed that he wouldn’t hesitate to take anyone out to further his interests. In fact, even if Cyrus sees Liv as a close friend, he doesn’t hesitate to have her killed after she gets kidnapped and sold to Russia.
Later on, he kills David Rosen (Joshua Malina) with his bare hands to impeach Mellie. Not to mention, he also orchestrated a bomb explosion that killed hundreds, just to take out Sally.
Rowan Pope
Rowan is one of the most dangerous characters in Scandal. The only reason he isn’t at the top of this list is that he’s gotten older, and he’s no longer Command. In fact, throughout the series, Rowan mostly ordered murders to get carried out. He’s not exactly fond of getting his own hands dirty.
Nonetheless, as the former Command of B613, Rowan is a huge threat in the entire Scandal universe for as long as he lives. When the show ended, Papa Pope was believed to be responsible for an estimated 183 deaths, as well as more than 300 plane crash fatalities.
Jake Ballard
It was only natural that Jake became a fan favorite early on. For starters, he’s a handsome and respectable man. Some even believed that Olivia was better off with him. As the show progressed though, it was revealed that Jake had a seriously sinister side, especially after he rose through the ranks from an agent for B613 to being Command himself.
Throughout the series, Jake brutally killed several people, including his own wife. In the end, he goes to jail, and when Liv decides to see him one last time, Jake remarks, “For a little while, I was someone good.”
