20 Most Important Green Lantern Villains (Ranked)

The Green Lantern character is one of DC’s most popular comic book franchises. One of the most distinctive aspects of the character is its colorful cast of villains. A desire for power drives some, others by a thirst for revenge, and still others by a sense of duty or ideology. Many of the villains have unique powers or abilities that challenge the Green Lanterns’ own abilities. If you follow any of the Marvel or DC Universes, you have probably noticed a new wave of interest in their villains. We might cheer for our superheroes, but everyone loves a good villain. This is probably because of their complicated but interesting personalities. With that said, let’s look at the 20 greatest Green Lantern villains.

What sets the Green Lantern series apart is the creativity and diversity of its villains. Each has a unique backstory and motivation, making them more than just one-dimensional bad guys. Despite the variety of Green Lantern villains, they all have one thing in common: they are a formidable challenge for the Green Lanterns to overcome. This creates a sense of tension and excitement for readers and viewers as they follow the heroes’ journey to defeat the villains and save the day. If this topic piques your interest, you should stick with us and keep reading for more!

20. Effigy

Effigy, also known as Dr. Arthur Light, is a very intelligent individual who eventually becomes a mad scientist. His obsession with the Green Lantern became excessive, eventually costing him his sanity. His goal was to harness the power of the Green Lanterns, and he decided to start his experiments with this idea in mind.

His experiments went terribly wrong, and he was transformed into a being of pure energy. After his transformation, Dr. Light decided to call himself Effigy. He gained the ability to manipulate fire and plasma, making him a formidable opponent for the Green Lanterns.

19. Appa Ali Apsa

Appa Ali Apsa is another Green Lanter villain, but interestingly, he has appeared as both a hero and a villain at different times. Appa does not look like a regular human, and that is because he is a part of the alien race called the Malthusian. The Malthusians are known for their high intelligence and long lifespans.

Later on, in the comics, Appa Ali Apsa becomes disillusioned with the Guardians and the Corps, believing they have become too rigid and dogmatic in their approach to policing the universe. This is where his shift happens, and he decides to create a utopian society based on his beliefs.

18. Scar

One of Scar’s notable appearances was back in the 2005 storyline „Sinestro Corps War. “ She is similar to Appa Ali Apsa, as she used to be a Green Lantern and the keeper of the ancient Book of Oa. This book contains the history and knowledge of the Guardians of the Universe.

Unfortunately, her backstory is quite tragic, as her home planet was destroyed. Scar was a member of the Xanshi race, and in an experiment done by the Guardians of the Universe, her home was decimated. She was the sole survivor, and after the destruction, she blamed the Guardians of the Universe for their actions.

17. Evil Star

Evil Star made his villainous debut back in 1962 and since then has made many other appearances in various comic series. There is some mystery behind Evil Star; for example, his real name was never revealed. Other than that, we know that he was born on a planet in the Antares system.

Before he got caught up in a radiation incident, he didn’t possess any kind of powers. Evil Star gained his powers by being exposed to a certain form of radiation. After the effect of that radiation started to sink in, he was now able to control gravity and manipulate the stars.

16. Krona

Krona was one of the major villains. He made his first appearance in the 1960s and became a recurring antagonist for the Green Lantern Corps. We can definitely say that Krona had a pivotal role in the origins of the DC Universe.

Just like Appa Ali Apsa, Krona was a member of the ancient alien race called the Malthusian. Just like Effigy, he was a scientist that had become obsessed with unraveling the mysteries of the Universe. He embarked on a forbidden experiment to observe the dawn of creation.

15. Shark

Shark was another Green Lantern character who appeared in the 1960s. He is a humanoid creature who can transform into a shark-like creature, giving him enhanced strength, speed, and durability.

Shark’s real name is Karshon, and he was originally a petty criminal who gained his powers after being exposed to an experimental serum. He soon became a frequent adversary of the Green Lantern Corps, using his strength and ferocity to terrorize the citizens of his home planet.

14. Tattooed Man (Abel Tarrant)

The Tattooed Man was one of this character’s many names over the years. The original character was introduced in 1963 and named Abel Tarrant. His ability was that he could bring his tattoos to life.

In later versions of the character, multiple people have tried to take on the mantle of the Tattooed Man. One of the more prominent versions was Mark Richards, who gained his powers after being exposed to a special ink created by a criminal organization.

13. Nekron

Nekron was another major Green Lantern villain. He is known for his role as the lord of the unliving, which is the realm of the dead in the DC Universe. He first appeared in 1981 and became a recurring antagonist for the Green Lantern Corps.

Nekron is an embodiment of death, and his powers are linked to the concept of death and the afterlife. This essentially means that he can resurrect the dead and control and manipulate the spirits of the deceased.

12. Fatality

Fatality was a well-known villain in the Green Lantern Universe, and her character has gone through several iterations throughout the years. Fatality first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 3, which was published in 1997.

Fatality is a member of the race of beings called the Thanagarians, which is a race of bird-like humanoids. Fatality started out as a warrior and a member of the Thanagarian military. She was known as Yrra Cynril before adopting Fatality after Green Lanterns killed her family.

11. Major Disaster

Major Disaster caused trouble for the Green Lantern Corps numerous times. Major Disaster, whose real name is Paul Booker, first appeared in the Justice League of America back in 1966.

In the comics, Major Disaster is a former scientist who became a supervillain after a laboratory accident, just like Effigy and Krona. This incident gave him the power to manipulate luck and probability.

10. Star Sapphire

Star Sapphier’s alter ego is Carol Ferris, also the longtime love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. Star Sapphire receives her power from the Star Sapphire entity, an ancient crystal that possesses women and turns them into its host.

The entity gives its host superhuman powers, including flight, energy projection, and telekinesis. The entity’s powers are fueled by love, and it seeks to create love throughout the universe. However, its methods are often violent and aggressive.

9. Mongul

Mongul was another popular villain in the Green Lantern comics. He is an alien warlord who rules over his own interstellar empire and seeks to conquer and dominate other civilizations. Mongul is incredibly strong and possesses enhanced speed, agility, and durability.

Some of his other abilities include the power to generate energy blasts from his hands while also having a healing factor that allows him to quickly recover from injuries. Mongul first came into conflict with the Green Lantern Corps when he sought to claim the weapon known as the Central Power Battery, which powers the Green Lantern rings.

8. Parallax

Parallax was an entity of fear that had existed since the beginning of time. He essentially seeks to consume and control the entire universe. Parallax was originally trapped within the Central Power Battery, the weapon we mentioned earlier as the source of power for the Green Lantern rings.

However, it was released when Hal Jordan, one of the Green Lanterns, became corrupted and became the villain known as Parallax. Hal Jordan was consumed by fear as Parallax and sought to remake the universe in his own image.

7. Hector Hammond

Hector Hammond was a brilliant scientist who gained psychic powers after exposure to extraterrestrial radiation. Hammond’s back story is similar to Effigy, and Krona, as they also were brilliant minds who got caught up in a life-changing incident.

After his exposure to the radiation, Hammond’s head became abnormally large. His brain began to develop exponentially, granting him telepathic abilities, psychokinesis, and the ability to read and absorb knowledge from other people’s minds.

6. Dr. Polaris

Dr. Polaris, another supervillain from the Green Lantern comics. He was yet another case similar to the already mentioned one, Effigy and Krona. He was a physicist named Neal Emerson who gained magnetic powers after a laboratory accident.

With his newfound powers, Dr. Polaris can manipulate and generate magnetic fields, giving him a wide range of abilities such as flight, energy projection, and control over metal. However, his powers also have a dangerous side effect – they can affect his mental stability and drive him to madness.

5. Atrocitus

Atrocitus was the leader of the Red Lantern Corps, a group of villains who wield the power of rage. Before becoming the leader of the Red Lantern Corps, Atrocitus was once a member of the Five Inversions. This was a group of aliens massacred by the Guardians of the Universe, the beings who created the Green Lantern Corps.

The trauma of this event drove Atrocitus to become consumed with rage and to seek revenge against the Guardians. Atrocitus was eventually able to harness the power of rage and create the Red Lantern Corps, a group of beings whose power is fueled by anger and hatred. He has clashed with the Green Lantern Corps numerous times, seeking to destroy them and take revenge against the Guardians.

4. Akrillo

Akrillo was an alien warrior from the planet Vorn, which is known for its advanced technology and its production of anti-matter. Akrillo is a member of the Qwardian race, a group of beings who are the natural enemies of the Green Lantern Corps.

He was first recruited by Sinestro and became one of the first agents a part of the Sinestro Corps. He possesses incredible strength and durability, and he is able to generate blasts of energy from his hands.

3. The Manhunters

The Manhunters were a group of villains from the Green Lantern comics. The Guardians of the Universe created them as a force of robotic peacekeepers designed to uphold law and order in the universe.

However, the Manhunters eventually became corrupted and turned against their creators, seeking to eliminate all life in the universe in the name of their twisted idea of justice. They saw themselves as superior to organic life and sought to create a universe ruled by machines.

2. Black Hand

The Black Hand was another well-known villain from the Green Lantern comics. He was a mortician named William Hand who became obsessed with death and the power that it represents. As the Black Hand, William Hand possesses a lot of different powers. He is able to drain the life force from other beings and can also summon and control the dead.

He has also been shown to have telekinetic and telepathic abilities. The Black Hand is obsessed with the Green Lanterns and their power rings, which he sees as a means of transcending death. He would often clash with the Green Lantern Corps, seeking to gain control of their rings and use their power to become immortal.

1. Sinestro

Sinestro was one of the most iconic villains from the Green Lantern Universe. He was a former member of the Green Lantern Corps who turned to the path of evil and became one of the greatest threats to the universe. As a Green Lantern, Sinestro was known for his strict adherence to law and order, often taking extreme measures to maintain the peace.

However, he became disillusioned with the Guardians of the Universe and their leadership of the Corps, believing they were too focused on rules and regulations at the expense of true justice. Sinestro eventually turned against the Green Lanterns and formed his own group, the Sinestro Corps, which wielded the power of fear.