Villains especially (overpowered villains) are the lifeblood of any good story. They create conflict, raise the stakes, and force our heroes to dig deep and unleash their potential. But sometimes, writers get a little carried away.

They craft villains so unbelievably powerful, bordering on invincible, that the heroes’ journey becomes less about overcoming challenges and more about surviving sheer nonsense. 

Here are 10 villains who crossed the line from fearsome foes to frustrating plot devices:

Doomsday (Superman: Doomsday)

Doomsday is literally a walking apocalypse. He has killed Superman (temporarily), and his powerset basically reads like a “villain cheat sheet”: superhuman strength, near-invulnerability, regenerative abilities, and the ability to evolve after each defeat.

He’s basically a walking plot device, existing solely to give Superman a “worthy” opponent and conveniently forgetting most of his powers at the end. 

Darkseid (DC Comics)

Darkseid is undoubtedly powerful, ruling over the fiery wasteland of Apokolips and wielding the Omega Beams – lasers that can teleport opponents to a literal nightmare dimension.  But honestly, his biggest superpower?

Owning a “Mother Box,” a device capable of terraforming planets and rewriting reality. This makes him less a villain and more a walking “I win” button, forcing heroes like Superman to rely on convoluted plans and plot armor to stop him. 

The One Above All (Marvel Comics)

This omnipotent being is literally the embodiment of the Marvel Universe.  Literally.  He/She/It can do anything, create anything, and rewrite anything at will.

Introducing this character as a villain feels like a writer admitting they couldn’t think of a creative way for the heroes to win. It’s like ending a game of chess by knocking over the entire board. 

Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Ultron starts as a rogue AI with access to Tony Stark’s tech, making him a formidable foe. However, in the movies, he quickly upgrades himself seemingly without limit, taking control of the internet, building an army of robots in minutes, and

even uploading his consciousness to every nuclear weapon on Earth.  The resulting fight against Ultron feels less like a battle of wills and more like watching a toddler smash everything with a tablet.  

The Senate (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker)

Remember the iconic Emperor Palpatine, who required a full-blown redemption arc for Darth Vader to finally defeat?  Well, in the later Star Wars films, he somehow returns (sort of) via a cloned body fueled by the dark side. 

Despite being a frail old man, he possesses enough power to literally zap people with Force lightning from across galaxies.  His defeat?  Rey feeling “all the Jedi” flowing through her and somehow projecting a fatal dose of energy.  Convenient, right?

The Entity (John Carpenter’s The Thing)

This shapeshifting alien is a master of disguise and assimilates any living thing it touches. However, it also displays near-invulnerability to most weapons and can seemingly control the environment around

it. It’s a terrifying concept!  But it also creates a situation where the heroes can’t really fight back, leaving us with a frustratingly inconclusive ending. 

Agent Smith (The Matrix Trilogy)

An AI program copying humans in the Matrix, Smith starts off as a formidable opponent. However, in the sequels, he gets a serious power boost, replicating himself endlessly and controlling the very fabric of the Matrix.

This removes any sense of danger for Neo, as defeating individual Agents becomes pointless. Thankfully, the Matrix itself ultimately rejects Smith, saving the writers from having to come up with a plausible hero victory. 

The Djinn (Wishmaster)

This mischievous genie grants wishes with a literal and often deadly twist. The concept itself is interesting, but the Djinn’s near-omnipotence makes the film a series of increasingly convoluted “gotcha” moments for the characters. 

The heroes can only win by exploiting loopholes in the rules, making their victory feel less earned and more like a technicality. 

The Crimson King (Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Series)

The embodiment of chaos and destruction, the Crimson King exists outside of time and space, constantly trying to bring down the Dark Tower, the nexus of all realities. He possesses near-limitless power and can manipulate anyone’s mind. 

Stopping him feels impossible, forcing the protagonist Roland Deschain on a somewhat frustrating journey where defeating the Crimson King feels like a foregone conclusion. 

Light Yagami (Death Note)

Light Yagami possesses a notebook, the Death Note, that grants him the ability to kill anyone whose name he writes in it. This creates an incredibly interesting premise, but it also creates a situation where Light seems almost unbeatable. 

The tension comes not from whether Light will succeed, but from the cat-and-mouse game with L, the detective trying to stop him. However, as the story progresses, Light develops a God complex and becomes increasingly overconfident, eventually making a series of illogical decisions that lead to his downfall.  

So why do writers sometimes create these absurdly powerful villains?

Raising the Stakes

Sometimes, writers feel they need to constantly escalate the threat to keep the audience engaged. However, this can backfire, making it difficult to invest in the heroes’ struggle if they seem hopelessly outmatched.

Creating a Worthy Opponent

Some heroes are so powerful that it’s hard to find a believable villain to challenge them. However, throwing an overpowered villain at them feels less like a fair fight and more like a desperate attempt to create drama.

Twisting the Plot

In some cases, an overpowered villain can be used to create a shocking plot twist or force the story in a different direction. However, this often feels like a cheap trick and can leave the audience feeling cheated. 

But wait, is there any hope ?

Absolutely! Some writers manage to create genuinely engaging stories with ridiculously overpowered villains. Here’s how

Focus on the Heroes’ Journey 

The story becomes less about overcoming the villain and more about the heroes learning, growing, and finding a way to exploit a weakness or loophole.

Introduce Limitations 

Even the most powerful villains have weaknesses. It’s essential to establish them early on, giving the heroes a fighting chance.

Focus on Character Development

Even if the villain is unstoppable, the story can still be compelling by exploring the characters’ motivations and inner conflicts. 

Ultimately, a villain doesn’t need to be all-powerful to be engaging. The most memorable villains are often those who are complex, well-developed, and pose a genuine threat to the heroes and what they believe in. 

Hopefully, the next time writers craft a villain, they’ll strike a balance between power, threat, and believability, giving us stories where the heroes’ victory feels truly earned.