Character Analysis: The 3 TV Villains Who Know Your Parents

It’s no secret that I’m an animation lover. It’s in the fibers of my being and the older I get, the more I appreciate the characters that I’ve grown up with. But others don’t seem to feel the same way and I’m left baffled at the gap of appreciation. There are so many animated characters that have been crafted to be fantastic, untraditional teachers. And yet, everyone still thinks that animation is either only for kids or just like the Simpsons. As an aspiring writer of the medium (and an avid consumer), I find this terribly distressing. In the spirit of keeping the greats alive, I thought I’d start with the best guys who make the worst villains, and they even might know your parents.

Villains Who Know Your Parents

I always thought that I’d grow up to be a Disney princess or at the very least living it up like Shego. But alas, I seem to be drifting amid the pool of mad scientists that turned evil after college. For one reason or another, these three villains were shunned from science because of their ingenious and have decided to seek revenge on those that have wronged them. They are as equally hilarious as they are bad at being evil. They have their own unique agendas and are foiled at every turn. And they all somehow know the parents of their arch-nemesis. Give it up for Vlad, Drew, and Heinz.

Vlad Masters aka Vlad Plasmius

Evil Reason: Caught Ecto Acne in a lab accident & lost the love of his life

Talk about a guy who has it all and still wants more. For those that are unfamiliar with this cheese-loving billionaire, let me paint you a picture. Vlad Masters was a good-looking college guy who was trying to win over a girl he loved named Maddie. He was best friends with a brilliant idiot named Jack and in one of their experiments, a prototype of the ghost portal exploded, and Vlad caught ecoto-acne. Because Jack saved Maddie from the explosion, this sparked a love between them that left Vlad alone and bitter. Spoiler alert, that ecto-acne gave Vlad ghost powers and he managed to clean himself up and become a fabulously wealthy figure in the community. All so he could host a college reunion and try to steal the love of his life back by “saving her” from a clone of his ghost self, Vlad Plasmus. A very dramatic and elaborate plan for someone who can literally phase through walls and do whatever he wants. Naturally, Danny Phantom foils these plans and immediately becomes the target of Vlad's misery from then on. Vlad is better at science than villainy. He was also better at being a politician than a villain. It was even proven in a TV special that Danny has the potential to be a far greater villain than Vlad ever could. What tickles me to the core is how oblivious Jack is to Vlad’s disdain for him. Jack Fenton’s unwavering support for Vlad Masters down to the last episode is endearing and it’s a little sad when the veil is pulled from Jack's eyes. This is exactly why he ends up being a space nomad after nearly destroying the earth (and the ghost zone) with his selfish pompousness. Vlad fails at being a villain because he has no game, no depth for true evil, and is just a bitter old man with a cat. He doesn’t even have a sidekick.

Villain Rating: D-

Asshole Rating: A++

Dr. Drew Lipsky aka Dr. Drakken

Evil Reason: Laughed at for BeeBee Prototype Robots by best friends in college

Where do I even begin with Drew Lipsky? A scientist laughed at by James Possible for his inventions, Drew has a noble yet very unrealistic plan of taking over the world. With the help of his evil sidekick, Shego, Drew evolves into the loveable blue-skinned Dr. Drakken and he manages to come up with the most ridiculous ways to prove to the world how great his inventions are by wreaking havoc on it. The irony behind this is that Drew isn’t even a bad guy. He lies to his mother about his occupation and panics when she comes to visit his evil lair, which he calls “his studio” because his mother thinks he’s a radio talk show doctor that helps people. Drew is also a momma’s boy who goes by the name Drewbie and loves his closest friends and family (for better or worse). I love how Kim and Ron constantly use Drakken’s real name as a jab at him because it pokes fun at the absurdity of his villainy. I mean how scary is your arch nemesis when you know he went to college with your dad, a man who is a literal rocket scientist? Though he succeeds at comedy, this guy is definitely not villain material. Compared to his overzealous cousins Motor Ed and the seriously deranged scientist DN Amy, I’d say Drakken falls somewhere in the middle. His inventions work, but never succeed and he always seems to have a bit of his heart peeking out from under that blue skin and odd-placed scar. Especially towards Shego. Not even his old college buddies were truly threatened when they were captured by him. Just seemed like “classic Drew”. Whether it be empathy or complete stubbornness about wanting to take over the planet, Drakken ends up saving the world from peril and gets an award for it. You know he’s not the best but is still respected when you see all the villains attend his award ceremony. Though they’re not happy about it, they’re still there to support him. Talk about a good guy. Drakken fails at villainy because he got weak bars, no style, and he has a heart of gold. I mean the guy ends the show with a bright yellow daisy around his head and flower power.

Villain Rating: F-

Heroic Scientist Rating: B+

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz

Evil Reason: Traumatizing Childhood

I’ve saved the best for last. Drew Lipsky walked so Heinz Doofenshmirtz could run. Heinz is a man who grew up in a fictional European town called Drusselstein and wants to take over the tri-state area. He once went on a date with Phineas' mom when they were teenagers, but it never went anywhere. Doof sings, dances, and has Perry the Platypus as his arch-nemesis. The relationship he has with Perry is the most hilarious thing to me. At the start of the show, they seem to play the parts of villain and hero, but over time they end up growing a bond that teeters the line of friendship. Doof's plans for tri-state area domination never seem to directly hurt anyone other than corporations and his reason for villainy is only explained through his many traumatic childhood flashbacks. I mean he says that on the day he was born, neither of his parents bothered to show up. There’s something comically sad about Doof's backstories and he overcomes his childhood trauma as the show progresses. Some could say he wants power to finally be recognized over his goody-toe shoes brother and others could say he’s just trying to solve his personal grudges with his scientific abilities. Unlike the villains before him, he got married and had a kid. The only reason he even got divorced was because Doof and his ex-wife just wanted different things in life, not because he was evil. He’s also one of the best-animated dads out there. Doofenshmirtz fails at being a villain because he’s a good guy who happens to be really smart and is only categorized as a villain because he wants to vaporize the people that annoy the fuck out of him. My empathy is strong with this one.

Villain Rating: F++

Person Rating: S Class

What really makes someone truly evil will not be found in any of these villains. These are the some of best inspirations of comedic dialogue and sass I’ve seen on TV and I hope that they continue to live on in the hearts of many. While all three of these shows have come to their beautiful conclusions, they have each managed to gain some type of revival in the last few years. With the KP Live Action movie, a revival of Phineas and Ferb, and even a Danny Phantom Manga that’s set to pick up from where the show left off, you can see how impactful these characters were to a generation. Though they aren’t the perfect villains, they are a part of the long list of what makes animation so unique and unforgettable.

I hope to see you soon in whatever form I appear. Until next time!

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in both New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.