And the winner is....

The Joker.

As if there was any doubt.

Thanks to those that took time to vote and comment!

Villain Bracket Final Round Breakdown

Please note, the names in italics are the movie/comic/cartoon/game that the villain appears.

 Ganon Legend of Zelda (2) vs. 

Joker Batman (2) –

Matt- Somehow, out of nowhere, Ganon took out Darth Vader last round, and what we are left with is this stunning matchup between two heavyweights in their respective genres (two heavyweights that still were not able to garner a number one seed surprisingly).  What we get is Ganon, the holder of the Triforce of Power and the scourge of Hyrule versus the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime and Batman’s arch-nemesis.  Like we did last year, Nik and I will each espouse the merits of one particular combatant and let you be the judge.

I know how much Nik loves Ganon, so I’ll let him take that position, while I’ll paint the picture why the Joker should win.  My argument here is much the same as my argument for why Joker should have beat Shredder in the last round.  He is a cross-platform, multimedia villain.  Portrayals of the Joker, from movies, cartoons and video games have been highlights in the careers of the actors that have brought him to life.  This is not only a testament to their skill as actors but also to the source material.  This is pretty impressive for someone that is probably one of the most unlikable villains in history, to have him become the gold-standard when it comes to villainy.  There is no ulterior, save all the people by enslaving them motive when it comes to the Joker.  He’s nuts, he loves death and destruction and getting under Batman’s skin, and he will do anything to those ends, regardless of who it hurts.  Joker is truly the most evil villain in the entire bracket.

Beat that, Ganon.

Nik- Oh. Snap. I’m sure that everyone can imagine my utmost glee that Ganon actually made it here. 

Now’s his time to shine.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Legend of Zelda lore, each new game brings a brand new Hero of Time, and a new descendent (or ancestor) of Zelda. The same cannot be said for Ganon. The Ganon we fight every single time is always the same Ganon. Whether he’s that nasty Gerudo, or in his monster pig form as Ganondorf, he always breaks free of his bonds to cast Hyrule into darkness.

Ganon is the stuff that nightmares are made of. He is the wretched tales told by grandparents who lived through his reign of chaos. He is an evil that spans generations. He is never killed, he is only contained, if only for a few hundred years.

Yes, the Joker is BA, I totally give you that. But he is merely mortal. Ganon is much more than that, hell-bent on casting the world into darkness for all of eternity, so that he may sit at the throne and watch it all.

Beaten, Joker.

Villain Bracket Fifth Round Breakdown

 Please note, the names in italics are the movie/comic/cartoon/game that the villain appears.

Shredder Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3) vs. 

Joker Batman (2) –

Matt- I like Shredder, but I think his villainy is a little uneven.  Sure, in the original comics and the movies he’s pretty badass, but in the 80’s cartoon series he’s a shell of his former self (it was a kid’s show after all, so I get that).  However, if you look across all of the various iterations of Joker, he’s pretty much a homicidal maniac in all of them.  While the fact that Uncle Phil was the voice of the Shredder, and that is a big plus in his corner, Mark Hamil’s Joker work, as well as the live action movie versions by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger really cement Joker’s place in the final for me.  Joker is the quintessential villain.

Nik- Cannot agree more. Shredder put up a helluva fight to get here. He gets credit for that much. But, like Matt said, the Joker has had much more in history to prove how awesome he is. There are very few iterations (and there are so many) where he's kinda lame. And even when the Joker's lame, he's still one of the coolest Batman villains comparatively. So I'm thinking Shredder has lasted as long as he could here.

Darth Vader Star Wars (1) v. 

Ganon Legend of Zelda (2) –

Matt-  Fresh of dispatching the Predator, I anticipate Vader keeping up his momentum.  I know, you have a soft spot for Ganon, Nik, and I would have been more inclined to pick him as well, but just having finished A Link Between Worlds and seeing that he is not the big bad guy kind of cemented Vader’s status here.

Nik- This isn't fair. I want a recount. Hanging chads! I call hanging chads. Needless to say, I think this may be the end of Ganon. Vader is just too cool, too mainstream, too BA to not keep going here. I kind of knew he'd have a huge steamroll party, and I'm just pickled tink that Ganon has made it this far. Even though I'm thinking that Vader will win, my vote still goes to Ganon here. I think that he just may have a slim chance to get by the Darth here and get walloped by Joker next week.

Villain Bracket Fourth Round Breakdown

Please note, the names in italics are the movie/comic/cartoon/game that the villain appears.

Comic Book Region:

Galactus Fantastic Four (5) vs.

 Joker Batman (2) –

Matt- Galactus just barely got by Loki but he won’t make it past Joker.  If this was just about who would win in a fight, the trophy would have been awarded to Galactus three weeks ago.  This is about who is the most evil, the worst villain out there.  The fact that the Joker is so damn nuts makes him the perfect candidate to advance from the comic book region.

Nik- Agreed. I’m pleasantly surprised to see Galactus having made it this far. But I do believe it to be the end of the line for the big planet-eating cuddle bug. The Joker is just too cool, and as Matt said, too evil, to not keep up his momentum.

Cartoon Region:

Megatron Transformers (1) v. 

Shredder Teenage Mutant Ninja

Turtles (3) –

Matt- Megatron squeaked by last round, almost succumbing to the might of Mumm-Ra.  Shredder proved he was the baddest mofo (yup, I just said mofo) in the Turtles universe, and now he takes down his 80’s counterpart.

Nik- Again, gonna have to agree here. There is too much nostalgia for the Turtles and Shredder here. I know the same generation that had Turtles had Transformers too, but I just think that Shredder had more of a role. I think we like the Turtles (and therefore their villains) more because they were more relatable in some bizarre way (i.e. not robots).

Movie Region:

Darth Vader Star Wars (1) v. 

Predator Predator (2)–

Matt-  By the narrowest of margins the Predator squeaked by the Xenomorph last round.  Alas his luck has run out and Vader Imperial Marches all the way into the final four.

Nik- So sad to see the Xenomorph taken down here. But, as every crummy Aliens vs. Predator movie has taught us, the one human survives to tell the story. In this case, Anakin Skywalker just so happens to be that person. But he’ll definitely put up one kick-ass fight.

Video Game Region:

Bowser Super Mario Brothers (1) v. 

Ganon Legend of Zelda (2) –

Matt- Bowser is awesome, but it has to be Ganon here, right?  At least Ganon has mixed up his evil plans over the years while Bowser is still capturing the damn princess.  Koopa’s reign is over.

Nik- I hate to do it, but I agree with Matt on this whole lineup. Yes, Bowser is one of the original baddies. He’s incompetent, a single dad, and never gives up, no matter how many times those little Italian stereotypes thwart his plans. He should have his own sitcom! That being said: you all know that I will go with Ganon to the end. Too cool not to win it.

Villain Bracket Third Round Breakdown

Please note, the names in italics are the movie/comic/cartoon/game that the villain appears.

Comic Book Region:

Galactus Fantastic Four (5) vs. 

Loki Thor (9) –

Matt- Call me flabbergasted at the development here, but Dr. Freaking Doom, my pick to come out of the comic region hasn’t even made it to the Sweet Sixteen.  With Loki’s momentum I wouldn’t be surprised if he easily takes out Galactus the same way he did Doom, through name recognition and the apparent acting prowess of Tom Hiddleston.

Nik- I’m going to have to agree here. I didn’t think the movies would have that much clout here. Galactus is pretty badass. If it came down to the two in the comics, I think Gal would rock the snot out of Loki. But Loki seems to be doing pretty damn well for himself. I think we’ll see Loki triumph on this one.

Joker Batman (2) v. 

Lex Luthor Superman (3) –

Matt- This is the match-up everyone wanted here, right?  Superman’s villain vs. Batman’s villain?  The big bad guy of the DC Universe?  Luthor is formidable, and probably the most formidable that Joker has faced to this point, but I can’t pick against the Clown Prince of Crime in this spot.  Joker wins.

Nik- Epic match-up. Kevin Spacey vs Mark Hamill. Weird.  I can’t not pick the Joker on this one, for many reasons. But, what it all boils down to for me, is that the Joker is much more likeable a villain in my eyes.

Cartoon Region:

Megatron Transformers (1) v. 

Mumm-Ra Thundercats (5) –

Matt- We have Megatron’s narrow victory over Mr. Burns vs. Mumm-Ra’s convincing trouncing of Skeletor (much to my chagrin).  In terms of overall scariness, I would have to go with Mumm-Ra, but I’m sticking with Megatron, my fandom fully intact.

Nik- Mumm-Ra FTW. I’m not surprised to see Megatron here, I knew it’d be super close, even though I put Mr. Burns to move on, but I think this may be where Megatron fails. Mumm-ra’s just cooler, I think. Sorry Matt, I never was that big of a Transformers fan.

Shredder Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3) v.  

Krang Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (7)  –

Matt- It’s a Ninja Turtle showdown.  I’m going to have to go with Shredder here based more on his presence in other media.  Krang was only in the cartoons (and a couple video games) but Shredder’s movie roles were expertly handled to make him seem like more of a threat than the cartoon ever did.   

Nik- What a great match here too! I love the results thus far. This is a fun one, but based on sheer bad-assery, I’d have to say Shredder here. Krang was too bumbling for me, too much like the Claw or whatever his name was from Inspector Gadget. I seem to remember him always cursing the Turtles as the camera pulled out from the Chrome Dome (that’s what his base was called, right?), each episode.

Movie Region:

Darth Vader Star Wars (1) v.

 Sauron The Lord of the Rings (4) –

Matt- Sauron squeaked out a win in the last round, but his luck runs out here.  Vader pretty much has everything Sauron has…and he’s mobile!  Vader takes it convincingly.

Nik- Absolutely. Sauron goes down. We’re not talking whiney Hayden Christianson Vader here. This is James Earl Jones-powered awesomeness. Sorry Sauron, but the Force is strong with this one.

Predator Predator (2) v. 

Alien Alien (3) –

Matt-  The age old question, Alien vs. Predator.  It’s like picking a favorite child.  I’m going with The Predator but I’m fully aware that this could easily go the other way.

Nik- Oh lordy no. The Predator is the poor man’s Xenomorph. He’s still awesome, don’t get me wrong, but the Alien is ridiculously. The stuff nightmares are made of. Alien takes this one.

Video Game Region:

Bowser Super Mario Brothers (1) 

v. Ridley Metroid (5)  –

Matt- Bowser has steamrolled the competition so far, and as formidable as Ridley is, I don’t see this as the round Bowser goes home.  The king of the Koopas keeps on rolling.

Nik- Bowser it is. Ridley is too niche to withstand Bowser’s might.

Ganon Legend of Zelda (2) v. 

Dr. Wiley Mega Man (3) –

Matt- I like Dr. Wiley, I do, but there aren’t many video game villains that are as evil as Ganon, and I can’t look past that when I’m making my pick.  Ganon wins easily.

Nik- You all know how I feel about Ganon. I’m very pleased to see him go this far. And expect to see him go the rest of the way.

Villain Bracket Second Round Breakdown

Please note, the names in italics are the movie/comic/cartoon/game that the villain appears.

Comic Book Region:

Dr. Doom Fantastic Four (1) v. 

Loki Thor (9) –

Matt- There’s an outside chance Loki could win this one based on his boom in popularity since The Avengers, but I think Doom gets the coolness factor plus the legacy vote. 

Nik- It ultimately depends on the bulk of who’s voting. If it’s staunch comic nerds, Doom wins. If it’s those who’ve hopped on the comic train after the movies, 

I believe Loki’d take it.

Galactus Fantastic Four (5) v.

Magneto X-Men (4) –

Matt- This one is tough.  While I really like Magneto, I don’t think he would top Galactus.  When you eat planets as a job and a hobby, you’ve got quite the leg-up on your competition.

Nik- Could Magneto manipulate Galactus’s armor and stuff? Maybe. He is pretty powerful. But, in terms of all around bad-assery, I have to agree with Matt here, Galactus would totally win.

Thanos Various Marvel Comics (6) 

v. Lex Luthor Superman (3) –

Matt- Thanos was able to take one for “Team Marvel” in the first round, but this one will go to Lex Luthor.

Nik- Again, I have to agree. If this came out post-Guardians of the Galaxy movie, maybe Thanos’d stand a chance. As of right now, though, Luthor wins.

 

Joker Batman (2) v. 

Apocalypse X-Men (10) –

Matt- Joker, all the way.  Maybe after X-Men: Apocalypse comes out in a few years will he have some more juice in this fight, but between the movies, comics and Arkham video games, Joker will be a pretty tough out.

Nik- Joker is the quintessential villain in my eyes. While Apocalypse is cool in his own right, Joker has much more backing here. And, c’mon, Mark Hamill did his voice.

Cartoon Region:

Megatron Transformers (1) v. 

Mr. Burns The Simpsons (8)  –

Matt- I like Mr. Burns here, the problem is that I like Megatron more.  If it was anyone else against Mr. Burns I would pick him but the eight seed hamstrung him.

Nik- Nope. I still think Mr. Burns wins. I think you’re letting your love for Transformers cloud your vision here.

Mumm-Ra Thundercats (5) v. 

Skeletor He-Man (4) –

Matt- This is an interesting matchup as two of my favorite cartoon villains growing up go head to head.  I will have to give it to Skeletor, but this will be close.

Nik- Wow. Yeah. These are the ultimate classics here. I would actually go with Mumm-Ra on this one, because he was always much scarier to me.

 

Shredder Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3)  

v.  Gargamel Smurfs (11) –

Matt- Somehow, Gargamel won in the first round, but his luck runs out here against Shredder. 

Nik- Haha. Gargamel. Ah. Shredder wins.

Krang Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (7) v. 

Cobra Commander GI Joe (2) –

Matt- You know what?  I’m going to call the upset.  Krang over Cobra Commander.  There, I did it.

Nik- I would actually agree with Matt here, and not even call it an upset. A brain in a weird bionic dude’s stomach? Way better than Cobra Commander, the Team Rocket of GI Joes.

Movie Region:

Darth Vader Star Wars (1) v. 

Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre (8) –

Matt- Leatherface’s narrow victory in round one just set him up to be smoked by Vader in round two.

Nik- Yeah. Vader will stomp Leatherface. No doubt.

Voldemort Harry Potter (5) v. 

Sauron The Lord of the Rings (4) –

Matt- This is tough.  Not being a fan of Harry Potter I would choose Sauron, but I have a feeling this is Voldemort’s to lose.

Nik- I think Voldemort could totally take Sauron. What’s Sauron, really? An eyeball with a couple Nazgul? He Who Shall blahblahblah wins.

Dracula Dracula (6) v. 

Alien Alien (3) –

Matt-  I like the Xenomorph here, but only barely.  I could easily see Dracula taking this.  Regardless, it’ll be close.

Nik- Xenomorph, all the way! He will wreck the vamp!

Predator Predator (2) v. 

Michael Corleone 

The Godfather (10) –

Matt- Corleone was bad, the Predator is worse.  I think the Predator wins convincingly.

Nik- This is like saying an apple is more evil than an orange. Two different types of nutritious evil. But I will definitely have to go with the Predator on this one. Much cooler. 

Now, if Al Pacino had played the Predator…

Video Game Region:

Bowser Super Mario Brothers (1) v. Donkey Kong Donkey Kong (9) –

Matt- Donkey Kong’s victory will be short-lived as Bowser wins this one.

Nik- Wow. Mario’s nemeses. Bowser is just way cooler than DK as a villain, I’m afraid. Despite the old school\nostalgic factor, the ape goes down.

Ridley Metroid (5) v. 

Eggman Sonic the Hedgehog (4) –

Matt- I’m going to choose Ridley here, more out of wishful thinking than anything else.

Nik- Haha. Likewise. It saddens me a little that Eggman’s gone this far.

 

M. Bison Street Fighter (6) v. 

Dr. Wiley Mega Man (3) –

Matt- Dr. Wiley for the win!

Nik- Raul Julia as M. Bison? Still couldn’t beat the creepy evil scientist. I am definitely letting childhood memories affect this decision, but Wiley.

Goro Mortal Kombat (7) v. 

Ganon Legend of Zelda (2)–

Matt- I like Goro, I really do, but much like Mr. Burns I think he’s just a victim of his seed as Ganon is too much.

Nik- Ganon. No question. Goro’s cool and all. But, c’mon. Zelda or Mortal Kombat? Ganon to the end.