10 Criminal Minds Villains Ranked By Just How Disturbing They Were

Leo Migdal

-Nov 21, 2025, 12:20 AM

10 criminal minds villains ranked by just how disturbing they were

If you’ve ever binged Criminal Minds, then you know it’s not your average crime show. It doesn’t just solve murders - it dives deep into the twisted psychology of the worst criminals imaginable. And let's be honest, half the time you’re watching through your fingers, questioning how these writers manage to make fictional characters feel this terrifying. Whether it's the eerie silence of a killer who stares too long, the sadistic laughter of someone who enjoys pain just a bit too much, or the sheer unpredictability of someone who kills without... And when we say disturbing, we mean the kind of creepy that sticks with you long after the credits roll. So, we’re counting down ten of the most disturbing Criminal Minds villains - ranked not by body count, but by how much they made us squirm in our seats, question humanity, and maybe double-check...

This article discusses sensitive and disturbing topics, including torture, sexual assault, murder, suicide, kidnapping, and exploiting children. Criminal Minds follows the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, or BAU, which works on some of the most disturbing and prolific serial killers. The team uses behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and capture criminals. The show stood out from other police procedurals at the time by examining the psychology of the criminals and the more horrific aspects of police work. Criminal Minds is best known for its standout villains. The BAU team calls them unknown subjects, or "unsubs," a catchy name for some dangerous people.

The unsubs are all uniquely terrifying, with a variety of backstories and motivations for their crimes. While there are many unsubs from the show's fifteen seasons and its revival, titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, certain villains stand out as particularly dark. Updated on June 26, 2025, by Michael Colwander: Criminal Minds continues to produce frightening, dark, and at times tragic unsubs across its now 18-season run, with three of those seasons being Criminal Minds: Evolution. Throughout that run, the show's writers continue to impress with their creativity in finding new ways to horrify viewers with each unsub. This list was updated to include more of the darkest Criminal Minds unsubs. Jon McHale (Frankie Muniz) was unsub in one of the saddest Criminal Minds episodes to date.

It may be a bit ironic to call McHale a villain, as he was unknowingly a comic book-like vigilante "hero." However, he was the unsub the BAU was hunting down in "True Night" after... There were dozens of violent and insane villains on Criminal Minds, but these are the ones I still can't forget. As a devoted Criminal Minds fan, I've seen many horrifying unsubs, but only a few have made an indelible impression and made me check the locks on my doors. These five aren't just serial killers – they're masters of psychological horror whose crimes remain etched in my memory, even after many years. Ferell is the kind of unsub who makes you feel physically ill. He's not just a killer – he's also a cannibal who has transformed his horrific appetite into a perverted form of Satanic worship.

His cruelty is terrifying, but even more so is his cunning and absolute cold-bloodedness. The idea that he may have served human flesh to customers at his restaurant is an impossible-to-forget, sickening detail. When a little girl goes missing from a festival, the case leads the BAU to Roger and Anita Roycewood. The couple abducts one child every year, keeping them as their own until they get too old or misbehave. The Roycewoods own a funeral home, giving them access to a crematorium to dispose of bodies. Charlie Hillridge was abducted years prior and is now forced to assist in the kidnappings.

“Criminal Minds” usually dives into the psychology of its unsubs, explaining what traumas led them to commit such crimes. However, the Roycewoods remain enigmatic to the end, the mystery behind their heinous acts dying with them. Horror fans are used to seeing, or rather hearing, Brad Dourif as Chucky the killer doll. But this role is quite different. Adam Rain suffers a major head injury from a car accident that puts him into a coma. When he wakes up, he thinks he’s a kid again.

Adam begins abducting people, namely couples, in an attempt to recreate two puppets from his childhood. When the victims “aren’t right,” he disposes of the bodies, putting them on display in boxes. Adam is staging a re-enactment of the night his father, a renowned puppeteer, was shot by a robber. He hopes that the puppets can save him this time. Dourif delivers a chilling performance as the delusional killer, and it’s something we’ll never forget. Garcia’s unauthorized tagging of unsolved cases leads the perpetrator to think that the FBI is onto him.

He meets her at a coffee shop, introducing himself as James Colby Baylor. Garcia is surprised and excited when he asks her out on a date. At the end of the night however, Baylor (who is actually Jason Clark Battle) shoots Garcia, leaving her for dead. When he discovers that she survived, he visits the BAU offices. Fortunately, tech analyst Kevin Lynch recogtnizes Battle and tips off the others. After he takes Agent Fuchs hostage, JJ takes him out.

Talk about a date gone wrong. In season 2, James Van Der Beek guest stars as Tobias Hankel, a serial killer hellbent on punishing sinners. It’s revealed that Hankel suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and his two other identities include his deceased father Charles, and an angel named Raphael. When Reid and JJ go to question him as a potential witness, Hankel captures Reid and takes him to a cabin. The “Charles” identity tortures Reid, telling him to confess his sins. Having endured his father’s wrath all his life, Tobias drugs Reid with dilaudid to ease the pain.

This traumatic encounter leaves a lasting effect on Reid, making Hankel one of the BAU’s most memorable unsubs. The BAU has dealt with a number of cannibals, but Floyd Feylinn Ferell is the most memorable. He first appears in season 3 when the team investigates a particularly gruesome murder in Bridgewater, Florida. The body of a young woman is found with a pentagram carved into her chest. She’s missing appendages and the contents of her stomach are disturbing. Upon arresting Floyd, they discover his Satanic paraphernalia and human recipe book.

Floyd is back on the team’s radar in season 13 when a false confession almost leads to his release. Thankfully, the BAU finds proof to keep him locked up. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. Note: Content classification services hold no influence over the template's criteria and usage. Only the content itself matters.

These are villains from the crime thriller TV series Criminal Minds. Also include villains from the 2012 video game Criminal Minds and the 2018 mobile app video game Criminal Minds: The Mobile Game. The latest soap opera news, previews and spoilers, daily recaps and summaries, exclusive interviews, and character profiles for The Young and The Restless, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful,... If you’ve ever binged Criminal Minds, then you know it’s not your average crime show. It doesn’t just solve murders - it dives deep into the twisted psychology of the worst criminals imaginable. And let's be honest, half the time you’re watching through your fingers, questioning how these writers manage to make fictional characters feel this terrifying.

Whether it's the eerie silence of a killer who stares too long, the sadistic laughter of someone who enjoys pain just a bit too much, or the sheer unpredictability of someone who kills without... And when we say disturbing, we mean the kind of creepy that sticks with you long after the credits roll. The BAU doesn’t always get the job done (right away, at least). Over 15 seasons of the original run of Criminal Minds, the same UnSub did occasionally appear more than once. And in some cases, those offenders left a lasting impression on at least one member of the team. When better to take a look back at those than on the 20th anniversary of the series premiere (September 22, 2005)?

Since then, the series has returned for a continuation, Criminal Minds: Evolution, on Paramount+, and some of those UnSubs have certainly been memorable. But there’s nothing like going back to where it all started. And so, TV Insider has ranked the major UnSubs — some are Big Bads, while others will always be remembered by fans for the heinous acts they committed in their episodes — of the... Scroll down to see where killers like Mr. Scratch, Foyet, and Frank land. Criminal Minds, Streaming Now, Hulu and Paramount+

c thomas howell as george foyet in criminal minds Criminal Minds is well-known for showcasing iconic villains, some of whom have committed unthinkable acts. The original CBS series, Criminal Minds, debuted in 2005. Over its fifteen-year run, Criminal Minds introduced memorable protagonists such as Jason Gideon, Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia, David Rossi, and others. The series also gained popularity for its compelling villains, including characters like George Foyet, Tobias Hankel, Cat Adams, Mr.

Scratch, Everett Lynch, and others. Some of the villains in Criminal Minds played a significant role in the show's history by providing a challenge for the investigation team. Many of these iconic villains were recurring characters throughout multiple seasons, causing trouble for everyone involved. These villains helped the show stand out by highlighting its focus on psychological analysis. In 2022, Criminal Minds made a return to TV on Paramount+ as Criminal Minds: Evolution. The new show shifted to serialized storytelling, centering on a single overarching storyline rather than the traditional case-of-the-week format.

10 George Foyet AKA The Reaper – Criminal Minds Season 4 & 5 The Reaper Killed Hotch's Wife George Foyet, also known as The Reaper, was one of the standout villains to appear in... He first appeared in season 4, where he stood out for his high intellect and manipulative behavior. The Reaper not only tortured his victims but also had an impact on law enforcement. He proved himself to be a true psychological terrorist. The Reaper made viewers sick because he didn't care about anything. He stalked people and brutally stabbed one of the members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit .

10 Criminal Minds Villains Ranked By Just How Disturbing They Were

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