10 Evil TV Kingpins, Ranked by Power

They rule the villains.

For every hero or protagonist that TV has thrown as viewers, there is also a villain wanting to cause havoc. From superhero shows to gritty crime dramas, the constant need for a balance of light and dark has been at the forefront. In comparison, action and fantasy tends to make the villain stand out while gritty dramas rooted in realism display emotionally charged kingpins of wealth and power.

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In the years since the golden age of television, the audience's understanding of these rooted kingpins has changed. While usually centered on a quest for wealth, many of TVs' recent kingpins have shifted the focus on a twist of devotion to their cause. No matter the setbacks these kingpins face, more often than not, they come out on top.

When Power made its debut on Starz, no one would fathom the spiraling Power franchise the show would give birth to. Creator Courtney A. Kemp partnered with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson for the crime drama. Power follows smooth-talking drug dealer James "Ghost" St. Patrick (Omar Hardwick) as he tries to go straight and legit. In an attempt to leave the criminal underworld behind, St. Patrick finds the task of balancing the two nearly impossible.

Ghost held the criminal underworld as a shadowy benefactor type. Despite earning most of his respect in the drug game, Ghost's attempts to go straight proved to be harder than one thought. The slick kingpin commands the respect of his associates until he pushes them away.

One of TV's most iconic shows of all time, The Walking Dead helped elevate the zombie genre to new heights. Following Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) as he leads a group of survivors through a wasteland, the group meets their match with Negan (Jeffery Dean Morgan), leader of the Saviors.

Negan is introduced to viewers with an explosive sixth-season finale, furthering his reputation as a cold-blooded killer. The villain, equipped with his barbed wire bat, takes no prisoners and rules with an iron fist.

While the blind crime-fighting superhero has had his fair share of notorious villains, none comes close to the larger-than-life Wilson Fisk. Known in the Marvel Comics and Netflix Daredevil show as the evil name Kingpin, Wilson Fisk is a criminal underworld overlord in New York.

Usually seen as a bald man with a very large figure, Wilson Fisk is a dominating presence in any environment which helps him overpower his enemies. Wilson Fisk is usually seen living a double life as crime lord and a politician in the public eye. The recent and most powerful version of Kingpin has been played byVincent D'Onofrio in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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HBO's The Wire is cited as one of TV's greatest shows with complex and overarching characters wrapped in a crime drama. In season one, Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) portrays a fearless ruler of the Barksdale Organization.

Barksdale and his empire ruled the city of Baltimore, Maryland with ruthless aggression and the other major players in the city's drug trade. For the viewers, Barksdale's obsession with power and his keenness to overcome obstacles.

Cillian Murphy stars as Thomas Shelby in the British period crime drama Peaky Blinders. Set in the aftermath of the First World War, the show is loosely based on the real-life Peaky Blinders street gang.

A WWI vet, Shelby engages his enemies with style and grace, always keeping a level head against conflict. His softy low voice and passion for power helped pushed his crew into greater expansion

Based on the telenovela La Reina del Sur, Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza, a Mexican woman who established herself as a powerful force in the drug cartel. Both shows loosely follow their original source material, the novel of the same name by Arturo Perez-Reverte.

Actress Alice Braga gives a compelling underdog story of triumph against all odds as Teresa Mendoza. From a poor upbringing, Mendoza tangles with the law and other cartels in order to claim her place on the throne.

FX's Snowfall is a crime drama set against the backdrop of the 1980s crack epidemic and the U.S. government's War on Drugs. Snowfall has been described as a somewhat "prologue" to the director John Singleton's Boyz in the Hood film. The show plays with widely known rumors of the CIA's involvement in the drug trade.

Budding dealer Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) commands the Saint family as he climbs the ranks of the Los Angeles drug scene into a kingpin. Each season sees Saint reshape his neighborhood and remain focused on his goal. While Saint amasses wealth, his pride would lead to his downfall in the end.

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One of the best critically acclaimed shows of all time gives viewers perhaps one of the best kingpins of all time. In addition to the widely known main character Walter White (Bryan Cranston), Breaking Bad gives the audience as look at Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).

Gus Fring is co-founder of the Los Pollos Hermanos, a fast food chicken franchise, who moonlights as the Southwestern U.S. major narcotics distributor. Fring is a well-mannered figure who leaves very little room for mistakes.

No kingpin rocked the TV screen weekly like The Sopranos. The highly regarded show followed the inner workings of the Soprano crime family, spearheaded by Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). The show is seen as the best show to ever grace cable tv, winning numerous awards throughout its run.

The nature of Soprano helps set the tone for his demeanor and stance in the New Jersey criminal underworld. The writing and performances from Gandolfini help solidify the Soprano crime family as one of the best.

Netflix succeeds in bringing to life the infamous story of Columbia kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) in Nacros. While the show only ran for three seasons, Narcos has been rated as one of Netflix's best shows.

The story took inspiration from real events in the life of Pablo Escobar. Moura portrayed the leader of the world's first major drug cartel with grace and complex emotions. Narcos showcase the drug network that Pablo Escobar established during his life, making him one of the richest men in the world at the time. His ability to bribe government officials made him untouchable.

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Donovan "D.onniie" Wilkins is a passionate writer, former radio host, photographer, and self-published author. A long-time lover of indie film and music, Donovan's writing tends to reflect the underrated artists of their industry. In addition to Collider, Donovan's works have been published in TUC Mag, Telegraph Local, Radio Music Facts and MXDWN.com