The Best Animated Version of Every Major Spider-Man Villain, Ranked

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Spider-Man boasts one of the longest-running histories in animated television, with more series than almost any other superhero. He first appeared in cartoons alongside shows like The Electric Company’s Spidey Super Stories, and continued with dedicated series in the 1970s for both Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. For over sixty years, he’s been a favorite among young viewers. The 1990s’ Spider-Man: The Animated Series marked a turning point, delivering some of the strongest animated superhero storytelling on TV. Each series also offered unique takes on Spider-Man’s villains, with some animated versions proving even more compelling than their comic book counterparts.

Whether it’s a fresh take on a classic foe like Tombstone or memorable portrayals of Electro, Sandman, and Doctor Octopus, these are some of the greatest versions of Spider-Man’s villains as seen in animated series.

10) Tombstone in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

The newest Spider-Man animated series, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, debuted on Disney+ in 2025 and offered fresh takes on familiar characters and events. A notable change was the reimagining of the villain Tombstone as a high school classmate and friend of Peter Parker. While traditionally depicted as an older enemy of Robbie Robertson in the comics, the show explores the character’s heartbreaking story and descent into villainy.

This version of Tombstone is the strongest yet in any Spider-Man animated show. It brilliantly portrays a hopeful young man with a good heart gradually becoming a criminal due to the difficult circumstances he faces. This makes him a very relatable and sympathetic character, and solidifies his place as one of the best in the current Spider-Man series.

9) Venom in Spectacular Spider-Man

Venom has appeared in a few different Spider-Man cartoons, but the version in Spectacular Spider-Man is widely considered the best. Similar to how Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man revamped the character of Tombstone, this series offered a fresh take on Venom, portraying Eddie Brock as a childhood friend of Peter Parker. They both volunteered to help scientist Curt Connors.

Establishing Eddie and Peter as childhood friends added a layer of sadness to Eddie’s turn into the villain Venom. Unlike many other versions, this Eddie wasn’t initially a bad person before joining with the symbiote. While it’s a shame this Eddie doesn’t become the hero he is in the comics, it doesn’t take away from how well this version of the Spider-Man villain is done.

8) Scorpion in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

The comic book version of Scorpion has had a complex history. He started as a mercenary hired to defeat Spider-Man, then became a powerful villain seeking revenge on J. Jonah Jameson, and even briefly transformed into Venom. While often portrayed as a minor threat in animated series, the show Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man gave him a more significant role.

In this series, Scorpion was depicted as a formidable and dangerous street-level criminal. The season heavily featured gang warfare, and Scorpion proved to be a truly frightening villain – he nearly defeated Tombstone and even pushed Spider-Man to his limits. This was the first animated Spider-Man show to establish Scorpion as a genuinely intimidating threat.

7) Sandman in Spectacular Spider-Man

Sandman is a complex character, making him tricky to portray on screen. While often depicted as a criminal and a thief motivated by self-interest, his most compelling moments come when you see his underlying sadness and desire to be a better person. This internal conflict is what made him such a memorable villain in Spider-Man 3. Interestingly, in the Marvel comics, Sandman actually reformed and even joined the Avengers.

The best animated version of this Spider-Man villain appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man, a show known for making villains feel sympathetic. Like Spider-Man 3, the series explored his sad past and explained why he became a criminal, portraying him as someone who didn’t want to be bad and was hoping for a chance to make things right. It was a really well-done reimagining of his origins.

6) Kraven in Spider-Man: TAS

Kraven the Hunter is a compelling character in Marvel Comics, known as a world-class hunter always seeking the ultimate challenge. After conquering all other prey, he turned his attention to Spider-Man. The storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt is considered the definitive take on the character, and it hasn’t been fully explored in most animated adaptations.

The animated Spider-Man series offered the most compelling take on Kraven. It gave him a science fiction-based backstory and understandable reasons for his actions, moving beyond simply wanting to capture a difficult target. In this version, a lion attack and experimental treatment damaged his mind, causing him to lose control. The show also allowed him to potentially find a cure and achieve inner peace—a resolution he never experienced in the original comics.

5) Lizard in Spectacular Spider-Man

What really stands out about The Lizard in Spectacular Spider-Man is how little time he actually spends as the monster. The show cleverly made Curt Connors a regular character, deeply involved in Peter Parker’s life. He was even present when the Venom symbiote started to negatively influence Eddie Brock, a young man Curt had guided.

Dr. Curt Connors became a fan favorite because he guided Peter Parker and we got to know his family. This made his transformation into the Lizard especially heartbreaking. It fueled Spider-Man’s desire to help him, solidifying Connors as one of the most compelling characters in a story filled with beloved figures.

4) Rhino in Ultimate Spider-Man

Rhino is a tricky Spider-Man villain to pull off well. He’s often shown as a silly, but incredibly tough, brute. But the Ultimate Spider-Man version gave him a great new look and backstory, making him a far more interesting and complex character than he’d been before.

Rhino wasn’t just another villain; he was a student at Midtown High constantly tormented by Flash Thompson. Driven by a desire for revenge and self-defense, he transformed himself into the supervillain Rhino and teamed up with the Sinister Six. However, he eventually regretted his choices and, unable to reverse the transformation, sought a path to redemption by joining SHIELD Academy.

3) Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: TAS

Both the animated Spider-Man series and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 showed Doctor Octopus as someone with a connection to Peter Parker. Instead of being a typical villain when they first meet, Doc Ock was presented as Peter’s old teacher – a seemingly good man. However, the series revealed he was secretly working for Kingpin all along, making him a villain operating behind the scenes.

This Doctor Octopus stands out as the best Spider-Man animated villain because he perfectly captures the personality of the comic book version. After his initial role as Peter Parker’s teacher, he transforms into the condescending and arrogant villain that made him a legendary Spider-Man enemy. Many fans of a certain generation instantly associate Doc Ock with the voice of Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

2) Electro in Spectacular Spider-Man

For me, Electro in The Spectacular Spider-Man is the absolute best version of the character we’ve ever gotten. It’s a shame he falls into pretty standard villain territory later in the series, but his origin story is just brilliant. They really nailed how Max Dillon wasn’t trying to be a bad guy; he just had this accident and suddenly couldn’t control these incredible electric powers. It felt so much more tragic and believable that way.

Max Dillon, or Electro, simply wanted to be left alone, but his powers frightened people. He was unfairly targeted by both the police and Spider-Man, who mistakenly saw him as a threat. Spider-Man’s aggressive attack actually pushed Max towards villainy. All Max wanted was help, but instead he faced fear and violence, which ultimately led him to embrace a life of crime.

1) Green Goblin in Ultimate Spider-Man

A standout story arc in Spider-Man animation happened in Ultimate Spider-Man when Spider-Man started journeying through different universes. This storyline was especially exciting because Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin was also dimension-hopping, leading to incredible battles and moments – including the first appearance of Miles Morales and a climactic showdown with the Green Goblin.

The meeting between the classic Green Goblin and his Ultimate Universe version was explosive. Seeing these two versions of Norman Osborn, especially the terrifying Ultimate Goblin, fight was a highlight for Marvel fans. This storyline showcased the best portrayal of both Norman Osborn and his villainous alter ego.

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2025-11-01 01:43